Planning

• Event Planning/Facilities (Jeff Beggs '84, Team Lead)
• Fellowship and Song (Don Sanderson '67, Team Lead)
• Financial Operations (Chris Nordhoff '92, Team Lead)
• Fund Raising/Endowment (Rich von Luhrte '67, Team Lead)
• Marketing/Communication (Joe Gradisher '79, Team Lead)
• Travel/Hospitality (Jim Walter '75, Team Lead)

All team leads together comprise a Core Team which are responsible for executing strategy and directing team activities.

Updates

Chicago Summer Meetup

This Alumni gathering will take place the weekend of Friday August 7, 2009 in Chicago. Clubbers will be staying at the Blackstone Hotel in downtown Chicago.

Itinerary:

• Friday Afternoon-Evening - Informal meet-and-greet cocktails as alumni arrive throughout the afternoon. Casual group dinner in the evening with introduction to the weekend.
• Saturday Morning - Rehearsal in preparation for the 150th concert. ("Re"learn those Michigan classics!)
• Saturday Afternoon - Choice of fun Chicago events, e.g. Architectural boat tour of the city, Guided tours at Field Museum and/or the Shedd Aquarium, Bike tour through downtown Chicago, Relax on the beach.
• Saturday Evening - Group Banquet.
• Sunday Morning - Brunch. Depart.

If you have questions about the event, please contact .

The 150th: What's Happening?

In short, lots--lots of plans, lots of ideas, and lots of energy around the 150th is now in play! Six organizing teams made up of alumni and students are meeting to plan the 150th celebration event and are engaged around a number of ideas and activities. Here are the headlines:

• The celebration weekend will be April 8-10, 2010. Save the date!!
• 150th banners will be going up around campus from April, 2009-May, 2010.
• A plaque commemorating 150 years of student activities, mentioning the Men's Glee Club specifically, will be placed between Hill and the League in fall, 2009.
• Roughly, the 150 weekend will include:
  • Thursday night Cottage Inn reception (using the entire restaurant).
  • Friday rehearsals and evening banquet, perhaps at the League.
  • Saturday concerts--one at 3 for alumni to perform, the other at 8 for Club.
  • A possible Sunday wrap to the weekend.
• Alumni performances would be delivered under batons of former directors.
• An Alumni Glee Club would be formed and would tour in the 150th (perhaps with a women`s alumni group) and every two years thereafter.
• Another 150th goal: To at least double the Club`s current $1.46 million in endowment funds, assuring increased future support for tails, tours, and tuition.
• In raising funds, 110+ alumni volunteers would contact former class mates.
• Blocks of rooms will be held for 150th attendees and travel discounts may also be made available.
• Communication will be largely electronic, so check the UMMGC website periodically.

The chief concern is estimating numbers--how many alumni, parents, and friends will return to help celebrate. Watch for a survey seeking your input!

150th Planning Updates

Steve Ramsey here ('67), writing from my home office in chilly Lake Forest, IL...where the February snows are deeper than usual and the cold simply takes your breath away. It's sure pretty, though, and we know that it won't last.

The Club's 150th anniversary celebration is set for April 2010, so mark your calendars. That's just over two years away, and while that may seem a long ways out, it isn't from a planner's point of view. There's much to be done. We've been setting our game plan for a year now, framing up a team structure to handle much of the burden. I can tell you that the alumni who've stepped forward already are quite enthusiastic.

So are the students. The Exec Committee has appointed two energetic liaisons to help us plan--sophomore Scott Roffman and senior Phil Schettenhelm. Freshman Joe Wieciek is ready to step into Phil's large shoes this April once he moves on to alumni status. Scott, Phil, and Joe are now recruiting other students to sit on our six organizing teams, two per team. They'll be ready to dive in next fall when teams assemble.

We continue to seek alumni volunteers. A big "thanks" to those who've already reached out and said, "I'm ready to help!" Each team will comprise six or more alumni (plus the two students), and each team lead will need a batch of volunteers to contact and line up on his team. The extended endowment team alone will need 100 total callers come 2010 when the endowment campaign launches. Forty of you have already signed on to serve as "Class Leads" and now wait patiently to get underway.

Please email or call me (see below) to volunteer for team work. The teams will meet 2-3 times next academic year (mainly by telephone conferencing)...and at least that many times again in 2009-2010. You'll need to be prepared for that depth of commitment. But I can assure you that your brothers in song will be forever grateful and will surely reward you commensurately come the 150th anniversary weekend.

150th Organizing Committees

1. Event Planning/Facilities (seeking two good organizers to serve as co-Leads)
2. Fellowship and Song (Don Sanderson '67, Team Lead)
3. Financial Operations (Chris Nordhoff '92, Team Lead)
4. Fund Raising/Endowment (Rich von Luhrte '67, Team Lead)
5. Marketing/Communication (Hamilton Chang '89, Team Lead...seeking a public relations/communications specialist to serve as co-Lead)
6. Travel/Hospitality (Jim Walter '75, Team Lead)

All team leads together will comprise a Core Team which will be responsible for executing strategy and directing team activities.

Contact me by emailing Steve Ramsey '67, or call (847)-295-1160 (office) or 847/826-1169 (cell). Thanks in advance. I look forward to talking with you soon.

Here's What Alumni About What a 150th Means to the Club

• "...this event (can be) a bridge between the past and the future...with a formal comprehensive (fund-raising) effort...to make another 150 years possible..."
• A way of "strengthening the legacy for others to follow in future generations..."
• "Further recognition of the Club as a world class men's chorus."
• "Public awareness and appreciation, fellowship, opportunity for alums to contribute recordings, photos, programs, etc. to archives."
• "Opportunities to talk, sing, drink beer-what else can we want?"
• "A chance to celebrate a milestone in the Club's history and increase UMMGC visibility."
• "Greater overall financial support for the Club from glee club alumni."
• "A growing consciousness...of the Club's integral role as a collective musical ambassador for the University."
• "Re-acquainting myself with long lost friends, basking in the music! Performing in Hill Auditorium."
• ...give current members a taste of just how important the club is to former members..."
• "Remind the University community and Ann Arbor what a rare gem the Club is."
• "...celebrate the unique male vocal blending that we all find so special."
• "Reconnecting with old friends and reliving the good old days."
• "It could lead to an alumni glee club of sorts which could participate on a semi-regular basis."
• Opportunity for "a comprehensive history with many extras-including a concert recording (which could be) marketed to all U of M grads."
• "...a strong sense of commitment from alumni to help create a future where the Glee Club can exist and thrive-a bettr connectedness that can benefit not only the Club, but also the University."
• "Recommitment to the perfection of musical performance."
• "Build greater involvement by GC alums-continuous involvement, not just periodic attendance at concerts..."
• "Development of an Alumni Council with a more active leadership role in the current strategic intentions of the Club."
• "Avenues to assist current club members with internships, job placement, etc."
• "Strong publicity for the Club and, more importantly, for the University."
• "Increased alumni engagement and involvement."
• "A new standard of practice to allow for a healthy, sustainable future while maintaining the great traditions and musical excellence of the past."

Welcome!

With the 145th Anniversary festivities now but a memory, focus has quickly shifted to the Club's 150th Anniversary. In five short years the Glee Club will be putting on a sesquicentennial year celebration; however, time is beginning to run out if this milestone is to be commemorated properly.

In addition to the customary reunion concert and festivities, a number of ideas to commemorate this year have been tossed around including publishing a proper history book, issuing a commemorative DVD and a CD compilation of the Club from the Duey years to the present, and publishing a new songbook. Other ideas include a commissioning of new works, a second Michigan Song writing contest, performing a large work with an orchestra, recreating a turn-of-the-(20th) century concert, and a possible return to Llangollen or a second world tour. It is unlikely that all of these ideas can be brought to fruition as they will each require considerable time and finances; however, with strong alumni support--both in terms direct work on these projects and through fundraising activities--it is quite possible that many of these ideas will be a reality in 2009.

In order to get the ball rolling on the early planning an e-mail group is being created for interested parties to freely discuss these ideas and to develop a more comprehensive plan for implementation. In addition, a new junior manager position, the 150th Anniversary Coordinator, has been created to serve as a liaison between the alumni committee and the executive board. Once the initial conversation via e-mail has run its course, the formation of a more formal alumni board will likely follow to oversee these activities, and committees will be formed to concentrate on specific projects. This next phase will likely begin with a face-to-face meeting in the fall, possibly on the weekend of the Fall Hill concert.

In the meantime, if you would like to be a part of the preliminary planning of the 150th, please send an e-mail at the address below and you will be added to the 150th e-mail list.