InCider Press, November 2003, page 9

Several men have asked about the Christmas sing outs for this year. I know it was reported earlier, but it may be worthwhile to communicate again what the board decided on the Christmas schedule.

First, we did not have our annual summer picnic.

Next, with Christmas and New Year both on Thursday (along with Thanksgiving), it takes away three of our rehearsals. If we would spend the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas on Christmas songs in preparation for a public performance, we would essentially have a month and a half without preparation for our March 6th concert and the April show.

In addition, in recent years we have had our installation banquet on a Thursday evening in January. This would make an entire month of missed rehearsals.

In recent years we have had to request of the nursing homes to come to sing for them. They have not initiated or requested us to come to their facilities.

Therefore, in discussion, the Board decided to combine the picnic, Christmas party, and installation into one event; and ask the registered and active

quartets to handle the public Christmas performances.

This will also allow us to continue to rehearse our show songs and be adequately prepared for a concert that will be only nine weeks away when the New Year comes.

The December 11th date was selected because December 4th would be a little early, and December 18th would make for three weeks in succession that we would not have rehearsals (and we could possibly forget much of what we had learned!)

We also decided as a group to learn and perform "Sentimental Journey" and "Once Upon A Time" to sing at the Christmas party. Hopefully we will also have some group singing of Christmas Carols.

I know that David Darling is planning a great party to include favors for the ladies, and a lot of singing. I hope this will clarify our December activities and that everyone will be able to attend the December 11th Christmas Party/Installation Banquet!

The Charades continue to provide entertainment in Manhattan and surrounding communities. Several of their recent performances included traveling to Pleasant Ridge Church, south of Alta Vista, on October 19, to help the parishioners celebrate the church's 100th anniversary and to Council Grove to sing at their Fall Dessert Extravaganza on November 3. In Manhattan during the afternoon of November 9 they sang at the St. Paul's Episcopal Church's dinner and then performed as part of the Veteran's Day Music Celebration in the City Auditorium.