August 21, 2021
The fellowship of our conventions is one of the highlights of our hobby and it is the determination of the Board of Directors of the Carolinas District that we proceed with our Fall Festival plans. The impact of COVID-19 and the Delta variant is changing almost by the day with increasing hospital case loads. On the other hand, with the recent full approval of the Pfizer vaccine, we are already seeing mandatory vaccination requirements from businesses, schools, and government agencies which will increase the “vaccinated” percentages between now and Nov 12. To steer the safest course, the Board of Directors voted to follow current CDC guidance and make the wearing of masks mandatory for all indoor public activities at our upcoming Fall Festival in Hendersonville, NC.
This is not a step that we took lightly nor without vigorous discussion. No one is looking forward to wearing a mask when indoors or onstage. However, we look at this as our best hope for providing a safe environment for our competitors and our audiences. It is also the surest way to proceed with our being able to have the Fall Festival at all.
Some districts have had to cancel their conventions because they were no longer financially viable because of a drop in registrations. The Carolinas currently has over 200 registrations and expect that will increase over the next two months.
Therefore, the Board of Directors of Carolinas Barbershop Harmony has adopted this policy for INDOOR events of Carolinas Barbershop Harmony:
All attendees are encouraged to be vaccinated. In addition, all attendees must wear a substantial, multi-layer mask(*). This applies to performers on stage, judges in the pits and viewers in the audience–anyone and everyone in any public space.
NOTE – CDC and state guidelines are dynamic and subject to updates based on new or better knowledge. This policy is subject to change. Any future changes will be communicated as soon as possible and will be updated here.
(*) CDC recommends surgical N95 mask or non-valved, multi-layer cloth masks. Another option is the Resonance Singer’s Mask.