THE PITCHBURGH PRESS
Official Bulletin of the
GREATER PITTSBURGH, PA. CHAPTER
VOL., XXII, NO. 1   January-February, 2004

(Photos and Graphics have been omitted to allow quicker download for Website version.
This version is not a true copy of the original Bulletin.)

THIS ISSUE FEATURES:

· Wearing Different Hats, by Bob Parker pgs. 1 & 11
· Calendar, Organization, BD's & Anniv., Editor note pg 2
· Wild Irish Rose, A Bit of History & "Reach" pg 3
· Ladies Night Churchill Valley CC + photo montage pgs. 4, 5, 6
· Board actions & A History Note pgs 7 & 10
· Quartet Beat featuring the "Pittsburghers" pgs 8 & 9
· From your Director & VP of Music & Perf., Joe Veltre pg 9
· Hall of Fame & B.O.T.Y. Awards pg 12


Wearing Different Hats
By President,

Bob Parker

This article is about two aspects of my life; my personal life and my barbershop life. I don't wish to bore you, which I may do, but give you some idea why I act and possibly think as I do. In the future, I would like other members to write autobiographies. Yours may be more interesting than mine, but let me use this article to get the ball rolling. We are a 'family." Let's get to know each other.

PersonaI History:

1. I was born in Allegany, PA - June 12, 1945. That may surprise you, but my elderly appearance has been caused by teaching 8th graders for 33 years and having a few minor health problems (triple by-pass, four heart stints, leukemia, diabetes, dermatomyositis, chronic prostatitis, stenosis of the spine, herniated disc, and on and on....). I started going bald and gray in my early 20's. I don't mention this for sympathy, but to let you know I don't give up easily. At the ripe old age of 3, I was given last rites while in an oxygen tent. All the childhood ailments (whooping cough, measles, mumps, chicken pox) had hit me at one time. Once I was pronounced "almost dead" afier impacting a tree at about 75 miles per hour.

2. My Dad worked as a roust-a-bout for Kendall Oil, which didn't exactly place us in the upper or middle class as I was growing up. There were my parents (both deceased), my sister Jean (now a physician on a Crow Indian Reservation in Montana), and twin brothers Jim and Jack who both ended up in sales . We had a 5 acre farm and used it to grow the necessities of life. Point - I think I know the value of a dollar.

3. I graduated 5th in my class of 85 (I'm not some kind of genius) from Smethport High School, McKean County in 1963. Point - my brain often works better than my body. At Smethport High, I sang in the choir for 4 years, during which time I took first place in a state-wide solo singing competition (as a 2nd bass, no less), played football 2 years, and ran track for 4 years. In Smethport, townspeople, in their spare time, gather on Main Street to watch the traffic light change. If you are from a small town you can appreciate this. I don't know a C from a B- flat, but I've got a pretty good ear for what sounds good and what doesn't.

4. I graduated from Lock Haven State College in 1967 with a degree in biology education. I was president of the college choir for 2 of my 4 years. In 1963, I was asked to join a barbershop chorus near Bradford, PA, which at the time was being directed by Bill McCord (yes, our own ex-director, now in Florida). I couldn't afford the dues or uniform deposit, so I missed out on a golden opportunity. But I still wouldn't have as many years as Bill Hamilton.

5. I taught biology for 2 years in Glens Falls, NY and was laid off in 1969, the same year I married the love of my life, Darlene Riffer. With no money and no job, we had an interesting start to our marriage. I was taking graduate physics classes at Indiana University of PA while Darlene, a graduate of Villa Maria College, was waiting tables at the Dairy Delite. We survived on her tip money.

(Continued on page 11)

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