eNews
from the Far Western District of the Barbershop Harmony Society.

November 30, 2007

In This Issue

Arizona COTS 2008--It's Here--It's NOW!

Over the past several years many of you have suggested some major changes to the society's Chapter Officers Training Seminars and you have been heard. COTS this year will be run by the Far Western District with a totally new focus. Each class will start with the key aspects of performing each job and there will be plenty of time for student questions and problem discussion.

(The two California classes were already held in Stockton(CA) and Pico Rivera(CA) on November 17. The Las Vegas class has been canceled.)

On Saturday, January 19, 2008, the Arizona class will be held in Mesa, AZ. This one day seminar will start at 9am and finish at 5pm. The fee is only $30 per person and it is a valid chapter expense, so get your whole board to attend.

Full details of the Arizona classes are now online at COTS 2008. You may register as an individual, or a chapter officer can register all the attendees from your chapter as a group. And it doesn't have to be only officers that attend. If you are thinking of becoming a chapter officer in the next year or two, then get a head start by attending a class now. If you are part of the chapter music team, feel free to attend the Music and Performance VP class. If you just want to come and share your past experiences in offices you have held---DO SO!

This year we are offering five chapter officer classes: President, Secretary, Treasurer, Music and Performance VP, and Program VP. The first 90 minutes of each officer track will deal with the specific tasks required of each office. (If you are experienced in your job position, you don't have to attend this first session, but you sure are welcome to.) Thereafter it is a whole new agenda where you and your interests will be central. The last session of the day is a discussion and problem solving time which many of you have repeatedly requested.

COTS is a great chance to get together with your many friends from the FWD, old timers and new members alike--to sing, to learn and to get the latest word on the activities of our Great Society. See you there?

SoCal Novice Contest

The Westminster Chapter is hosting the 47th Annual SoCal Novice Contest on January 19, 2008. Checkout the following links for all the details. And register your quartet now.

SoCal Novice Memorandum
SoCal Novice Flyer
SoCal Novice Contest Rules
SoCal Novice Quartet Entry Form

If you don't have a qualifying quartet, then plan to attend the contest and cheer the quartets on. It's grand fun and you'll get to hear the future champs in their early days. Someday you'll get to say "Hey, I knew those guys when ...".

NorCal Novice Contest

The Central California chapter will be hosting the NorCal Novice contest this year and they have big plans. Details are still being worked out, but expect the unexpected. You don't want to miss this event.

The contest will be held in the Modesto area on Saturday, February 23. There are plans afoot to hold some additional meetings and workshops in the morning, so look for those announcements soon.

Hey, just plan to be there on February 23. It sounds like there will be something for nearly everyone that day. And, OK, the picture probably isn't what they're planning. Let's wait for the real announcement.

District Pin Contest

FWD President Elect, Bob Lally, has suggested we create a new district pin; suitable for buyin', tradin', and giftin'. District Marketing and PR Chairman Kevin Smith is leading the effort.

So, the challenge is on! It's Pin contest time! We need a new district pin design for the FWD! Entries need to be submitted no later than January 1 to Kevin via e-mail, or snail mail (if you simply want to design the old fashioned way - without a computer!)

We have a panel to judge the entries. If we have an entry the judges agree on, a prize will be given out for the design chosen! We're not sure what that prize is yet; but Bob says it will be something significant!

So get to designing! Will your's be a circle, square, triangle, hexagon, or some totally weird, umm, unusual shape?

Submissions go to:

Kevin Smith
kpsmith2007-fwdmktgpr@yahoo.com

Spring Prelims Contest and Convention

Be sure to put March 13-15, 2008, on your calendar so that you won't miss the Spring Prelims and the SoCal West Divison Contests. You can register for the convention now by printing the form at 2008 Spring Registration and mailing it in. Remember, early birds get the best seats.

This year we'll be back at Bakersfield and the contests will be at the Harvey Auditorium on the Bakersfield High School campus. Hotel arrangements and a housing form will be announced soon.

And plan now on attending some fun classes on Friday afternoon. We'll start it off with a Harmony For Lunch Bunch at a local restaurant, followed immediately by the classes.

New eBiz site at BHS headquarters

A preliminary version of the eBiz site at our Nashville headquarters is now online. It replaces much of the old SPEBSQSA Members Only site. Major enhancements are underway and are expected to be released by the end of December. Meanwhile, members may now edit their own profiles to enter new email addresses, phones, and home addresses. Chapter secretaries may edit all of their member's profiles.

Additionally, the latest data has been made available to the districts and the Far Western District is now current, except for chapter contact email addresses. That data was left out initially.

The society has also released a new data format and the FWD website will be modified to use the new data early next year.

You are encouraged to visit the new BHS eBiz site to validate your personal data and give the new site a test drive. To log in, use the password you were using before, but only the first 8 characters, and all in lower case.

Attention Chapter Secretaries

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