Dean’s Column | March 2023

Feb 27, 2023 | March 2023, Dean's Column

Welcome to March!

March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. This month is also known as the meteorological beginning of Spring – usually around the Equinox or the 20th/21st of the month.

The March name comes from Martius – the Roman God of War – the ancestor of the founders of Rome – Romulus and Remus. This was also known as the season for the beginning of warfare.

Sometimes March means “earth” with regard to the appearance of the earth from under the winter’s snow. This time of year then symbolizes new growth, fertility, procreation in humans, plants and animals. March is the reigniting of the hearts. March brings the vernal equinox – the Full Worm Moon and the return of Daylight Savings Time.

March also marks several religious observances and holidays for those of the Hindu, Christian and Jewish faiths.

Among the symbols for March are daffodils, aquamarines and the bloodstones.

So as we continue into this March, please enjoy these days of looking forward to this appearance of earth from under the snow and the great days of Spring! Of course we do need to obviously beware of the “Ides of March”!


Nominating Committee:

The North Shore Chapter AGO Nominating Committee (Christine Kraemer, Jill Hunt and James Brown) are feverously working on selecting Chapter member candidates to be elected to the Chapter Board of Directors to serve for the next three-year term of 2023-2026. So if you just happen to receive a phone call from one of them asking you to serve in this capacity for the Chapter Board – then please say yes!


From the Pen of Emily Dickinson:

TO MARCH:

Dear March, Come in!
How glad I am!
I looked for you before.
Put down your hat –
You must have walked –
How out of breath you are!
Dear March, how are you?
And the rest?
Did you leave Nature well?
Oh, March, come right upstairs with me,
I have so much to tell!


Every Member Challenge:

For the next few months I would like to challenge each and every member of this North Shore Chapter AGO to not only invite but to bring an organist/musician colleague to an organ recital or event sponsored by the North Shore Chapter AGO and then invite that person to become a member of this Chapter. As I look around the North Shore area I do see that many musicians that serve in the many churches in the area are not members of this unique AGO Chapter. I am sure that many of you really know a colleague in a neighboring church who is not a member and obviously should become a member.

Now is the perfect time to invite your colleagues to become members since the National Headquarters of the AGO have just published a new Membership Brochure “We Are The AGO” – we are 12,000 members who are passionate about the organ, and we invite you to join our ranks! This new brochure is available now for everyone to download and send to your colleagues to “join the ranks of the North Shore Chapter AGO”!

View Brochure

Actually this is a very good time to solicit your colleagues to join since the North Shore Chapter AGO is hosting the Great Lakes Regional Convention June 25-28, 2023 and the registration costs for all AGO members is significantly less than a full registration rate!

Lastly, just maybe there will be great prize awarded to the Chapter member who is able to solicit the most new members to the Chapter. Good Luck to all!!


Upcoming Events

Members Recital, Lenten Favorites
Sunday March 26, 2023 @ 3:00pm
St. David’s Episcopal Church
2410 Glenview Road
Glenview, IL 60025

Bob Woodworth Jr.

Dean

More From This Month…

Dean’s Column | May 2024

Welcome to the Merry Month of May! Of course there are actually a few religions with a very significant allegiance to the Virgin Mary! Obviously this is the season of so many events that include graduations including high schools, colleges and universities, closing...

Dean’s Column | March 2024

Beware the Ides of March! So here is the Month of March this year that is the season of Lent, Holy Week and Easter along with the beginning of the month of Ramadan. For many this is the month of hearing a variety of Requiems as similar to the Advent season with...

Dean’s Column | April 2024

Welcome to April! It is just incredible that it is April now! The six weeks of Lent, Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter have now disappeared into History! Lately it has been very interesting in reading the submittals by many musical colleagues worldwide on Facebook to...