News & Notes - July 2012

MEMBERSHIP

Special Offer from St. Louis Magazine
Click here for a subscription to St. Louis Magazine and AT HOME for only $19.95 and $6 will be donated back to the STL Symphony!

St. Louis Magazine served as our media sponsor for the 2012 Parties of Note Pick a Party!

Survey Results Collected
Thank you to the 133 SVA members that completed our comprehensive membership survey. We’re compiling the information this summer to distribute to the members of the SVA board. The data will be used to better understand the composition of our membership, identify future SVA board members and leadership roles and focus our efforts on improving all committee volunteer activities.

Still Counting…
Our members have contributed 6,788 hours of service to support the STL Symphony (as of June 27, 2012). Please remember to report your spring volunteer hours; a special volunteer recognition program is planned for this fall.  

Committee Signups for 2012-2013 Season
We’re planning a series of placement days in August to make it easy for our members to sign up for our various committees. Watch your e-mail as well as the August edition of News & Notes for information about the dates and locations. You’ll be able talk with SVA members to learn more about the functions of our committees. We hope you’ll continue on your favorite committee(s) and possibly volunteer with a new SVA committee during the next year. There is something for everyone!

SVA Membership Directory Updates
Please download an updated addendum for your 2011-2012 SVA Membership Directory.

Volunteers Will Be Needed
The St. Louis Symphony is pleased to host the League of American Orchestras’ 68th Annual Conference June 17-20, 2013. The meeting offers a variety of seminars and sessions aimed at strengthening orchestras across the country. More than 800 delegates are expected and this is the first time in 50 years St. Louis has played host to the meeting. The STL Symphony’s performances for the annual conference will be announced at a later date. We will need nearly 100 volunteers to help with the success of this important conference, so watch for more information later in the year.

SVA BOARD NEWS

2012-2013 SVA Board Members
The following members will assume responsibilities on the SVA board for the 2012-2013 season:

Becky Brown - President            
Kathy Ryan - VP Education
Sharon Ward - VP Fundraising
Marjie Smith - VP Membership
Margie Knapp - Secretary          
Dotti Fischer - Chair, Bylaws
Barbara Sprick - Chair, Express the Music
Kathryn Snodgrass - Vice Chair, Express the Music 
Marilyn Holmes - Chair, Instrument Playground
Kitty Pearl - Vice Chair, Instrument Playground
Margaret Lahrmann - Chair, Picture the Music
Violet Steinmeyer - Vice Chair, Picture the Music
Terri Ciccolella - Chair, Powell Hall Opportunities
Dan Gogel - Vice Chair, Gypsy Caravan
Linda Lee - Chair, Parties of Note
Anne von der Heydt - Vice Chair, Parties of Note
Marilyn Gordon - Chair, Symphony Boutique
Rebecca Gorski - Vice Chair, Symphony Boutique
Hank Greer - Chair, Communications
Anne Carman - Vice Chair, Communications
Sara Fabick - Chair, One and Done 
Linda Seibert - Vice Chair, One and Done 
Penny Bari - Chair, New and Prospective Members
Edith Wenzel - Vice Chair, New and Prospective Members
Libby Weinman - Chair, Regular Members
Stephanie Jones - Vice Chair, Regular Members

We are still working on filling the remaining open positions of Chair, Gypsy Caravan; Vice Chair, Powell Hall Opportunities and Chair, Nominating.

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 (current tally is 368 members with 49% participation)
• Increase SVA fund raising profits to exceed $250,000 (current tally is > $192,000)
• Increase direct contacts of SVA education projects and tours to 25,500 community members (current tally is > 21,000 direct contacts)

 FUNDRAISING

2012 Gypsy Caravan
Thousands of shoppers descended upon the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis on Memorial Day to search for that special antique, craft or flea market find. Using Groupon sales to entice “early bird” shoppers, general admission pre-sales at the STL Symphony Box Office and an entrance fee increase (the first in 20 years), the SVA expects to make a profit of more than $130,000 this year! 

Once again, SVA members answered the call to become Friends of Gypsy Caravan. Members that donated $10 or more were acknowledged on a special page in the 2012 Gypsy Caravan Shopper’s Guide that raised more than $1,700. SVA members sold ad space and prepared the layout for the Shopper’s Guide which has proved invaluable for vendors and attendees alike.

SVA volunteers generously give of their time and talents to Gypsy Caravan and are proud to have been able to raise more than $3.5 million for the STL Symphony since the event’s inception.

Party On!
Are you on the guest list for one of the 2012-2013 Parties of Note? It’s not too late to join the fun and include your friends. Remaining reservations are available for purchase online and through the Box Office at 314-534-1700. 

SVA Boutique Soars
With the conclusion of the 2011-2012 season, the Powell Hall Boutique reports another successful year thanks to the dedication and commitment of many loyal volunteers. We are happy to report a preliminary profit of more than $11,000 that will benefit the STL Symphony.

Current committee volunteers will be contacted soon to confirm participation for the 2012-2013 season. New volunteers are always welcome, so if you are interested, please contact the SVA Office at 314-289-4168 or get in touch with Chair Marilyn Gordon or Vice Chair Rebecca Gorski.

Schnucks Shopping Supports the Symphony
Do you shop at Schnucks? If so, you can support the STL Symphony every time you pay your grocery bill.  Get a free eScrip Community Card at the store and designate the St. Louis Symphony as your preferred organization by registering your card online or by calling 1-800-931-6258. (Group ID 500006368) When you check out, just give the card to the cashier and a portion of your grocery bill will be donated to the STL Symphony.

EDUCATION

Come Out and Play with Us
Instrument Playground Chair Marilyn Holmes and Vice Chair Kitty Pearl, working with Dacy Gillespie, Education Programs Manager at the STL Symphony, will host an IP Workshop this summer. IP committee members will meet in the Whitaker Room at Powell Hall on August 10 from 10am until 2pm. The day’s agenda includes a workshop with Dacy and STL Symphony musicians as well as a committee meeting to discuss the upcoming year of IP activities.

As one of our dedicated Education committees, we encourage more SVA members to join the group and experience the excitement. With increasing demand each year, the IP group would welcome your participation. Outgoing IP Vice Chair Correne Murphy has graciously agreed to continue to perform the maintenance of our musical instruments, so all we need is your enthusiasm to help with the programs.  Please contact Marilyn Holmes at 314-961-7378 to RSVP for the workshop.

SVA OFFICE

SVA Office Location and Directions
Centene Center for Arts and Education
3547 Olive St., Suite 370
St. Louis, MO 63103
NEW! Summer Office Hours: Mon, Wed 8:00am-5:00pm; Tues, Thurs 9:00am-6:00pm; Fri 9:00am-Noon 

SVA committee meetings can be scheduled at the SVA office with Director of Volunteer Activities, Amee Colvin. For these pre-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 Amee will respond. You may also call the office directly at 314-289-4168 for building entrance.