Date: October 16, 2000

Two rehearsals to go to District 2000! Don't forget to give Ray Watkins your $37.50 CDN or $25.00 US for the registration fee. Everyone who is going to compete or watch the competition MUST be registered. To compete at District you must also have your membership card with you.

During contest weekend, we will be wearing our white shirt, maroon sweater and black pants, when we are not in our competition costume. If you don't have a maroon sweater, ask on Monday evening.

Until District, we are starting rehearsal at 7:00 pm. We are in the home stretch, and we are in "remember and implement" stage. We can do it if we practise it EVERYDAY at home. Words, music and choreography need to be so automatic that we can concentrate on the emotion we are bringing to the performance.. Are you ready?

Let's sing Chanukah and Christmas Music. 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, Go Tell It On The Mountain, 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.

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.

Mmmmm, 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. This is the profit part of the inventory. If you haven't already picked up a bag of these delicious milk chocolate and almond bars, do it tonight. There are only a few remaining. 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.

"The Invisible Man of La Mancha"- Don Quixote discovers a mysterious elixir which renders him invisible. He proceeds to go on a mad rampage of corruption and terror, attacking innocent people in the streets and all the while singing "To fight the Invisible Man!" until he is finally stopped by a windmill.

"Of Three Blind Mice and Men" - Burgess Meredith has his limbs hacked off by a psychopathic farmer's wife. Did you ever see such a sight in your life?

"Planet of the Grapes of Wrath" - Astronaut lands on mysterious planet, only to discover that it is his very own home planet of Earth, which has been taken over by the Joads, a race of dirt-poor corn farmers who miraculously developed rudimentary technology and regained the ability to speak after exposure to nuclear radiation.

"Paradise Lost in Space" - Satan, Moloch, and Belial are sentenced to spend eternity in a flying saucer with a goofy robot, an evil scientist, and two annoying children.

"The Exorstentialist" - Camus psychological thriller about a priest who casts out a demon by convincing it that there's really no purpose to what it's doing.

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

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