News & Notes - February 2012
MEMBERSHIP
Volunteer Hours Keep Growing
SVA members have contributed 2,473 hours of service in support of the STL Symphony to date during the 2011-2012 season. Keep up the good work!
Membership Counts!
Watch our membership grow! Our latest tally of volunteer hours shows that we are approaching a 40% participation rate by our membership.
Come One, Come All
Do you have a friend who would like to learn more about the SVA? Invite them as your guest to the February Brunch! This will be the kick-off event for a whole month of various recruiting activities.
Survey Set to Ship
A comprehensive membership profile and skills survey for all SVA members is almost ready for launch. It has been designed to take as little as ten minutes or less of your time, so please participate! The survey results will give us a better understanding of the composition of our membership, help us identify future SVA board members and focus our efforts on improving all committee volunteer activities.
SVA Membership Directory Updates
Please download an updated addendum for your 2011-2012 SVA Membership Directory.
NEW VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Calling All Creative Members
Fundraising VP Sharon Ward needs your help! She’s organizing a task force to explore worthy fundraising ideas for the SVA. Get involved today by contacting Sharon.
Data, Data Everywhere
Help us reorganize our current Excel data file for Parties of Note. Do you have Access database skills that you’d like to put to work? If so, contact Linda Lee.
SVA BOARD NEWS
We’re on a Mission!
The mission of the St. Louis Symphony is to enrich people’s lives through the power of music. The SVA will support this mission by focusing on three key goals through 2013:
- Increase SVA membership to 500 with 50% participation rate
(Check out our progress in the Membership section of this newsletter!)
- Increase SVA fundraising revenue to exceed $250,000
(Update coming in June after Gypsy Caravan!)
- Increase direct contacts of SVA education projects and tours to 25,500 community members
(Update coming this spring after PTM and ETM!)
SVA Board Announcements
The next SVA Board meeting will be held at noon on February 23, 2012 in the Laclede Conference Room on the AEC Level at the Centene Center.
FUNDRAISING
Home Stretch for 2011-2012 Parties of Note
Will you be one of the lucky guests attending the last two available Parties of Note? Make your reservation today!
Pick a Party! Party Presence Please
Sign up now to volunteer for the Parties of Note Pick a Party Party! on April 22. Two shifts are available: 5:45-7:00pm and 6:45-8:00pm. Shift preferences will be honored in the order received. If you have a preference, email Anne Carman. We will need approximately 90 volunteers this year, so we urge you to lend a hand.
We are all Friends of Gypsy Caravan
Last year we kicked off a new program that lets SVA members show their support for Gypsy Caravan. Friends of Gypsy Caravan allows members to make a minimum contribution of $10 to show their commitment—more than $2,100 was raised last year to help defray expenses for the Gypsy Caravan Shopper’s Guide. All participating SVA members are listed on a special acknowledgement page in the Guide.
Let’s continue and improve those efforts for the 2012 event. Fill out the Friends of Gypsy Caravan form and mail it along with your contribution to the SVA office before April 1. For more information, please contact Susan Hoffman or Becky Brown.
May is the Month for Gypsy Caravan…and a Great New Party!
Gypsy Caravan turns 40 this year! To celebrate, the SVA is launching a party we know will become an annual event! This fun-filled fundraiser will be held Friday, May 4 from 6:00pm to 8:30pm at the Probstein Golf Course Champion's Room in Forest Park.
The evening will feature silent auction items in all donor ranges, delicious food, an open bar and some surprises (stay tuned). We are hoping all SVA members and guests will attend, and would especially love to see our newest members. Please contact Chair Jarmaine Migala with questions or if you have an auction item you would like to donate.
EDUCATION
Be Our Guest
Project Leader Alan Fiddleman reports a busy winter and spring season for tours at Powell Hall. SVA members will inform and enlighten visitors on the following scheduled tour dates:
- Kinder Konzert, Wed, February 8
- Kinder Konzert, Thurs, February 9
- Young People's Concert, Tues, March 6
- Young Adult Concert, Wed, March 7
- LINK UP! Concert, Wed, May 9
Would you like to get involved in this SVA activity? Please contact Powell Hall Opportunities Chair Terri Ciccolella.
Come Out and Play with Us
The Instrument Playground committee is in high demand. Two school visits are planned for February 17 and volunteers will interact with parents and students at the Picture the Music Awards Ceremony on March 1. Back by popular demand, committee members will be present for the Family Concert at Powell Hall on March 4. This energetic group will also undertake a new challenge this year when they participate in the new children’s area planned for Gypsy Caravan. If you’d like to get involved, please contact Gerry Frankenfeld.
Color Our World
The Picture the Music committee recently gathered to view artwork submitted by area schools—so many beautiful and creative entries from students in grades K-6! All SVA members and their guests are invited to attend the Awards Ceremony at Powell Hall on March 1.
SVA OFFICE
Welcome Back
During Amee Colvin’s maternity leave, we are pleased to welcome back Susan Pribble, SVA member and former Director of Volunteer Activities (May-December 2010), as Interim Director of Volunteer Activities.
Susan is available at the SVA office three days per week (Tues, Thurs, and Fri) from 9:00am to 5:00pm. She may be reached at 314-286-4153 or 314-289-4168 and via email. Please continue to schedule committee meetings two weeks in advance with Susan so she can secure parking and ensure that the office is available.
Susan will serve as liaison with our Symphony colleagues, manage publications, ensure that sponsorship and all vendor contracts are negotiated and executed, and manage the availability of the office and equipment, in addition to many other tasks while Amee is on maternity leave through May 1. The SVA Board will keep you updated about any additional changes during this interim period.
SVA Office Location and Directions
Centene Center for Arts and Education
3547 Olive St., Suite 370
St. Louis, MO 63103
Office Hours: Tues, Thurs, and Fri; 9:00am–5:00pm
SVA committee meetings can be scheduled at the SVA office with Susan Pribble, Interim Director of Volunteer Activities. For thesepre-arranged committee meetings, parking is available in the SLU lot just east of the Centene Center. Please obtain a parking sign from your committee chair prior to the meeting and place it on your car’s dashboard. This will indicate that you are with the SVA and you will not be charged. All of the parking spots have numbers, but none of the spaces are reserved.
A member of your SVA committee should be available in the Centene Center lobby to let you into the building. If you arrive late and no one is there, use the call box at the street entrance. Scroll down to “Symphony Volunteer Association,” hit the call button, and Susan will respond. You may also call the office directly at 314-289-4168 for building entrance.
