Annual Meeting - 2016 | Stjohnsburyband

Annual Meeting - 2016

The St. Johnsbury Band held its annual dinner and business meeting on November 28, 2016 at the United Community Church in St. Johnsbury, VT. There was a good turnout of Band members and spouses, family, and friends. We had a potluck dinner this year and there are some good cooks in the band!

The business meeting was held after the dinner. Secretary Dianne Wyllie presented a summary of the minutes from last years meeting, which were accepted with minor changes. Treasurer Kirsten Harter presented the Treasurer's report bringing the members up-to-date on the Band's financial status. The Treasurer's report was accepted without change.

Jim McGregor refreshed our memories on the meaning for each of the award plaques the Band maintains. He read the current names on each of the plaques: Remembrance, Lifetime, and Honorary. The band voted to add Peter Fichte to the Remembrance plaque. Fichte was a valued member of the clarinet section who passed away in February of this year.

Next, Jim McGregor requested that we add Stacy Jewell as an Honorary member to the Band. Jewell is the St. Johnsbury Treasurer and Town Clerk. She assists the Band each year in getting the request for our special appropriation in each years town budget and makes sure the appropriation gets dispensed to the Band in a timely manner.

There were no recommendations for Lifetime membership this year.

A number of Thank Yous were made. Manager Dave Hare thanked everyone for their help and ideas in making sure the Band runs smoothly. A lot of pieces have to be taken care of for everything to work. Dave Askren thanked all the new members who joined the Band which swelled our numbers to nearly 50 at some concerts. There were a couple of times we barely fit on the band stand! Thanks were given to the State of Vermont — the State replaced all the lights in the bandstand with new, brighter LEDs and painted the ceiling with a glossy white paint. This makes reading the music at the summer concerts much easier. Santa and the Caledonia Children's Chorus have both agreed to return for next years Holiday Concert.

Dave Hare has discussed with Peggy Pearl at the St. Johnsbury Heritage & History Museum about the possibility of getting a permanent exhibit for the Band. It would cost about $4000-$5000 for a display case. The Band felt it was worth the cost as we are the third-oldest community band in the country and have been a big part of the history of St. Johnsbury. A committee of John Goodrich, Dave Hare, and Richard Reed was formed to determine what items could be placed in this exhibit.

There was discussion about possible performance opportunities for the 2017 season. These include:

Spring concert honoring Don Mullally — Mullally was a strong supporter of the Band and it seems like a good idea to present the music he played on the radio station in a concert in his memory. A small committee was formed to try to find a date.

Big E in Springfield, MA in the fall — Grants could be applied for from National Life and Ben & Jerry's to try and cover the cost of a bus for the trip. We would go down on a Saturday for Vermont Day during the exposition, which is at the end of September or beginning of October.

Washington, D.C. Concerts in 2017/2018 — There is a group trying to put together a series of concerts in Washington, D.C. featuring a community band from each state. This would be in 2017/2018.

Our annual meeting next year will be at a restaurant since we alternate potlucks and restaurants. Dianne Wyllie, along with Joan Mead, will begin contacting restaurants for prices and dates. The Wine Gate was one suggestion along with the possibility of having the dinner catered.

Emma Towle informed the Band that she has a decal maker and could make decals with the Band logo for anyone wishing to have one.

The slate of nominations for the various positions was presented to the Band by Bobby-Ann Fearon. The slate was unanimously passed with Davina Whitehill replacing Kathleen Barber as a Trustee. The slate can be seen on the Members page.

The Band will start up again on Monday, January 16, 2017 at our usual rehearsal time of 7:00pm in our usual location at the Courthouse.