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1 President’s Column groups to attend our shows (with their membership cards) at SBS By Brandon Bentz, President member prices. My view is that we are one big community of Blues As we approach the New Year, it is time to lovers, and we need to be open-armed to each other. I also targeted sponsored shows at higher visibility venues, such as the Harmonica reflect on the past year. It is a useful exercise to undertake each year to critically evaluate Slapdown at the Harris Center. The Harris Center sends out their where you have been and where you want to seasonal mailers to 100,000+ members, and the advertising power go.I think this has been a great year, and could not be denied. In addition, their membership is a very affluent, I'd like to share with you how I became your educated, and involved group. We signed up 35 new individual and President. family memberships at that show. Our next show to be held there will be the Summer Soulstice 2019 with Wee Willie Walker, Terri I took over the Presidency a little less than a year ago, when Renee Odabi, and the Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra. Hope to see you Erickson was suddenly faced with a serious health problem. I had there. taken the Vice Presidency over just a few months earlier when the former VP stepped down. The Board voted me into the VP spot, to Next was the Board membership crisis. If we fell below a critical fill the vacancy and introduce new blood and new ideas. As a new number of Board members, our Non-profit would dissolve. So, we started a blitz of encouragement for not only new members, but Board of Directors member of the SBS, I had posed an idea to the Board to become a Confederation of Chapters across Northern members who would participate in our governance. We are now California, with the thought that it would strengthen the representa- seeing a big upswing in involved members who want to help on the tion of the Sacramento Blues Society regionally and nationally. Board or on Committees to steer our society toward the future. When Renee realized the responsibility of the Presidency would be Finally, our financial problems needed to be addressed. I became too much to contend with, while she dealt with her health, she an- the Chair of the Events Committee and we went to an every-other- nounced she needed to step down. At that time the Board proposed month schedule for sponsoring events. And we aimed to bring higher quality events to our stage, to make them more noteworthy that Renee and I switch positions, Renee would become the Vice President and I would assume the Presidency, with the contingency and attract more members and more affluent members. An example that the Board members help me navigate these responsibilities to was the Harmonica Slapdown, that profited the society more than - make up for my lack of experience. The Board agreed, and I have any other show in the recent past. Additionally, we now have some to say, they've proven to be an amazing support system. one who is spearheading fund raising and I anticipate that this will also bring in more money than before. Lastly, I want to recognize Immediately I was faced with the challenges of a dwindling mem- efforts by Board members to raise funds, such as the wonderful job bership, losing Board members to term limits and being at risk of Sally Katen is doing with donation raffles at our Hall of Fame and falling below the critical Board member numbers, as well as a very Membership events. Kudos to her. lean Society budget. My first task to tackle was the membership. I realized that there were other Blues groups in the Sacramento area Overall, I think it has been a very positive year. But, at this new that had within their ranks disgruntled former SBS members. So, year time it is a time to anticipate the challenges of the future. I proposed to the Board that we allow these members of the other We continue to need more financial stability, more members, and The Sacramento Blues Society (SBS) is one of the oldest blues societies in California, founded in 1979. SBS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation formed to preserve and promote blues music as an art form. SBS has kept the blues tradition alive in the Sacramento area by promoting the local blues music scene, bringing international- ly renowned artists to the region and publishing the “Blue Notes” six times a year. SBS is an affiliate member of The Blues Foundation, which honored us with a 2015 Keeping the Blues Alive Award, and provides educational opportunities for young people with The Blues Foundation’s “Blues in The Schools” Program. 2019 Committee Chairs Board of Directors 2019 Board of Directors Blues in the Schools - Lisa Phenix Meetings - 2nd Brandon Bentz Hall of Fame - Sally Katen Tuesday of each Cari Chenkin Events - TBD Month, 7:00 p.m. Ro Bloodwell Membership & Sponsorships - Linda McShane All SBS Members in Art Quinn good standing are invited Public Relations & Social Media - Art Quinn Rich Gormley to attend. Volunteer Coordinator -TBD Mari Lu Onweller For more details, Donor Gifts - TBD including meeting Jim Tatol Blue Notes Newsletter - Cari Chenkin location, check: Rosemaire Duffy Website and IBC Competition - Dave Alcock www.sacblues.com/ Tony Westlake who-we-are/ Help keep the Blues alive - Contact a Chair or Board Member to volunteer for the Board or a Committee! 2 President's Column, con't. from P. 2 February Is Black History Month increased member participation. We also need to hold onto our February is Black History Month, and it’s worth mentioning here younger fanbase, which is being addressed in our Blues In the because the Blues, the music that this Society is dedicated to sup- Schools project, but we need other ideas to complement their porting and preserving, can actually be considered a history of the success. Finally, we will need leadership which will continue these Black American experience. positive steps. My term as President will expire in January and, due From this perspective, it’s important to recognize the sacrifices, to my getting a great job with an ENT group in Yakima, WA, I will be struggles, contributions and achievements that African-Americans relocating. I hope to create a vibrant Blues scene in Yakima, and will have made, and how the music they created has not only chronicled still continue my relationship with the SBS until it is time for me to those milestones, but has also given rise to most of the popular “go back to Mother Earth”. I hope you feel as I believe, that I have music genres we listen to today. Those of us who are teachers, par- helped to steer this big battleship of a society toward calmer waters. ents and grandparents have an obligation to educate our children And I hope the new skipper of the Society will come on board with to understand the power, beauty and history of Blues, and how it his/her own ideas and energy, and continue this forward progress. relates to American history and culture. It’s crucial to heighten our It has been an honor to be your President, and I look forward to awareness and understanding of a significant segment of society continuing to collaborate on into the future. that for too long has been marginalized and suppressed. 2018 Board of Directors Election Results When researching ideas for this article, I came across a number of websites offering a rich variety of essays, information, photos and The Sacramento Blues Society had its annual member meeting, sound clips about the history of the Blues and American culture. I’m combined with our holiday party and election for vacancies on the including a partial list here, so those interested in learning or teach- Board of Directors for 2019. Six new Directors were elected: Ro ing about it can enjoy those resources. Bloodwell, Cari Chenkin, Rosemaire Duffy, Marilu Onweller, Jim Tatol and Tony Westlake. They will join continuing Board members ▪ https://www.allaboutbluesmusic.com/black-history-month/ Brandon Bentz, Art Quinn and Rich Gormley to complete the 2019 ▪ http://teachrock.org/teachrock-during-black-history-month-part- Board of Directors. Officers will be elected from the Board members 3-music-as-a-representation-of-people-and-place/ at the January Board of Directors meeting on January 8, 2019, and ▪ https://nafme.org/during-black-history-month-in-february-explore- the new slate of officers will be listed in the next issue of the Blue musics-rich-role/ Notes. ▪ http://www.toledolibrary.org/blog/10-influential-songs-to-celebrate- black-history-month ▪ http://library.rockhall.com/black_history_month/BHM/music ▪ https://www.pbs.org/theblues/classroom/defhistory.html Part of the Sacramento Blues Society’s mission of “keeping the Cari Chenkin Blues alive” should include making sure that we all do our part Ro Bloodwell MariLu Onweller to honor the Black musicians who created (and still perform) this uniquely American art form, and to share our knowledge of it with future generations. Membership Update By Linda McShane Hello SBS Members, Tony Westlake As I finish processing 52 membership forms from December, I am Jim Tatol happy to say that 29 are new members & 23 are renewing! Wel- Sacramento Blues Society Publications come to the new members & thank you all for supporting our local Blues Society! Blues News, Weekly E-mail - Willie Brown Blue Notes, Bi-Monthly Newsletter - Now for the hard part! The December membership party is always Cari Chenkin, Editor fun & brings in many new members.The SBS would love to provide more successful events during the year, but it takes work! So if you Layout this issue: Cari Chenkin can volunteer to help out in any way, please step up.