Member News

Upcoming Meetings

President Pat’s Letter

Dear Members,

It has been a rather long hiatus since we last met, but despite having no meetings, our members continue to carry on with their respective duties - and a lot has been going on! For one thing, we were all saddened to hear that Edie Pfautsch is leaving Dallas after all these years to be closer to her family in New York. Several of us had the opportunity to see her before she left and, I think we all agreed the move is in her best interest. She will be greatly missed.

The Library Series continues to go forward, thanks to Susan Poelchau, and some excellent programs are being presented. I hope you will put one on your Saturday calendar.

Our Treasurer, Sandra McMillen, asks that we pay our dues by the end of May, so bring your checkbook to either the April or May meeting.

Everyone needs to calculate their SERV hours of service in the musical community. Please bring these reports to our April meeting so that they can be tabulated for my annual report.

Our Nominating Committee, with Cynthia Wadley as chairman, will present their list of officer nominees at our April meeting. The floor will be open for further nominations.

Also at our April meeting, we will vote on someone who we feel deserves the Violet Award for outstanding service to the Chapter. This person cannot have served on the International Board.

Our Chapter will also be presenting a Music Therapy Award again this year. The ceremony will take place at SMU Caruth Auditorium on Wednesday, April 28th, at 1:00 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend.

Speaking of awards, Susan Poelchau and I put our heads together and submitted a request for a Helen Haupt Alumni Chapter Project Grant to help with the expense of the Library Series. We are awaiting the response to that.

I look forward to seeing all of you April 10th!

Pat Hill

Upcoming Meetings

Concert Series

We are winding up this year and will continue on Saturdays at the Library next fall. Susan is getting the program together now. Let her know of possible performers.

We will have a concert on April 10th at 3 pm in the Library Auditorium, following our luncheon meeting. Jay Gardner is a wonderful tenor, who will be accompanied by James McQuillen.

On April 17, replacing Sabrina Trujillo who is not able to perform, will be David Grogan, baritone, accompanied by Alan Dyer. He will sing songs by contemporary composers. 

Our last concert will be in the 4th floor Bradshaw Gallery. On April 24th Cuban pianist Ana Rodriguez is flying in from Miami to play a wonderful program of Spanish music for us. Come and bring your friends!

See the Concert Series pages for more details.

Chapter News

Sandra McMillen reminds members that dues are now payable to International in September, which makes it hard to collect them in fall and be on time turning them in. So, please plan on paying dues for the 2010-11 year by the May meeting. Dues information is in your yearbook and the amount depends on your Triangle status. Even if you have a life subscription to the Triangle or are an emeritus member, you still need to pay chapter dues. For your chapter dues you receive a yearbook, website and newsletters and help support our concert series. And you get to attend wonderful meetings and musical events. What a great deal!

Look in the back of your Yearbook for a convenient form to track your SERV (service) hours. The April meeting is the time to turn them in for this year, so our chapter can be considered for awards. For those not attending this meeting, please send your hours to Pat Hill.

We need a volunteer to collect the SERV hours of our members and make the report to the SERV chairman and give information to Pat for her Annual Report due in June. With Sandra’s duties as a national officer, she has become too busy to contact everyone this year, but will be glad to share information about the report with whoever volunteers to do this. Let Pat Hill know you if will can take care of this project.

Correction: Wynona is NOT chairman for the next Mu Phi convention but for the 2010 Delta Kappa Gamma state convention in Waco. Your editor humbly apologizes for the error.

Omitted in the yearbook is an additional scholarship we give to a student at SMU: Outstanding Senior Award in the Mu Chi Chapter. This will be corrected in the next yearbook. The award ceremony at SMU will be on Wednesday, April 28th, at 1:00 p.m. Let Pat Hill if you would like to attend with her.

Top

Pencil into your calendar our next 

Mu Phi Convention: 

August 10-13, 2011 in Rochester, NY.

February Meeting

The Dallas chapter met with the SAIs at Steinway Hall for a varied program. 

Katherine Freiberger (seated) played some of her own compositions – three of her “Short Settings from the Rubaiyat of Omar Kyayyam” with Claudia Jameson, soprano (right); and also ”Winter Apples” with Marla Maxon of SAI, soprano, Claudia Jameson, soprano and Frances Estes, oboe. 

She also played the Interlude from her piece for piano “Allegro, Interlude and Toccata for solo piano.” What a treat!

SAIs Angela Pendelton, violin and Sharon Bailey performed the third movement of the “Concerto #2 for Violin" by Friedrich Seitz.

Mu Phi Melanie Priest played some valentine music for solo handbells with SAI pianist Sue Tate, including “On the Street Where You Live” from My Fair Lady, “Moon River” from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and “Almost like Being in Love” from Brigadoon. 

Rounding out the program was SAI Rebecca Cordes playing some of her original jazzy compositions – “Desmond’s Moonllght” and “Blues for BB.” 

Thanks to all our performers for an enjoyable evening.

Member News

We have said goodbye to one of our long-time members. Edie Pfautsch has moved to Ithaca NY to live in a retirement facility closer to her daughter Debbie. Though she has not been very active the last few years because of her hearing loss and heart troubles, she has been a wonderful asset to our chapter over the years and a dear friend to many of us. We will miss her.

Martha Peak fell and broke her arm in February and is recovering.

Janice Winchell returned from a trip to Europe in February.

Susan Poelchau will be spending part of the summer in Germany, Tena Hehn is traveling to France, and Mary Williams will be in Colorado and Montana in August.

Many of us knew Susan Carlisle, who died recently. A Mu Chi, Susan was a member of the Dallas Alumni chapter for many years. She was also a member of Pro Musica, the Music Study Club, and was a church musician. After teaching private piano lessons for 20 years, she spent the next 22 years teaching music and art in Highland Park schools while continuing with a few private students. She was a past president of both the Dallas and Texas Music Teachers Associations, and was active on the national level as well. She served as a piano adjudicator and as an art critic and judge. She was the Convention Chairman for the 1968 National Convention of Mu Phi Epsilon held in Dallas. Her obituary:

Carlisle, Susan Hamman Allen Carlisle was born on April 5, 1921, in Dallas, Texas. Her parents were Ralph Hamman and Ellen Wilkerson Hamman. She died peacefully on February 7, 2010, in her hometown of 88 years. She was a graduate of Highland Park High School, and received a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Liberal Arts from Southern Methodist University. She was a member of Delta Delta Delta, Mu Phi Epsilon, Pro Musica, the Music Study Club, the Craig Class, Thesaurus Book Club, Daughters of the King, and St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church. She taught private piano lessons for 20 years, first from her studio on Milton in Snyder Plaza, later moving to a studio above the Post Office. She then taught both music and art in the Highland Park Independent School District for 22 years, while continuing to teach a few private piano students. She was a past president of both the Dallas and Texas Music Teachers Associations, and was active on the national level as well. She served as a piano adjudicator and as an art critic and judge. She played the piano for contemporary services at St. Michaels and for various functions at The Edgemere, where she moved in 2001. She was preceded in death by her husband, the Rev. George Carlisle, her parents, and her son-in-law, John Cook. She is survived by her daughter, Sandy Cook; her granddaughter Ginger Cook, her husband Bob Dever, and their son Owen Dever; her granddaughter Betsy Lambert, her husband Brian, and their daughters Caitlin and Avery. There will be a visitation at Sparkman-Hillcrest, 7405 W. Northwest Hwy., Dallas, Texas 75225 on Friday evening, February 12th from 6 to 8 p.m. There will be a graveside service at Sparkman-Hillcrest on Saturday, February 13th, at 1 p.m. and a memorial service in the chapel of St. Michael and All Angels, 8011 Douglas Ave., Dallas, Texas 75225 at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, a gift can be made in her memory to benefit the piano department of SMU. Checks can be addressed to Division of Music at SMU, 6101 Bishop Blvd., SMU, Dallas, Texas 75275-0356.
Sparkman Hillcrest Funeral Home - 7405 W. Northwest Hwy.

Another shocking bit of news reached us in March. We learned of the death of Celia Millemon, daughter of a founding member of our chapter, Katherine Riddle, who died a few years ago. Many of us came to know Celia over the years, particularly as Katherine was in a nursing home in her 90s and 100s. Her obituary:

Millemon, Celia Riddle was born in Dallas, Texas on April 27, 1946. She died along with her sister-in-law, Mary Jane Millemon Merrill, on Monday, March 15, 2010, the victims of a traffic accident on Interstate 45 near Centerville, Texas. Celia was a proud daughter of Oak Cliff, born to Dr. Penn and Katharine Riddle. She graduated from Sunset High School and Austin College and went on to earn a Master of Arts degree in political science at Indiana University. After graduate school, Celia began her career teaching Latin at John Jay High School (Northside ISD) in San Antonio. In 1974, she moved to the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD in Houston where she taught government and economics. In 1984 she returned to Dallas and entered a new profession. Celia was an invaluable member of the Spellman Capital Corporation team as a licensed securities broker, and later, as a Certified Financial Planner. In 2002, Celia returned to the classroom, teaching Latin in the Colleyville ISD. Following "retirement," Celia taught English for Students of Other Languages part-time for the DISD and then the Dallas County Community College District at Mountain View College. As an active member of North Park Presbyterian Church, Celia was a member of Genesis II Sunday School Class and sang soprano in the church choir. Celia had a true love and knowledge of the Romance languages, Spanish, French, and Latin. She was a member of La Tertulia, a Spanish-language book club as well as a monthly gathering of Latin teachers. Celia is survived by her loving husband, John, and an older sister, Rosalind Beaird, both of Dallas. She also leaves behind four nephews and their spouses, two great nieces, and three great nephews. Countless current and former students and countless friends mourn her loss. Celia Millemon was a deeply curious, vital, and caring person who used her life to help others grow and flourish. We will miss her. A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, March 24, at 3 PM at NorthPark Presbyterian Church. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, memorials and tributes be sent to NorthPark Presbyterian Church, 9555 N. Central Expressway, Dallas, Texas 75231.

Wynona Lipsett reports that she and Don attended the Paralympics, spending 15 days in Vancouver and Seattle attending the sled hockey games. Their grandson Taylor Lipsett scored five goals and two assists in four games and was named outstanding playing for the game with Korea in which he scored two points. He was featured in a Paralympic article in the Dallas Morning News on the first page of the Metro section holding the American flag! Wynona says, “What an adventure this has been to actually be there and take part in all of the excitement. Truly the ecstasy without the agony! It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend the games and witness the amazing achievements of so many physically handicapped athletes who have overcome so much! The awards ceremony was so special and we all had tears in our eyes as the American flag was raised above the Norway and Japan flags and the team USA received their gold medals.”

Electronic mail

President/ General Information - Patricia HIll  pattylou915@yahoo.com

Mary Williams: txtravel@flash.net