Newsletter Sept 2002

Dear Mu Phis,

Welcome to a new fall season. Welcome back from a very short summer. Surely we all look forward to seeing colleagues and students and being immersed in music making.

Our first Mu Phi meeting is scheduled for Saturday, September 21, at 2:00 p.m. at the home of Martha Peak. Do plan to attend as it is always exciting to see each other and, as in the past, we will have members from the Mu Chi chapter and from Epsilon Epsilon chapter as guests and performers. Last September, the collegiates really enjoyed being included and we enjoyed having them. Pat Suitt is planning more interesting chapter meetings that will be included in your yearbook and next newsletter.

There is a matter of the election of officers. Your president did not appoint a nominating committee. Only at the May meeting did I realize my negligence! My apologies. Most of the officers have agreed to continue this year; however, we need to elect them at a regular meeting. Nominations will be accepted (with prior consent of person you nominate) at the meeting.

As of this time, we plan to distribute the yearbooks at the October 7^th meeting. The short span of time between these two meetings is due to a workshop in September. Please notify me immediately if there is a change of information for the membership roster. Sharon Kraus has agreed to serve as treasurer. Contact her about dues if you have not been contacted and/or if you have not paid.

Our major project this past year was the rebuilding of the Steinway B, given to the library by Frances and John Stuart. That work has been completed, including the purchase of a climate control unit. Peter Collora, the technician, donated a floor length padded cover for the piano. I expressed thanks to him on our chapter’s behalf. We are most grateful for all who contributed to the piano fund and are pleased that the cost has been paid in full.

We are all busy. I think we are also a nice group who happens to be passionate about music. Please participate and share the responsibility of keeping this organization viable.

I shall look forward to seeing you on September 21.

Sylvia Taylor Lerch

ELECTED OFFICERS - 2003

President - Sylvia Taylor Lerch

Vice President - Patricia Suitt

Recording Secretary - Anne Stone

Corresponding Secretary - Katherine Freiberger

Treasurer - Sharon Kraus

Historian - Cynthia Wadley

Steward - Patricia Hill

Chaplain - Tennie Lengel

Chorister - Phyllis Wilson

COMMITTEES

Programs - Patricia Suitt

Social - Sadie Rowe

Library Concert Series - Edie Pfautsch, Chairman - with

Pat Hill, Sylvia Taylor Lerch, Kay Newman , Frances Stuart, Mary Williams Finance - Zelda Hantz

Mu Phi Epsilon Foundation - Ruth Reed

Newsletter/Webmaster - Mary Williams

Notification - Julie Schmitt

Patrons - Frances Stuart and Pat Hill

Sunshine - Bea Carne

Yearbook - Tena Hehn

Mu Chi Chapter Adviser - Edie Pfautsch

CONCERT SERIES

See our list of concerts and bios of performers.

NEWS FROM MEMBERS

Most of you know that Tena Hehn’s father passed away on Wednesday, May 29 in Brenham due to complications of a hiatal hernia.

Susan Polechau is back in Dallas to see about her 98 year old mother. She will be in Germany the first two weeks in September, but will be back and wants to pay dues, get a newsletter and hopefully attend some Mu Phi meetings.

Lloyd Pfautsch is recovering from a broken foot, and spent the summer with a leg propped up.

WEB PAGE

From Mary: I must apologize for the delay in getting our website back up. The Dallas Morning News closed their host site for non-profits in June and we have to have a new home and new page. My web design class was cancelled in June, but I did take it in August. However, I also have two other sites to get back up before I leave for Japan this Friday. So please be patient! The Mu Phi page is first on my list when I return on Sept 23. Our new name will be: www.muphiepsilondallas.org.

COMING UP

September Meeting

Martha Peak will host the September meeting at her home September 21 at 2:00 pm. The program will be provided by our guests, the collegiate members of Mu Chi chapter at SMU and Epsilon Epsilon chapter at TCU.

October Meeting

Put Monday, October 7^th on your calendar for our next meeting.

SPRING LUNCHEON – MAY 2002

The annual Mu Phi luncheon was held at ChimneyHill Clubhouse (in Mary Williams’ neighborhood) in May. Members brought potluck goodies for lunch and enjoyed a program given by Mary and Kay Newman – “Musical Europe.” It featured a slide show of the trip they took late last summer to Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Vienna. Each country was home to prominent composers and other musicians, and their music was featured to accompany the slides. Kay told about the musicians and Mary told about the sights on the slides.

They played recordings of works by Chopin (Poland), Dvorak and Smetana (Czech Republic), traditional Hungarian folk tunes, Bartok and Kodaly (Hungary) and Beethoven, Schumann, Mozart and Johann Strauss from Vienna. These dancers performed at a dinner in Warsaw.

The trip was a 3-week Grand Circle tour, which gave them time to really see these areas in depth, attend several concerts and visit graves and museums of many of these composers. They were also able to have a meal with two families.

The ladies shown on the right live in the World Heritage village of Holloko in Hungary. They treated their guests to popcorn cooked over a fire, then danced, then had us for lunch in their homes.

Another highlight was a Chopin concert in a beautiful palace in Lazienski Park in Warsaw.

This statue of Chopin is also in that park.

Many events like this gave the trip special meaning.

It was fun for them to relive that experience.

NEWSLETTERS

Thanks to all who contributed to this month’s newsletter. Please e-mail, call or mail information for the newsletter, including photos. (I will scan and return them.) What are you doing musically, professionally, personally? Who is ailing? The deadline for the next newsletter is October 30. Let me know of any change of e-mail addresses or your ability to receive Word attachments as I am e-mailing to those who have it. (Also give Tena Hehn any changes for the yearbook.) I can also now receive faxes if you call me to tell me it is coming. Thanks.

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

Preparations are underway for the Mu Phi Epsilon 100^th year celebration in Cincinnati, Ohio - August 6-11, 2003 in Cincinnati. Many special events are planned and are outlined in your Triangle. Each member is asked to contribute $100 to the Centennial Fund to help pay for this convention. Not only is it only two years between conventions this time, but the market value of investments has dropped, leaving our fraternity in a pinch. So please give if you are able. Checks are payable to: Mu Phi Epsilon Centennial Fund. Send to Mu Phi Epsilon, 4202 Atlantic Ave #202, Long Beach, CA 90807-2826.

LIBRARY NOTES

Did you know you can place a request to have the Library locate and hold items for you? You may pick them up at the Central Library's Circulation Desk, or they can send them to any of the Dallas Public Library branches. You can also search their catalog on-line and request those items directly for yourself. Just visit http://dallaslibrary.org to do so. Call them for help locating materials, placing requests, or learning how to use the catalog.

Some sources of concert listings are: http://www.wrr101.com, http://www.dallasculture.org, and www.guidelive.com. Get e-mails from DPLArts-subscribe@yahoogroups.com on arts activities.