JAVS Spring 2011

F ROM THE P RESIDENT

• The AVS Viola Bank awarded its first instruments to students in need dur ing the fall of 2010 and facilitated the donation of a quartet of string instruments to a local school in need at the Cincinnati congress. • The Maurice Gardner Composition Competition was inaugurated at the 38th International Viola Congress in Cincinnati, Ohio, this past summer. • Merchandise with the AVS logo is now available in the online store www.cafepress.com/amervlasociety. In addition to the aforementioned suc cesses, the AVS is in the final stages of its group exemption application to the Internal Revenue Service. While not all current viola organizations were able to join at this time, the opportunity will present itself annually for groups to join the AVS 501(c)3. Also, please know that the AVS will continue to support local, state, and regional viola organizations around the country through announcements in the AVS E Newsletter and reviews of viola events in the JAVS . The last major contribution that I am in the process of overseeing—with the guidance, leadership, and efforts of our webmaster, Jason Bonham—is a move toward a more integrated online data management system. The intent is to simplify the membership renewal process and improve the flow of data between the AVS National Office in Dallas, Texas, and the various chapters

around the country. Your patience is appreciated as this process is imple mented. As I reflect on these past three years, and as you can see from the many names mentioned above, an organization is only as good as its board members. I have been fortunate to work with a host of wonderful col leagues to whom I will be forever grateful. They are too many to name without the risk of accidentally omit ting someone, but suffice it to say that much of the advice and support I have received during my tenure as president has come from both current and past board members, some of whom I never actually had the privilege of serving with. I cannot thank them enough for the late-night phone calls, the numer ous e-mails, and the little ways in which they have “been there” for me. I thank you all for your continued sup port of me and of the organization. I know that you will join me in support ing my successor, Nokuthula Ngwenyama, as she embarks on a new stage in her service to the American Viola Society. I trust that she will lead us with vision, strength, and grace.

As I write my final president’s message, I would first like to recap some of the accomplishments of the AVS board these past several months: • The AVS website has undergone a complete redesign under the direc tion of our webmaster, Jason Bonham. • The Primrose International Viola Competition, under the directorship of Nokuthula Ngwenyama, has established a new home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in time for the upcoming 2011 competition. • JAVS Editor David Bynog has begun uploading past issues of the JAVS to the AVS website, and he also recently launched the American Viola Project making scores of previously unavail able music accessible to the viola community.

Warmly,

Juliet White-Smith President

V OLUME 27 NUMBER 1 5