Annual Meeting July 4, 2002

Meeting Minutes

The annual meeting of PROBE (Public Relations Officers and Bulletin Editors of the Society) was called to order by Bruce Anderson, VP for Bulletin Editors at 9:30 a.m. on July 4, 2002.

PROBE Officers present included:

Bruce Anderson, VP BE
Dave Stock, VP Membership
Dr. John Sugg, VP PR
Dick Girvin, Secretary/Treasurer

Committee Chairman:

Gene Hartzler, Chairman, IBC
Lowell Shank, Chairman, Probe Hall of Honor

Attendees: List follows the minutes.

Agenda:

1. Welcome and opening remarks (Bruce Anderson, VP BE)

Acting President Anderson welcomed the attendees and advised that President Grady Kerr was unable to attend however sent his best wishes for a successful meeting.

The Bulletin Editor and PR forums that preceded the general meeting were acknowledged and reports were anticipated from both.

2. Minutes of the previous meeting (Dick Girvin, Secretary/Treasurer)

The minutes of the PROBE meeting in Nashville in July 2001 were approved as printed, published on the website and provided to the current meeting attendees.

3. Officer Reports:

a. President (Grady Kerr)
(President Grady’s report was provided by VPBE Anderson)
Secretary/Treasurer (Dick Girvin)
S/T Girvin identified the only source of revenue for PROBE is member dues, and the current membership was identified at 230. All members were urged to expand the membership within their own chapters and beyond so that PROBE can continue to publish PROBEmoter and carry on the current list of activities.

He identified the current revenues from members at $3,386.95 and outflows at $1,999.05 with a balance of $1387.89.

The major expense items include PROBEmoter and the IBC.

b. Vice President for Bulletin Editors (Bruce Anderson)
VP Anderson’s report was provided as a handout and was augmented by additional comments regarding the future of the discipline. Bulletin judges continue to be sought, with 15 candidates currently in the several phases of qualification. Other candidates should continually be sought to provide a more balanced workload on the judging cadre who judge both the district as well as the International Bulletin Contests.

Further, he identified his successor at Jerry Kindred, a long-time Barbershopper and bulletin judge who will be taking the position as of 1 October. (See discussion under Officer Elections).

c. Vice President for Marketing and PR (Dr, John Sugg)
VP Sugg briefly reviewed the criteria and the current resulting list of PROTY awards that have been established for the Public Relations aspect of PROBE. Further, he invited all to the PROBE Hospitality Room in the nearby DoubleTree Hotel in Lloyd Center (near the contest arena). In addition, he reminded all to watch for the PROBE ad that will be flashed on the screens during the various contests in the Rose Garden arena.

PROBE members were asked to attempt to find the traveling trophy issued for PROTY. IT was issued in Pittsburgh—but hasn’t been seen since.

d. Vice President for Membership (Dave Stock)
VP Stock provided a new CD containing new graphics for attending PR’s and Bulletin Editors and advised that it would be made available to PROBE members for a modest shipping and handling cost. He further identified Membership as PROBE’s current primary objective and urged all to take full advantage of the Internet listserv for PROBE members: (PROBEmail on yahoo.com/).

4. Awards.
e. Outstanding Achievement Awards (Bruce Anderson)
* Rich Taylor and Phil DeBar: Nashville Webcast
* Kanno Tetsuo and Kazao Matsummara their book (in Japanese) An Invitation to Barbershop Harmony.
* Steve Currington, Wellington New Zealand for his internet radio show Encore.
* Phil DeBar, The Human Voice Show
* Rich Taylor, Rich Pearson and T.J. Barranger Applause Show.
* The Slamka’s Don, Mike, Jack and Mark: for their outstanding performances on the Grand Ole Opry in July 2001
* Kipp Buckner, Rich Knight, Rob Henry, and Jim Henry (Gas House Gang) for their outstanding performances on Grand Ole Opry and NPR.
* Steve Delehanty, Bob Seda, Stash Rossi and Al Fennell of Weschester County, New York, Chapter, for their appearance on The View (ABC) in March, 2002
* Alexander Boltenko (Kalamazoo, Michigan) for organizing the Barbershop Night during the appearance of the Music Man on tour in January 2002.
* The Vocal Majority for their Tribute to America raising $37,000 for the American Red Cross. * John Fynmoe, Allen Fossenkempter, Galen McCain and Dan Davenport of the OK Chorale quartet (Phoenix) for their contribution to the True West magazine with accurate songs, costumes and stories of the old west.

f. PROBE Hall Of Honor (Lowell Shank)
Grady Kerr (SWD) and John Petterson (Des Moines Chapter, CSD) were elected to the PROBE Hall of Honor.

g. PR Officer of the Year (2001) (Dr John Sugg)
Lee Roth (MA-D) Hunterdon Harmonizers Flemington, N.J.

d Most Improved Bulletin of the Year (Dick Girvin)
Martha Kasten (ILL) The Arlingtuner, Arlington Heights, Illinois

e. International Bulletin Contest (Gene Hartzler)
First Place: Dick Cote (FWD) Barbershop Clippin’s Fullerton, California.
Second Place: Waldo Redekop (ONT) Ambassadors’ Note Guelph, Ontario
Third Place: Steve Jackson (RMD) Mountain Talk
Fourth Place: Rich Nelson and Michelle Arnett (ILL) Harmony Gazette, Northbrook, Illinois.
Fifth Place: Elbert Ford (PIO) The Chorister, Traverse City Michigan

f. Certificates of Participation were provided and awarded to all bulletin editors that participated in the current International Bulletin Contest.

g. Special Awards. A special award was made to retiring President Grady Kerr, recognizing his three years of outstanding service to PROBE.

5. Guest Speaker.

Harmonizer Editor Lorin May addressed the group with “…words from Kenosha…” His comments centered around a number of frequently asked questions, the most common being: how to get an article published in The Harmonizer and other media. In response, he identified bulletin editors into two primary classes: “Editors” (who fill space with other’s materials) and those that are most common in the industry: “Directors” who plan and direct the materials needed for their publications. Thus, editors with a piece that they would like to have published should first contact the “Director” of the publication and ask how it should be provided, vice just “sending it in.”

His other advice to editors was to cater to the majority of readers who “skim” stories (vice reading every word) and attract them with action headlines, and pyramidal writing, i.e. most important facts first and followed by supporting material.

6. Guest Quartet

The 12th Street Rag, (mike testers for the Quartet Semi-Finals) entertained the group at the special request of President Grady Kerr.

7. Reports from the BE and PR Forums

h. BE Forum: The group recommended that consideration of a contest and award be proposed for electronic bulletins. Questions posed were regarding judging and judging criteria. The general body was asked to consider the recommendation for future implementation.
i. PR Forum: Lee Ross offered some “food for thought” when he asked the group “What would your chapter do with a grant of $100,000?” It was a thought-provoking question that was forwarded for information to the PROBE general meeting. “Don’t think too small,” was his advice as the Award Winning PR for both 2000 and 2001.

A strong recommendation was voiced to continue the youth programs.

8. Old Business: none

9. New Business: none

10. Election of Officers

In accordance with the PROBE Bylaws, the officers to be elected in the “even” years were: President, VP PR and IPP. Continuing officers are: VP Membership and Secretary/Treasurer. The slate of officers provided by the Nominating Committee for election by the body was read by Secretary Girvin included: President: Bruce Anderson; Vice President, PR Brian Moore; Immediate Past President, Grady Kerr

Nominations from the floor : none

The Secretary was directed to cast a unanimous ballot for the slate.

Appointment of VP BE: In accordance with procedures in the PROBE Bylaws, Jerry Kindred (Arlington, Va.) was appointed to fill the un-expired office of Vice President, Bulletin Editors, vacated by Bruce Anderson.

11. Adjourn

The annual meeting was adjourned at 11:30 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Dick Girvin, Secretary/Treasurer