Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

Saturday, January 25

The W. L. “Bill” Green Memorial/Baldwin County Sacred Harp Convention was called to order by Bill Hogan leading 140. He then gave a warm welcome to all in attendance. He continued by leading 68t, and offered the opening prayer.

Leaders: J.A. Mosley 373; Rodney Ivey 416; Nate Green and Norma Green 455t, 455b; Alice Mosley 45t; Mary Whitehurst 442t; Nancy Hogan 464; Nancy Van Den Akker 131b; Ken Kelley 491; Nicole Bowman 211; Wayne Jones 567; Henry Johnson 266; Barbara Jones 405; Morgan Bunch 227; Tommie Spurlock 299; Robert Chambless 283b; Wynette Smith 282; Henry McGuire 508.

The following officers were elected or appointed to serve: Chairman—Bill Hogan; Vice Chairmen—J.A. Mosley and Rodney Ivey; Arranging Committee/Secretaries—Nancy Hogan and Mary Whitehurst; Memorial Committee—Morgan Bunch and Sue Bunch.

RECESS

The class was brought back together by Rodney Ivey leading 87. Leaders: Sandra Wilkinson 571; Cora Wareh 587; Buna Mae Purvis 408; Mary Amelia Taylor 35; Alice Sundberg 367; Joe Nall 543; Billy Kelley 497; Sharon DuPriest 229; Sue Bunch 504; Kevin Eddins, Eli Eddins, Ezra Eddins, Elam Eddins, Ewan Eddins, and Eric Eddins 96; Reba Windom 505; Robert Vaughn 586; Judy Caudle 86; Paul White 235; Russ Scholz 585; Judy Chambless 512; Matthew Dawson 132; Lisa LaMing and Matthew Dawson 463; Paul Figura 438t; Sarah Beasley 380t (in memory of Bill Green); Carolyn Thompson 55; Faiz Wareh 329; Ryan Bowman 398b; Bridgett Hill Kennedy 410. The class sang 369, and Aubrey Barfield offered the blessing for the noon meal.

LUNCH

The afternoon session was brought to order by Bill Hogan leading 555. The Chairman thanked everyone for the wonderful lunch and announced cards available to sign for the sick and shut-ins. Leaders: Scott Ivey 292b; Aubrey Barfield 163t; Ernest Cockcroft 553; Tim Royappa 65; Tim Taylor 186; Crystal Menas and J.A. Mosely 72; Angela Myers 552; Evie Eddins 563; Tor Bejnar, Alice Bejnar, Morgan Bunch, and Sue Bunch 516; Drew McGuire 276; Dana Eddins and Emily Eddins 49; Willomase Webb Trauner 507b; Adrian Nall 540; Tarik Wareh 385t; Gerald Manning 440b; Becky Briggs 421.

RECESS

The class was brought back to order by Rodney Ivey leading 124b. Leaders: Ann Gray 99; Shannon McKenzie 220; Pattie Wareh 384; Shirley Figura 171; Ken Sundberg 427; Lloyd Jones and Loretta Jones 465, 47b; Stanley Smith 56; Seth Holloway 406; Patrick McKenzie 30b; Elizabeth Duffy 451; Hubert Nall 84; Kevin Dyess 300 (dedicated to Susan Cherones); John Plunkett 320.

Announcements were made. Bill Hogan, Rodney Ivey, J.A. Mosley, and Nate Green led 527 as the closing song. Wayne Jones closed the session with prayer.

Sunday, January 26

The Sunday morning session was called to order by Bill Hogan leading 532. Afterwards he gave a short devotional reading John 3:16-18. Bill then led 533. The class prayed the Lord’s Prayer.

Leaders: J.A. Mosley 491; Rodney Ivey 173; Nate Green and Norma Green 84; Alice Mosley 484; Mary Whitehurst 76b; Nancy Hogan 515; Sharon DuPriest 137; Reba Windom 559; Judy Chambless 68b; Loretta Jones 138t; Lloyd Jones 45t; Daphene Causey 304; Jenny Walther 573; Drew McGuire 478; John Plunkett 477.

RECESS

Bill Hogan brought the class back together by leading 116. Leaders: Robert Chambless 29b; Henry McGuire 522; Hubert Nall 330t; Elizabeth Duffy 159; Georgeanna Presnell and Sylvia Zurko 59; Chip Westbrook 398; Sandra Wilkinson 336t; Joe Nall 30t; Shirley Figura 273; Pattie Wareh 63; Shannon McKenzie 270; Becky Briggs 179.

RECESS

The class was brought back to order by Tarik Wareh leading 156. Leaders: Bridgett Hill Kennedy 450.

Morgan Bunch and Sue Bunch conducted the memorial lesson. Sue Bunch read from John 14. Morgan Bunch reminded us that the memorial lesson is one of the many important traditions of Sacred Harp singing. Sue read the list of names of the sick and shut-ins as follows: Bill Aplin, S.T. Reed, Wilburn Ellison, Susan Cherones, Fred Sitten, C.T. Williams, Kathy Williams, Sammie Oliver, Billy Hawthore, Hobert Ivey, Betty Wright, Margie Smith, Jackson Fleder, and Stanley Smith. Sue led 72 in their honor.

Morgan talked about the legacy left by those on the deceased list and the memories we have of singing with them, foods they always brought, or words they said to us. Morgan read the following list of names of the deceased: Voncile Nall, Genny Whitworth, Jeff Sheppard, Shelbie Sheppard, Lou Cotney, Myrtle Ann Beasley, Lessie Reed, and Bud Oliver—Alabama; Eva Padgett—Florida; Jean Gray and Hugh Bill McGuire—Mississippi; Carlene Griffin—Georgia; Jim Hearne—Missouri; Don Buswell—Arkansas. Members of the Green family were asked to come to the square. Morgan led 269 in memory of the deceased. Mary Whitehurst offered prayer to close the memorial lesson.

Leaders: Angela Myers 414; Russ Hanson and Cheyenne Ivey 511t; Cheyenne Ivey 465; Aubrey Barfield 464; Adrian Nall 572. The class sang 369, and Tommie Spurlock offered the blessing for the noon meal.

LUNCH

The class was called back to order for the afternoon session by Rodney Ivey leading 73 (in memory of Bud Oliver). Leaders: Ryan Bowman 294; Tim Taylor 581b; Scott Ivey 98; Faiz Wareh 412; Carolyn Thompson 66; Paul Figura 505 (in memory of John Merritt); Cooper Smith 348t; Cora Wareh and Mary Whitehurst 69 (in memory of Cora’s great grandmother, Nell Norman); Matthew Dawson 212; Judy Caudle 242 (in memory of Eva Padgett); Robert Vaughn 539; Sue Bunch 514; Mary Amelia Taylor 58; Wynette Smith 146; Tommie Spurlock 264b (by request and in memory of Frances Godwin), 574 (by request); Morgan Bunch 591; Henry Johnson 289; Nicole Bowman 203; Nancy Van Den Akker 38t.

Announcements were made. Bill Hogan, Nancy Hogan, Rodney Ivey, J.A. Mosley, Nate Green, Norma Green, and Mary Whitehurst led 36b as the closing song. Scott Ivey offered the closing prayer.

Chairman—Bill Hogan, Vice Chairmen—J.A. Mosley and Rodney Ivey, Secretaries—Nancy Hogan and Mary Whitehurst