The Convention Is Coming!! The Convention Is Coming!!
Yes, the Great Lakes Regional Convention will soon be here – just about three weeks away!!
The thirteen members of the Steering Committee have been furiously working overtime on the thousands of details necessary to put this Convention together for all to enjoy!!
Yes, there is still time to sign up and register for the Convention as there are just a few seats left to attend the several world class organ recitals and numerous workshops. The week begins with a very unique and rarely performed combination of concert works for organ and orchestra featuring the works of Francis Poulenc and Felix Alexandre Guilmant and performed by our North Shore musicians Eric Budzynski, organ, and Stephen Alltop, conductor with the AGO Festival Orchestra!
JUNE
At the start of June, the sun mainly rises in the constellation of Taurus and then at the end of June, the sun rises in the constellation of Gemini. The Latin name is Junius. Ovid offers multiple etymologies for the name of June in the Fusti, a poem about the Roman calendar. Fusti is named after the Roman Goddess Juno, the goddess of marriage and wife of the supreme deity Jupiter. Also from the Latin word Juniores meaning the younger ones. Another source named often is Lucius Junius Brutus, the founder of the Roman Republic ancestor of Roman gens Junia.
In ancient Rome, the period from mid-May to mid-June was inauspicious for marriages – then later it was decided that this month of June was now most favorable for weddings.
During the month of June there are certain meteor showers mainly including Arictids, Beto Taurids and June Biotids.
During the month there were also important Roman observances namely Faborici, Kilondae Fibariae and Festival Bellona.
June is a female name basically meaning the followers of Juno!
Birthstones for the month include pearl, alexandrite and moonstone.
Flowers for the month include the Rose and Honeysuckle.
Of course June is the month that Americans celebrate important observances including Pride Month, Great Outdoors Month, National Oceans Month, World Environment Day, Father’s Day, Flag Day, Juneteenth Day and Midsommer(Midsummer) Day.
So, obviously June is the great month to celebrate so many things and now especially this month for the North Shore Chapter AGO, every member should celebrate the wonderful Great Lakes Regional Convention June 25–28, 2023! See you there!!!
EVERY MEMBER CHALLENGE:
The last couple of months we have mentioned the EVERY MEMBER CHALLENGE! Each and every member of the North Shore Chapter is encouraged to not only invite a colleague or neighboring church organist who is not a member of the Chapter to a Chapter event but then to ask them to become a member of the Chapter. Certainly this is the perfect time for new organists and friends to join the North Shore Chapter since North Shore members do receive a good discount on registering and attending the Great Lakes Regional Convention in Evanston this June 25-28.
North Shore Board Election News
Congratulations and a very warm welcome to the newly elected Board members of the North Shore Chapter AGO to serve for a term of 3 years, 2023-2026 – Mary Beth Molenaar, Marianne Kim and Matthew Doran. The rest of the current Board and I look forward to working with these three members to continue the great work of this Chapter, especially after following the certainly hard work of presenting and hosting the Great Lakes Regional Convention later this month!!
Lastly, I would like to sincerely thank the retiring Board members Linda Cerabona and Paul Cochran for their years of support and service to the North Shore AGO Chapter and its Board! I am sure that we will see them at many Chapter events in the future!!
Other North Shore Board News
In other Board news it is noted that current Board member Jill Hunt is resigning her position on the Board and will be moving to Colorado to be near her children. We sincerely thank her for her many years of service and being involved in various capacities on this Board. Best wishes to you Jill in the next chapter of your life!!!
Since Jill Hunt is leaving the Evanston area after the Regional Convention, at that point then I will be appointing Gary Wendt to fulfill her remaining time on the Board till the next Board election in 2025. So please welcome Gary back to serving on the Board – the next few years surely should be a very exciting time for the Chapter!!
Why was June Made??
From the pen of Annette Wynne
Why was June made?—Can you guess?
June was made for happiness!
Even the trees
Know this, and the breeze
That loves to play
Outside all day,
And never is too bold or rough,
Like March’s wind, but just a tiny blow’s enough;
And all the fields know
This is so—
June was not made for wind and stress,
June was made for happiness;
Little happy daisy faces
Show it in the meadow places,
And they call out when I pass,
“Stay and play here in the grass.”
June was made for happy things,
Boats and flowers, stars and wings,
Not for wind and stress,
June was made for happiness!
