FWD Directory - President's Award

There are so many of you who perform great deeds for your District and your brother in harmony, that it’s sometimes difficult to single out one person. But, I’ve found a man who manages to stand out for his many accomplishments.

This man has been a member of the Society for some fifteen years and has been an active and enthusiastic participant the entire time. He has been an active quartet man from the get-go with several successful competition and show quartets. He’s been a mainstay in the administration of each chapter he has belonged to. and been instrumental in the chartering of two new chapters as well as singing in an International medalist chorus. He’s also just assumed the position of a frontline chorus director.

As if all this weren’t enough, he’s also devoted hours of time and energy to help indoctrinate the youth of our District in the barbershop style working and volunteering at youth camps and schools. Some years back he took over the reins of running the District’s High School Quartet Contest and even now is working to re-structure that event to make it even better.

I’m sure by now you recognize this man, and it’s my honor to present the Far Western District President’s Award for 2009 to Bruce Sellnow.

Awarded for performance and service during their twelve years representing the Far Western District while performing and entertaining throughout the United States and around the world. They have created happiness and harmony wherever they have appeared.

Jim was the FWD Harmony Foundation Chairman for numerous years.

50th Anniversary of the FWD

FAR WESTERN DISTRICT
ASSOCIATION of CHAPTERS
Proclamation

WHEREAS, the 139th Street Quartet was founded in 1975, and competed in their first Far Western District Contest in October 1975 where they finished in Second Place, and

WHEREAS, the 139th Street Quartet qualified for and competed in their first International Quartet Contest in San Francisco in 1976 where they finished in Tenth Place, thus beginning a string of nineteen appearances in the International Quartet Contest, and

WHEREAS, the quartet won the Far Western District Quartet Championship in October 1975, and

WHEREAS, the quartet finished in the top ten at the International Quartet Contest a record seventeen times, finishing Second Place twice, and in other medal positions five times, and

WHEREAS, the 139th Street Quartet has performed in more than 400 chapter shows in 43 states and 8 countries, and

WHEREAS, the quartet has appeared on national television more than a dozen times on such programs as Cheers, Night Court, Ferris Buhler's Day Off, and Neil Diamond Specials on ABC and HBO, and

WHEREAS, in 1987 they sang for three months the entire a cappella score and acted in a musical adaptation of the Sinclair Lewis play "Babbitt, A Marriage" at the Mark taper Forum at the Music Center in Los Angeles, and

WHEREAS, in 1990, due to their own personal effort, money, and initiative, brought to the United States a barbershop quartet from the Soviet Union, the Quiet Don Quartet, who then performed with chapters throughout the country, thus stimulating media coverage, and led to their meeting with President Ronald Reagan, and

WHEREAS, in 1992 the quartet visited Russia and the Quiet Don Quartet, and sang at the conservatories and on concert stages throughout Russia and the rest of Europe, and

WHEREAS, the impetus for the annual MBNA College Quartet Contest held during the International Convention came from members of the quartet, and

WHEREAS, the quartet has involved their own children in their performances, thus encouraging other children to sing, and

WHEREAS, the quartet has received two Gold and two Platinum awards from the Record Industry Association of America for their participation in Neil Diamond's two Christmas albums,

NOW THEREFORE BE IT PROCLAIMED by Bob House, that the past and present members of The 139th Street Quartet (Doug Anderson, Jim Meehan, Larry Wright, John Sherburn, Dan Jordan, Pete Neushul, and Jim Kline) is awarded the 1996 Far Western District President's Award in recognition of their contributions to the Far Western District Association of Chapters and The Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America in the quest to Keep the Whole World Singing.

Presented this 22nd day of March in the year 1997.
Bob House
President, Far Western District