President’s Report

Festival 2012

This year has been again a wonderful year for showcasing our talented Sunshine Coast musicians. We lost some of our participants who have graduated from secondary school and have gone on to post secondary education or to enter the workforce. We will miss them but are happy to see many beginning musicians enter the Festival. Some of those who have left had 14 years or more in the Festival and we hope they have taken with them all the good things they have learned in their lessons and participation in the Festivals. We wish them well ads they enter this new phase of their lives.

The Board members have had many comment from members about the work they do for the Festival and we all thank you for your encouragement and support. Your compliments about the Festival and concerts are greatly appreciated.

We have enjoyed a long run of Festivals on the Coast and this is our 40th anniversary. Sue Milne has agreed to spearhead the events that we will undertake this year and you will be hearing more about them as plans are completed. It is the longest running Festival on the Coast and we hope you will participate in the events and encourage family, friends and neighbours to participate. Alas, though this is an organization that has been in existence for forty years, there are few who know about it. Through events that are undertaken to celebrate, there are things that need to be done. For the first time in at least ten years, we are in need of an increase in the entry fees. We must continue to expand the list of people who donate to the Festival.

Last, but by no means the least, we must have in place a full executive to get the job done. This year, we have operated with half the Board members we need. We have no trouble getting volunteers once the Festival begins. There are at lease sixty wonderful and dependable people who come to help us as greeters and secretaries and their work is very much appreciated.

Every organization on the Coast is having trouble getting volunteers and SCFPA is no exception. We have asked many people to join our executive and had little luck. If you feel you could not commit that much time, maybe there is a smaller job you could do. For example, we have a new person who is going to type letters to potential donors. Could you give time to prepare the envelope for mailings? If you are interested, please sign up on the sheet at the front table. The organization very much needs your help.

I would be remiss if I did not thank Terry Andrews for her work for us. She types the Syllabus, the Program, the daily sheets and mark sheets for each session, and is willing to take on any job she can do for the data base she creates. The amount of time she gives us is truly amazing. What would we do without her?

This is my fourth and final year as President of SCFPA. Our policy limits the tenure to four years so it is time for me to move on. Although Board members have been trying to identify a president during the past four years, we have not been able to entice anyone to take on the job. As a teacher, it has been much pleasure to work with this group which offers such a fine program to children. We need a new president if this organization id to continue.

Norma Mercer