Martin/St Lucie Mariners

During the weekend of January 5-6, 2008, "barbershoppers" from across the State of Florida converged on the quaint fishing village of Crystal River on Florida's Gulf Coast. The occasion was the annual event known as COTS, which is an acronym for Chapter Officer Training Seminar. It is there that new chapter officers, and some not so new, may learn how to perform the duties of their respective offices.

Instructor experts from around the state and from other districts are pressed into service to teach classes for nearly every possible chapter job. These classes are intermixed with some excellent buffet style meals and lots of singing. At the Saturday evening "afterglow' the about 200 attendees were treated to a concert by the reigning champion quartet in the Sunshine District, Wise Guys, who put on a great show of delightful music and their usual hilarious "shtick."

After the ... er ... afterglow, members of our chapter, with a few others, entertained themselves, after most everyone else had left. They sat around a large table and sang every song their clouded minds could remember, and some they couldn't, until the wee hours Sunday morning. Boy, did we sound good!

Attending COTS at the luxurious Plantation Inn golf resort were the following from the Martin/St.Lucie Chapter: Jerry Brumm, Jim Cox, Arnie Feltman, Larry Kates, Errol Millman, Bart Van de Mark and Bud Casey.

Dick Ellenberger Passes Away at 89

F. Richard (Dick) Ellenberger passed away on October 22, 2007 at the age of 89. Dick was a 53-year member of SPEBSQSA (Barbershop Harmony Society) and a long time member of the Martin/St. Lucie Mariners. Dick served as International President of the SPEBSQSA in 1975. Dick's obituary was published in the Palm Beach Post.

District Fall Convention

The District Fall Convention held on Oct. 5-6, 2007 was well attended by Mariners. Pictures from the convention can be found in the Photo Album.



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Meetings The Martin/St. Lucie Mariners meet at the North Stuart Baptist Church, 1950 NW Federal Highway in Stuart, Florida every Tuesday 7:00pm - 9:00pm. Map of 1950 NW Federal Highway Stuart, Florida	The Mariners host "Harmony in the Park", a picnic on the last Thursday of every month at Sandsprit Park in Port Salerno! Public welcome! Chapter Quartet wins 4th Place International Seniors Medals Great Western Timbre Co. won the fourth place medal at the hotly contested International Senior Quartet competition at the Barbershop Harmony Society's Midwinter Convention in San Antonio, January 25th, 2008. A total of twenty-four quartets from the U.S. and Canada were entered in the contest to determine the best senior (over 55) "barbershop" quartets in North America. All performances were held at the San Antonio Municipal Auditorium. Members of Great Western Timbre Co. are: Jack Liddell - baritone, Ron Black - bass, Dwight Holmquist - lead and Roger Smeds - tenor. These talented singers have sung together for several years and have developed an almost perfect vocal blend. They are all members of the local Martin/St. Lucie Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society. Great Western Timbre Co., for the second year in a row, was judged the best Seniors quartet in Florida at the Sunshine District’s fall convention held in October 2007 in Jacksonville and earned the right to represent the district at the International competition. Mariners Install New Officers For 2008 From the moment the banquet room doors opened at Manero's Restaurant in Palm City, Friday, January 11, vocal harmony filled the air. Old barbershop standards like Lida Rose and My Wild Irish Rose (barbershoppers are crazy about roses) were intermixed with dozens of other more modern melodies, sung by pick-up quartets and VLQ's (very large quartets). The occasion was the annual Installation of New Officers by the Martin/St. Lucie Mariners, the official chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society in those two Florida Counties. Roger Smeds, himself a member of an award winning quartet, was Master of Ceremonies. Last year, Roger's quartet, The Great Western Timbre Co., won third place in the nation in the Seniors Division, and, for the second year in a row they were first in the State of Florida. All four of their members belong to the Martin/ St. Lucie Chapter. The installation of new officers for 2008 was conducted by legendary barbershopper, Dr. Burt Szabo of Orlando. Dr. Szabo is nationally known in the world of a capella harmony. He has been composing and arranging barbershop songs for almost fifty years and we were honored to have him attend our banquet. From left: Roger Smeds, Bart Van de Mark, Jim Cox, Jerry Brumm, Bud Casey, Larry Kates and Dr. Burt Szabo The Mariners' new officers for 2008 are: President - Bart Van de Mark, Music and Performance V.P. - Roger Smeds, Public Relations V.P. - Jerry Brumm, Marketing V.P. Larry Kates, Secretary - Bud Casey and Treasurer - Jim Cox. Larry Kates, of Hobe Sound, was awarded "Barbershopper of the Year for 2007" for his dedication to barbershop harmony and for his contributions to the chapter. The Mariners meet for rehearsals every Tuesday evening, 7-9, at the North Stuart Baptist Church, on US 1, a little north of the Roosevelt Bridge. Men who like to sing are always welcome. Call (772) 460-2754 for more information. New Officers Attend COTS During the weekend of January 5-6, 2008, "barbershoppers" from across the State of Florida converged on the quaint fishing village of Crystal River on Florida's Gulf Coast. The occasion was the annual event known as COTS, which is an acronym for Chapter Officer Training Seminar. It is there that new chapter officers, and some not so new, may learn how to perform the duties of their respective offices. Instructor experts from around the state and from other districts are pressed into service to teach classes for nearly every possible chapter job. These classes are intermixed with some excellent buffet style meals and lots of singing. At the Saturday evening "afterglow' the about 200 attendees were treated to a concert by the reigning champion quartet in the Sunshine District, Wise Guys, who put on a great show of delightful music and their usual hilarious "shtick." After the ... er ... afterglow, members of our chapter, with a few others, entertained themselves, after most everyone else had left. They sat around a large table and sang every song their clouded minds could remember, and some they couldn't, until the wee hours Sunday morning. Boy, did we sound good! Attending COTS at the luxurious Plantation Inn golf resort were the following from the Martin/St.Lucie Chapter: Jerry Brumm, Jim Cox, Arnie Feltman, Larry Kates, Errol Millman, Bart Van de Mark and Bud Casey. Dick Ellenberger Passes Away at 89 F. Richard (Dick) Ellenberger passed away on October 22, 2007 at the age of 89. Dick was a 53-year member of SPEBSQSA (Barbershop Harmony Society) and a long time member of the Martin/St. Lucie Mariners. Dick served as International President of the SPEBSQSA in 1975. Dick's obituary was published in the Palm Beach Post. District Fall Convention The District Fall Convention held on Oct. 5-6, 2007 was well attended by Mariners. Pictures from the convention can be found in the Photo Album.


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