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January 2006 InCider Press Page 3 |
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In 1972 teaching jobs were scares, so I found a job in Wichita as a Social Worker in medical assistance only. I’d been in Wichita about a month when I heard about SPEBSQSA meeting. I found the place and was invited to join. I met Jay Bound and heard the Cavaliers perform several times. This was the first strong chapter I had belonged to. I only worked in Wichita 10 months but had two years of membership. Karen and I got teaching jobs in Esbon and Burr Oak schools in the fall of ‘73. I found a SPEBSQSA.. group in Concordia Ks. I was a member there for two years. We did two shows each year. In the spring we sang in Bellville and in the fall we sang in Concordia. At our shows, we would have 18 or so singing. There were only 2 tenors, myself and an ex-baritone. I drove from Esbon to Scandia and rode with two guys from there on to Concordia. My next job took us to Southwest KS. There were no barbershop groups within 100 miles and Frank Thorne membership was not around. I did plenty of singing, but no quartet singing. In 1977 we got jobs in northwest KS at Herndon. It was 13 miles by dirt or 25 miles by blacktop to McCook Nebraska. I sang with McCook for 8 years and was in the Rocky Mountain District. Our annual shows were early in March and I got to hear some great Quartets like OK-4. Don Kready was our director. While in Herndon, whenever I did summer school in Hays, I would sing for 6 to 8 weeks with the Hays chapter. It was there that I got to know Jim Nugent. In 1985 I found a job in Axtell, Bern, and Summerfield. This time I knew enough to ask about the locations of SPEBSQSA groups close to my job. The nearest chapter was in Manhattan and meeting at the Christian Church. I drove in and found the meeting place and was made welcome. I missed the Spring show for the first 4 years because my basketball teams went to sub-state and twice to state. Since then I have enjoyed being involved in the spring show. In my last 20 years my vehicles have gotten a lot of miles going to and from singing practices. I found a lot of friends and a great rider to share the trips. And best of all, I know no matter how tired or discouraged I feel, an hour or two singing picks me up and has me ready for another week. John Trail ♪ |
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This year’s recipient of the Barbershopper of the Year was John Trail. John was selected from a slate of all members to receive this award. John travels about 64 miles one way to attend each chapter meeting. For the last several years he was been responsible for our refreshments during break. He is a long time barbershopper in several different chapters. A bio of John’s barbershop career is also attached. Terry Nanninga My first experience with Barbershop singing came in 1961-62, my senior year at Ottawa University. I had been singing in a gospel quartet at OU, and my music Prof suggested I look into the local barbershop group. I did and to my surprise, I found that the man I had worked for, Harry Pratt, was a member. He sponsored me and the chapter paid for a student membership. I don’t remember much, just that I enjoyed going to the meetings. My first teaching job was in Goff, Ks. At the first school & community gathering I met three guys who were looking for a tenor for their quartet. I said I’m your man. We preformed 2 to 4 times a month, although I was only there for one school year, About two years later, I went to summer school at KU and sang with the Lawrence chapter a number of times. The high light experience there was going sail boating with some Barbershoppers on Lake Shawnee and singing pole cat songs as the sun went down. |
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Barbershopper of the Year |
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Sam Kvasnica, last years BOTY, presents John Trail with his Barbershopper of the Year award. Photo Terry Nanninga |