ALUMNI ASSOCIATION of the 1929-1973

Northern Conservatory of Music

Vol. 9  Number 3                       Newsletter                            July 2007

Annual Business Meeting

July 28, 2007 Coach House Restaurant

Wilson Street, Brewer, Maine

5:00 – 6:00 PM

A word from our President Lou Harper:

    The president, treasurer, and secretary for several years of the Alumni Association of NCM, wish to turn over their duties to new officers.   Everett and I have been at this as Directors and officers since its inception and before.  New blood is needed for growth. Doretta has suffered, physically, this year from shoulder pain and needs a break. She proposes a split secretarial position that will be outlined below.

Everett puts it well in his latest e-mail to me:
"There is a great deal of positive energy focused on the 35th NCM reunion.
It is obvious to me that several go-getters attending the reunion would do a
real beautiful job as officers/directors of the alumni association.
The organization is ready to undertake a fundraising campaign for the scholarship foundation."

    I feel that it might be time for the Alumni association to grow with new
leadership, too.  My promise in the last couple of years was the probability
of returning to Maine.  My parents are now living down the road from me here
in CT and that urgency is passed.  I will likely be here either until their
passing or my retirement, whichever comes first.

    It is becoming more unlikely that I will be at the reunion and meeting in two weeks.  We have 7 children at home now, including two grand-daughters while their mother serves as an Army Officer in Iraq.  (US Army, not Iraqi)  One of our babies had brain surgery this past week and seems to demand much more attention in the recovery process than we had anticipated.

    I have encouraged the vice-president, Steve Helstrom, to move up to president.  There are many more of you, some whom I have not seen in a great while that are more capable than I of serving as president.  Some of you have worked in non-profit and businesses for most of your careers and would do well as treasurer; pushing the income to facilitate scholarships.

Doretta proposes the following changes to the Secretarial position:

Some organizations have a recording secretary and a corresponding secretary.

Recording secretary: Typing skills required. Record minutes of meetings, write reports, and write newsletters.

Corresponding secretary: Typing skills required. Oversee list serve email site, annual mailing list, and correspondence via email and U.S. mail. Newsletter mailings.

While she is willing to accept the nomination and position of Corresponding Secretary, she will not accept the position of Recording Secretary.

It is also recommended that the organization elect a Scholarship Chairman this year to serve as contact person for business relating to the NCM Alumni music scholarship. A scholarship committee is too cumbersome and things may end up not getting done.

    Please consider serving as President, Treasurer, Secretary or Scholarship Chairman and return your intent to either Lou or Doretta at: revlou@firstchurchgriswold.org or doretta@adelphia.net or by mail, as soon as possible.

Agenda for 2007 Annual Meeting:

Treasurer’s Report:

Membership Report:

Election of Officers:

1. President

2. Vice-President

3. Recording Secretary

4. Corresponding Secretary

5. Scholarship Chairman

Election of two directors:

Reviewed director list:

Lou Harper – term ends this year.

Arnie Poland – term ends this year.

Robert “Steve” Helstrom – term ends in 2008

Carolyn Nolette Edgecomb – term ends in 2008

Jerry Burns – term ends in 2009