President's Report - July 27, 2007

President’s Report
General Business Meeting
July 27, 2007

I am happy to report that our federation is as healthy and as active as it has ever been. We
have enhanced our communications through the use of our electronic newsletter “Notable
Notes”, continued the publication of our biannual newsletter “Keynotes”, and rely on the
District Supervisors who represent each of our defined conferences/districts within our
federation to keep our records straight. Our electronic website “WWW.SFGOCM.ORG”
serves as anchor for easy access to all the information pertaining to our federation.
We have continued the practice of recognizing achievement by awarding the Patriarch
Athenagoras I award to worthy candidates and Scholarships to college bound students
demonstrating musical interests and identified by their respective communities.
The annual choir conference and CMI workshops are continuing not only to interest our
veteran membership but many of the orthodox converts who have helped increase the
size of many of our parish choirs.

The year in review can best be summarized in an outline form as follows:

+ July 17 – 20, 2006 – Our Federation sent a delegation to The National Forum
Meetings which were held in conjunction with the Clergy Laity Convention in
Nashville, Tennessee. The delegation, known as the National Forum Coordinating
Committee, was composed of Mary Zervos, Joanne Kambouris, Steve and Donna
Aliapoulios and John Mitchell.

+ September 23, 2006 – The executive board traveled to Savannah, GA. to meet and
discuss the guidelines for hosting the 2007 choir conference. Action items which
resulted from this meeting:
- Father Vasile with the assistance of the board, composed a letter to His
Eminence requesting a date change for our 2007 Choir Conference from end
of June to end of July so as not to conflict with the 100th anniversary
celebration of St. Paul’s Church in Savannah, GA.
- The Music Selection Committee was notified that their recommendation to
sing the liturgy composed by Chris Zervos at the 2007 Choir Conference
was accepted.
- Chris Zervos was notified that we had selected his music composition to
sing at the 2007 Choir Conference and requested details on the method for
obtaining copies of the music for the conference attendees.

+ October 12 – 15, 2006 a group of us from the Tampa Bay area attended Metropolis of
Chicago Choir Conference in Milwaukee where they were singing The Liturgy of
Peace under the direction of composer Chris Kypros. We spoke with Chris and
discovered that he enjoys directing liturgies other than his Liturgy of Peace. We
quickly secured the date of July 26 – 29, 2007 on his calendar pending approval of
the board and a positive response from His Eminence regarding our date change
request.

+ October 16, 2006 –We received the letter from Metropolitan Alexios agreeing to
our date change request for the 2007 Choir Conference in Savannah, GA.

+ October 16, 2006 - Quickly polled the board regarding asking Chris Kypros to be our
guest conductor at the 2007 Choir Conference. Unanimous yea vote to proposal.

+ October 17, 2006 – Called Chris Kypros and asked him to be our guest director
noting that a formal letter would follow. Also called Chris Zervos advising him of
our Choir Conference dates and that a formal letter would follow. It was at that time
that Chris Zervos asked to be our guest accompanist for the conference which we
wholeheartedly accepted.

+ October 23, 2006 - sent formal letters to Father Vasile of Savannah, Chris Zervos and
Chris Kypros thanking them for their involvement and requesting them to be a part of
our 2007 Choir Conference in Savannah, GA.

+ Fall issue of Keynotes included approved Federation Charter and Bylaws, Choir
Chanter Survey, Announcement for 2007 HDF and 2007 HDF Choral Competition
Registration form.

+ January 6, 2007 – Annual Epiphany Celebration in Tarpon Springs FL with Their
Eminences Archbishop Demetrios and Metropolitan Alexios. There were over 80
voices from churches in the Tampa Bay area augmented by over 2 dozen participants
from the Chicago Federation. The antiphonal choirs were directed by Dr. JoAnna Hill
and Nick Paloumpis singing the George Raptis Liturgy.

+ January 19, 2007 - received call from newly appointed 2007 Choir Conference
Chairman – Jim Pethis a retired engineer and parishioner of St. Paul’s Church in
Savannah, GA.

+ January 27, 2007 – received a letter from Father Vasile requesting more information
to finalize the 2007 Choir Conference Packet in time for our executive board review.

+ February 2, 2007 – received 2007 Choir Conference packet from chairman.

+ February 3, 2007 - HDF Choral Competition was held in Clearwater FL. Judging the
groups were Dr. Vicki Pappas National Forum Chairman, John Michael Boyer
Protopsaltis from San Francisco Metropolis and Nick Kyrus Choir Director from
Falls Church, Va. who was our guest director at our conference in Orlando last year.

+ February 10, 2007 – Executive board met in Tampa, FL to review and approve the
2007 Choir Conference packet and discuss final preparations. Action items which
resulted from this meeting:

- Board approved Choir Conference adult registration increase to $140.00
which will include a copy of the CD recording of the Sunday liturgy. By
popular demand Friday evening was left open on the conference schedule.
- In an effort to entice more youth participation, youth will pay registration
fee of $25.00 with remainder of actual fees ($80.00) to be supplemented by
the Scholarship 100 Fund.
- CMI workshops would evolve around Chris Kypros , Chris Zervos and a
third clinician to be determined with topic of “Techniques for Improving
Your Choir”.
- A survey will be sent to the membership to determine interest in
accompanying Metroplolitan Alexios on a 2 week choir trip to Greece.
Details to be provided as available from Trip to Greece committee
composed of Kevin Lawrence, Joanne Kambouris and Philip Thevaos.
- Leon was praised for his great job as editor of the Keynotes/Notable Notes
Publications. Concerns were raised as to whether choirs still needed to
receive printed copies of the publications.
- Nominations Committee under the direction of Mary Zervos will seek out
nominees to run for the SFGOCM executive board with elections to be held
at the General Business Meeting at the conference in Savannah, GA.
- Deadlines were set for receiving: nominations for Patriarch Athenagoras I
award, applications for Scholarship 100 and all conference related items.

+ April issue of Notable Notes included forms for nominating Patriarch Athenagoras I
and Scholarship 100 recipients.

+ April 4, 2007 – Email sent to all district supervisors requesting information regarding
the need for mailing the Keynotes publications as opposed to receiving them online
and how many parish choirs were not receiving the Notable Notes online.

+ April 12 – 14, 2007 – I attended the Federation President’s Meeting in Indianapolis,
IN. Where the 8 Choir Federation presidents of the Archdiocese met to prepare for
the 2007 National Forum Meetings to be in Boston July 5 – 8th.

+ Spring issue of Keynotes included the 2007 Choir Conference Packet and the Choir
Trip to Greece Survey. Also made the conference packet available on our website
and the Savannah Parish’s website for easy access and download..

+ May – June – Finalized the CMI Workshop Schedule and topics to include Evey
Simon from the Mid-Eastern Federation who is a recognized clinician on the
National Forum’s approved CMI Clinicians list. Published flyer advertising the CMI
Workshop schedule with topics to be covered. Assisted Commemorative album
committee in receiving all our federation related information to be published.

+ July 5 – 8, 2007 – Our Federation sent a delegation to The National Forum
Meetings which were held in Boston, Mass. The delegation, known as the National
Forum Coordinating Committee, was composed of John Mitchell, Joanne
Kambouris, Steve and Donna Aliapoulios.
Unfinished business to be completed by years end is a flyer which publicizes our
federation and its mission and to complete the SFGOCM Procedural Guidelines which
President’s Report
General Business Meeting
July 27, 2007
among other things details the responsibilities of all our officers. We need to strengthen
our relationship with our parish chanters through our created chanter liaison position.
Disappointments were that we could never find a Youth Initiatives Chairman or a District
Supervisor to represent the Western Conference of our federation.
In closing I would like to say what a privilege and a honor it has been for me to be
serving as president of the federation. I have learned a lot and hope I have at least met
your expectations.

I remain in His Service,

John P. Mitchell