The music list for this Spring is:

• Bright Canaan – arr. Alice Parker and Robert Shaw
• Come Away To The Skies – arr. Alice Parker
• My God Is a Rock – arr. Alice Parker and Robert Shaw
• I Will Arise – arr. Alice Parker and Robert Shaw
• Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal – arr. Alice Parker
• Beautiful Dreamer – Stephen C. Foster
• Gentle Annie – Stephen C. Foster
• Swanee River – Stephen C. Foster
• Camptown Races – Stephen C. Foster, arr. Jack Halloran
• Oh! Susanna – words and music by Stephen C. Foster, arr. Mark Hayes
• How Can I Keep From Singing? – arr. Bradley Ellingboe
• Ching-A-Ring Chaw – adapted by Aaron Copland, arr. Irving Fine
• Home On The Range – arr. Mark Hayes
• Elijah Rock – arr. Jester Hairston
• Ride The Chariot – arr. William Henry Smith
• Deep River – arr. Roy Ringwald
• Ev’ry Time I Feel The Spirit – arr. William L. Dawson
• Soon-Ah Will Be Done – arr. William L. Dawson
• Witness – arr. Jack Halloran
• Shenandoah – arr. Gerald Hartley
• I Dream of Jeannie – Stephen C. Foster, arr. Walter Ehret

The Valdosta Choral Guild is an SATB group that meets every Monday night at 7:30p.m. at the First Baptist Church in downtown Valdosta.

Invitation via Brother Andy Fore. Please contact the Webmaster for more information.

Dr. Lavan R. Robinson, the beloved mentor to the Zeta Gamma chapter, and VSU Professor Emeritus celebrated his 91st birthday today. Dr. Robinson holds a special place in all Sinfonians hearts for being the oldest living member of our noble order. In Addition to being one of the kindest and loving people you could ever meet, he represents a wealth of knowledge and life experience. Having greatly inspired the brothers  of the Zeta Gamma chapter, they are now in their 6th year of hosting a music scholarship in Dr. Robinson’s name. Dr. Robinson is happily married and currently resides in Valdosta, GA.

We had three Zeta Gamma brothers that graduated this Fall.

• Brother Ronald Hill II, Bachelor of Music Education
• Robert Kenneth O’Neal, Bachelor of Music Education
• Brother Michael David Oppel Jr., Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance

Please send photographs of the graduates to webmaster@vsusinfonia.org.

• Alex “Bishop” Brown
• Steven “2 Cool” Galloway
• Corey “MoanA Lisa” Geddings
• Tyree “Hang Man” Scott
• Preston “Houdini” Anderson
• Riley “The Fourth” Porter

Much thanks goes to these guys and the other 7 members from Rho Alpha who were in attendance!

• Nicholas “Under Armor” Clisby
• Paul “Pickles” Kennedy
• Blake “Sand Trap” Rothermel
• Ken “Dial Up” Sirmans

Honorary:

• Andrew “Equal Opportunity” Fore

We held a joint initiation with chapters in Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and South Carolina. Special thanks to the Lander University Rho Alpha chapter for bringing 7 additional initiates with them. We had over 30 brothers that made the trek. Great fun and fellowship followed!

The Zeta Gamma Chapter is assisting Camden County HIgh School in manning the concession stands at the Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. The chapter is in need of volunteers to help them on the following days:

• October 4
• October 18
• October 31

The money raised at these events will go towards the Dr. Lavan R. Robinson Music Scholarship as well as the Zeta Gamma Chapter. Anyone interesting in volunteering on behalf of the Zeta Gamma Chapter please contact Michael Oppel (president@vsusinfonia.org) for more information.

To read the Statement of Position on Probate Shows, please click here. This document is the result of almost two years of collaborative work between the National Executive Committee and leaders from chapters at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Probate shows are a tradition that originated in historically Black fraternities and sororities and are an integral part of student life on the campuses of historically Black colleges and universities.

The Statement of Position on Probate Shows will be published in the collected Risk Management Policies in the next revision of that document, due out in November 2009. Because the statement merely clarifies the interpretation and enforcement of the existing Policy on Hazing, the directives contained within the Statement of Position on Probate Shows are in effect immediately. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of all chapters to ensure that their activities are in accordance with Fraternity policies at all times.

Chapters who engage in the tradition of probate shows are instructed to consult this document immediately and open a dialogue with their province governor regarding any alterations which need to be made to their programs. The next submission deadline for province governor approval of chapters’ probationary membership programs is May 1, 2010, so chapters and province governors are well served to work together in the intervening months to ensure that the probate show practices of the chapter are in accordance with these directives and that they are documented thoroughly.