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EASTERNFEDERATIONOFGREEKORTHODOXCHURCHMUSICIANS

Federa7onCouncilMee7ngMinutes

SaintsConstan7neandHelenCathedral,RichmondVA

October13,2018

Themee'ngwascalledtoorderat3:40pmbyPresidentPaulMavromihalis,whoalsoledthegroupinanopeningprayer.

TheRollCallofDelegateswasreadbySecretaryMiriamKotsonis.Therewere14eligibleChoirvotesand11eligibleBoardvotes,resul'nginatotalvo'ngstrengthforthemee'ngof25.

DistrictI(MD)(4)–Annapolis,Bal'moreAnnuncia'on,Bethesda,FallsChurch

DistrictII(VA)(3)–NewportNews,Norfolk,Richmond

DistrictIII(NJ)(5)–AsburyPark/Ocean,Piscataway,Trenton/Hamilton,WesYield,StatenIsland

DistrictIV(GreaterPHL)(2)–Broomall,Media

BoardVo'ngMembersPresent(10people,represen'ng11votes)–KathrynAthanasoulas,SondraAwad,AlexaGarrison,KayKehayas,MariaKeritsis,MiriamKotsonis(SecretaryandCon'nuingEduca'on),NickKyrus,PaulMavromihalis,Fo'niNichols,DruciePapafil

SUSPENSIONOFAGENDAforMUSICREVIEW–PaulMavromihalissuspendedtheAgendainordertoholdthemusicreviewforthe2020Federa'onConferenceearlyinthemee'ng.

Music/ConductorSelec7on(KathrynAthanasoulas,Chair,andNickKyrus)

Musicpacketswithseveralhymnsofeachliturgyunderconsidera'onweredistributedanda_endeesweregiventheopportunitytosingshortsegmentsofthemusic.Candidatesincluded:GallosII(the2019ConferenceLiturgy),Lawrence,Limberakis,andRoubanis.AllfourarrangementsofferbothEnglishandGreektextsforthemusic.Atthispointinthemee'ng,Annapolisgraciouslyvolunteeredtohostthe2020Conference.Adiscussionoftheliturgiesensued,thememberscaucused,andthevo'ngmemberssubmi_edtheirsecretballots.TheCouncilselectedtheRoubanisLiturgyfor2020.

TheCouncilthendiscussedtheConductorfor2020.Candidatesincluded:ChrisKypros,PaulMavromihalis,andLucyPappadakes.Theprocessofdiscussion,caucus,andvo'ngwasagainfollowed,andLucyPappadakeswasselected.

TheAgendawasthenresumed.

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OFFICERS’REPORTS

SecretaryMiriamKotsonisaskedthateveryonelookovertheMinutesofthe2017CouncilMee'ng,whichweredistributedinthe2018CouncilPacket(page3).Shemen'onedafewhighlights.DruciePapafilmovedtoapprove,HelenBeldecosseconded,andthemo'onpassed.

President’sReport–PaulMavromihalisgavehighlightsofhisreportfortheyear.ThefulltextwillbepostedontheEFGOCMwebsiteintheCouncilPacket,page7.

2017Conference:PaulthankedFr.GeorgeParsenios,theHon.MarinaCorodemus,andtheparishofSaintDemetrios,PerthAmboyNJ,forhos'ngthe2017conferenceduringtheir100thAnniversarycelebra'onweekend.HealsothankedNickKyrusforconduc'ngthefirst-everfull-choirperformanceoftheGallosIVliturgicalarrangement,TeodoraAdzharovaforaccompanying,theRev.GeorgeParseniosforholdingaworkshopon“Liturgy&Life:OrthodoxHymnographyandtheForma?onofChris?anCharacter,”andMiriamKotsonisforrecordingandproducingthe2017ConferenceCD.

Na?onalForumSt.RomanosNomina?onsandAwards:OurFedera'onBoardsubmi_ed2nomineesandbothwereselected:MariaKeritsis,EFGOCMBoardMemberandNa'onalForumChairman,forheroutstandingcontribu'onstothewell-beingofourchurchmusicandmusicians,mostrecentlyforleadingtheefforttocreateandpublishapprovedEnglishtransla'onsoftheLiturgicalHymns;andAthanTheodores,ofblessedmemory,whowasoneoftheearliestcomposer-musiceducatorsandmentorsoftheGreekOrthodoxChurchintheUSA,highlyac'veinthefirsthalfofthe20thcentury.Αξιοι!Axioi!

2019Conference:Weares'llseekingahostfornextyear’sconference.ThemusicselectedisthenewGallosII2ndEdi'on,whichincludesthenewlyapprovedEnglishtransla'on,anditwillbepremieredunderthedirec'onofNickKyrus.

Treasurer’sReport–InAdamBirnbaum’sabsence,HopeDemitrypresentedthereport.DetailscanbefoundintheCouncilPacket,page10.DruciePapafilmovedtoapproveandadopttheProposed2019Budget,secondedbyKa'naKehayas.Themo'onwaspassed.

DISTRICTREPORTS

TheDistrictreportsareinthePacket(pp.12-13),withhighlightssummarizedinthemee'ng.SupervisorsarecurrentlyFayeHayes,DistrictI(MD),AlexaGarrison,DistrictII(VA),KathrynAthanasoulas,DistrictIII(NJ),andPamelaSande,DistrictIV(GreaterPHL).Theysaidfewmemberchurchesrespond,makingithardtogeneratethesereportsandtounderstandhowbesttosupportchurchmusicineachDistrict.AlexaGarrisongaveexamplesofstepsthatshehastaken(e.g.,sendingmemberchurchesusefulinforma'on,sendingcopiesoftheRoubanisconferencemusic,andmakingpersonalcontact.)AlexaalsorequestedthattheDistrictIIreportbecorrectedtostatethatNorfolkhadnotbeenabletopar'cipateintheSeptember15regionalrehearsalduetosevereweather;thiscorrec'onwillbeincorporatedintothe2018CouncilPacketaspostedontheEFGOCMwebsite.

STANDINGCOMMITTEEREPORTS

Scholarship–ChairMariaKeritsisreportedthattheycon'nuetosolicitapplica'onsfornextyear’sscholarshipstooutstandingyoungmusicians.Shesaidthatthecommi_eehadawarded2018scholarshiprenewalstoourthree2017winners(JoeyChavez,Richmond,VA;PeterPapadopoulos,

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Broomall,PA;andEliasKotsis,Holmdel,NJ),andaskeda_endeestoencouragetheyoungmusiciansinourparishestoapplyforthesescholarships.Paulmen'onedthathehadreceivedinforma'ononPan-HellenicScholarshipsintheArts(tobedistributedasappropriateintheListServemail)whichmightalsobehelpfultomusicallytalentedyouth.Thefullreportisonpage15oftheCouncilPacket.

Communica7ons–ChairNickKyrusaskeda_endeestoreadthereport(p.15).Hethenawarded25-yearChoirServicecer'ficatesandtoldthegroupthatwewouldbecelebra'ngandrecognizingseveralchoirmemberswith70+years,withaspecialrecogni'onforthosewhohada_ained75years.HereiteratedthatitisimportanttosendupdatedrosterstoSusanKarcanes,andthankedherforherwork.

Administra7on–ChairKayKehayasreportedthattheCommi_ee(she,KathrynAthanasoulas,andHopeDemitry)planstocon'nuetheCharterupdatethisyear.SheremindedthegrouptowatchforListServmailinJanuarywithremindersforMay1stduedates:AthenagorasAwardnomina'ons,scholarshipapplica'ons,andsugges'onsofmusicandconductorsforthenextconference.

Youth–ChairSondraAwadsaidthatthemainfocusthisyearhadbeenatthena'onallevel,withtherevisionofthe“HymnsoftheOrthodoxChurch”teachingseries.Sondrahasplayedamajorrolebothinthecrea'onofaninstruc'onalCD,togetherwithLucyPappadakes,andinpublicizingthenewmaterials.Addi'onalinforma'onisonpage16ofthePacket.

Con7nuingEduca7on–ChairMiriamKotsonisreportedonCMIstatus(seepage17ofthePacket).SheinvitedanyoneinterestedinhelpingwithCon'nuingEduca'ontocontacther.ShealsosharedlinkstoaninformalvideoofaDistrict3workshoponbreathing,posture,andwarm-ups.

• Part1(47mins):h_ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsLayquR520

• Part2(28mins):h_ps://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=ezwzsOmWKOI

OLDBUSINESS

Music/ConductorSelec7onSeeabove

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NEWBUSINESS

BoardElec7ons–ChairGinnyBotsisexplainedtheprocedureandmanagedthevo'ngtally.FortheofficeofPresident,candidateswerePaulMavromihalisandSondraAward(nomina'onfromthefloor).Adiscussion,caucuses,andsecretballo'ngofeligiblevotersfollowed.ThevoteresultedinPaul’selec'on.FortheremainingofficesofVicePresident,Secretary,andTreasurer,candidateswereBarbaraBambacus,MiriamKotsonis,andPJMissiras,respec'vely.Theywereelectedbyacclama'on.TheDistrictscaucusedtoelectSupervisors:DistrictI(MD)electedFifiNichols,DistrictII(VA)electedAlexaGarrison,DistrictIII(NJ)electedKathrynAthanasoulas,andDistrictIV(GreaterPHL)electedPamSande.Paulthankeddepar'ngBoardmembersfortheirserviceandwelcomednewmembers.

GOODOFTHEFEDERATION

2020ConferenceLoca7on:Annapolisrepresenta'vesrestatedtheirdesiretohostthe2020Conference,andPaulrequestedthattheysendhimanofficialle_ertothiseffect.

DiscussionofWaystoIncreaseAYrac7venessofConferences:MiriamfacilitatedabriefdiscussionbyCouncilpar'cipants.Peoplespokeaboutthechallengesofworkscheduleconflicts,crea'nganeedtoaccommodatethosewhocanonlyjointheconferenceonSaturdaywithmorerehearsalsthen,andtoholdtheCMIonThursdayandFriday.A_endeessuggestedprovidingincreasedlearningtobebe_ermusiciansandsingers(specificideatoprovideMusicTheoryforyoungpeople),holdingsec'onalrehearsals,andincreasingthefocusoninvi'ngandincorpora'ngyoungersingers.Anotherideawastoprovidediscountsforyouthandfirst-'mepar'cipants.Severalpar'cipantscommentedthatthesuccessoftheconferenceisstronglydependentonthehostchurch:ifa_endeeshaveanengaging,comfortable,andwelcomingexperience,thentheyarelikelybothtoreturnandtorecruitotherswhomaynotalreadybea_endees.

Mo7ontoadjournwasmadebySondraAwadandsecondedbyMiriamKotsonis.Themee'ngwasadjournedat5:37pm.

RespecYullysubmi_ed,

Miriam KotsonisMiriamKotsonis Secretary

Note:AllReportswerepublishedintheOctober13,2018,Federa'onCouncilMee'ngPacket,whichisa_achedtotheseCouncilMinutes.

A_. Corrected2018Federa'onCouncilMee'ngPacket

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A_achment:Corrected2018Federa'onCouncilMee'ngPacket

EASTERNFEDERATIONOFGREEKORTHODOXCHURCHMUSICIANSOFTHEGREEKORTHODOXMETROPOLISOFNEWJERSEY

FEDERATIONCOUNCILMEETINGOctober13,2018Richmond,Virginia

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FEDERATIONCOUNCILMEETINGAGENDAOctober13,2018Richmond,Virginia

I. CalltoOrdera. OpeningPrayer SpiritualAdvisorb. RollCallofDelega'ons MiriamKotsonisc. MinutesofthePriorCouncilMee'ng(p.3) MiriamKotsonisd. President’sReport(p.7) PaulMavromihalise. Treasurer’sReport(p.10) AdamBirnbaum

II. DistrictSupervisorReportsa. District1–MD(p.12) FayeHayesb. District2–VA(p.12) AlexaGarrisonc. District3–NJ(p.13) KathrynAthanasoulasd. District4–GtrPHL(p.14) PamSande

III. CommiYeeReportsa. Scholarship(p.15) MariaKeritsisb. Communica'ons(p.15) NickKyrusc. Administra'on(p.16) Ka'naKehayasd. Youth(p.16) SondraAwade. Con'nuingEduca'on(p.17) MiriamKotsonis

IV. OldBusinessa. 2019Site&2020Music/ConductorSelec'on KathrynAthanasoulas/NickKyrus

V. NewBusinessa. Elec'ons VirginiaBotsis

VI. GoodoftheFedera7on

VII. AdjournandClosingPrayer PaulMavromihalis/SpiritualAdvisor

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FEDERATIONCOUNCILMEETINGMINUTESOctober28,2017

Themee'ngwascalledtoorderat1:30pmbyPresidentPaulMavromihalis.Rev.Fr.GeorgeParseniosopenedwithaprayer.

TheRollCallofDelegateswasreadbySecretaryMiriamKotsonis.15Choirsand12BoardMemberswerepresentandeligibletovote.Totalvo'ngstrengthforthemee'ngwas27.

DistrictI(MD)(3)–Bal'moreAnnuncia'on,Bethesda,FallsChurchDistrictII(VA)(3)–NewportNews,Norfolk,RichmondDistrictIII(NJ)(7)–AsburyPark/Ocean,PerthAmboy,Piscataway,Trenton/Hamilton,WesYield,StatenIsland,

FlemingtonDistrictIV(GreaterPHL)(2)–Broomall,Media

BoardVo'ngMembersPresent–KathrynAthanasoulas,SondraAwad,AlexaGarrison,FayeHayes,KayKehayas,MariaKeritsis,MiriamKotsonis,NickKyrus,PaulMavromihalis,Fo'niNichols,DruciePapafil,PamelaSande

OFFICERS’REPORTSSecretaryMiriamKotsonisaskedthateveryonelookovertheMinutesofthe2016CouncilMee'ng,whichweredistributedinthe2017Councilpackets.Theyhadalsobeenpostedindra{formontheEFGOCMwebsiteforpriorreview.PamSandemovedtoapproveaswri_en,KathrynAthanasoulasseconded,andthemo'onpassed.

President’sReport–PaulMavromihalisreadhighlightsofhisreportfortheyear.HethankedFr.DimitriosAntokas,PerryAlexion,andchoirmembersofSaintGeorgeBethesdaforhos'ngthe2016conference,Fo'niNicholsforconduc'ngFrankDesby’sliturgicalarrangementandTeodoraAdzharovaforaccompanying,andtheRev.StefanosAlexopoulosforgivingaworkshopon“Hymnology,Music,andtheLiturgy.”

PaulthankedMiriamforrecordingandproducingthe2016ConferenceCDandstatedthathehopedthiswouldbecomeanannualoffering.HethankedNickforalltheworkhedoesforCommunica'onsandtheListServ.HealsothankedDrucieforherongoingelectronicpublica'onofTheFirstMode.

PaultoldtheCouncilthatwehadintroducedandevaluatedini'a'vestopromoteFedera'onConferencepar'cipa'on.Hemen'onedlastyear’sAnnaGallosScholarshipawardof$1,000,whichhadbeengiventoEliasNicholasKotsisofHolmdelNJ.

In2017,theBoardmettwicepriortotheConference:inFulton,MD,inMarchandattheMetropolisofNJClergyLaityAssemblyinGarfield,NJ,inMay.EightBoardmembersrepresentedtheEFGOCMattheMetropolisClergyLaityAssembly(threemorecalledinfortheBoardmee'ng).ThirteenEFGOCMmembersa_endedtheannualmee'ngoftheNa'onalForumofGreekOrthodoxChurchMusiciansheldinFlushing,NY.OurFedera'onhadthelargestnumberofpar'cipants.

AttheMetropolisClergyLaityAssembly,severalclergymenvisitedourBoardmee'ng.Theyexpressedaneedforastrongerbridgebetweenyouthmusicalac'vi'esandadultchoirs.YouthCommi_eeChairSondraAwadisworkingtodefineaBridgingtheGapYouthIni?a?vetomoreeffec'velyrecruityoungpeopleintoourchoirs.PaulaskedanyonewithideasandinterestinthisareatocontactSondra.

TheNJDistrictsponsoredaworkshopatHolyTrinity,WesYield,onNovember13,2016.Theclinician,ValerievanHoven,afacultymemberatMontclairStateUniversity,presentedBreathingCoordina?onforSingers,basedontheAlexanderTechnique.OurFedera'onhasCMIfundsavailableforusebetweennowandtheendofJune,2018.PaulencouragedallDistrictstoproposeCMIs,sayingwewerelimitedonlybyourenergyandideas.Heaskeda_endeestosuggesttopicstotheirDistrictSupervisors.

PaulthankedthemembersoftheSaintDemetriosParishofPerthAmboy,NJ,forhos'ngusduringtheir100thAnniversaryweekend.Hethenannouncedthedateofthe2018EFGOCMConference,October11-14,2018,

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hostedbytheSaintsConstan'ne&HelenCathedralChoirofRichmond,VA.Hemen'onedthatweareseekingahostforthe2019Conference.

Asummaryofthe2017Na'onalForumAnnualMee'ngSummarywasreferencedandincludedinthepacket.

Treasurer’sReport–InAdamBirnbaum’sabsence,Paulpresentedthereport.Hestatedthatwehadanearly$2,000surplusin2017.Hesuggestedthata_endeeslookthroughthereport,whichhasmanyhelpfulexplanatorynotes.Heturnedhisa_en'ontothe2018proposedbudget,explainingitsformatandtheelementsoftheproposal.PaulnotedthatAdamproposedabalancedbudget,whichincludes$1,875forreservesin2018.DruciePapafilmovedtoapproveandadopttheProposed2018Budget,secondedbyAnnSophocles.Themo'onwaspassed.

DISTRICTREPORTSPaulintroducedeachDistrictSupervisor:FayeHayes,DistrictI(MD),AlexaGarrison,DistrictII(VA),KathrynAthanasoulas,DistrictIII(NJ),andPamelaSande,DistrictIV(GreaterPHL).TheDistrictSupervisorsmen'onedhighlightsoftheirreports,whichwereincludedinthepackets.

DistrictI:Fayecongratulatedour2017ConferenceMusicDirector,NickKyrusandAccompanist,TeodoraAdzharova,whomtheMDdistrictviewsas“theirown.”Shereportedonanexci'ngyouthini'a'veintheirDistrict.FifiNicholsandFayeHayesfromAnnuncia'onCathedral,Bal'more,implementedanewmusicprogramatCampGoodShepherd-ChesapeakeBay.They"wenttocamp"forfourdays.TheytaughthymnsandresponsesMondaythroughWednesday,andonThursdaymorning,allfi{ycamperssangtheen'reDivineLiturgyinEnglish.

DistrictII:Alexasaidthatitwasverydifficulttogetfeedbackfromthechurchesthathavecongrega'onalsingingratherthanchoirs.ThisisasourceofchallengewhentryingtocommunicateandbuildtheFedera'on.Shereferreda_endeestoherreportfordetailsofac'vi'esinRichmondandNewportNews,andaskedfortheirsupportinseekingoutresponsivecontactsinotherDistrictchurches.

DistrictIII:KathrynreportedonthesuccessfulLentenConcert,heldforthe27thyear.PerthAmboyhostedtheeventaspartoftheir100thAnniversarycelebra'ons.ShethankedKayKehayasfordirec'ngtheHolyCrossChoirinAsburyParkthispastSeptemberandnotedthatitischallengingtogetnewsingerstoreplacethosewhohavemoved,re'red,orpassedaway.Wedidhavetwonewsingersin2017,bringingthecurrenttotalto25(in2005,thenumberwas43).Sheannouncedanupcomingcollabora'veChristmasconcerttogetherwiththePan-OrthodoxSpiritofOrthodoxyChoir,plannedforDecember8atSt.GeorgeGreekOrthodoxChurch,Cli{on.

DistrictIV–Pamaskeda_endeestoreadherreportintheinterestof'me.Sherequestedthesupportofalla_endeestohelpbuilda_endance,par'cipa'on,andcommunica'onwiththechurchesinthedistrict,veryfewofwhichrespondtoherrequestsfornewsoroffersofhelp.ShecalledontheCouncilmembershiptobeourambassadorstootherchurchesaswellastheirown,inordertoexpandmembershipandhelpensurethefutureofchoirs.

STANDINGCOMMITTEEREPORTSScholarship–ChairMariaKeritsisreportedthattheycon'nuetosolicitapplica'onsfornextyear’sscholarshipstooutstandingyoungmusicians.Shesaidthattheyhadreceivedwarmle_ersofapprecia'onfromtheseyoungpeople,whomwehopetogroomtocomeinandtakeourplaces.Sheaskeda_endeestobesuretocongratulateourthree2017recipientsifweknowthem(JoeyChavez,Richmond,VA;PeterPapadopoulos,Broomall,PA;andEliasKotsis,Holmdel,NJ),andencouragetheyoungmusiciansinourparishestoapplyforthesescholarships.Paulmen'onedthathehadreceivedinforma'ononPan-HellenicScholarshipsintheArts(tobedistributedinthenextListServemail)whichmightalsobehelpfultomusicallytalentedyouth.

Communica7ons–ChairNickKyrusaskeda_endeestoreadthereport.Hethenawarded25-yearChoirServicecer'ficates.HereiteratedthatisimportanttosendupdatedrosterstoSusanKarcanes,andthankedherforherwork.Sinceitisdesirabletoupdatethemeveryyear,arequestwasmadebyaCouncilmembertomailoutthecurrentrostertoallchoirsnextyear.Nickurgeda_endeestovisittheEFGOCMwebsiteandseeallthehelpfulinforma'onthatispostedthere.DrucieremindedeveryonethatTheFirstModeisexclusivelydistributedon-line.(Forthefewpeoplewhodonotusecomputersatall,sheaskedchoirdirectorstoprintoutcopies.)Sheurged

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everyonetosignupforListServandtoencourageallmembersoftheirchoirstodoso,inordertoreceiveinforma'onfromtheFedera'on.

Administra7on–ChairKayKehayasreportedthattheCommi_ee(comprisedofherself,KathrynAthanasoulas,andHopeDemitry)con'nuestoreviewgoverningdocuments.SheremindedthegroupthatthedeadlineforsubmissionofAthenagorasAwardandscholarshipnomina'onsisMay1,sothattheycanbeconsideredannuallyattheSpringEFGOCMBoardmee'ng.May1isalsotheduedatefornomina'onsofmusicandconductorsforthe2020Conference.

Youth–ChairSondraAwadsaidthatmostnewshadbeencoveredbyFayeandPaul.Sheaskeda_endeestohelpherfindoutmoreabouthowchurches“bridgethegap”toencourageyouthpar'cipa'oninourchoirs.Shemen'onedthatinherchurch,whileitisdifficulttoinvolveyouthinchoirsforweeklyLiturgies,shehashadgoodresultsge~nghelpfromthemwithspecialprojects(inthiscase,theHymnologySeriesrecording).SondradescribedtheHymnologySeries,beingproducedbytheNa'onalForum.Eachhymnisaccompaniedbyanicon,music,descrip'onsabouttheiconandmusic,andteachingsugges'ons.InanearlierHymnologySeries,thegroupEikonaperformedthehymns.Inthenewseriescomingout,nowinitsfinalstages,Sondraismakingtherecordingwithayouthchoir.Foreachhymn,thechildrenperformitfirst,followedbya“teaching”trackinwhichanadult,LucyPappadakesofCharlo_e,NC,singsaphrase,echoedbythechildren.Sondrarequestedthata_endeesspeaktotheirReligiousEduca'ondirectors,youthdirectors,andotherrelevantgroupstopurchasetheseriesandincorporateitintoSundaySchoolclasses.

Con7nuingEduca7on–ChairMiriamKotsonisreportedthattheNa'onalForumhadagreedtopar'allyreimbursespeaker/clinicianexpensesfor4-hourChurchMusicIns'tutes(at40%),whilecon'nuingtoreimburse6-hourCMIs(100%).Becauseofthisnewop'on,shecollecteda_endeepreferencesviaasurveyatthisyear’sConferenceandsummarizedresultsduringtheCouncilmee'ng.Therewere38par'cipants,aresponserateofapproximately70%.Keyresultsaregivenbelow.Miriamremindeda_endeesthattherewasmoneyforCMIsthisyearandencourageditsuse.ShealsoaskedthoseinterestedinhelpingwithCMIstocontacther.

• Con'nuingEduca'onTopics:o Highestinterest:Howtousevoicewell,howtosoundbe_erasachoiro Moderateinterest:Becomingabe_ersight-reader,hymnsasprayer,howhymnsfitintoLiturgy

andotherservices,learningmoreaboutByzan'nemusicstructureo Lowestinterest:HowtoreadByzan'nenota'on,howtoreadWesternnota'on

• Formats:o 4-hour(rated#1);6-hour(#2)o Two2-hoursessions(distant#3);three2-hoursessionsortwo3-hoursessions(#4)

• Loca'ons:o Goodsupportforin-Districtsessions,almostasgoodforsessionsatConference(note:at

Conferences,two2-hoursessionsweremoreacceptablethanwhenintheDistrict)o Limitedinterestinon-linesessionshavingreducedinterac'vitywithpresenter

• Short(onehourorless)on-linelearningsessions:o Posi'veforrecordedsessionstobeseen/heardwheneverconveniento Muchlessinterestina_endinglivepresenta'onson-line

OLDBUSINESSMusic/ConductorSelec7on(KathrynAthanasoulas,Chair,andNickKyrus)Nickdescribedtheoverallprocess:theEFGOCMnormallyselectsmusicandconductorsfortwoyearsinadvance.Memberssubmitnomina'onsbeforethedeadline(May1)ofeachyear.Fromthelistofnomina'ons,theBoardselectsasubsettobepresentedtotheCouncil.Becauseoftheongoingpublica'onofnewEnglishtransla'ons,in2016wedeferredthe2018selec'oninordertohaveagreaterchoiceofmusic.Thereforewenowneedto

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voteon2018and2019music.Beforelunchwepresentedthemusicandsangseveralhymnsfromeachliturgy.Paulnotedthatliturgiesavailableinbothlanguagesallowselec'onofablendoflanguagesappropriateforthehostchurch.

Thechoicesfor2018and2019musicwereiden'cal:GallosIV(2017selec'on),GallosIIinGreek/English;LimberakisinGreek/English;andRoubanis.Choicesforconductorforbothyearswere:NickKyrus,FifiNichols,andLucyPappadakes(SoutheasternFedera'on).For2018,theRoubanisLiturgywasselected,conductedbyFifiNichols.For2019,theGallosIILiturgywasselected,conductedbyNickKyrus.

NEWBUSINESSGoodoftheFedera7onDrucierequestedoutreachbyalla_endees,askingthemtovisitnearbyparishes,talkwiththem,andkeepencouragingthemtopar'cipate,offeringtohelpwithresources.

PaulMavromihalismovedtoadjournandandMariaKeritsisseconded;adjournmentwasat2:55pm.

RespecYullysubmi_ed,

Miriam Kotsonis

MiriamKotsonisSecretary

Note:AllReportsareincludedintheOctober28,2017,Federa'onCouncilMee'ngpacket.

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PRESIDENT’SREPORT PaulMavromihalis

Mydeepapprecia'ontotheBoardfortheircollec'veeffortsinmakingtheseachievementspossible.

LastYear’sHighlights• Our2017AnnualConferencepremieredthenewGallosIVLiturgy,whichcoincidedwiththe100th

AnniversaryweekendofSaintDemetrios,PerthAmboyNJ.ThethemeoftheweekendwasSaintDemetriosofThessaloniki.NickKyrusconductedandTeodoraAdzharovaaccompanied.Rev.Fr.GeorgeParseniosgaveaworkshopon“Liturgy&Life:OrthodoxHymnographyandtheForma?onofChris?anCharacter.”AFridayeveningconcertbytheArcadianChoral,directedbyMarinaAlexander,includedexcerptsfromtheOratorioStDemetriosbyNicolasAstrinidis.

• TheAnnaGallosScholarshipwasawardedtoEliasKotsisofHolmdelNJ,JoeyChavezofRichmondVA,andPeterPapadopoulosofBroomallPA,whoa_endedtheConferenceBanquettoreceivehisscholarship.Thisannualawardisallocatedfromtheearningsgeneratedbytheprincipal.

• TheAthenagorasMedallionwaspresentedtoMiriamKotsonis.Ἄξια!Axia!• ThankstoNickKyrusformanagingourwebpageandincreasingtheuseofourListserv,andto

DruciePapafilforcon'nuingournewsle_erTheFirstMode.• ThankstoMiriamKotsonisforproducingthe2ndannualofferingofthecomplementaryEFGOCM

ConferencemementoCDtoregistrants.• TheBoardheldmee'ngsinMarchinRichmond,andinMayinNewJerseyattheMONJCLA.• OurFedera'onwasrepresentedby9ofour15Boardmembersatthisyear’sMetropolisofNew

JerseyClergyLaityAssemblyinMay,andwasalsorepresentedby7EFGOCMBoardmembersatthe2018NFannualmee'ngheldinBostoninJuly.Asummaryisprovidedbelow.

• OurFedera'onBoardsubmi_ed2nomineesfortheNa'onalForum’sSaintRomanostheMelodistMedallion,presentedtothosechurchmusicianswhohavemadeexemplaryna'onalcontribu'onstochurchmusicintheGreekOrthodoxArchdioceseofAmerica.Bothwereselected.AthanTheodoreswasawardedtheSaintRomanosMedallionposthumously.HeservedasthefirstInstructorofByzan'neandEuropeanMusicatourfirstofficialTheologicalSeminaryandasChoirmasteroftheAnnuncia'onCathedralinBal'morefrom1937-1948.Hecomposed/arrangedinspiringliturgicalhymnsaswellassacred,secular,andfolksongs;andmentored2ofourmostprolificcomposers,AnnaGallosandGeorgiaTangires.Ἄξιος!Axios!OurownMariaKeritsiswasalsoawardedtheSaintRomanosMedallion.SheisthecurrentChairmanoftheNa'onalForum;herworkbeganwithitsincep'onin1976.Mariaworks'relessly,strivingtotakeForumprojectstothenextlevelandintoanewera.Sherecentlyandverysignificantlyprovidedleadershipandguidance,inherroleastheprimaryinterfacewiththeSynod,fortheForum’sEnglishtransla'onsoftheLiturgicalHymns.ThisvitalsupportoftheSynod’sofficialtransla'onoftheDivineLiturgyhasresultedinthenewpewhymnal.Ἄξια!Axia!

• DevelopedanewStrategicPlanningIni'a'veduringa2dayBoardRetreatinRichmondinMarch:o Buildstrongerrela'onshipswithourMetropolitan/Clergyo Establishavibrantyouthmusicprogramo Fosteramorespirituallyengagingchoirexperienceo Buildsupportforacomprehensivemusicministryo Providemoreeduca'onalopportuni'eso Encouragemorepar'cipa'oninchoirs

• YouthCommi_eeChairSondraAwadiscon'nuingtodevelopanini'a'veforourFedera'ontodevelopayouthrecrui'ngprogramtoestablishingabridgebetweenexis'ngyouthac'vi'esinour

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Metropolisandouradultchoirs.We’relookingforwardtoSondra’supdatesonthe“YouthBridgeIni?a?ve”atfuturemee'ngs.

• Con'nuedthemusicprogramatCampGoodShepherd-ChesapeakeBay.FifiNicholsandFayeHayesfromAnnuncia'onCathedral,Bal'more,"wenttocamp"forfourdays.Theyrehearsedtheen'reliturgyMondaythroughWednesday,andonThursdaymorning,allcamperssangtheen'reDivineLiturgy.Oneli_legirlsaid,"Ican'tbelievewelearnedsomuchinonly3days!"

• Con'nuedrefiningandevalua'ngconferencepar'cipa'onini'a'vessuchasyouthandotherdiscounts,streamlinedCouncilMee'ngPacketproduc'on,choirdirectorroundtablelunches,andcomplementarymementoCDs.

• ThankstothecommunityofSaintsConstan'neandHelenGreekOrthodoxCathedralofRichmondVirginia,FatherNickBacalis,choirdirectorSondraAwad,ConferenceCoordinatorMariaKeritsis,ConferenceCo-chairsBarbaraBambacusandJaneMcAllister,theConferenceCommi_eeandthechoirforhos'ngthisyear’sannualconference.ThanksalsotoFifiNicholsforconduc'ngandTeodoraAdzharovaforaccompanyingtheRoubanisLiturgy,toNickBambacusforhisrecordingexper'se,andtoMiriamKotsonisforedi'ngandproducingtheupcomingconferenceCD.

2019AnnualConferenceWearelookingforahostfornextyear’sconference.ThemusicselectedisthenewGallosII2ndEdi'on,whichincludesthenewlyapprovedEnglishtransla'on,andwillbepremieredunderthedirec'onofNickKyrus.Pleaseletusknowifyouhaveaninterestinhos'ng.

Na7onalForumTheannualmee'ngoftheNa'onalForumwasheldinBostonthispastJulyinconjunc'onwiththeArchdiocesanBiennialClergyLaityCongress,andasusualtheEFGOCMhadthelargestgrouppar'cipa'ng.Manyissueswerediscussed,includingNa'onalForumprojects,hymnology,andEnglishtransla'onsofourhymns.

TheNationalForumofGreekOrthodoxChurchMusiciansistheArchdiocesanministryresponsibleforliturgicalmusicactivitiesandthedevelopment,support,andrecognitionofchurchmusicians.Charteredin1976asanofficialauxiliaryoftheGreekOrthodoxArchdioceseofAmerica,theNationalForumservesastheliaisonamonglocalchurchmusicians,metropolischurchmusicfederations,andtheArchdiocese.Italsoservesasthegatheringplaceforchurchmusicianstodiscussissuesrelatedtoliturgicalmusicandtoformulateneededresponses.

TheNationalForumhasfourmajorareasoffocus:• SupportforCHOIRS,providingresourcesandac'vi'estoimprovethequalityofchoirsandthe

availabilityofchoralmusicinthechurch• SupportforCHANTERSandthepreserva'onofBYZANTINECHANT• SupportforYOUTHCHURCHMUSICPROGRAMS,includinghymnologyandjuniorchoirs• SupportforCLERGY,includingparishmusicministries,andsupportforclergy

GeorgiaTangiresOnamoresombernote,thissummerwelostGeorgiaTangires.Georgiawasoneofthefinestchurchmusiciansofherera,herlegacyrecognizedbythereceiptoftheNa'onalForumSaintRomanosAward.Oneofhermajoraccomplishmentswasspearheadingtheforma'onofourFedera'onin1977.Mayhermemorybeeternal!

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TREASURER’SREPORT AdamBirnbaum

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DISTRICTSUPERVISORREPORTSDistrict1–Maryland FayeHayes

HellofromDistrict1.Thechoirsinourregionareac'velypar'cipa'ngintheDivineLiturgyeachSundayandmanyotherservices.

Wehadoursecondyearofsuccessfulpar'cipa'onatCampGoodShepherd-ChesapeakeBay.FifiNicholsandFayeHayesfromAnnuncia'onCathedral,Bal'more,taughtmusictothechildren,whothensangtheen'reDivineLiturgy,withresponsesinbothGreekandEnglish.Thisyeartherewerecloseto70childrenpar'cipa'ng,represen'ngalmost50%morethanlastyear.

District2–Virginia AlexaGarrison

Wearehappytosharetheinforma'onthatseveralofourparisheshaveofferedabouttheirchoirac'vi'es.Othershavenotresponded,soifyourparishismissing,pleasemakesuretosendusanupdatenext'me!

NewportNews:• Par'cipatedintheEFGOCMconferenceinPerthAmboy,NJ.• ChoirsangforTuesday,Thursday,Friday,andPaschaofHolyWeekaswellaseachFridayforthe

Saluta'ons.• WorkedonceamonthwiththeSundayschoolstudentsteachingafewchurchhymns.Thesewere

sungduringtheendoftheyearSundayschoolprogram.• AssistedwithSundaySchoolChristmaspageant.• Fourmemberscon'nuedirec'ngthechoirasvolunteers.• Par'cipatedinaSacredArtsFes'valatSaintBasiltheGreatOrthodoxChurch(Hampton,VA)and

presentedaLiturgicalSamplingconcert.• A_endedtheMetropolisClergyLaityinGarfield,NJ.

• OurorganistservedastheSoutheasternFedera'onConferenceorganistheldinMobile,ALwheretheysangthenewTikeyZesLiturgywithTikeydirec'ng.

• Par'cipatedinClergyLaityinBoston,MAaspartofTheNa'onalForum.• Par'cipatedintheregionalrehearsalinRichmond.

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Richmond:• Par'cipatedintheEFGOCMconferenceinPerthAmboy,NJ.• HostedwinterEFGOCMmee'ngMarch2–3,2018.• A_endedtheMetropolisClergyLaityinGarfield,NJ.• OnMay31,2018,thechoirpresentedaconcertfeaturingliturgicalmusicduringourannualGreek

fes'val.• Par'cipatedintheNa'onalClergyLaityinBoston,MAaspartoftheNa'onalForumandservedon

severalcommi_ees.• Hostedaregionalrehearsalinprepara'onforthisyear’sconferencewithFifiNicholsdirec'ng.• HostedtheEFGOCMconferenceOctober11–14,2018.

Norfolk:• Par'cipatedintheEFGOCMconferenceinPerthAmboy,NJ.

• ThechoirhasbeenlearningtheRoubanisLiturgyinprepara'onfortheEFGOCMconferenceinRichmond.

• Par'cipatedintheregionalrehearsalinRichmondonSeptember15.[CorrectedattheCouncilMee'ngon10/13/18toread:“Couldnotpar'cipateintheRichmondregionalrehearsalduetosevereweathercondi'ons.”]

District3–NewJersey KathrynAthanasoulas

Gree'ngstoallfromDistrict#3.Wehavehadabusyyear.

OurDistrictchoirpresentedaPan-OrthodoxChristmasconcerttogetherwiththeSpiritofOrthodoxychoironDecember8,2017atSt.Anthony'sOrthodoxChurch,BergenfieldNJ.Theprogramincludedhymnsandtradi'onalcarolsfromAmerica,WesternEurope,Greece,Serbia,Romania,andRussia.

The28thannual“TheSpiritofLent”concertwashostedbySt.Nicholas,WyckoffonApril6,2018withDirectorKathrynAthanasoulasandOrganistHopeDemitry.Thankstothefineacous'csofSt.Nicholas,therecordingcameoutespeciallywell.CombiningmanyhymnsfromthisconcertwithoutstandingrecordingsfrompastLentenconcerts,MiriamKotsonisproducedacommemora'veCD.

OnApril30,2018theNJDistricthelda“choirapprecia'ondinner”forchoirmemberswhohadsungintheseLentenconcertsovertheyears.Itwasanenjoyablenight,duringwhichourcommunityofsingerswasabletoreconnectwithfriendsoldandnew.Theeveningincludedaslideshowofpastconcerts,greatfood,somefunsinging,andahilarious“roast”presentedbyKayKehayas.Eachmemberwasgivenacopyofthecommemora'verecording.

RehearsalswereheldfortheannualHolyCrossCelebra'on,scheduledforSeptember16inAsburyPark,withKayKehayasdirec'ngandHopeDemitryservingasorganist.Unfortunately,HurricaneFlorencedisruptedtheseplans,andtheeventwascancelled.Welookforwardtonextyear!

OnJune4and11ourdistrictenjoyedtworehearsalsfortheRoubanisconferencemusic;twoaddi'onalrehearsalswereheldonSeptember17and24.AllfourwerehostedbyHolyTrinity,WesYield,anddirectedbyKathrynAthanasoulas,withHopeDemitryaccompanying.

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District4–GreaterPhiladelphia PamSande

WereceivedaresponseonlyfromSt.Luke,Broomall,PA.Otherchurchesarestronglyrequestedtosharefeedbackinthefuture,sothateveryonecanlearnabouteachother’schoirac'vi'es.

EndofChoirSeasonFes7vi7es:Ourchoirfinishedtheseasonwithourannualgatheringforsomesummerfun,witheveryonebringingadish,tocelebratetheendofourchoiryearandthecoming‘R&R’overthesummer.WewereagainhostedbySteveandJanineVouduriswhosogenerouslyandgraciouslyopenedtheirhometousforsomefun,friendship,andrefreshments!

ChoirDirector/Organist:Ourchoirdirector,DenaPapadopoulos,hasdecidedtoleaveherdirectorposi'ona{er5years.Shehasbroughtushertalents,'me,anddedica'ontoquality,andwearesomuchthebe_erforherenerge'cleadershipanddirec'on.Wewillmisshergreatly!

St.LukeisseekingaChoirDirector/Organistforits15voicemixedChoir.ThisisacombinedDirector/Organistposi'onandremunera'onwillreflectaccordingly.TheChoirDirector/Organistaccompaniesrehearsals.Thechoircanperformwithorwithoutaccompanimentatservices.

Responsibili'esinclude:•SundayLiturgyandweeklyrehearsalfromSeptembertoJune•Addi'onalservicesduringLentandHolyWeek•ChristmasPageantMusic(rehearsalsandperformance)•Weddings(addi'onalcompensa'on)

Applicantsshouldhave:•KnowledgeoftheGreekOrthodoxLiturgy•Experienceandtraininginvocalmusicandchoralconduc'ng•Organ/Pianokeyboardskills•Leadershipandorganiza'onalskills

Formoreinforma'on/detailsregardingthisopening,pleasecontactDenaPapadopoulosatdena80papa@gmail.com.

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COMMITTEEREPORTS

Scholarship MariaKeritsis

ItrulyappreciatethehonorofservingasScholarshipChairmanforourFedera'on.WehavemuchtalentinourFedera'onandtheawardingofthescholarshipisonewaytoacknowledgethetalentsofourfaithful.

AsofAugust31,thebalanceintheGallosScholarshipAccountis$52,741.00,ofwhich$2,536.10iscash.Approximately$3,000wasdonatedtotheGallosFundin2017.

AsofAugust31,thebalanceintheMitchumScholarshipAccountis$18,558.81,ofwhich$5,079.21iscash.

TheScholarshipCommi_eemembersareKathrynAthanasoulas,HopeDemitry,NickKyrus,andFifiNichols.Wereceivednonewapplica'onsthisyearbutdidreceiverenewalapplica'ons.Theawardswillbeannouncedattheconference.

Yourgenerositymakesitpossibletorecognizetheoutstandingtalentsofouryoungpeople.Itisourhopethattheywilloffertheirtalentstoachoirinthefuture.

CommunicaJons NickKyrus

PertheCharter,thisCommi_eeisresponsiblefortheinforma'ontechnologyrequirementsoftheEFGOCM,andincludesthefollowingsub-commi_ees:

PublicRela7ons-Thissub-commi_eeposi'oncon'nuestoremainopen.Thechairman“ensuresthatallcommunica?onstoolsareusedforgoodrela?onsbetweentheorganiza?onandthemembership,theclergy,andallmaWerspublicincludingpublicityandprotocol.”

MemberRecogni7on-Individualmembersarerecognizedannuallyfortheiryearsofserviceinthechoiroratthepsal'rion.Cer'ficatesareofferedfor10yearsofservice,cer'ficatesandpinsareofferedfor25and50yearsofservice.Choirdirectorsarealsorecognizedfor25yearsofservicewiththeArchbishop’sYearsofServiceAward.

Thereareapproximately390ac'veandinac'vememberswhoseyearsofservicearedocumentedinthedatabase.Ofthese,thereare62ac'veindividualswhohavebeensingingformorethan50years(7ofwhomhavenowa_ained75yearsofcon'nuedserviceinthechoir;PresvyteraAnnaGallosofAnnuncia'onCathedral,Bal'moreMD,hadreachedthatmilestonebeforeherpassing),124whoarebetween25and49,and75peoplebetween10and24years.Recogni'onfor75yearsofserviceisapprecia'velyofferedto:IreneBurtonandNickCoumanis,St.Katherine,FallsChurch,VA;HelenandPeterKehayes,St.Anna,HunterdonCounty,NJ;IreneMathasandMaryVourlas,Annuncia'on,Norfolk,VA;andE.JamesVardakis,Ascension,Fairview,NJ.WearedelightedthatHelenandPeterKehayesarejoiningusattheEFGOCMConferenceinRichmond.

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Informa7onTechnology

WebPage-TheEFGOCMwebpageishostedbytheGreekOrthodoxArchdioceseandisupdatedseveral'mesayear.Theaddressish_p://newjersey.churchmusic.goarch.org/

Informa'ononthewebpageincludesgeneralinforma'onabouttheFedera'on,newsandevents,resourcesforchoirdirectors,andotherusefullinks.Thewebpageisnowtheprimarymethodforsharinginforma'onwiththemembershipandgeneralpublic.

Database-Themasterlistofmemberinforma'onincludingnames,addresses,andyearsofserviceismaintainedbySusanKarcanesandNickKyrus.Informa'onisupdatedseveral'mesayearwithdatareceivedfromchoirdirectorsorindividualmembers.Thereareapproximately1000entriesincludingchurches,priests,chanters,choirmembers,andofficersofotherfedera'ons.

Publica7ons-TheFirstModeisthenewsle_eroftheFedera'onanditispublished2-3peryear.ItiseditedbyDruciePapafilandnowdistributedelectronically.ChoirNotes,thenewsle_erfortheNewJerseyDistrict,hasbeenreplacedbyemailssentasneeded.Archivedmaterialscanbeviewedonline.

Listserv-Thisisanelectroniclistofemailaddressesandistheprimarymethodofcommunica'onfortheEFGOCM.Thereare385subscriberswhoreceiveofficialannouncementsfromtheEFGOCM.MembershipintheFedera'onisnotrequiredforasubscrip'on.

AdministraJon KaJnaKehayas

TheAdministra'onCommi_eeiscon'nuingtoreviewthevariousdocumentsoftheFedera'on.S'lltobecompletedistheupda'ngoftheCharter,whichwillbeaddressedinthecomingyear.Membersareremindedofsubmissionduedates,whichareincludedinourdocumentsandavailableontheEFGOCMwebsite.Remindersfortheseduedates(e.g.,scholarships,Athenagorasawards,musicrecommenda'ons)arealsosentoutviaListServ.

YouthIniJaJves SondraAwad

Thispastyear,themainfocushasbeenattheNa'onallevelwiththerevisionofthe“HymnsoftheOrthodoxChurch”teachingseries.Themainpurposeistoprovidereligiouseduca'onteachersandallotherinterestedadultswithameansforteachingthehymnsofourfaith.UsingthenewlyapprovedEnglishtransla'ons,youthfromSaintConstan'neandHelenCathedralofRichmond,VA,recordedkeyliturgicalhymnsinGreekandEnglishwiththeassistanceofLucyPappadakesofCharlo_e,NC.Inaddi'ontothisnewrecordingusingyouthvoices,thecompanionbookletsfortheelevenhymnswerealsorevised.TheprojecthasbeencompletedandtheHymnSeriesisbeingdistributedna'onally.Inordertogetthewordout,SondraAwada_endedthefollowingeventsandprovidedashortpresenta'onintroducingtheseries:theNa'onalForumPresidents’Mee'nginMarch(Richmond,VA),theMetropolisofNewJerseyClergyLaityMee'ng,andtheGreekOrthodoxArchdioceseofAmericaClergyLaityCongressandNa'onalForumAnnualMee'ng(Boston,Massachuse_s).TobuildawarenessofthenewlyrevisedhymnologyseriesbyourreligiouseducatorsinRichmond,acompletehymnseriessethasbeendistributedtoeachofthegradelevels(11intotal).

Duringthesummerof2018atCampGoodShepherdinNJ,campersa_endedserviceseverymorningandeveningandac'velypar'cipatedinchan'ngandreadings.Theyalsohadamusicsessioneverydaywheretheylearnedhymnswithoneofthecounselors.Inaddi'on,theyhadtwocampfiresduringtheweekduringwhichtheyalsosangafewhymns.AsreportedbyDistrict1,CampGoodShepherd-ChesapeakeBay,FifiNicholsandFayeHayesprovideddailyhymnologyinstruc'onandprac'ce.Thisculminatedinthechan'ngoftheDivineLiturgyonthelastdayofcamp.

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Althoughatthis'meinRichmondwedonothaveanofficialyouthchoir,wehavebeenencouragingyoungpeopletojointhechoironSundaymornings.Wehavefouryouthwhoalsoregularlya_endWednesdayeveningrehearsals.Inaddi'ontothose,wehave1postgraduateand3undergraduatestudentsinthechoir.JoeyChavez,asophomoreandformerrecipientofaGallosScholarship,filledinasorganistforthesummer.

Inordertoincreasemembershipandpar'cipa'onwithyouthaswellasadults,experienceshowsthatblanketopeninvita'onstojoinarenotaseffec'veasreachingouttoindividualsonaone-to-onebasis.Anextremelyimportantthingtokeepinmindistoprovideawelcomingandaccep'ngatmosphereforsingersofallages.

ConJnuingEducaJon MiriamKotsonis

TheonlyCMIofthe2017-2018yearistheonebeingheldattheAnnualConference.TheVeryRev.ArchimandriteFr.ChrysostomosGilbertofAnnuncia'onGreekOrthodoxChurchinManha_an,NY,istheinvitedspeaker,andReneeRoot(nowofOmaha,NE,butformerlyveryac'veintheEFGOCM)asclinician.Thefocusisonincreasingeachchoirmember’seffec'veness,throughgrowthinvocalandchoral“team”awarenessandskill.Thisyear,respondingtoyourfeedbackinarecentsurvey,theformatwillbetopresenttheworkshopoverseveral'mesegments,notasasinglelongunit.Thiswillbothmaximizeefficient'meuseduringtheConferenceandtoenableustoassimilatewhatwehavelearnedandthinkofques'onsforthefollowingsegments.

WeencourageallofyoutothinkaboutCMIsforthefuture.Itwouldbeverydesirabletohavean“educa'onchampion”ineachdistrict,workingwiththeDistrictSupervisorandwithMiriamtoplanhelpfulsessionsthatwouldbewell-a_ended.Thiscomingyear,Miriamandotherinterestedvolunteerswillworkoncrea'ngoneormoreshort,on-lineofferingsthatchoirsandindividualswillfindhelpful.Inthemean'me,thefollowinginformalvideosofaveryhelpfulshortworkshopfocusedonbreathing,posture,andwarm-ups,heldbyDistrict3inNJ,maybeofinterest:

Part1(47mins):h_ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsLayquR520Part2(28mins):h_ps://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=ezwzsOmWKOI

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