Comments on: Important staff restructuring announcement from Ed Watson

By: Tom Kentish

Tom Kentish — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:08:25 +0000

That was a great read, thanks for sharing.

By: Bob Burns

Bob Burns — Thu, 28 May 2009 18:35:06 +0000

I would like to see more of Alexander’s (Edwards) ideas on PROBE being the Society’s official PR arm. How would that work exactly?

An organization like BHS has some unique issues with marketing and PR [I will not get into the definition(s) of marketing here]. We have basically 3 levels of organization: the Society (Board and Staff), Districts, and Chapters (plus affiliate organizations, their members, etc). Each of these levels has to do external AND internal marketing and PR.

I am a proud member of PROBE and a member of the BHS Marketing & PR Committee. There are certainly members of PROBE who are great at PR, but will/can those individuals volunteer to do the PR for the Society? Our voluntary committee just spent nine months on Singing For Life 2009. We had 6 members, including 2 staff and 2 District VP’s. Without consistency, organization, determination, and leadership, a project like that, even in its second year, does not get far.

Just a comment about “and not hire marketing ‘experts’”: Todd Wilson has done a wonderful, professional job for this organization as Director Of Marketing. Here is a man (with 7 gold medals, and counting) who learned to sing barbershop…in the womb! When we get back on our financial feet and are able to refill that important position, I hope we can find his equal. If you want some interesting reading, go to http://www.acappellafoundation.org/essay/wilson.html.

By: Dan O'Brien

Dan O'Brien — Thu, 28 May 2009 04:00:00 +0000

Guys,

The only way to remain relevant is to produce music/performances that 1) guys want to offer, AND 2) the masses want to receive. These two simple points should be the focus of EVERYTHING.

I am not saying the answer is simple.

HarmonyDanO

By: Ed Watson

Ed Watson — Tue, 26 May 2009 13:11:04 +0000

Tom,

That response never made it to the group. Malfunction, misunderstanding, or whatever, we never saw it. Sorry, can’t comment on that which we do not see.

By: Tom Schlaudecker

Tom Schlaudecker — Mon, 25 May 2009 20:42:44 +0000

What happened to my response of several weeks ago? Maybe this form of comm is not for technophobes who are interested in Harmony singing?

By: Alexander Edwards

Alexander Edwards — Thu, 21 May 2009 22:38:44 +0000

Reorganization can be a good thing–to grow means change–but not change for the sake of change or holding onto something simply because “it’s always been done that way.”
Perhaps this is the place and time to suggest what I’ve often said–let’s make PROBE the Society’s official PR arm and not hire marketing “experts”;
we are essentially a volunteer organization and it’s great to see many who are able contributing so much in time, talent, and other ways. It would also be more in keeping with the Society’s original vision–the “perservation and encouragment of barbershop quartet singing”–if medalist quartets and choruses would be willing to perform for their fellow barbershoppers w/o fees, just help w/ such expenses as transportation and laundry/cleaning,
where possible accepting housing and meals in the homes of the chapter members for whom they are performing. Would airlines be able and willing to allow quartets to be “singing flight attendants” in return for free or much-reduced air fare?

By: Lane Thomas Aikin

Lane Thomas Aikin — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:36:45 +0000

I encourage everyone here to consider what is truly important to them.

Take a second and ask “What matters to ME?”

Then

consider the community in which that ‘matter’ lives and ask…”what matters to that community?”

If you consider what matters to the BHS community and live inside that community fulfilling its dream, you will find that what matters to YOU comes right along in the process. If it doesnt, I will challenge that that need has nothing to do with barbershop. Take a close look….closer…closer…there you go

I have found that the communal need here is sharing. A lack of sharing has caused the results we now face. I encourage everyone to take localized action. Tell that person at work about your show. And speak from a place of passion and enthusiasm. Dont sell anyone. Just share about you, your life, and how much this hobby means to you. Get specific. Share that first moment that you got hooked or share that moment of fraternity when you experienced a level of friendship you’d never known before. This is a rare conversation for people in life to have…IN GENERAL…and will, with certainty, result in a memorable and inspiring moment for that person. They will immediately think back to a moment that inspired them beyond measure and will become enlivened by that…they will leave the conversation feeling inspired and moved…all because YOU shared about barbershop.

Lets all start with this and see what results that creates.

If we emancipate our attachment to the results of our sharing (new member, show tickets sold, gold medal, etc), our enjoyment of the experience of sharing increase exponentially…we become present to all the details of that sharing, experience the actual emotions of that thing we are discussing, and THIS is what inspires others…seeing someone who IS inspired. Inspiration is a way of being. It isnt money in a bank, a song from a certain era, a medal on your chest, or a number of people at a convention. Those are all POSSIBLE results out of certain actions that were taken in line with a commitment to a way of being that YOU actively create in every moment of every day.

So…how are YOU being right now? And now? And now? And how about riiiiiiight…..NOW?!?!

By: Ed Watson

Ed Watson — Mon, 18 May 2009 20:32:54 +0000

Bernard,
I can see how that might be misleading, for you and for many others, so let me draw a quick picture of the budget process.
Each year the Society tries to forecast, based on past performance and current market trends, the amount of income for the future 2 years. Then, based on that prediction, we budget out our expenses to match. As the economy collapsed this year, and as some of our predictions proved too optimistic, our income stream began to shrink. The $330,000 is $330,000 less income, which means we must shrink expenses to match.

Thanks for giving me a chance to explain.

By: Bernard martin

Bernard martin — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:34:55 +0000

Ed,
I was glad to hear that the competitions make money and the BHS doesn’t have to subsdize them. I was somehow misled by your statment in the first paragraph above.
“The challenge is especially urgent this year due to the disappointing level of international convention registrations for Anaheim. The resulting shortfall has put our annual budget over $330,000 in the red, requiring quick action.”
Thanks for straightening me out,
Bernard Martin

By: Ed Watson

Ed Watson — Mon, 18 May 2009 13:19:36 +0000

Bernard,
We’ll work harder on those things that aggravate, because they are an important part of customer service. However, you got one thing fundamentally wrong, and it’s important, so I want to correct it. Competitions MAKE money, they don’t cost money. Without competitions, our Society would have less money to spend on Joe Barbershopper services.

Robert, thanks for your support.

By: Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee — Mon, 18 May 2009 00:36:04 +0000

I don’t know want is the majic pill to save our Society. I do have an opinion. Not as good as some and maybe not as bad as some. I am 71 and a 41 year member with 13 man-of-note awards and have held every Chapter Officer position and I consider myself to still be a good contributer to my Society. I am a KIBBER; however, I do love to sing On the Boardwalk. I am amazed with Dave W’s arrangements. I love to hear Jay G’s and Mark H’s choruses. I love to hear Stateline Grocery, Max Q, etc. I am so thankful for Bob Johnson, Joe Liles, Lloyd S, Jim DeB and many, many others. I wish that the proposed Carolinas District would get a fair chance from the Dixie District and our Society. If we can get by with these personnel being cut, then why did we hire them in the first place.
The is a point for good Leadership; there is even a better point of good Followship. I thank my Society and fellow barbershoppers for giving me the best times of my life. I’m sure Ed W. will do his very best for us. A BS 7th to you. I will contact Intenational and contribute my $100 to help cover the deficiencies. IT’S GREAT TO BE A BARBERSHOPPER.

By: Bernard martin

Bernard martin — Sat, 16 May 2009 18:33:41 +0000

It is a sad day but there are lessons to be learned.
I don’t think the type of music can be blamed. Our chorus does it all. No one likes every song but they all like some. We have an active Polecat program going but our favorite song at present is one of Neil Sedaka’s. We keep our audience in mind. What do they want to hear? Our audience is not made up of judges and Barbershoppers. They are people who came to be entertained and most were coming of age in the 1950’s
Change in the judging system? That is not our problem. That is for the contest oriented people to argue about but the emphasis on competition has apparently not paid off. There are many of us who have ‘been there and done that’ and found the whole experience wanting. Lack of talent may enter in to it, but I have been quartetting for 6 years and 250 performances (many repeats). We went to quartet contest once, won the Novice Division, and found it a disappointing waste of time. I am perfectly content to let other quartets and choruses go to the International and try for the Gold. I would much rather sing for the local Rotary, the Ladies Church Guild, etc.
I think there are many of us who pay our dues each year and watch as it goes mostly for convention related activities. We have no choice; the BHS is the only act in town.
Such mundane things as a phone system that works, a market place where all the employees don’t go to lunch at the same time, a Premiere Subscription that arrives on time, music shipments that are timely (I have gone from 10 days to 3 months from the BHS vs. 3-4 days from the occasional outside supplier), a catalogue system that works better (I want a song from the fifties, or an up tune, etc. How do I get it?), a catalogue that supplies a 10-12 second snippet of the tune being considered, etc. In the Harmonizer more articles that are applicable to the individual singer and non-competing quartets. I am more interested in how to keep potato salad off my coattails than the acoustic set up of a large auditorium. These are some improvements that I would like as opposed to a bigger convention is some distant place.
This minor rant probably won’t make any difference. The BHS will be down sized, I’ll still pay my dues, competitions will continue to be heavily subsidized, and I will still by happy to get my Premiere Series only 3 months after it was due.
Barbershopping is still the best hobby in the world.

Bernard Martin

By: Allan Webb

Allan Webb — Thu, 14 May 2009 18:22:50 +0000

Perhaps Yoda (the real one, not the barbershop one) said it best: “Do, or do not. There is no try.”

By: Roger McClelland

Roger McClelland — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:57:09 +0000

Here’s the crux of the matter: when it is all said and done, a WAY lot more is SAID than done. Much of what is said is at best unnecessary; some of it is needlessly negative and destructive. I expect that what I express is very unlikely to change your mind at all. What I choose to do WILL and DOES in fact alter the reality of those it directly affects.
Those who are intent on forcing tomorrow’s events to be a replay of some historical event are doomed to frustration and even worse, they are not dealing with the reality of the current situation. Joel made some really good points. In my opinion the most important point he made was implicit. Human nature is what it is: Regardless of the current situation, some folks are going to be unhappy (and whine) about it. The reality is this: those who WORK, the “do-ers” make something happen; those who don’t work really should have no room to talk. Let’s individually and organizationally focus on: 1) singing (harmonize) to be very best of our ability; 2) strive to learn and improve everything that has anything to do with singing/performance/entertainment which includes… 3) live in harmony with everyone, especially those within our local arena of influence, be it our family, chapter, chorus, community. I personally find it much more rewarding to find someone who I really admire and attempt to emulate their professionalism.
In short, quit complaining and get back to work! DO something positive and constructive and quit focusing on the “mistakes” or shortcomings of others.

By: Jonathan Friedman

Jonathan Friedman — Thu, 14 May 2009 06:32:32 +0000

Hello -

Going to International Conventions has been something I’ve done since 1978. The chance to compete and medal at them have been the greatest days of my life…so far.

But they are very expensive to attend.

If the main culprit is the lack of Anaheim Registrations…then look to the Internet fo a cause and a solution.

Maybe its the easy ability to “mouse click” and see the entire competition from the comfort of your own home…Not paying hundreds of dollars for airfare, hotels meals, running to find food between sessions-then missing your hometown group. It can be a “not so much fun” vacation.

We live in a fast paced instant-gratification Internet world. Some people just don’t have the time, or can’t slow down anymore.

My suggestion to make up for the Registration Shortfall, would obviously be to increase the internet prices to balance it out.

As for the Economic Contractions and Staffing Cutbacks…this is 2009 and most business are doing this to survive…and our Society must survive.

I agree that the most important thing is to keep the guys at the chapter level happy, singing, and fraternally grateful.

See you in Anaheim!