Volunteer Notes A PUBLICATION OF THE LEAGUE OF AMERICAN ORCHESTRAS VOLUNTEER COUNCIL

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The League of American Orchestras Volunteer Council leads, advocates, and champions volunteer organizations in their efforts to support their orchestras' community outreach and civic partnerships to advance the experience of orchestral music.

Summer Edition 2024

Kellie Sullivan, Volunteer Notes Editor | kellie.sullivan@uhkc.org 

In This Issue

President's Message

Highlights from Conference 2024 - We Dreamed Big!

Volunteer Council 60th Anniversary Celebration

Call for Gold Award Submissions!

Sign up for Strategic Conversations for Emerging Volunteer Leaders

Four Volunteer Council Members Complete their Terms

2023-2024 League Volunteer Council

President's Message

by Laurie Skjerseth, President, Volunteer Council 2023-2024

What an exciting year as we prepared for the 79th Conference held in Houston June 5-8! I was honored to be President this year on this special celebration.

Some highlights of the year include:

  • Janet Cabot, VC Past President, led the Volunteer Council’s annual fund drive which raised $24,550 for the League’s annual fund.
  • Strategic Conversations, a four-part series for volunteer association presidents and presidents-elect, offered guidance in leadership challenges including membership and fundraising and provided opportunities for networking. This year, 25 people participated from 17 states and represented 20 orchestras.
  • Camille Williams, Volunteer Council Sustainer Liaison, and Becky Odland, Sustainer-Elect, along with Sustainers Heather Moore and Helen Shaffer engaged Sustainers throughout the year, including the 60th Anniversary celebration and reception at the League’s National Conference in Houston. Read the article below for more info!
  • Volunteer Council is featured in Symphony magazine: Summer 2024. Read the magazine article on “Celebrating Volunteers” by Vivien Schweitzer.
  • Join the Facebook page: Friends of the League of American Orchestra Volunteer Council to stay up to date on Volunteer Council activities. Volunteer Notes, our quarterly e-newsletter, provided pertinent articles for orchestra volunteers.
  • An Ad Hoc Committee was formed to address volunteer issues in aging volunteer leagues, strategic planning, and a review of mission, vision, and core values to align with the League.
  • Cross-constituency discussion was held on April 15 where over 50 members of the development constituency group, orchestra volunteers, and members of the League's Volunteer Council participated in a candid conversation moderated by Bob Swaney, Founder and CSO, RSC Associates. Topics included: what volunteers want from staff members (and vice versa), strategies for engaging current and prospective volunteers, how to establish best practices and guardrails for successful collaboration, and creative examples of collaboration between Volunteer groups and Development departments.

The Volunteer Council is proud of the accomplishments this year. In 2023-2024, the Council included 19 volunteer members (including five ex-officio members) from 13 states, representing most orchestra group sizes, all dedicated to the Volunteer Council and our mission to support volunteers nationwide. Melanie Hausmann, the League’s liaison to the Volunteer Council, was an essential part of every aspect of our work!

We welcomed three new members this year: Kent McNeil (St. Louis Symphony Orchestra), Paula Abernethy (Annapolis Symphony Orchestra), and Kellie Sullivan (Kansas City Symphony Orchestra Alliance). We also welcomed Debbie McKinney, (Oklahoma Symphony Orchestra) as our Sustainer-Elect.

Thank you to our VC members who are rotating off the Council and are now Sustainers: Janet Cabot, Past President (Madison, WI); Bruce Colquhoun, (Spokane, WA); Loretta Davenport (Chicago, IL); and Camille Williams, Sustainer Liaison (Little Rock, AR).

Kathy Leibrand from the Kansas City Symphony Guild is the new 2024-2025 Volunteer Council President. She also a member of AMSOV and is a talented leader with many creative ideas. I look forward to serving as Immediate Past President with her this year.

Working with the Volunteer Council has been a distinct pleasure and I am honored to have served as Volunteer Council President this year. During my six years on the VC, I have learned from each and every VC member and from the League’s leaders and staff. We could not do the work we do without the support of the League. The League is an invaluable asset to the orchestra world. Again, thanks to all of you for making 2023–2024 a successful year.

Save the date for the League’s 80th Conference held June 11–13, 2025 in Salt Lake City. Hope to see you there!

Laurie Skjerseth, Past President

Volunteer Council 2023-2024. Left to right: Becky Odland, Kent McNeil, Florence Mc Lean, Kellie Sullivan, Janet Cabot, Paula McReynolds, Kathy Leibrand, Julie Brantley, Darlene Clark, Laurie Skjerseth, Paula Abernethy, Bruce Colquhoun, Irene Sohm, Maggie Stehman, Loretta Davenport, Marena Gault, Camille Williams. Not pictured: Charlotte Lewis and Marylou Turner. Photo credit: Melissa Taylor

Highlights from Conference 2024 - We Dreamed Big!

by Darlene Clark, Conference Chair 2023-2024

Thanks to all who attended the 2024 League of American Orchestras Conference in Houston at the Marriott Marquis hotel! We certainly Dreamed Big! Huge congratulations go out to our Award-Winning projects! The PowerPoint presentations and handouts will soon be added to the Volunteer Council’s website.

Classic Award: Symphony League of Kansas City, MO "Royal Gala, Let’s Have a Ball!"

Gold Awards: Charleston Symphony Orchestra League "Ladders to Leaders 2023;" Houston Symphony League "Growing Membership 2022-2023: Focus on What Works" and "Re-imagining Auctions: Houston Symphony Ball Auction 2023;" Madison Symphony Orchestra League "Parties of Note 2022;" Santa Rosa Symphony League "Festival of Masks."

Left to Right: Barbara Berven, Madison Symphony; Ursula Terrasi from Kansas City Symphony; Linda Lovejoy from Madison Symphony Orchestra; Irene Sohm and Andrew Bradford from Santa Rosa Symphony; Heidi Rockcharlie, Deb Happ, Leslie Nossaman, and John Mangum from Houston Symphony. Photo credit: Melissa Taylor

Throughout the Conference, orchestra volunteers also had many opportunities to network with at the Volunteer Networking Dinner, interacting with our speakers Kay Sprinkel Grace and J.L. Nave, attending the Opening Session with Keynote speaker Gabriela Lena Frank, learning about Music and Wellness: Optimal Outcomes and Best Practices in Houston’s Texas Medical Center, hearing about creative projects from Houston Symphony’s Education and Community Engagement department, Re-Envisioning Audiences at the Annual Meeting, learning from other volunteers at our Volunteer Networking session, attending the incredible Houston Symphony’s Salome concert followed by the Tune-Up Party, and the Closing Luncheon featuring Dr. Ahmad Sarmast (Founder and Director of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music). Videos from Conference are now available online.

Volunteer sessions at Conference. Top Left: Paula Abernethy, Florence Mc Lean, Becky Odland, and Irene Sohm compare notes. Top Right: Laurie Skjerseth welcomes Volunteers. Bottom Left: John Mangum, President & CEO, Houston Symphony, welcomes Volunteers to Houston. Bottom Right: Marena and Roger Gault lead a Networking session. Photo credit: Melissa Taylor and Melanie Hausmann

We are excited to announce that next year’s League conference will take place in Salt Lake City June 11-13, 2025! Watch your inbox for more information and hope to see you there!

Volunteer Council 60th Anniversary Celebration

by Camille Williams, Sustainer Liaison 2023-2024

The League's Volunteer Council held its 60th Anniversary celebration in the Presidential Suite of the Marriott Marquis at the League's National Conference in Houston on June 7, 2024. Special thanks to the planning committee members: Becky Odland, Camille Williams, Heather Moore, Helen Shaffer, and Laurie Skjerseth. The event included a slideshow with photos throughout the decades, memorabilia displayed throughout the room, and beautiful champagne flutes commemorating the anniversary. We enjoyed reminiscing with friends including several Sustainers who attended the event: Caryl Kassoy, Jane Van Dyk, Nancy Wrenn, Sharon Hatchett, and Tresa Radermacher.

We are pleased to announced that more than $50,000 was raised for the League through the Volunteer Council's 60th Anniversary Campaign. Huge thanks to the 59 Volunteer Council members and Sustainers who contributed to this campaign. Your generosity is truly inspiring and fuels the League's mission to support orchestras all over the country. We appreciate your support!

Photos Top Row: 60th Anniversary Committee Members: Melanie Hausmann, Camille Williams, Laurie Skjerseth, Becky Odland, Heather Moore, Helen Shaffer. Photo Top Row Middle: Kent McNeil and Marena Gault. Photo Top Right: Laurie Skjerseth toasts the Volunteer Council 60th Anniversary. Photo Middle Row: Darlene Clark, Laurie Skjerseth, Maggie Stehman, Janet Cabot. Photo Bottom Left: 60th Anniversary slideshow. Photo Bottom Right: Commemorative materials displayed at the League's National Conference in Houston. Photo credit: Melissa Taylor

Call for Gold Award Submissions!

by Charlotte Lewis, Project Selection Chair 2024-2025

Applications are now open for the Volunteer Council's Gold Awards of Excellence, recognizing best-in-class volunteer initiatives and events that have made a vital impact on orchestras. Judges may also grant a Classic Award, comparable to a Lifetime Achievement Award, acknowledging a timeless program that has sustained excellence and effectiveness over time. One application makes your organization eligible for either of these two awards.

Entries are due by Friday, September 6, 2024, for projects that were completed between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024. Winners will share their programs with other volunteers at the 2025 National Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, June 11-13. The project submission form can be accessed here on the League website. There is no fee to enter and no limit to the number of entries an organization may submit.

Important Entry Information

  • Programs may be entered in the following categories: fundraising, communication/technology, community engagement, audience development, education, membership, leadership/organizational structure, service, and flexibility/adaptability.
  • Submit your form on or before Friday, September 6, 2024.
  • Include between 1 and 5 images that are pertinent to your project. These should be sent with the application, not under separate cover and must be in JPEG or PDF format.
  • If you need inspiration, check out the Gold Award of Excellence Online Database/Volunteer Project Database for a searchable database of past winning entries and learn more about previous winners.
  • If you have questions or need a fillable entry form sent to you, please contact vcgoldaward@gmail.com.

Sign up for Strategic Conversations for Emerging Volunteer Leaders

by Kathy Leibrand, Volunteer Council President 2024-2025

Registration is Now Open

Are you a New President, President-Elect, or Emerging Leader?

Are you in the midst of brainstorming new ideas to try out this orchestra season, or thinking about ways to implement events your volunteer league is planning for the new season? Do you find yourself having difficulty finding willing volunteers? The Volunteer Council is offering several informative sessions to tackle these issues and more. Take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to be with other volunteer leaders as we share creative ideas, strategies, and resources in efforts to lead your volunteers more effectively.

Join the Volunteer Council this fall for Strategic Conversations, a series of facilitated, one-hour sessions being held on Wednesdays this fall: September 18, September 25, October 2, and October 16. Each session will focus on a different topic relevant to volunteer leaders.

There is no charge to participate, but registration is required. The deadline to sign up is Friday, September 6. For more information, contact mhausmann@americanorchestras.org.

Four Volunteer Council Members Complete their Terms

by Charlotte Lewis

Special thanks to Janet Cabot, Bruce Colquhoun, Loretta Davenport, and Camille Williams for their leadership and service to the Volunteer Council and the League of American Orchestras.

Janet Cabot, 2022-2023 president of the Volunteer Council, leaves us after seven years on the council. However, Janet is not going very far. She is now a member of the Board of Directors of the League of American Orchestras.

Janet is a past president of the Madison Symphony Orchestra League and is an advisor to the Madison Symphony Board of Directors. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Overture Concert Organ.

Janet and her husband Scott will also continue their outdoor activities with biking at the top of the list.

Bruce Colquhoun has been on the Volunteer Council for six years. He served as Conference Chair in 2023, where he planned volunteer meetings and events during the League's National Conference in Pittsburgh.

Bruce is a past president of Spokane Symphony Associates and will take on another administrative role as VP for membership this year.

During the winter months, Bruce works on his model railroad. And, he and his wife Sandy have a lake cabin where they spend a lot of time during the summer.

We also thank Loretta Davenport for serving a three-year term on the Volunteer Council. Loretta is a member of the Southside Friends of the Chicago Sinfonietta where she served as president.

Loretta has served as editor of our Volunteer Notes, a member of Strategic Planning, and co-chair of the Gold Award of Excellence committee.

She continues to support her local orchestra and she and her husband Michael will also enjoy traveling to visit children and grandchildren.

Camille Williams, who has been on the Volunteer Council since 2013, lives in Little Rock, Arkansas where she remains actively involved with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Guild. During her tenure on the Council, she served as Conference Chair in Chicago and has served twice as Sustainer Liaison. This year, Camille was on the planning committee of the Volunteer Council's 60th Anniversary.

Camille and her husband Alan have two children and they have recently become first-time grandparents. She enjoys spending time with family and friends and traveling to New Zealand to visit her new granddaughter.

2024-2025 LEAGUE VOLUNTEER COUNCIL

Our Mission

The League of American Orchestras’ Volunteer Council leads, advocates, and champions volunteer organizations in their efforts to support orchestras to advance the experience of orchestral music.

Leadership Committee

  • Darlene Clark, President-Elect (Houston, TX)
  • Kathy Leibrand, President (Kansas City, MO)
  • Paula McReynolds, Conference Chair-Elect (Waco, TX)
  • Laurie Skjerseth, Immediate Past President (Venice, Florida)
  • Maggie Stehman, Conference Chair (Washington, D.C.)

Members

  • Paula Abernethy (Annapolis, MD)
  • Julie Brantley (Richmond, VA)
  • Marena Gault (Dallas, TX)
  • Charlotte Lewis (New Orleans, LA)
  • Florence Mc Lean (Baltimore, MD)
  • Kent McNeil (St. Louis, MO)
  • Irene Sohm (Santa Rosa, CA)
  • Kellie Sullivan (Kansas City, MO)

Ex-Officio Members

  • Melanie Hausmann, Houston, TX | League Liaison
  • Debbie McKinney, Nichols Hills, OK | Sustainer Liaison-Elect
  • Becky Odland, Edina, MN | Sustainer Liaison
  • Venise Stuart, Dallas, TX | Association of Major Symphony Orchestra Volunteers (AMSOV) Liaison
  • Mary Lou Turner, Kansas City, MO | Sustainer Mentoring Program
  • Simon Woods, League of American Orchestras | President & CEO