Date: December 4, 2000 Wednesday is Performance Night!

You can't always control the wind, but you can control your sails. - Anthony Robbins

Tonight's rehearsal is at St. Patrick's Basilica. If you are reading this, on paper, at the rehearsal, congratulations. You remembered! If you are reading this on your computer, don't forget!

A Life-Saver. This was sent to me by Steve Wheaton, and came through the Directors Email list. I can relate to the symptoms. Share this with your friends.

Let's say it's 6:15 p.m. and you're driving home (alone, of course), after an unusually hard day on the job. You're really tired, upset and frustrated. Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to radiate out into your arm and up into your jaw. You are only about five miles from the hospital nearest your home, but you don't know if you'll be able to make it that far. What can you do? You've been trained in CPR but the guy that taught the course neglected to tell you how to perform it on yourself.

Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, this article seemed in order. Without help, the person whose heart stops beating properly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness. However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously.

A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest. A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let up until help arrives, or until the heart is beating normally again.

Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm. In this way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital. Share this with as many other people as possible. It could save their lives!

Raising Funds. Please talk to Jerry Silverberg about any other fund raising ideas you may have. He is willing to consider just about anything that you would like to do (that isn't illegal!)

It would be a wonderful idea for us to have enough fund raisers that we have something that everyone likes to do. That way there would be no nagging from the front each week. That isn't fun for anybody.

Chanukah and Christmas singouts schedule. In general, singouts will be for one hour. The full chorus is required for December 6 and December 9. PLEASE LET ROB MANCE KNOW IF YOU WILL MISS ANY OF THE SINGOUTS! Check each date for changes! Full chorus costume is planned for each singout.

"Share the Dream!" It's as easy as 1-2-3. While we are out singing, take the time to ask someone in our audience to come and try our form of music. We want to encourage people who can sing, to come and enjoy the fun we have every week. Take up my challenge! Remember what got you into singing barbershop? In most cases it was because a friend, neighbour, co-worker, family member etc. asked you to come out once. After that first encounter, you were probably hooked. We are at a stage where we want to attract good singers to add to the great sound we are producing. Take the time to ask a friend to come and share our hobby. They will need to be motivated and able to sing, obviously, but the rewards are many and fun. Sharing is a good thing, so let's do it. It's as Easy as 1-2-3.

Pay-as-you-go Joe - Did you bring a Cheque! Don't forget the easiest way to pay your annual dues is in small instalments. The $14 Monthly payment hardly hurts. (Nor does the $42.00 quarterly payment, if you prefer that.) This is encouraged for all members of the Chapter.

If you pay $14.00 at the first rehearsal every month, you save a couple of dollars, and make the payment process painless. Start NOW.

Post-dated cheques payable to Island City Chorus can be given to Ray Watkins, Chapter Treasurer. All members who have December 31 as their renewal date should bring in a cheque for $170.00 within the next two weeks. They can then start to pay $14 per month for 2001. This helps us with our current cash flow problems, and makes the bite less painful.

We are entertainers. The Chapter is in need of funds, and good fund raising ideas. Obviously singing is an ideal way to raise money. If you know of a group that is looking for some excellent entertainment at a reasonable price, refer them to Alan Kenley at 514-341-7171.

Practice is something we do at home, every day, between rehearsals!

Rehearsal is where we reinforce what we have been practising every day!