JAVS Fall 2008

F ROM THE P RESIDENT

V OLUME 24 NUMBER 2 5 More news of note: • The 36th International Viola Congress, held in June on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, was an enormous suc cess. Congratulations to Host Chair Nancy Buck for organizing an outstanding event! Kudos is also extended to Nokuthula Ngwenyama on a successful Primrose International Viola Competition held in combination with the congress for the first time since the Guelph congress in 1999. • Make plans now to attend the upcoming International Viola Congress in South Africa, which will be held July 27-August 1, 2009, at the University of Stellenbosch outside Capetown. More information will be posted soon at www.miagi.co.za • The next North American Congress will be hosted by Catharine Carroll June 16-20, 2010, at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. • The American Viola Society is pleased to announce the opening of our new AVS Online Store. Please visit the website at www.cafepress.com/amervlasociety and purchase merchandise to celebrate the 30th anniversary of our organization. You’ll find t-shirts and other items with the AVS logo that you can purchase for yourself or as gifts for the upcoming holiday season. • There has been a recent decision by the International Viola Society, the AVS’s who was elected to the position of president elect. Lembi Veskimets, who just finished a three-year term on the board, will complete the final two years of Thula's at-large posi tion. We say goodbye to Bernard Zaslav, who resigned one year early due to chal lenges to his eyesight. Completing his term will be Michael Fernandez. The four open at-large positions on the board have been filled by Kirsten Docter, Kathryn Plummer, Ann Roggen, and Marcus Thompson. Many thanks to those rotating off the board at this time for their service, in particular Carol Rodland and Dwight Pounds for their years of service and dedication to the organiza tion. (NOTE: This was the first time the bal lot was conducted online. A record number of members participated, and the process proceed ed successfully and without a glitch!)

umbrella organization, to establish a Congress Trust Fund. This fund will be used to support the Congress Host Chair in the rare instance of a deficit. You will see a slight increase in dues beginning January 1, 2009, ($1 for student members; $2 for all other levels of membership) to help support this effort. The AVS is join ing several other international sections, including the Australia/New Zealand, Canadian, and English Viola Societies in the establishment of this important fund. In closing, I wish to express my sincere grati tude to Past-President Helen Callus. She worked tirelessly these past three years to establish a stable and secure organization and to create practical initiatives for the AVS, including the BRATS program and the Viola Bank. She continues to be an active part of the American Viola Society and has already been a welcome advisor and mentor to me as I continue my service to the organi zation in this new role. Finally, I want to extend my gratitude to you, the members of the American Viola Society, for the trust you have placed in me to lead you these next three years. I consider it an honor to serve the organization, and I look forward to a productive term as your president.

Dear AVS Member,

By the time you receive this publication, the United States will have elected a new presi dent and vice-president. No matter the out come of the election, history will have been made, and there is no denying that this will be an event that is remembered for years to come. Just as history is being made and change is being celebrated in the arena of national pol itics, this issue of the Journal of the American Viola Society marks several milestones. We welcome a new Editor, Mr. David Bynog, to the JAVS . David brings a high level of expertise and a sincere love for the viola to this important job. He is currently Assistant Head of Acquisitions at the Fondren Library at Rice University in Houston, Texas. He holds an undergraduate degree in viola per formance and a master’s degree in library sci ence from Louisiana State University, and a master’s degree in viola performance from Rice University. The Board wishes to express its sincere gratitude to Dr. Matthew Dane who served as Editor through the Spring 2008 issue of the Journal. We wish Matt all the best in his future endeavors. The Executive Board of the American Viola Society has seen some changes in conjunc tion with the election this past June. Congratulations to Nokuthula Ngwenyama

Warmly,

Juliet White-Smith