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Update, December 29

Important survey needs your input

As our search committee interviews candidates to be our new director, they may find that a preferred candidate cannot meet with us on Thursday evening. This survey will give you a chance to let us know what other options will work best for you. Please respond to this survey by the end of the week. It is important that we hear from everyone. The survey consists of 10 questions and will take you less than three minutes. Click here to take the survey.

Happy New Year and stay safe!

Larry Hlavacek, Music VP

Year end giving, barbershop style

This has been a tough year for many non-profits. This includes the Harmony Hawks. We had zero revenue from a 2020 Spring Show (our primary fund raiser) and there is no chance we can pull together a Spring Show for 2021 (we hope to do something else later in the year). We are not in desperate financial straits yet but we have been spending the reserve funds that have been accumulated over a period of many past years. 

Since June, our expenditures have been very low, but we are pursuing a new director and hope to hire someone early next year. We will have to start paying a salary for our director and as soon as rehearsals can begin, we will have rental expense. Some expenses, such as chapter insurance, continue even when we are not meeting. 

We are more fortunate than most choruses in having a substantial reserve, but it will be gone within two years if we don’t restore the financial foundation of our chorus. You can help in several ways:

  • Become (or remain) active in helping with the chorus “off the risers.” Be involved in the various committees or the board. Serve as an officer. Help with a major activity such as the Spring Show or whatever replaces it.
  • Suggest new ideas for income for the chorus and help make them happen.
  • Donate directly to the chorus (see below for a link).
  • Donate via Amazon Smile (see below).

Dues are an important part of our chorus funds, but dues only provide a small part of the overall expense. Other sources of income are vital.

BHS International is in a similar situation. The situation with the Harmony Foundation has been problematic. Harmony Foundation split off from BHS many years ago to serve as the fund raising arm of BHS. Over the years, their charter has expanded to include many activities related to singing in general. Your established donations to Harmony Foundation are still fine and a portion can be designated to our chapter. If you wish to contribute more directly to BHS, you can do so via a link at https://www.barbershop.org/donate and then click on “Donate Now”. You can designate a portion of your contribution to go to our chapter and a portion to go to our district.

If you wish to donate directly to the chorus, you can do that in a couple of different ways. You can send a check directly to the treasurer, Al Huneke, at 1669 Timberlake Run, CR 52403.  Make the check out to Harmony Hawks. This contribution may be tax deductible. Alternatively, donate to the chorus Endow Iowa fund at the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation. These contributions are doled out to the chorus over a period of many years but may qualify for a 25% Iowa Tax Credit. Talk to Al for more details.  Here’s the link: https://gcrcf.iphiview.com/gcrcf/Donors/Donate/tabid/542/dispatch/contribution_id$110722_hash$fe47ad8fd406b79537932a3130f32a5eca5c736b/Default.aspx. Make sure it says you are donating to the Harmony Hawks Friends Fund.

Finally, you can donate 0.5% of your Amazon purchases by signing in to https://smile.amazon.com/ch/42-0943117. Since our official name is Society for Preservation & Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America ….. you won’t see the name Harmony Hawks, but it’s us. 

Call or email me if you have question

Merry Christmas to all!

Al Huneke, Chapter Treasurer

Did you catch the White Christmas video?

Old Capitol Chorus released the video that was created with chorus members singing “White Christmas.” We were invited to join in and we had four of our members participate. A thank you goes out to Gary Lindsay, Cal Birkey, Ryan Ballantine, and me, Larry Hllavacek, for recording our part and submitting it to be published.
Here is the Facebook link to Old Capitol Chorus, where you can find the recording: https://www.facebook.com/OldCapitolChorus