Decades of Devotion
Monday, January 15 – 7 pm
See address in the newsletter.
Host: Pat Suitt
Co-hosts: Susan Poelchau, Jenny Smith
Program: Boulanger and Bernstein: Pat Suitt and friend
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September
Meeting
In September we welcomed several collegiate and recent graduate guests
for our luncheon meeting at Chimneyhill. Vice President Lisa Beyer
conducted the meeting and reported on the International Convention held
in Denver in July. She also presented awards to those getting SERV
awards:
Ashley Bouras, Susan Poelchau, Jenny Smith and Nancy Laine.
Follow up thoughts on convention: we want to
encourage more members to try a leadership role; collegiates and new
graduates desire flexibility from alumni chapters; our chapters want a
yearly district conference.
Nancy Laine provided members with clever Ghost Tea invitations to send
by November 1 (hence the Halloween theme).
Megan Carfa, our member who works for Junior Players, presented an
informative program on Dallas’ oldest children’s theater. Junior Players
provides free arts programing to children in North Texas, as well as
summer camps, art and theater instruction and performances.
See more at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3LY1bg90uo
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Minutes from Last Meeting
See the emailed attachment for minutes from the March meeting and
May Board meeting. There was no meeting in February or April. If you
have any corrections to the minutes, please reply to Susan Poelchau
via email.
Membership
We are trying to invite Collegiates and recent graduates to meetings
to grow our relationship with them and encourage affiliation with a
chapter after graduation. If you know Mu Phis or possible special
elections, please invite them to our meetings.
Funding Projects
The full Treasurer’s report with balances will be read in November
and emailed to the Secretary.
Ghost Tea:
Members are sending “ghost tea” invitations. These should
be mailed as soon as possible as it is a Halloween theme. Nancy
Laine will have more invitations at the November meeting; Check the
list of who already has an invitation and send your list to Sandra
McMillen who will share it, so we don’t all invite the same people.
When updated bylaws templates are sent from International we will
discuss raising our local dues from $20 to $25. This is small amount
on which to run an organization. If bylaws are changed, we will need
to change our standing rules as well. We will send out a copy of
changes in advance of a meeting for consideration, with a vote at a
meeting.
Many people who are not able to participate actively in our chapter
as members or patrons can contribute to our goals of promoting
music, young musicians and musicianship through gifts to sustain
these projects. Thanks to the members who made donations to our
Scholarship Fund, our Concert Series and the TMEA booth.
If you wish to give to either chapter project, write a separate
check made to Mu Phi Epsilon with the project noted and give it to
Sandra McMillen. She will then send forms to International with your
check so that your contribution will go to the proper place. We
receive these funds back for our projects and you get a tax
deduction. Your statement is mailed to you at the end of the year.
If your gift is less than $200, your cancelled check serves as your
IRS deduction documentation.
SERV Hours
Four members of our chapter were honored at the Denver
Convention for having over 300 SERV (service) hours. Congratulations
to Ashley Bouras, Susan Poelchau, Jenny Smith, and Nancy Laine for
their contributions to our community through their volunteer hours
in music.
You can use the form on the last page of your yearbook to log your
SERV hours or you can use our Google form. Instructions are at the
back of your yearbook. Please submit all your hours to Jenny Smith
by May 15.
Facebook Page
You can “Like”
the Dallas Alumni Chapter on Facebook to keep up with
messages and events. Type MuPhiEpsilonDallas on the search line
within Facebook, then click on LIKE us. You can post your own
performances there as well. We get free and easy publicity for our
concert series with our page when you share postings on your own
page.
South Central Facebook Page
Ashley set up a new group:
Mu Phi Epsilon: South Central 2 District
This group is Secret, which means only members can see the group,
its members, and what members post.
What can you do in your group?
Members can post and comment on updates, chat with everyone at once,
schedule group events, create shared docs, and more.
Let Ashley know if you are now on Facebook and would like to be
added to this group. All present members who are friends with Ashley
have been added already.
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International
Due to the resignation of Estelle Manley, Marcus Wyche,
formerly on the Foundation Board, is now the VP Alumni Advisor.
District Conference
From Ashley: The district leadership meeting was held
November 5th as planned and conference details were discussed. The
District Conference will take place on March 24th at UNT in Denton,
TX. Early registration for the event will open in January. The cost
of registration will include lunch, a T-shirt and a goodie bag! This
will be a great time of fellowship and learning with our
collegiates! I am looking forward to seeing you all in one place at
the same time.
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Ashley and Basil Bouras’ first child is due in April.
Ashley has directed
Pippin and
Little Mermaid
in October and will play with NLSO Nov 11 at the First Baptist
Church in Garland. They will perform
New World and
Bachanale.
Melanie Priest's grandchildren have returned home and she has
more free time. We hope she comes back to the chapter.
Check out Mary Ann Taylor’s new story “When in Late November” on
her blog:
http://bluebonnetsyrup.com/when-in-late-november/. We
have so much talent in our group!
Mary Beth Johnson’s new email is:
marybethgeorgej@gmail.com.
Please let your newsletter editor, Mary Williams, know what you
are doing.
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Mu Phi Epsilon 
Greetings,
Decades of Memories
October Meeting
Our program featured Kary Caboose, our new member from California, who
played “Trippery” by Leslie Shaw on French horn….
and Soprano Kimla Beasley, who sang four arias with “Music minus one”
accompaniment: Mozart's “Vado, ma dove”, Faure's “Mandolin” and “En
Priere”, and
“Un bel di” by Puccini. Thanks to these talented performers
and to our host and co-hosts.
Our
concert series
continues with great performers and interesting programs at the
Library. Recent concerts include an excellent clarinet quartet plus
marimba who played interesting music from around the world.
