TeamToc You need only claim the events of your life to make yourself yours. When you truly possess all you have been and done…,you are fierce with reality. -- Florida Scott-Maxwell

I happened to run across this quote this morning after a long period of ruminating over mistakes made in a friendship long ago and mistakes made over the weekend that I am more than a little embarrassed about. Whether or not this was its original intent, the quote reminded me to “own” those mistakes; to take responsibility for those mistakes; to let my mistakes keep me humble; and to let them keep me open to learning more. By owning our mistakes, we can become more humble; we can learn and grow. By owning our mistakes, we can actually get closer to being the best person that we can be, “fierce with reality.”

Perhaps the same is true with singing in a chorus? No matter how much I practice at home and want to think that I “know” my music, I still make mistakes. (No matter how much I’d like to blame ALL those mistakes on Sue Peacock…!) I can acknowledge that there are lots of areas where I need to improve. I can let that knowledge that I am far from perfect—and never will be perfect—keep me humble. I can let my mistakes keep me open to learning more, to taking direction, and (yikes!) to accepting correction. And maybe that will eventually make me a “fiercely real” contributor to the whole chorus’s success!

On Behalf of the Management Team

Lynn Hansen Secretary

The Verdugo Hills Chorus is united in harmony, love, pride and respect

October 16, 2019

Trolley Photo Shot TONIGHT - Dale Syverson here next Wednesday

“TEAM TOC” “Together Everyone Accomplishes More” “Total Open Communication”

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GUEST, October 9, 2019 Bill Kueppers

This week’s Great Ladies of the Week are the entire Management Team. They provide the Lifeline with a TeamToc article each week. Some articles are inspirational, some thought provoking, some encouraging, and some are fun. Thank you all— Pat Vincent,

Laura La Borde, Julie Hoffman, Ellen Totleben, Jeannie Vercillo, Lynn Hansen, and Tammy Ragsdale.

UPCOMING VHC EVENTS DETAILS YOU MAY NEED

TONIGHT:

• Photo Shoot at the Americana Trolley, 5:45pm, TONIGHT, Oct 16. Wear the NOTES TUNIC with BLUE OR BLACK JEANS.

• Vote to Compete in Regional 2020. See Page 3. • Melinda Dean will take recyclables TONIGHT.

ONGOING: • Jeanette Fitzgerald reminds us to register

online for Fall Festival at www.sairegion11.com by October 18. Double Quartet contest registration also ends on October 18.

• Julie Hoffman is arranging VHC tables for the Saturday night dinner at Fall Festival. Let her know if you plan to attend.

• Trish Koran and Pat Vincent suggest we send this link to our friends and family to order Singing Holiday Cards. Link: https://verdugohillschorus.org/2019_Holiday_Cards

UPCOMING:

• Dale Syverson, Coach, with us NEXT WEDNESDAY, October 23.

• Holiday Chorus starts October 30. Invite interested singers. They will learn two holiday songs with the chorus and sing with us on the VHC show in December.

Wear the Notes Tunic with Blue or Black Jeans.

• Nancy Branam always loves to print pictures of anyone reading the Lifeline.

• Melinda Dean will collect recyclables.

• Janice Kueppers maintains the Dollar Bookstore.

• Julie Hoffman, Tammy and your Section Leaders need to be notified if you won’t be at rehearsal.

• Julie Hoffman accepts Leave of Absence Request forms.

• Smile.Amazon.com—Be sure to always use it when ordering.

• Benefit-mobile.com—Download the app and use it for purchases to support fundraising at Verdugo.

• Lynn Sloan provides bottled water each week. Place your donation in the container in the kitchen if you take a bottle.

• Shauna Scanlon has the wallet–size promo cards available at rehearsal each week.

• Nancy Branam has VHC rhinestone pins if you need a replacement. $20 pin-back, $23 magnet-back.

• Linda Ragsdale collects Chapter dues. They can be placed in the Dues Box.

• Jeannie Vercillo needs email addresses to be added to our PR Constant Contact List

• Items left behind at the rehearsal hall can be retrieved from Lost and Found on the piano each week.

• Meetup—Go to www.meetup.com, login with email and password, type in “Verdugo” and follow the steps.

• Davina Wong collects recyclable ink cartridges and small electronic items. • PLEASE DO NOT WEAR OR USE SCENTED PRODUCTS

ON WEDNESDAYS WHEN YOU ATTEND REHEARSAL.

Link to Sweet Adelines International: https://sweetadelines.com/

Link to Dues Status: https://verdugohillschorus.org/Dues_Chart

Hello My Dear Verdugans!

We've got a busy and fun week ahead of us.

TONIGHT we will start the evening at The

Americana getting in some publicity photos on the

trolley. How fun! We'll take the 15 minute ride for

those who wish to stay and do so and will then go

to rehearsal. I hope lots of you can make it.

This week's rehearsal will be a bit shortened

due to the photo activity but will nonetheless be

important for as many of you as possible to be

there. This is the last rehearsal before

Dale Syverson comes to work with us. Unless I

already know you’re out of town, (or you become

ill) I do expect and need you to be with us.

Physical and Vocal Skill Building: Will begin as

soon as we return from our photo shoot, followed

by work on the following:

A Million Dreams

Oh! Look at Me Now!

These will be the only songs we work on for the

evening as I want to be sure they are as ready as

possible for Dale.

We'll close with The Climb.

As promised, new Holiday Music is coming

your way! Pat Vincent posted the new music on

October 11. Please start with the Christmas Waltz

Medley, as it will make it easier for our guests if we

have a head start.

Our guests will learn Christmas Chopsticks and

together with our guests we will learn the

Christmas Waltz Medley/My Favorite Things.

It’s a lovely song and has some life to it.

In addition, Jingle Bell Jazz is a second new song

for all Verdugans. If this one comes together as

quickly as I think it will, we will sing it on

the show.

Get well, stay well and stay safe!

Love,

Tammy

VOTE TO COMPETE

Hello, Verdugans!

In accordance with Section VI of our chorus

Standing Rules, in October each year a vote is taken

from the chorus membership as to whether or not we

wish to participate in the annual Regional Chorus

Competition.

We will hold this vote TONIGHT, October 16,

during announcements, providing there is present a

two-thirds majority of active members in good

standing. If you will not be able to be present

Wednesday night for this vote but wish for your vote

to be counted, please send me your absentee vote

before TONIGHT. Thanks,

Pat Vincent Team Coordinator

VERDUGO HILLS HOLIDAY CHORUS Hello Verdugans, Invite your family, friends, and neighbors to come sing with us starting October 30th from 7-8:30pm. They will have an opportunity to learn two songs to sing on our show, “A Time to Celebrate,” on Saturday, December 14. The show will be in Carlson Hall at the church where we rehearse. They won't want to miss out on the fun!

Julie Hoffman Membership Chair

THURSDAY EVENING AT FALL FESTIVAL I hope many of you are planning to come learn from the wonderfully talented Karen Breidert next month. If you can come Thursday evening, plan to do so! Winners’ Circle members will be holding sessions using the Quartet Academy songs. Those of you who learned the three songs for Summer, take them out and review them before arriving in Bakersfield. The first session will be how to sing your part smart, so we will break into four different places and learn skills for our particular voice part. The second session will be our Winners’ Circle team providing coaching opportunities using randomly selected pick-up quartets. If you didn’t have a chance to learn the Quartet Academy music for Summer Sizzler, it’s not too late! Email me at dianemcgrath39@gmail.com to order your charts and learning tracks for a mere $20 to participate! See you at the DoubleTree next month!

Diane McGrath

2019

OCT 16 W Chorus Photo at Americana, 5:45pm 17 Th Management Team Meeting, 6:00pm (Google Hangouts) 19 Sa Harborlites Show, La Mirada Theater 19 Sa Clueless Quartet Performance on Bakersfield Blend Show 23 W Coaching by Dale Syverson 26 Sa ChannelAire Chorus Dinner Show, 6:30pm, Camarillo 27 Sa RiverOaks Chorus Show, 2:00pm, Hall of Liberty 30 W Holiday Chorus Begins, 7-8:30pm, Rehearsal Hall NOV 2 Sa Pacific Sound Chorus Show with Carpe Diem and Storm Front 6 W Vote for International Board of Directors 6 W Holiday Chorus, Rehearsal Hall 13 W Holiday Chorus, Rehearsal Hall 14-17 Th-Su Fall Festival, Bakersfield, with Karen Breidert 20 W Holiday Chorus, Rehearsal Hall 21 Th Management Team Meeting, 6:00pm (Google Hangouts) 22 Fr Chorus Performance, Co-Weds, Carlton Hall, 1:30pm 27 W DARK NIGHT—NO REHEARSAL DEC 2 M Chorus Performance, Arcadia Business Council 4 W Holiday Chorus, Rehearsal hall 5 Th Chorus Performance, Midnight Mission, Los Angeles, 2:00pm 7 Sa Singing Holiday Cards 11 W Holiday Chorus, Rehearsal Hall 14 Sa VHC Show, Carlson Hall, 2:00pm 18 W VHC Holiday Party 25 W Dark Night

2020 JAN 1 W Dark Night 15 W Coaching by Ryan Heller 22 W Global Open House FEB 14/15 F/Sa Singing Valentines 28-3/1 F Chorus Retreat, Grand Vista Hotel, Simi Valley MAR 7 Sa Divas & Desserts Show, Carlson Hall, 2:00pm 18 W Management Team Elections 25 W Friends & Family Night 26-29 Th-Su Region 11 Competition APR 18 Sa Management Team Budget Mtg 29 W Installation Dinner

2020—continued MAY 16 Sa A Cappella Scholarship Festival, Glendale High School JULY 22-26 Th-Su Summer Sizzler—TBA OCT 12-17 M-Su International Convention, Louisville, KY NOV 11-15 Th-Su Fall Festival—TBA

2021 APR 8-11 Th-Su Region 11 Competition OCT 11-16 M-Su International Convention, St. Louis

2022 APR 7-10 Th-Su Region 11 Competition SEP 26-Oct 1 International Convention, Phoenix

2023 MAR 23-26 Th-Su Region 11 Competition

The Verdugo Hills Chorus Mission Statement

The Verdugo Hills Chorus of Sweet Adelines International is a caring organization of female singers dedicated to sharing and advancing the musical art form of barbershop harmony through education, competition and entertainment. Vision Statement: To perform with musical excellence, to engage audiences, and to inspire members.

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LIFELINE is the official newsletter published for distribution to the members of Verdugo Hills Chorus. Verdugo Hills Chorus website: www.verdugohillschorus.org.

Rehearsal Hall: Wednesdays, 7:00pm

First United Methodist Church of Glendale, Education Building 134 North Kenwood Street, Glendale, CA 91206 818-243-2105 Director – Tammy Ragsdale 14455 Loyola Street Moorpark, CA 93021 (Cell) 805-218-7268; VHSCHappyDirector@gmail.com, Management Team Coordinator – Pat Vincent 2551 Ruby Drive Oxnard 93030 (H) 805-983-1072 (Cell) 805-890-2126; patsingslead@gmail.com Lifeline Editor – Nancy Branam 33105 Santiago Road, Space #11, Acton, CA 93510 (H) 661-269-0394 ; nancybranam@msn.com (Cell) 818-516-0185

Emergency Contacts during Rehearsals

Team Coordinator Pat Vincent 805-890-2126 Membership Chair Julie Hoffman 626-484-2437 Call for Entry Nancy Branam 818-516-0185 Jackie Wheatley 818-419-6360 Tammy Ragsdale 805-218-7268