Every year we say it, and every year we mean it…this year’s Leadership Academy promises to be one of the finest the Carolinas District has ever produced! And you can’t beat the return on investment – LEADERSHIP ACADEMY IS FREE TO ATTEND. The only cost to you is $10 for lunch.
Join us at Richmond Community College in Hamlet, NC, in January for classes on core chapter officer positions, youth and outreach and barbershop craft.
It is important to note that, although Leadership Academy is geared toward the development of chapter officers specifically, everyone in your chapter (including your Director) are encouraged to participate. If you are interested in growing and retaining your chapter membership, establishing long-term strategies for development, singing at a higher level, developing the bench strength of your leadership team, programming your chapter meeting agendas to attain the highest levels of productivity blended with fun, then Leadership Academy should be your first resolution for every new year.
Classes cover all the core chapter officer positions President, Secretary, Treasurer, Music & Performance, Youth in Harmony, Chapter Development, Marketing, PR & Social Media. In addition, we offer some singing classes for non-chapter officers (Polecat II and Tag Singing).
Our faculty is often expanded to include a Society staff member direct from Harmony Hall, covering courses developed by the Barbershop Harmony Society’s Healthy Chapter Initiative that are designed to strengthen your chapter through visioning, building relationships, performing self-discoveries and assessments, and motivating your volunteer members to support your chapter’s purpose.
For 2019, we’ll focus on the Healthy Chapter Initiative training facilitated by Steve Wyszomierski – Chair, Leadership Operations Project Team.
So, to sum it up, remember these three things:
- All of this Free-of-Charge by your District!
- Lunch will be catered at $10.00 per person.
- EVERYONE is welcome to attend .
Click to Register Now!
Here’s what you’ll get:
Schedule:
8:30 -9:00 AM Check-in
9:00 – 9:50 AM General Session
10:00 – 10:50 AM Morning Class 1
11:00 – 11:50 AM Morning Class 2
12:00 – 12:50 Lunch
1:00 – 1:50 PM Afternoon Class 1
2:00 – 2:50 PM Afternoon Class 2
3:00 – 4:00 PM Closing Session
Courses:
President Half Day : Facilitator, Steve Wyomierski – Chair, Leadership Operations Project Team,
Bio:
Steve Wyszomierski is a 44-year member of the Barbershop Harmony Society. Having spent 34 years teaching high school English, Steve chose to get involved in teaching in the Society’s education program. Through the Society’s COTS and then Leadership Academy programs, he has taught the Presidents’ curriculum for the past 26 years. In his home Johnny Appleseed District, Steve served as District President in 2015 and 2016, and prior to that also served two terms as the Vice President of Chapter Support and Leadership Training (CSLT), responsible for the chapter coaching program and the JAD Leadership Academy. He has also written more than 20 show scripts for chapter use.
Steve served on the Board of Directors for the Pittsburgh International Convention in 2015. On a Society level, Steve is chairman of the Leadership Operations Project Team, a group that is creating a new approach to Society curriculum that includes on-line training, and the latest concepts in chapter leadership. He is honored to have served the past four years on faculty of Harmony University in Nashville, Tennessee.
He and his wife, Beth, have two sons, Ross and Mark, and reside in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, a community in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Course Description:
- The President is the manager of the chapter – Keeps the machine running.
- He Plans; Organizes; Produces order; Implements Systems; Assigns people to tasks; Controls
- He Allocates Resources; Focuses Efforts; Conforms to goals.
Secretary Full Day: Facilitator, Erik Lindstrom – Secretary,Carolinas District
Course Description:
- What is required and what is the best way to advance the goals and desires of your chapter.
- Review the “have to do” items and many additional activities that are necessary to keep the chapter running smoothly.
- Will likely combine with the Treasurers in the afternoon to see the interrelationship of these two roles
Treasurer Full Day: Facilitator, Richard Harris – Past Secretary, Carolinas District
Bio:
Richard was introduced to Barbershop with the Hagerstown, MD chapter in 1991, and fell in love with the sound of four voices making wonderful music together without any instruments. He joined the BHS and has been loving this American art form as a “hobby” ever since. He’s been in numerous quartets over the years, and currently sings with Shrimp’n Grits. Both his kids are barbershoppers too. Richard ca think of nothing better than singing with them today. He had held every position at the chapter level except Secretary., but that was corrected with his election to the Mt Pleasant, SC chapter as Secretary-Treasurer now. His work on the NCS BoD as Secretary was his first experience at the District level. He is currently a member of three chapters, Charleston, Mt Pleasant and Wilmington.[his work takes him to the Wilmington, NC area for 3-4 months nearly every year].
Course Description:
- What you can and can’t do with the money and what’s required as a non-profit.
- Discussion of the Society’s financial accounting requirements and suggestions, as well as IRS requirements.
- Ways that the Treasurer can “add value” to the chapter.
- Will likely combine with the Secretaries in the afternoon.
Music & Performance Half Day: Facilitator, Nick DiLorenzo – Music and Performance VP, Carolinas District
Bio:
Nicholas comes to us from SLD/MAD Districts with 18 years of barbershop experience. He is our new VP Music here in NSC. Nick has taught in Harmony College, Cots, Public Schools, and other Leadership Academies. He has been on the international stage 4 times with choruses and quartets through the years. He relocated here to North Carolina with his wife Tasha and 4 children. Nick enjoys golf, Chicken Wings, Football, Beer, and of course Barbershop!!
Course Description:
- Steps and techniques to get the best out of your singers.
- Define goals that will guide the music team
- effective Music Team structure, staffing, and administration
- coordination with the Chorus Director and the Program VP
- planning and budgeting
- Music program support for recruiting, new member orientation, and retention.
- MVPs are encouraged to bring their entire Music teams.
Combining Directors with M&P VP
Chapter Development (Membership) Half Day: Facilitator, Mike Stehlik -VP CSLT, Carolinas District
Bio:
Mike has been involved with music nearly all of his life. Singing was part of the curriculum as early as the first grade in the parochial school he attended. By age eleven, he began singing bass in his hometown’s parish Men’s Choir. Mike was most intrigued by the barbershop quartet in Meredith Wilson’s musical “ The Music Man” so that in his senior year in high school, he organized his first barbershop quartet to sing “Coney Island Baby” and “Lida Rose” in the school’s Spring Cabaret Concert in 1970.
In 1980, Mike was invited to sing with the newly formed barbershop chapter in Summerville, SC. Mike was from then on an avid participant at every chance to sing with a chorus or a quartet. Mike has sung in several registered quartets in the Barbershop Society, most notably, Chapschtick, a popular Western comedy quartet from 1987 to 1992. Mike currently has the pleasure of singing bass in his newfound quartet, The KeyNotes. Mike was a member of the Triad Harmony Express chorus, Winston-Salem, NC; Tarheel Chorus, Greensboro, NC, Carolina Vocal Express Chorus, Rocky Mount, NC, Big Orange Chorus, Jacksonville, FL and is currently a member of Palmetto Vocal Project Chorus, Mount Pleasant, SC.
Mike has competed on the International stage seven times in the past 6 years. That’s right, he sang with Jacksonville, FL and Rocky Mount, NC in the same contest in 2018!
Course Description:
- Tools and ideas to get guests in the door and retain current members
- Discussion on how to support and encourage guests once you’ve got them
- how to support first year members.
Marketing, PR and Social Media Half Day: Facilitator, Duke Andrus – VP Marketing, Carolinas District
Bio:
Duke Andrus is a 55-year member of the Barbershop Harmony Society, having joined in 1963 in Marin County, CA. He began his directing career as the director of the San Francisco Cable Car Chorus from 1972 to 1975. He has since directed choruses in Independence, MO, Reno and Carson City NV, Chico, CA and Savannah, GA. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Carolinas District and is part of the President’s Council for the Harmony Foundation. He has been directing the Hilton Head Lighthouse Chorus for the past 2-1/2 years. In addition, he has held every chapter officer position except treasurer.
Course Description:
- New and old ways to get the message out.
- Society and District tools that can help promote the chapter and the chorus
- Developing a positive Web process and using social media effectively
Program Half Day: Facilitator, Beverly Greene – Certified Leadership Facilitator, BHS
Bio:
Beverly studied Organization Development, Corporate Culture at Union Institute & University and studied Speech and Hearing Therapy at Miami University A graduate of Struthers High School she lives in Asheville, NC and manages A Cappella Alive
- How to lay out the Program for great rehearsals
- Make sure it moves along as planned, unless of course plans change!
- Tips for working for closely with your Director, Music & Performance VP, and Show Chairman to maximize your chapter’s potential.
- Ideas to make the weekly chapter meetings fun and productive.
Youth in Harmony Full Day: Facilitator, Bill Adams – VP Youth and Outreach, Carolinas District
Bio:
Dr. William Adams is the Vice President for Youth in Harmony and Outreach for the Carolinas District of the Barbershop Harmony Society; the artistic and musical director of the award-winning Heart of Carolina A Cappella in Durham, North Carolina; ,founding member of the CARA-nominated professional jazz a cappella ensemble Avante; and a professional music educator with more than 30 years of experience. His varied teaching experience has led him to chair a college music department; design an entire collegiate music curriculum; evaluate and certify current and prospective music educators; direct vocal and instrumental ensembles in colleges, high schools, churches, and the community; give private lessons on voice, woodwinds, piano, guitar, and bass; diagnose and rehabilitate vocal injuries in singers of all ages; direct honor choirs and festival choirs throughout the country; and to speak about vocal health, curriculum design, and music education advocacy to performers and educators alike. He is a published scholar in the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams and a composer and arranger whose works have received international performances and awards from the Kennedy Center. Dr. Adams’ performance background is as varied as his teaching. He is an operatic baritone and active concert soloist with a growing repertoire of more than 60 roles in Opera, Oratorio, and Musical Theater; a choral chamber musician with experience from vocal jazz to madrigals; and an instrumentalist who has performed on more than 40 instruments in every conceivable setting from symphony orchestras to rock bands. Dr. Adams earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Voice from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from California State University at Northridge, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from California State University at San Bernardino, and an Associate in Arts degree in Music from Chaffey College.
Course Description:
This all-day workshop will cover all of the primary ingredients necessary to building a successful YIH program in your chapter. Dr. Bill Adams, Dr. Michael Martin, Sherry Lewis, and Warren Fuson will cover the following topics:
- What should a YIH program be?
- How to talk to the educators in your area.
- Grants and the grant approval process
- Content and curriculum for youth festivals.
- Clinician qualifications / requirements
- Scheduling issues
- Proper venues
… and much more!
Your YIH Representative and his team should plan to attend!
Pole Cat II 1 or 2 Hours: Facilitator, Don Smith – Past Director, Cape Fear Chordsmen
Bio:
Don Smith began his 40-year barbershopping hobby in Columbus, Ohio, when he was invited by a fellow church choir member to attend a meeting of the Grove City Chapter’s Heart of Ohio Chorus. Bitten by the bug, he spent the next three decades singing with three different central Ohio chapters, and had the opportunity to serve as Assistant and/or Associate Director to many talented gentlemen.
In addition to the Heart of Ohio Chorus, he was also active with the Singing Buckeyes (multiple trips to the International Convention and contest), and finally the Alliance of Greater Central Ohio (five more trips to the big dance, including two top five medals as a chorus member). Don retired in 2011 to the warmth of coastal North Carolina. He soon found the Wilmington Chapter’s Cape Fear Chordsmen, and was quickly involved as baritone section leader, then Associate Director. In July of 2013 Don stepped into his first front line director position.
Course Description:
- Singing through the new Polecat II book
Tag Singing 1 or 2 Hours: Facilitator, Robert Cox – Past Music and Performance VP, Carolinas District
Bio:
Robert is a long-time member of the Barbershop Harmony Society and has had various positions directing church choirs and barbershop choruses. He has sung in several quartets, notably Kudzu Krooners and Oral Roberts. He currently directs the Winston-Salem Triad Harmony Express and the Pinehurst Golf Capital Chorus as well as the esteemed Raleigh-based Masters Men. He resides in Sanford, NC.
Course Description:.
- The emphasis in this class is to sing through as many great tags as possible.
- This class will be great for beginners, guys who just love to sing tons of tags, or aspiring tag masters.
Leadership Classes -TBA – 2 One Hour Afternoon Classes: Facilitator, Steve Wyomierski
Schedule:
8:30 -9:00 AM Check-in
9:00 – 9:50 AM General Session
10:00 – 10:50 AM Morning Class 1
11:00 – 11:50 AM Morning Class 2
12:00 – 12:50 Lunch
1:00 – 1:50 PM Afternoon Class 1
2:00 – 2:50 PM Afternoon Class 2
3:00 – 4:00 PM Closing Session 