Sweet Adelines International 75th Jubilee Commemorative Album

DID YOU KNOW…? The Sweet Adelines Retirement Home. After several years of study in the 1970s, including obtaining Housing and Urban Development (HUD) documents, the idea for a home for “retired and senior citizens of our organization” was, er, laid to rest in 1978, and the Special Committee on Retirement Living was dissolved.

Charity Events in the Year of the Silver Note. Among the many activities taking place in honor of Sweet Adelines’ Silver Anniversary was a series of charity benefits initiated by the international organization and managed by field representatives. One of the most successful was a benefit for the Southern Connecticut Chapter of the National Institute for Rehabilitation Engineering (NIRE), an organization “dedicated to helping severely disabled persons become sufficiently able to study, work and care for families at home.” (The Pitch Pipe, Autumn 1972) First Nun. The first nun to join Sweet Adelines was Sister St. Christopher Eaton of Green Gold Valley Chapter in Salinas, California (USA). After seeing her name in the Spring 1970 issue of The Pitch Pipe , she wrote, “It was somewhat of a surprise to read that there is only one nun in Sweet Adelines, and even more of a shock to find out that it’s me! I’ve been in Sweet Adelines only a year, and it is for the same reason that everyone else joined. I got hooked on the stuff…happy day! Fortunately, the chapter in this area contains the friendliest beings I’d ever met, and in no time they made me feel at home. I can think of no other single entertainment in America today which can be enjoyed so much by so many people.” Sister St. Christopher passed away in 2006 from complications from AIDS, which she contracted during her years of working as a nurse during the early years of the AIDS epidemic. Computer Age. Sweet Adelines began to a use a computer which used numbered cards to keep track of each member…and not everyone loved it. A witty member wrote to The Pitch Pipe in 1971, “I was shocked to hear that Sweet Adelines are to henceforth be identified by their Social Security number fed to a computer. I deeply resent becoming a mess of figures. HOW can you condense ANY Sweet Adeline to a 7-½ x 3 inch card? It wouldn’t hold enough holes!” Unusual Honor. The AnselmWorld Tape Forum was a historical and cultural organization through which tapes were recorded and passed around the world to promote learning, understanding, and friendship across boundaries. Alpha Sanders of West Suburban Chapter (Illinois, USA) and later, Calumet Corner Chapter (Indiana, USA) sent Sweet Adelines music all over the world on the many tapes she recorded for the organization. She was the AnselmWorld Tape Forum’s first female associate director — and first female invited to be a member.

1993 Mission statement and goals adopted under long-range strategic plan.

1993 The Ink Spots performed at a Heart of Maryland Chorus show.

1993 Greater Harmony Chorus sang with a Japanese song club to help fund a Japanese Nationality Room at the University of Pittsburgh.

1993 Membership in Surrey Harmony Chorus (UK) grew from 12 in 1990 to 43 in 1993.

1993 Showtime Quartet, Miami Magic, Royal Palm, Suncoast, and Stars of Harmony choruses, along with several quartets and choruses from SPEBSQSA, give a benefit performance for victims of Hurricane Andrew. 73