Sweet Adelines International 75th Jubilee Commemorative Album

• From the 2004 International Board of Directors meeting: “The Board agreed to designate cash reserves in excess of annual operating expenses to technology. Dedicating a portion of Sweet Adelines funds to technology will expand our educational opportunities for members in the areas of distance learning and online outreach.” • Fiscal year ending April 2004, Sweet Adelines International gross revenue was $4.6 million USD and gross expense was $3.8 million, with the majority of money (33%) spent on education/member services. • Young Singers Foundation Endowment Fund was $215,000 USD in October 2004, with a goal of $500,000 so that the investment earnings would provide 20-30 scholarships and grants annually.

My assignment as part of the hostess chorus was to work with Anita Larsen in the headquarters public relations (PR) office. The first assignment she gave me was to call Hillary Clinton’s office and ask for a greeting from the First Lady. As I dialed the number, I was thinking, ‘Oh, my gosh! A phone is ringing somewhere in the White House!’ The PR in Indianapolis was fantastic, with several feature articles about the convention, The Barbershop Singers at the Indiana School for the Blind, the mass sing, and the contest results. Our favorite, though was one of Capital City performing on the Tuesday Night Showcase, which used to feature a performance by the hostess chorus. It was a crazy action shot, and the photo went “viral” in an age when “viral” hadn’t been invented. The photo was picked up by Associated Press (AP) and went literally around the world, including the front page of the Maui Times. —Jan Meyer, 2004, Indianapolis (Indiana, USA)

The first barbershop collection of children’s music on CD, We Are Family, was the brainchild of Region #13 visionaries Sally Wallace, Patty Warren, Joan Levitin, Dottie Dedrick, and Lea Beverley and contained songs performed by the region’s choruses and quartets. Copies of the CD were sent to choruses with instructions on how to use them as a marketing tool.

Family Chorus performs at international convention in New Orleans in 2019.

2001 First Ann Gooch Award recipient was Cathy Rainey.

2001 Sweet Adelines builds national awareness of the organization by participating with SPEBSQSA in Bridge to One World PBS documentary.

2001 The Pitch Pipe published in full color.

2001 So Rare! Quartet takes first prize in the Boston Area Harmony Sweepstakes Competition.

2001 Chordettes Quartet inducted into Vocal Group Hall of Fame and Museum (USA). Their performance of Mr. Sandman was a No.1 hit on the Billboard charts in 1954 and remained on the charts for 20 weeks.

94