Troubadour

COTS

International could take lessons from our Pioneer Guys on how to conduct a meaningful and unforgettable COTS.

I have attended twelve or fifteen COTS (which were all conducted by and staffed by International) , and this very first COTS conducted by Pioneer was head and shoulders above anything that has been done by International over the last fifteen years. Congratulations to Larry Parker, Jim Kunz and all our Pioneer guys for making it so fabulous!!!

You asked about suggestions for the future, and what comes to mind is that we need to conduct a "Chapter Bulletin Writing Class," if not every year then at least once every two or three years.

In Harmony, Marvin

Hi there fellow Pionetters

I came home just a little tired (exhausted) after our great weekend at Cots and then I thought about all the presenters and realized that I was just being a little "wimpy". One has just to imagine all the work that goes into a weekend such as this.

Hats off to everyone involved in this great experience. Our collective class is indebted to you.

Happy New Year to everyone.

Bill Strong
VP Program
Windsor Chapter

COTS 2008 Big Success!
(click image for album)

If you missed COTS you missed out! Just read these report from the Lansing weekend!

At the conclusion of COTS on Sunday, the four certified COTS instructors from this weekends faculty (Pioneers' own Al Bonney, Brian Dunckel and Doran McTaggert along with Johnny Appleseed Districts' Fred Schmidt) met with PIO President Jim Kunz, COTS Coordinator Larry Parker, and PIO Director of Marketing and PR Rick Anderson (who also taught the Mktg and PR Classes this weekend) to begin work on our COTS for 2009.

We have already started looking at what other districts are doing, and our heads are swimming with ideas from our meeting for making next years COTS even better! BUT WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU! What would you like to see offered as classes? Are there needs not being met by the existing COTS? Please take the time to let me know by emailing me

Thank you, and be assured, we are going to do all we can to make this experience EXCEED your expectations!

Brian Dunckel
Executive Vice President
Pioneer District

Another "GREAT" year! Thanks to all the Quartets who entertained us and stayed to sing songs and tags at the afterglow. To our MC - Doran and Al Fisk for his CJ class. Even bigger thanks to the COTS Staff who did a "Fantastic" job! And the Hotel staff who took care of all our needs. The food was abundant, the fellowship of the other chapters was so overwhelming. So if your chapter ask at the end of 2008 for anyone interested in going to COTS - Jump on it like a Fat kid on a bag of donuts - you'll have the best time ever.

Thanks again to all!

Sincerely: John.H.Baker IV - Grand Rapids Chapter / Bass - Barbershop Style

John Baker is correct. It was a great time and we learned alot. Thanks to Larry Parker and Jim Kunz for doing a fabulous job. A year ago when the Society said it was not going to finance?the COTS, because of the expense of the move to Nashville, I was concerned, about the training for our new 2008 chapter officers. I asked Jim Kunz and Larry Parker to take on the task of getting the instructors and setting up for the COTS. They really came through and the attendance was great. Now you know why Jim was selected as District President and Larry (former District President) is a Hall of Famer. These guys are truly the "cream of the crop."?That said, we had some great instructors and many from our own district. This helped keep our costs in control and I heard from a number of guys, that it was the best yet.

Thank You, to all who made it a success.

Raleigh Bloch
(now) Past President Pioneer District



February 2008 Archive \| Ads \| Submissions \| Links Online Edition #2