Bruce W. Becker

Past President Memories

Bruce W. Becker (1989-1991)

I saw this time at the beginning of the 1990’s in the development of ACDA-MN as transformational! Within the first quarter of my tenure, national dues allotments from the national office were frozen, due to some financial struggles at the national level. As a result, our state organization, so dependent upon those allotments, had no funds to operate, and we were quickly depleting any reserves to pay for producing Star of the North, and other necessary expenses. It was at that time that I began to view the future of ACDA-MN differently. Along with the Board of Directors, we understood that we needed to be fiscally sound and less dependent upon ACDA national for our financial security. Therefore, we laid the groundwork for developing new profit-making state-wide activities and events for our membership: Junior High Honor Choir, Children’s Honor Choir, Collegiate Honor Choir, Star of the North Festivals for Show Choir, Jazz Choir, and Chamber/Madrigal Ensembles. In addition, we needed to re-position both the Fall Convention and Summer Dialogue to begin returning improved profits to the treasury. While these activities were being developed, we saw the need to begin the process of seeking affiliate status with ACDA. That meant the continuing need and confident resolve for ACDA-MN to be independent and financially healthy.

Other memories during this time period were conducting a survey among the ACDA-MN membership regarding how our organization could better serve our constituency. The enormous response fueled the visioning program entitled “Vision to Action”. It was those responses, along with the need to turn a profit at the end of the fiscal year that prompted the development of many of the activities mentioned above. In addition, we were able to offer graduate credit for the first time for the Fall Convention and Summer Dialogue through Hamline University.

Speaking of Summer Dialogue, early in my term on the Executive Board, we began to explore collaborating with MMEA to expand from one all-state choir to three groups---mixed, women’s and men’s—and to formally schedule the Summer Dialogue program in conjunction with the All-State Choir camp, a healthy collaboration that remains to the present.

The Board of Directors and the membership were eager for meeting the challenges and opportunities during this time in our history. We were all in the right place at the right time! I was grateful and honored for the opportunity to serve an incredible group of professionals—dear friends and professional colleagues that continue to have a major impact upon my life.