Notes from the Alumni Office - Saint Andrew's School Archive - St ...

News of the SchoolSAS-Peace Corps- a partnership isformedAt the invitation of George Gillet III '43, adevelopment officer for the Peace Corps,St. Andrew's School recently entered into apartnership with an overseas Peace Corpsvolunteer who is endeavoring to bringsanitation facilities and clean drinkingwater to the town of Kougnohou in Togo,West Africa.The Peace Corps Partnership Programprovides opportunities for a group to meet aspecific need in an overseas communitywhere a Peace Corps volunteer is working.A community with a pressing need for awell, a clinic, a new school facility orsanitation facilities may draw up a proposalwith the help of the volunteer. The U. S."partner" then ,undertakes to raise therequired funds although the localcommunity "will contribute all theresources they possibly can of their own ­land, raw building materials and manuallabor." (Peace Corps information leaflet)The St. Andrew's Vestry agreed tobecome a "partner" on behalf of the wholeSchool community. The project in Togo,West Africa, is seeking to improve the watersupply and sanitation system, notsurprising in light of the statistics of thecases of dysentery recently reported by anarea nurse. (Six hundred cases in a town ofabout 5,000)SAS undertook to raise the $1,050 to payfor 4Y2 tons of cement, 120 bars ofreinforcing iron, 20 sheets of roofing zinc,wire, hinges, nails, latches and wood:materials needed for several public latrinesand 50 to 60 household latrines; drilling feesfor new wells; and four reams of whitepaper, one jar of reproducing ink, one boxof stencils, poster paper and paints for athree-page bi-monthly health magazine andhealth posters.By the end of the Fall term, the Vestryhad raised sufficient funds to send the checkto the Peace Corps, and also to fulfill aprior, long-standing commitment to theChristian Childrens Fund to whom theysend $250 a year to support a little girl inThailand.The money was raised in the collectionsat Sunday services; but it must be noted that$500 came as a gift from the members of theChoir, matched by an equal amount fromthe Choir Master, and one of those Sundayswas Parents' weekend! The Vestry has yet tohear from Peter O'Niel, the volunteer inKougnohou, but the staff at Headquartersassures us they will receive photos andletters of thanks. 0Led by Marc Cheban. the Concert Choir sings "Hallelujah" birthday greeting over the phone. Feesforthis unique service go toward the cost ofthe planned Spring concert tour in France.Concert Choir to Tour in FranceLast summer, choir master Marc Chebaninitiated the first steps, of what would bethousands, toward taking the St. Andrew'sconcert choir on tour in France. Marcremarked that "some of these initial stepswere clumsy, but ever so gradually thingsstarted to fall beautifully into place." Hehappened upon the Cultural HeritageAlliance (CHA) of Philadelphia, and aftermany, many hours of discussion with itsdirector (and valuable assistance from AliceRyan, one of the trip chaperones), anitinerary was forged which would include IIdays of travel in and around Paris. The tripis planned for the Spring vacation, 1983;and since the cost per person is $995, thechoir immediately set out to raise $17,000.It was determined that parent pledgeswould have to cover much of that total, butwhatever funds the choir could raise on itsown would dramatically reduce the parentcontributions. Tentative plans are toperform at Chartres Cathedral and in thecities of Rouen and Chantilly.The choir launced a mad calendar/posterdrive and a jewelry sale. Other donationswere raised through special concerts givenin the community. One of the mostingenious methods of raising money is theSinging Greeting Card. For a modest fee,paid by a friend or parent, the concert choirsings to the lucky recipient in the diningroom or "on location': On one memorableoccasion, they sang a wake-up birthdaygreeting in a student's room at 7:02 a.m.!One-half of the requests are for telephonegreetings. Almost daily the choir trudges upto Marc's apartment, during free moments,to sing a "greeting" over the phone.Although they have sung college acceptancecongratulations and even a new-babycongratulations, the most popular greetingis for birthdays. There are four versions: thestock melody set in four part harmony, aHallelujah Chorus version, a fancycontrapuntal setting, and a jazzy "boomchic"setting.The St. Andrew's concert choir isenjoying its eighth year of existence. Thissmall select group of singers performsdistinguished choral music in specialconcerts, on and off campus. As the group'sreputation has grown, they have hadinvitations to perform for visiting alumnigroups and trustees, as well as performingin area churches. A culmination of thechoir's growth in quality and reputationcame when they were invited to sing at oneof the prestigious evening concerts atLongwood Gardens, during the 1980Christmas Seasofl. More recently, the choirhas begun to collaborate with other choirsin performances such as this year's serviceof Lessons and Carols.The Spring trip is the next step in thecontinuing growth of the Concert Choir.Marc has faith that plans will continue to gosmoothly and that he and the choirmembers will be able to write everyone fromthe steps of Notre Dame de Paris.12