Chancel Choir Handbook This handbook has been designed to gather in one place all relevant information for both the Second Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir and its annual Choir Tour. This version was approved by the Youth Committee on September 11, 2012. Please contact the Chancel Choir Director with suggested revisions or additions. The Youth Committee will review suggestions and requests; any approved changes will be implemented at the beginning of each semester. The Chancel Choir... 2 Mission & Purpose Statements... 2 Mission Statement... 2 Purpose Statement... 2 Choir Officers... 2 Selection... 2 Positions... 2 Weekly Rehearsals... 3 Sunday Mornings... 3 Schedule... 3 Dress Code... 3 Attendance... 4 Procedures... 4 Absence/Late Arrival... 4 Optional Attendance Days Extra Credit... 4 Make-up Hours... 5 Cell Phones... 5 Communication... 5 Lost Music... 5 Choir Tour... 5 Mission & Purpose Statements... 5 Mission Statement... 5 Purpose Statement... 5 Participation Requirements... 6 Advent Dinner Musical Program... 6 Attendance for Students Joining Before Advent Dinner... 6 Attendance for Students Joining After Advent Dinner... 6 Group Sale... 6 Choir Sunday... 7 Westminster Village Pre-Tour Concert... 7 Pre-Tour Rehearsal Week... 7 Dress Code... 7 At All Times on Tour... 7 Concert Attire... 7 Packing List... 8 Counselor Selection... 8 Important Dates... 9 Handbook Agreement... 10 Second Presbyterian Church January 7, 2013
The Chancel Choir Mission & Purpose Statements MISSION STATEMENT The Second Presbyterian Church (2PC) Chancel Choir exists to share the heart of Christ through worship leadership and to bring Christ to students and students to Christ. PURPOSE STATEMENT The 2PC Chancel Choir achieves their mission through weekly worship leadership, weekly rehearsal, inviting other students into the choir, and participating in the ongoing life of the church. The Chancel Choir provides worship leadership during Sunday morning worship services, other services as needed, and the annual Choir Tour. The Chancel Choir endeavors to live into the mission of 2PC: Sharing the heart of Christ in the heart of the community. Choir Officers Officer positions are open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors. In addition to the outlined requirements below, all officers are expected to maintain 85% attendance throughout the year, as indicated later in the attendance section (page 4). Officers are also expected to hold choir members accountable for the Sunday morning dress code described on page 3. SELECTION The selection process will consist of nominations (by self or other students), an application form for nominees to complete, a balloted vote by students, and individual interviews with Choir Staff *. The final decision will be made by Choir Staff. POSITIONS President/Vice President Communicate any updates and opportunities for extra hours Keep the students accountable and attentive Exhibit a good role model Lead thank you song for meals on tour Possibly speak to concert audiences Secretary Arrive to rehearsal by 7:20 pm (10 minutes early) Give attendance sheets (provided by Choir Staff) to section leaders Work with section leaders on attendance Take attendance if a section leader is absent Librarian File music in the 2PC music library Take folders on the cart up to the choir room after Sunday service Keep track of missing folders weekly and let Choir Staff know when they are missing * Choir Staff refers to the Chancel Choir Director and Accompanist. 2
Community Coordinator Work with youth pastor, tour coordinator and Choir Staff to arrange activities like singing in nursing homes Set up opportunities for choir members to make up attendance (example: working at a food pantry) Section Leaders Take attendance on Wednesday and Sunday Notify Secretary if he/she will be absent so the Secretary can take attendance for the section Turn in attendance to secretary Must be able to lead section musically Ensure that phones are turned in at beginning of practice Demonstrate leadership during rehearsal Determine who from their section will do the prayer each week on a rotating basis (i.e., week 1: soprano, week 2: alto, week 3: tenor, week 4: bass) Work on ideas for Choir Tour section shirts and turn them in to the Choir Staff for approval Weekly Rehearsals At 7:30 pm, rehearsal begins and attendance will be taken. After attendance, a weekly prayer will be offered by a designated person from each section. Section leaders are responsible for maintaining the prayer schedule. Students arriving after attendance is taken or leaving prior to the end of rehearsal must sign in or out on the Chancel Choir Sign In/Out Sheet that will be on the shelf by the Director s desk. If students are tardy for rehearsal, they will only receive half (½) credit for attendance, provided they arrive before 8:15 pm. No attendance credit will be given to students arriving after 8:15 pm. The Chancel Choir Director will close each weekly practice in prayer. Sunday Mornings SCHEDULE Call time for the choir is at 10:15 am when the choir is singing at an 11:11 service. Attendance will be taken at 10:15 in the choir room. If students are late, credit may not be given. If students consistently arrive on time, this call time may move back at the Director s discretion. DRESS CODE Due to the role Chancel Choir members play as worship leaders at Second Pres, the Youth Committee has decided on the following dress code for Sunday mornings. This applies to students who sing in the choir and helps minimize distractions for the congregation. No t-shirts, sweatshirts, or sweatpants Jeans are fine but they cannot have any holes in them Skirts and shorts must be at least fingertip length Tights/leggings/yoga pants must be worn with any skirt which does not meet the length requirement. Tights/leggings/yoga pants may not be worn alone. Straps on any top must be at least the width of a credit card (roughly 2 inches) No bra straps or cleavage showing No athletic/slide sandals (with or without socks) Casual/dressy sandals/flip-flops are fine No heavy cologne or perfume 3
If a student does not meet the dress code requirements, he/she has the opportunity to remedy their appearance by the time the service starts. If a student does this, he/she will be allowed to sing in church without penalty. Otherwise, the following guidelines will be in effect: First offense: student sits with the choir during the service and receives attendance credit, but must remain seated in the pew when the choir stands to sing. Second offense: student does not sing with the choir and receives no attendance credit Third offense: student does not sing with the choir, receives no attendance credit, and parents will be contacted by Youth Ministry staff. If ten students reach the third offense over the course of the year, Choir Tour Formal Concert Attire (see page 7) will replace the Sunday morning dress code. Attendance PROCEDURES Lists will be given to section leaders to take weekly attendance on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings. The Secretary will take attendance on behalf of absent section leaders. The Youth Intern will be responsible for entering the information into the computer for record keeping. Choir Staff will take care of quarterly updates on student s attendance percentage at the end of October, December, February, and April. These updates will be sent electronically to all parents and given to students as hard copies. Wednesday rehearsals and Sunday mornings are considered as equal attendance opportunities. 1.5 hours of service work will make up for one missed practice/service. ABSENCE/LATE ARRIVAL Officers and section leaders need to maintain 85% attendance. Other members must maintain 70% if they join before Advent Dinner or 80% if they join after Advent Dinner. More information is available on page 6. If a student is going to be late or absent they must inform the director. Students should try to let the director know about absences a day in advance. If a student would like to be considered for a pre-approved tardy due to an extra curricular activity (example: required meetings and events for sports, music, clubs, outside school activities), a schedule of expected absences or late arrivals must be given to the director so those dates can be marked for attendance at the beginning of each activity s season. The student s parents or guardians must endorse such requests. Pre-approving students late arrival with the Director will allow them to receive three-quarters (¾) credit for a rehearsal, rather than the usual half-credit given for being late. Students with pre-approved tardy arrangements must still arrive before 8:15 pm. Part-time jobs will not be considered as valid reasons for ongoing excused absences or ongoing excused late arrivals. OPTIONAL ATTENDANCE DAYS EXTRA CREDIT On occasion, certain Sundays may be designated for optional attendance. Attendance on these Sundays is not required and there will be no penalty for absence. Students are still strongly encouraged to attend, as they may still earn credit for attending, which functions as extra credit for their attendance record. 4
MAKE-UP HOURS Additional hours may be accrued through pre-approved community service, working for the director, and/or additional hours during group sale. Documentation of these hours will need to be turned in to the director in the form of a signed note from the recipient of the service. Some community service projects will be automatically approved: food pantry work, group sale, volunteering for VBS the summer prior to the current school year, working at the Home Sweet Home Mission or Home Sweet Home Warehouse, and Serving on Saturdays. 1.5 hours of service work will make up for one missed practice/service. Cell Phones When students arrive on Wednesdays and Sundays, they will place their phones in baskets marked Ladies and Gentlemen on the piano. When vocal parts split up for sectional rehearsal, Choir Staff will keep each basket with its respective group. Any students seen with their phones will lose credit for that rehearsal or Sunday morning. Communication Chancel Choir students will be contacted primarily via text messaging and facebook. Parents will be contacted primarily by email. If students do not have access to facebook or text messaging, parents are responsible for communicating all information to their students. A preliminary schedule will be provided to families at the beginning of each semester. Lost Music With the number of songs learned over the course of a year, the number of students in the choir, and the price of each copy of music, the cost to replace lost music adds up quickly. When students leave copies of music in the pew or on the floor in the sanctuary or choir room, items are frequently not returned to the music library. In order to keep track of the music inventory, each student will be assigned a unique number. Copies of each song will be numbered sequentially and each student will receive his/her assigned copy. When music is turned in, students who lose music will be assessed a $3.00 charge per missing song. Choir Tour Mission & Purpose Statements MISSION STATEMENT The 2PC Chancel Choir Tour exists to share the love of Christ with those in need of that love. PURPOSE STATEMENT The 2PC Chancel Choir Tour is built on the foundations of faith, hope, and love. Through Tour, God forms students and leaders in their faith both individually as well as in Christian community through daily devotions, prayer, Bible study, sharing of testimony, acts of service, and concerts. Through Tour, the Chancel Choir bears witness through song and their commitment of time and talent to the love of Christ and hope for the fulfillment of God s promises. Through Tour, the Chancel Choir shares Christ s love with those in need by engaging in at least 1-2 service projects while traveling. 5
Participation Requirements All high school students who wish to participate in the 2PC Chancel Choir Tour must participate in the following activities during the school year leading up to the Tour. These guidelines will be enforced gracefully and are in keeping with the prior expectations of the program. ADVENT DINNER MUSICAL PROGRAM If a student absolutely cannot sing in the Advent Dinner program, the absence must be preapproved by the Chancel Choir Director. A note signed by a parent/guardian will be required to request the approved absence and it also must include the reason the student cannot attend the program. Absence requests must be turned into the Chancel Choir Director at least four weeks prior to Advent. This process began in 2011. Students who cannot attend the Advent Dinner program must complete 10 hours of service work in order to compensate for missing the Advent Dinner. These projects must be approved by the Chancel Choir Director or the Associate Pastor of Youth and Family. A form signed by a parent/guardian will be required for record keeping purposes. This expectation began in 2010. Students will be required to attend three of the four rehearsals leading up to the Advent dinner and the day of Advent dinner rehearsal in order to receive attendance credit. ATTENDANCE FOR STUDENTS JOINING BEFORE ADVENT DINNER 70% attendance is required at Wednesday night rehearsals, Sunday morning rehearsals, and 11:11 Services for the year. If a student does not meet the attendance requirements, he/she will be required to do service work in equal amount to make up for absences. This must be done prior to the Westminster Pre-Tour concert. The Chancel Choir Director or Associate Pastor of Youth and Family must approve these projects. A service project form will be made available for record keeping purposes. This form will need to be signed by a parent/guardian and the person the student is helping. ATTENDANCE FOR STUDENTS JOINING AFTER ADVENT DINNER Students who join the choir after Advent Dinner will not have to complete the 10 hours of service required for missing Advent Dinner but will be required to meet an 80% attendance requirement for all second semester rehearsals and church services. If a student is unable to reach the 80% attendance requirement, the individual may make up hours through service work. It should be noted, however, that the number of make-up hours is limited: the student must still fulfill a minimum attendance requirement of 65% of the entire Spring Semester s rehearsals and church services; make-up service hours can be used to fulfill the additional 15% needed to reach 80%. As a frame of reference, it may not be possible for students joining after February to meet the attendance requirements necessary to attend Choir Tour. This applies generally to people who move into the community during the school year, start attending 2PC during first semester, or come to faith during first semester and then wish to be part of the choir. If such students are not able to meet these requirements, the Youth Committee will review requests for potential exceptions. Students who have previously gone on Choir Tour are accountable for the whole year of attendance and may not re-join the choir each spring. GROUP SALE 6 10 hours of service during the week Monday-Friday with two of the ten hours served in the clothing departments
Clean-up hours (proxy still available) Rehearsal at the Interstate Center that week does not count towards Group Sale hours but does count as a regular rehearsal Aspire to be at the actual day of Group Sale Group Sale prep-night (Friday before the sale) is a chance to work hours if needed These hours can be earned in advance of or after the week of Group Sale if school commitments prevent/hinder completion of the 10-hour service requirement. The request to make up or earn in advance Group Sale hours must be approved by the Chancel Choir Director or Associate Pastor of Youth and Family. A note signed by a parent/guardian will be required to request the approved absence. Absence requests must be turned into the Chancel Choir Director or Associate Pastor of Youth and Family at least four weeks prior to Group Sale. CHOIR SUNDAY Be present for combined choir rehearsal the Wednesday night prior and the morning of Choir Sunday If 9am and 11:11am worship services are both held on Choir Sunday and the Chancel Choir is asked to sing at both, students must sing at both services. Students must complete 10 hours of service work in order to compensate for missing Choir Sunday. The Chancel Choir Director or Associate Pastor of Youth and Family must approve these projects. A form signed by parent/guardian will be required for record keeping purposes. WESTMINSTER VILLAGE PRE-TOUR CONCERT This concert takes place the Sunday before tour but may change according to graduation schedules. PRE-TOUR REHEARSAL WEEK The Chancel Choir has four three-hour rehearsals from 9am until noon on the Monday through Thursday immediately preceding choir tour. These rehearsals are mandatory. The Chancel Choir Director must approve any absences. A form signed by a parent/guardian will be required for record keeping purposes. If student need help getting time off from work or sports, please let the Chancel Choir Director or Associate Pastor of Youth and Family know and they will help. Dress Code AT ALL TIMES ON TOUR Students are representing 2PC at all times on the trip so appropriate clothing is anticipated. No t- shirts with questionable slogans or images. For the girls, shorts and skirts need to be fingertip length. No spaghetti strap shirts. CONCERT ATTIRE Two main concert formats are used on Choir Tour: Formal Concerts (example: concerts at churches) and Casual Concerts (example: concerts at retirement homes). Formal Concerts Tour polo (distributed during the pre-tour practice week) Black full-length dress pants Black socks Closed toe DRESS black shoes (preferably quiet shoes) 7
Casual Concerts Tour polo (distributed during the pre-tour practice week) Khaki capris (not shorts) for girls Khaki cargos for guys No flip-flops. Tennis shoes are allowed. Packing List Pillow and blanket Bible Snacks o no sunflower seeds (bus code) o no peanuts (allergies) o no energy drinks (no explanation necessary) Small bag (i.e., drawstring) for when students need to pack their polos on the bus Thin quick drying towel and washcloth, plastic bag to keep them in Twin flat sheet School ID or driver s license Money for optional spending Electronic devices o During home stays, they may NOT be used in the presence of hosts. o Devices MUST be turned off when in churches. Optional: camping mat roll or pool air mattress rolled tightly Certain additional items are needed depending on the tour s direction each year, i.e., whitewater rafting items for West tours. Special packing requirements, if necessary, will be communicated before each year s tour. Counselor Selection Tour Staff consists of the Chancel Choir Director, Accompanist, Tour Coordinator, and Tech. In addition to these four staff members, an ideal ratio of counselors/tour staff to students should be achieved (approximately a 1 to 4 ratio). Tour Counselors are selected according to the following priorities: 1. High School Team Adult Leaders (if interested and available) 2. Group Sale coordinators (one time opportunity, if interested) 3. College students or recent undergraduates (preferably 2 female and two 2 male, but may vary based on number of female/male students) 4. Parent of a senior for any remaining spaces based on interaction with youth throughout the year. Opportunities to assist throughout the year include helping with fundraisers, assisting with lock-ins and special events, and helping supervise opportunities for make-up hours. The same person can cover multiple positions (i.e., Tour Staff or a member of the High School Team may also be a college student or recent undergraduate, which would allow space for additional Tour Counselors). 8
Important Dates December 5, 2012 Advent Dinner December 9, 2012 Lessons & Carols April 8-12, 2013 Group Sale Prep Week April 13, 2013 Group Sale 2013 April 21, 2013 Choir Sunday June 2, 2013 Pre-Tour Concert at Westminster Village (date/time TBD) June 3-6, 2013 Pre-Tour Rehearsals (9am noon each day) June 7-16, 2013 Choir Tour 2013 9
Handbook Agreement By signing below, I certify that I have read, understand, and agree to abide by and support all policies and procedures contained in this handbook for the 2012-13 school year. Student Name (Print): Signature: Parent/Guardian Name (Print): Signature: Date: After this agreement is completed, the student should bring it to the Chancel Choir Director. 10