I am sure all of our UMD choruses had busy calendars during the Christmas season. It is always such a pleasure to see the smiles on the faces of the audience as they hear their old favorites or are surprised by some new and entertaining holiday music. We in Eagan will now be packing away the Christmas music and getting serious about learning the new Mass numbers for this spring's Big Sing. I expect you will all be doing the same.

     It seems that at each of the semi-annual district meetings and at the Big Sings, the statement is made by someone that we need to do more to recruit both new choruses to the AMCA and new (and younger!) members to the individual choruses. I want to pass along to you for your consideration an idea that was suggested by our AMCA Scholarship Chairman, Bob Torborg. In noting that with the current level of funding the number of scholarships to be awarded this year will need to be one less than in the past years, Bob expressed the opinion that the Scholarship program is one way that we can make people aware of our existence and make known to them our commitment to provide quality male chorus music in the future. Reducing the number of scholarships, then is going in the wrong direction. In considering alternative ways that we can supplement the Scholarship fund besides passing the baskets at Big Sing rehearsals, Bob has suggested that each chorus commit to finding sponsors in their community to donate to the scholarship fund. The initial suggestion was $250 per sponsor. If each chorus from the UMD finds one sponsor that would generate another $3000 for the fund and allow us to award an additional three scholarships - a positive step towards gaining wider recognition for the AMCA. Sponsors from the other districts would provide even more.

     For those of you reading this on the AMCA website, please discuss this idea with your chorus leadership and decide if our chorus can support it. I will also be sending this note to each governor, and asking for their feedback.

     The Big Sing is always the highlight of my singing year. I look forward to a great time together at St John's Abbey this coming April and hope for a huge success in '08 in Eau Claire that will rekindle the spirit of togetherness with the other districts that has been missing for a decade.

     Brothers Sing On!

Paul Carlton
UMD Representative to the AMCA Executive Council