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100 Ways to Participate in Your Chapter
Getting more from your chapter means giving more. Explore 100 ways to be involved.

(The following article is reproduced from the Barbershop Harmony Society's website, www.barbershop.org ).

 A member called Harmony Hall looking for an article he'd seen once upon a time called "100 Ways You Can Take Part in Your Chapter." We couldn't find it in our archive, so the 1,800 subscribers of to the Harmonet were enlisted to contribute their collective knowledge.

Kim Benner (singbucks@juno.com), administrative assistant for the Buckeye-Columbus Chapter, volunteered to serve as Scribe, and assembled the following list. According to Kim, the list is organized as best as I could. Hopefully there aren't too many duplications of ideas. Some editing was necessary and I occasionally incorporated two or three similar ideas into one. Thanks to all who submitted the suggestions. Enjoy!"

100 Ways You Can Take Part in Your Chapter

• Bring a guest to rehearsal once a year.
• Show up early and help set up the risers.
• At the end of rehearsal, help take down the section of risers you are standing on.
• Thank the director for all of his/her effort.
• Thank your chorus administration for all of their work.
• Bring in doughnuts on your "barbershop anniversary" night - bring in a special treat for after rehearsal.
• Don't talk on the risers and don't let others talk on the risers.
• Smile. Act like you're enjoying your hobby and show it (let the director know you're "really" there).
• Take your quartet to retirement homes and share your hobby. Family members are often there visiting and recruiting new members is part of your performance.
• Volunteer to do a little more than you really want to in fundraising or committee work.
• Take your camera to chorus functions and turn in the pictures to your history book/scrapbook person.
• Subscribe to the Harmonet and print out hints & suggestions that look applicable to your chorus and pass them on.
• Talk to two or three people (before, during break or after rehearsal) that you normally don't talk to.
• When you are at social gatherings, quartet performances, etc. Always talk about your chapter, you never know where your next guest might be.
• Surprise an ill member with a card or a phone call. Call an absent member and let him know you missed him.
• Offer to clean the chapter's storage facility or update the inventory.
• Keep your comments to yourself concerning choreography and costumes, espically when on the risers.
• Learn your part (words, notes, choreography, stage presentaion) early so you can help the slow learners & new people.
• Offer to car-pool with others when possible.
• Learn to use a pitch-pipe and then memorize the keys to songs in the chorus repertoire.
• Go to Harmony College and other regional/district/international education events whenever possible.
• Offer to help the newsletter/bulletin editor with whatever you can do.
• Write an article for your newsletter/bulletin.
• Review a barbershop show or album for your newsletter/bulletin.
• Volunteer to work with an experienced member to learn a new chapter administration skill.
• Start a chapter quartet.
• Encourage the formation of chapter quartets.
• Offer to help an officer.
• Take a non-meeting night to help another baritone (or lead, or tenor, or bass) learn his/her part.
• Don't come to rehearsal with a contagious sore throat or anything else you could spread around.
• Be on the risers (or wherever you normally rehearse) 5 minutes early and eager to start.
• Offer to help any standing committee in which you are interested.
• Videotape the chorus in rehearsal.
• Turn in your recordings to your section leader anytime prior to the deadine.
• Volunteer to do anything.
• Don't wait to be asked to do a job, volunteer. How will anyone know that you're interested if you don't express you desire to get involved?
• Bring a portable humidifier or vaporizer along to contests to help keep you and your roommates' vocal apparatuses hydrated.
• Sing everyday! Use proper technique of breathing and vocalizing regularly to the point that good singing is natural for you.
• Return from breaks on time.
• Bring a tape recorder to rehearsal - and use it.
• Teach a tag.
• Write a tag and then teach it.
• Contribute to your chapter's charity fund.
• Don't invite prospective members to a chorus rehearsal where the chorus will be spending three solid hours on the risers. Varied meetings/rehearsals are the key to pleasing everyone.
• Learn show music quickly so it can be polished to contest standards.
• Volunteer to help with another area of "show business" such as script writing, costuming, staging, emcee work, hosting, afterglow, etc.
• Sell show tickets to as many friends, family members and strangers as possible.
• Practice your facial expressions in a mirror.
• Thank your women or men's auxiliary.
• Take all side conversations out of the rehearsal hall.
• (Wo)Man the guest registration table with a smile and a section buddy to help the guest(s).
• When flyers are made for chapter events (shows, membership drives, etc.) Take a few and commit to posting them in various places around town.
• Sponsor a young person to a International, District or Chapter youth outreach camp.
• Learn your words, notes, choreography, interpretation to the songs the chorus is singing. Be the singer in your section that other look to for help.
• Start your mental warm-up in the car on the way to rehearsal.
• Offer to drive potential members to chapter meetings/rehearsals.
• Take care of your chorus outfits and accessories, be sure they are always cleaned and pressed according to whatever directions, so you and your chorus look your best and they last a long time.
• Put a picture of your chorus up in your office and talk to anyone who asks about it.
• Save those "important questions" of the director/section leader/your neighbor, until the break or after rehearsal.
• Make coffee/tea or whatever for breaktime.
• Without fail, use the director's signal for the pitch as your cue to mentally and physically prepare to sing.
• Mark music manuscript changes/presentaion notes in pencil on your own music, these things are generally not cast in stone.
• Show the person up front that you're paying attention by your face and body language.
• Rehearse your songs at least once a week at home.
• Wear your name badge.
• Organize a picnic, golf outing, card game, etc., for the chapter.
• Bring a gift to rehearsal to raffle off as a quickie fundraiser for the chapter.
• Review the music to your old songs periodically, to make sure you're still singing all the notes correctly.
• Sell one or more ads to businesses you patronize.
• Offer to lead physical warm-ups.
• Find a new member and let him/her "fifth-wheel" with you (Note: Fifth-wheeling is by invitation ONLY).
• Greet a guest by name when it's obvious that you haven't read his/her name tag.
• Try to refrain from joking, carping or otherwise interrupting while on the risers.
• Realize that learning your part means learning all the interpretive planning, not just words and notes.
• Take voice lessons or a voice class.
• Perform every time you sing, even if the only audience is the wall. This will help the director and coaches to correct problems and give everyone around you a burst of energy.
• Bring back as many handouts from educational weekends/functions for the chorus administration/music team to go over.
• Offer to help a member of you chapter with their dues or give a monetary gift to your treasurer to be used for a member who needs some help.
• Encourage local youth to start a "harmony club. Form a high school boys or girls barbershop chorus. Assist local high school music directors with education of barbershop harmony.
• Send a picture and article to your local newspaper.
• If you find yourself with some free time, call your president and offer to help.
• Donate a barbershop tape or CD to your local library.
• Send a barbershop CD to a local radio station and ask for airplay.
• Help set up blackboard/flip chart/dry erase board, whatever is used to teach craft during rehearsal.
• Offer to coach quartets, teach music theory or give one-on-one vocal production instruction.
• When offered a stick of gum or breath mint - accept it.
• Stay "positive.
• Learn to read music.
• Lend a fellow member a barbershop tape or CD that they haven't heard.
• Form an ad-hoc/pick-up quartet and sing for the chorus.
• Always show up prepared for a performance, correct uniform/costume, correct make-up (if applicable), warmed up and ready to perform.
• Offer to help build props for your annual show.
• Support all of the barbershop organizations (SAI, SPEBSQSA,HI) and fellow chapters/choruses by attending every show and event in your area you can. We are all in this together!
• When travelling, try to visit a chapter meeting where ever you happen to be.
• Be mindful of members individual personal lives, everyone can only give what they personally can. Take what you can get from each member and encourage them to be happy, relax and enjoy the hobby.
• Support youth outreach however you can, take your quartet to a local high school and give a presentation on barbershop harmony.
• Never give anything less than your best effort every time you sing.
• Give "100 Ways You Can Take Part in Your Chapter" to your bulletin editor.
• Distribute "100 Ways You Can Take Part in Your Chapter" to new members.
• Keep the Whole World Singng and Harmonize the World!