Ditor’s Note

Gary Buterbaugh

Can you believe this is the fourth issue of the “Knights’ Notes”? Thanks again to all of you who have provided encouragement.

For those of you who have a computer, it should be easy for you to read the newsletter on-line. Should you want a hard copy, they are available at $1.00 – just let me know. If you took a copy of the two-sided color Knights’ Notes to a copy center, it would cost you more than $1 to get a copy so this seems fair to me.

If you find something you think would be good for our next issue or if you are writing something for the March issue, please submit it by the 15^th of February.

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♫ President’s Corner - John Parmelee

Where did the year go? I guess we’ve been so busy that time flew by. The fall performance highlight was our being asked to sing at the State Theater. It was an evening of A Cappella that included our chorus, the Altoona Sweet Adeline’s chorus and Our Town quartet. We had an afterglow (thanks to Bill Drosnes) that was fun with some singing and good food.

In October the membership voted on the 2009 Officers:

ü President – John Parmelee

ü Secretary – Jim Decker

ü Treasurer – John Palmgren

ü VP Marketing and Public Relations – Bill Miller

ü VP Membership – Bill Drosnes

ü VP Music and Performance – Logan Hill

ü Member at Large – Brian Humm

We had a good turnout at guest night, however none of the guests have returned on a regular basis. Please keep working on getting your guest excited about our hobby. Remember every Monday night is guest night.

I hope everyone is looking forward to a terrific New Year. We have been working hard on our show music and will continue to do so. We will also fine tune our competition package. I hope you are as excited about the New Year as I am. We are sounding pretty darn good and that’s a tribute to your individual effort. Keep it up.

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Since only two chorus members participated in this when it was introduced in September, it was dropped!

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Practices – Mondays - 7:15 pm at South Hills!

Look for beginning of Joint Practices in February

Our Christmas performances!

(Dates may change!)

December 7^th School of Ag Christmas Tree Festival – PSU Ag Aarena, 2:30 pm

December 8^th The Oaks, 6:30pm

December 12^th Bellefonte Victorian Christmas, 7:00 pm

December 15^th Brookline – The Fairways, 6:15 pm

December 22^ndHospital & Nursing Home Visits, 7:00 pm

Seldon Smith

Show Chair

There isn't much to report on the show, other than that we seem to be on schedule for learning our parts, and thanks to everyone for that, especially those who are creating and providing learning tracks.

There is one thing: I am pleased to report that Joe Lundegren, an on-screen meteorologist from AccuWeather, has agreed to be our special guest for the show. He said he would be honored. Many thanks to Bill Starr for the contact.

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Carlton Lehman

Carlton was born on December 20^th of 1927 in Labanon – home of “Lebanon bologna”. He has no natural siblings, but has an adopted sister 10 years younger than he. He was always interested in music and sports. He took trumpet lessons at the age of 9 and at 15 became a member of “The Washington Band”, based in Ann-ville, PA and formed before the Civil War. In 1946, he graduated from South Lebanon High School, where he played soccer, basketball and baseball. He worked summers, while in High School, at the Hershey Chocolate factory.

After High School Carlton enlisted in the Army Air Corps (now the US Air Force) and served for 3 years as a Control Tower Operator. After an honorable discharge, he enrolled at West Chester State Teachers College where he graduated in 1953 with a BS in Health & Physical Education. He taught and coached at Steelton-Highspire, Towanda, and Central Dauphin East High Schools before going to Penn State where he received a Masters in Education in 1957. In 1968, he began a 16 year career with the Pennsylvania’s Bur-eau of Vocational Rehabilitation working as a counselor, supervisor, and personnel director. In 1999, he and his wife moved to State College to enjoy the advantages of retiring to a university town.

Carlton was married in August of 1955 and he and his Pamela recently celebrated their 53^rd wedding anniversary. They have 3 daughters, all married, 1 granddaughter, 3 grandsons, 1 step-granddaughter, 4 step great-granddaughters, and 3 step great-grandsons

Carlton enjoys watching sports on TV, attending theatre, reading, and working on Sudoku puzzles. For a time he volunteered at the Penn State All Sports Museum. He is a season ticket holder for most of the both men’s and women’s athletics events at Penn State – he bleeds Blue & White !!!

Carlton became involved in the Lebanon Chapter Barbershop Chorus when he was working for the state and sang with them until he his work took him out of the Lebanon area. We are pleased that he joined us when he moved to State College. He is one of our faithful leads!

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Paul Hamilton

Paul Hamilton is one of our newest members, joining the chorus in the Spring and singing our May show with us.

Paul was born in Bellefonte in 1962 and spent all of his life in the State College area. His Mom and Dad live here in State College. His Dad is a retired Penn State Prof and his Mom is retired as a secretary for the School of Dentistry. He has one sister who lives in New Jersey and has three sons. Paul has always had musical interests and plays the tuba, piano, cornet and guitar, and now, the mandolin. And, of course, he is now singing with the “world famous” Nittany Knights!

After high school, Paul did some flight training and became a student pilot. He is in the home restoration business, painting and redoing houses

Paul is recently divorced and enjoys spending time with his son and daughter (16 years old and driving!). He says his hobbies are flying planes, playing guitar, singing with the Nittany Knights, and on- and off- road motor biking.

Paul enjoys trying to learn four-part barbershop harmony better. He likes coming out on Mondays to see people and thinks the Knights are a “great bunch of guys” (boy does he have a lot to learn!! lol). He says the Afterglows and parties with good people are fun.

Say hello to Paul in our lead session. He’s the one singing his heart out!

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“Knights’ Notes” is published quarterly for the members of the Nittany Knights Barbershop Chorus in State College, PA. It is available via email, on the web, and in hard copy. Contact Gary Buterbaugh by phone at 724-910-3006 or by email at “glbuter @ auxmail .iup.edu”.

♫ Direct from the Director

Joe Malafarina

Hard to believe that it’s Thanksgiving and Christmas time, but…we’re here! It has been a full year of activities and more events in store for the end of the year. We’ve had a very successful fall performance schedule and we have plenty to do before 2009 arrives.

Currently, we have performances for Bellefonte Victorian Christmas, the Festival of Trees, the Oakes in Pleasant Gap, Mt. Nittany Medical Center and possibly another site. At least we get a break for First Night – a wonderful event, but a chance to take a break and attend one of the other concerts.

Meanwhile, we are well into our 2009 show songs with three songs underway and a fourth to be started shortly. Most of us need to spend some time with our MP3 players and listen to some of the fine efforts of Bill Drosnes and his learning tracks orchestra!

We’ll continue to add tracks courtesy of Brian Humm and whoever has procured said tracks. We are making progress but we have to continue our efforts. It’ll be worth it!

Those of you who are able to visit Altoona on any Tuesday night should consider doing so. I’m sure the Altoona boys will appreciate the visit and I’ll bet you’ll learn a few things from Michael, as well.

Finally, thanks to all of you for a truly great year! It’s been quite busy for all of us and you all deserve a vacation for at least a couple of days. Make the holidays restful and joyful and say a prayer for the whole group when you get a chance. Take care of your families and have a great Christmas Season!

. . . about the barbershopper who was in bad shape? He constantly gasped for breath and his eyes bulged. The doctors didn’t give him long to live so he decided to live it up. Withdrawing all his money from the bank, he went out on a shopping spree and his last stop was the most expensive haberdashery in the city. He pointed out a dozen silk shirts. He wore a size fourteen.

The clerk said, “You neck looks bigger than fourteen. You need a sixteen.”

The man insisted, “I know my size! I want them in a fourteen!”

The clerk said, “Okay, I’ll get them for you, but I want to warn you . . . if you wear a fourteen you’ll be gasping for your breath all day and your eyes will bulge!