Date: October 9, 2000 Yom Kippur and Thanksgiving

Three rehearsals to go to District 2000! Starting this week and until District, we are starting rehearsal at 7:00 pm. We will not be working all night on our two competition songs, but we will be performing them at the start of the evening at least at District Contest level. When we have done that, we will be singing other repertoire and learning some new music. It will be fun.

Erin Howden refined our choreography last week, so now it is up to us to remember and implement. How? By practising it EVERYDAY at home, that's how. Words, music and choreography need to be so automatic that we can concentrate on the emotion we are bringing to the performance. We know we can sound wonderful and we know we can look exciting. Let's put it all together, every time we perform. Are you ready?

Happy holidays. Best wishes to our Jewish members at Yom Kippur, and Happy Thanksgiving to our other members. We have had a good year, and lots to be thankful for. I am especially thankful just to be here. J

Christmas Music time is here. Bud Robar would be pleased to give you a set of Christmas Music if you are a new member. You should make sure that you have Scarlet Ribbons, Carol of the Bells and Eight Candles, along with our other seasonal music.

Ask a friend, neighbour or acquaintance! It's as easy as 1-2-3. This is the time of year when people are focused on doing new things, and getting ready to pick up on the activities they haven't been doing all summer. 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.

Ron Schurman doing well. Ron had an operation on a couple of weeks ago and is on the mend. If all goes well, he will be at rehearsal on Monday evening. Welcome back to your spot on the back row right side, Ron!

Alex Walker had a fall. Alex Walker suffered a bad fall in his home recently and is finding it hard to get around. He will be missing rehearsals for a while. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Graham Fagan had a heart attack Graham was a member of the Montreal Chorus before he moved to Toronto. He sings with the MegaCity Chorus. He had a heart attack and while in hospital was diagnosed with colon cancer. He needs your prayers and support as well.

Entertainment Books. Ron Schurman has obtained 100 Entertainment Books 2001 for us to sell. These offer excellent savings at restaurants, movies, dry cleaners, and many other locations in the Montreal area. We are among the first to be out selling, so see Ron TONIGHT, and pick up a couple of Entertainment Books to sell.

Do your part! Sell chocolate. John Clendinneng is the man in charge of Chocolate Bar sales, and he wants you to bring in your money. Jerry Silverberg has a few more bags more since the first batch went so quickly. If you haven't already picked up a bag of these delicious milk chocolate and almond bars, do it tonight. There is only a few left. They sell for only $2.00 and John will be glad to get you out earning money. Part of the profit goes to your account to pay for retreats and other expenses.

Start a monthly payment plan now. Don't forget the easiest way to pay 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 just paid dues for September 30, 2000 should start to pay $14 per month NOW. This helps us with our current cash flow problems, and makes the bite less painful.

Where can we Sing?. 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.

Please talk to Jerry Silverberg about other fund raising ideas you may have. Since the show didn't quite bring in as much as we budgeted, we need to have some successful fundraisers.

"Jane Eyre Jordan" - Plucky English orphan girl survives hardships to lead the Chicago Bulls to the NBA championship

"Looking for Mr. Godot"- A young woman waits for Mr. Right to enter her life. She has a loooong wait.

"The Scarlet Pimpernel Letter" - An 18th-century English nobleman leads a double life, freeing comely young adulteresses from the prisons of post-Revolution France.

"The Remains of the Day of the Jackal" - A formal English butler puts his loyalty to his employer above all else, until he is persuaded to join a plot to assassinate Charles de Gaulle.

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

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