[Editor Note - I excerpted the following information from the Society website about one year ago.]
Some pretty famous folks have been a part of our musical fraternity...
The Society Code of Ethics states: "We shall accept for membership only congenial men of good character who love harmony in music or have a desire to harmonize." Over the years, more than 250,000 men have been accepted for membership. Here are some who have achieved fame in other spheres.
Politics and Government:
Harry S. Truman, U.S. President
Alfred E. Smith, Governor of New York
William Sessions, FBI Director
John Ashcroft, Attorney General, along with Trent Lott
& Jim Jeffords, U.S. Senators (the Singing Senators)
Musiclans:
Bing Crosby, former SPEBSQSA board member
Buffalo Bills, famous "Music Man" quartet and 1950 International champs
Ferde Grofe, composer, Grand Canyon Suite
Burl Ives, singer, actor, Oscar winner
Gordon Lightfoot, Pop singer
Sigmund Spaeth, Music critic, "The Tune Detective"
James Melton, Opera singer
Jerrod Ottley, Director, Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Jim Pike, member, The Lettermen
Entertainment:
Actors - Groucho Marx, Pat O'Brien, Ned Beatty,
James Gregory, Burt Mustin
Bob Lally, TV Director (The Jeffersons)
John Miller, Executive VP, NBC TV network
Tom Henrich, baseball player; Greg Buttle, football player; George Luken, Jr., basketball player; Bobby Bragen, baseball player
Radio's Golden Age:
Art Baker, radio & TV personality, actor
Jim Jordon, Star of "Fibber McGee and Molly"
Chester Lauck Lum, of "Lum 'n' Abner"
Kings Men Quartet, regulars on Fibber McGee & Molly
Sportsmen Quartet, regulars on Jack Benny series
SPEBSQSA Honorary Members:
Over the years, the Society has also been privileged to extend honorary memberships to these famous barbershoppers
1959, Irvin Berlin, Composer
1959, Meredith Wilson, Author & Composer of the "Music Man"
1960, Arthur Godfrey, Radio & TV personality
1984, Fred Waring, Choral conductor, leader of the Pennsylvanians
1985, Mitch Miller, Orchestra leader, TV show host
1986, The Osmond Brothers, preteen quartet
1991, Bill Hanna, Creator of the Flintstones
1995, Victor Borge, Musician
1996, Jerrod Ottley, director Mormon Tabernacle Choir
1996, Jim Pike, the Lettermen
1999, Dick Van Dyke, TV and film actor
2002, Sherrill Milnes, Operatic baritone
2002 Bob Flanigan, of the Four Freshmen
Easter and Pretzel History
Last month we celebrated Easter and I suppose your grandchildren may have been involved in Easter Egg hunts. But did you know you should really have them going on Pretzel hunts?
The pretzel is the world's oldest snack food. In 61O a.d. the monks used scraps of dough and formed them into strips to represent a child's arms folded in prayer. The three holes represented the Christian Trinity. The monks called it a Pretiola (Latin for little reward). It made its way to Germany where it became known as the Bretzel or Pretzel.
The pretzel gave birth to the Easter Egg Hunt. German children would look for hidden pretzels throughout their parents farms. Hiding places such as the straw lofts and barns eventually introduced the tradition of egg hunts.
So next year have your grandkids participate in a "Pretzel Hunt." This will of course confirm their suspicions of your mental faculties.