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Importance of the Chorister It is my view that at the present time, the main concrete connection that unites us as an organization is our newsletter. We depend on it to communicate information about our Association, share ideas, as well as provide a forum for our members to express themselves. Our newsletter editor was right on the mark in his report to the Board in which he stated "The Chorister is one of the primary means by which members of the Associated Male Choruses of America may communicate with one another". Often our leaders will decide to make announcements and communicate directly via the Chorister - it is the only vehicle we have for this kind of direct communication that can reach all of our members. Our editor's philosophy which expresses his view on how the Chorister fits in with the Association supports this - "... (it) must be seen as part of a wider strategy regarding communicating the activities of the Association and promoting ourselves." Distribution of the Chorister There is too, a moral obligation to provide each member with his copy - we spend a considerable amount of membership dues money producing and distributing the newsletter - and according to our Constitution, membership benefits include receiving a copy. At the October 21st Board of Directors meeting, the Chorister distribution discussion began when our editor proposed sending to each chorus a set number of copies - twenty-five was suggested, regardless of the number of dues paying members in each chorus. One of our field editors, (each district has a volunteer field editor responsible for collecting and forwarding information to the chief editor), commented that five copies would be sufficient and that the copies could be shared amongst the members during chorus rehearsal. Five copies shared, in this case. amongst about fifty members during a rehearsal? How in the world would anyone find time during a busy chorus rehearsal to actually read the newsletter! Well, perhaps those that arrived early could quickly scan the information and pass the copy along to the next to arrive beforehand but is this the way in which we conceive our Chorister will be read and do we really believe that everyone who wants to read it will have the opportunity if this is the level of distribution? I think not! The reason given for such a small number of copies which was supported by others in attendance, was that when the Chorister is distributed most copies are left on the chairs when members leave. Evidently the conclusion reached was that if they don't read it, then why waste money producing copies for everyone.
Aside: In the author's chorus no one leaves behind a copy of the district nor international newsletter. (are we so atypical?) If we received fewer copies than we have members - how do we decide which members do not receive a copy and how do we explain why they, as dues paying members will not have one unless we run to the copy shop and produce extras for them?Now I'm sorry, but if our members have so little regard for our newsletter then we should be addressing that fact, rather than making a decision to cut off a large percentage of our members from this vital means of communication. Article Contributions to the Chorister So how do we accomplish this? Well, for starters, members are more likely to want to read the newsletter if it contains articles about their chorus and their district activities. Articles about people they know as well as fellow AMCA'ers in our Association. Our newsletter editor is regularly "begging" for assistance and material to be sent to him as well as articles submitted ready for publication. The opportunity it there to share and to "toot your own horn" but it is part of the role of each district Field Editor to spearhead this effort and provide the kind of leadership that will encourage members to become more involved with the content of the newsletter.
Field Editors, I address this question directly to you - when was the last time you forwarded information and/or an article to the Chorister editor? and - are you sending information to the editor on a regular basis so that he can report on your district activities in the monthly Chorister?But the Field Editors are not the only ones responsible to send information and articles to the Chorister for publication - each chorus should be sharing their noteworthy activities with their fellow AMCA choristers. We're not suggesting a "listing" of dates and performances be sent in - that would make for pretty boring reading and probably would result in the copies being left on the chairs, but perhaps your club successfully tried something unique as a fund raiser, a type of concert, ticket sale promotion, etc. etc. that might be shared. Maybe our Editors could suggest a theme from time to time to give our member choruses some direction.
In an earlier column "A Blueprint for Progress", I recommended that "...the Chorister broaden its mandate and seek out the expertise we have in our association to contribute regular columns that contain scholarly and practical articles with information of interest to choral needs - a journal if you like". Our editor has put out the call, several times, for assistance but there has been little or no response to his requests. Where is the support for his efforts and for this potentially wonderful communications vehicle? Our editor has stated that "...The editor should be an editor - not the writer. If the content is not available, the editor should not be expected to produce it". Have YOU the kind of expertise we speak of that could be shared to the benefit of our Association? Where are our experts? What role can YOU play in supporting your Chorister publication??? Chorister. . . .Cement! The Chorister is the cement that binds our organization - leaders to members, members to members and to some degree - leaders to leaders. Water it down by not providing an adequate number of copies and you weaken the structure of our Association. Our web site does a marvelous job of communicating a wide variety of information and it is a wonderful service. However, it has limitations - presently less than twenty percent of our members have the capability to access the site. The Chorister has the potential of reaching one hundred percent of our members!
It is my opinion that for all of the good reasons above, every member of the AMCA can and should be entitled to receive a copy of each and every publication of the Chorister.Your Response! I would be most interested in hearing from those who do not share my point of view - but, please post your response on the web site for others to consider, not just personally to me. View Feedback | Make A Comment |
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This column is planned as a regular feature and will be written monthly by the Executive Secretary.
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