Golden Memories Page 64

Golden Memories SWD Chapters

Bryan/College Station, Tx.
Brazos Barbershoppers
by Bo Allen

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Brazos Barbershoppers

Longtime barbershopper Bo Allen moved to Bryan in 1985 and naturally drifted into talking with Dennis Driscoll, another longtime barbershopper, about the possibility of starting a chapter in the Bryan/College Station area. Talks occurred sporadically for a couple of years and finally in 1988 they both decided it was time. Dennis knew Ed McKenzie, another barbershopper in town, and those three were the work horses in bringing the chapter to life.
When the Houston Tidelanders accepted Dennis' request to be our sponsoring chapter, the organizational work got into high gear. We decided we would be able to kick off sometime in October and started working with the Tidelanders to pick the day.
The first meeting was October 18, 1988 at the Southwest Parkway Baptist Church in College Station. We were almost overwhelmed when 55 barbershoppers and prospects showed up. The Tidelanders brought about thirty, including two

quartets.
With much help from the Tidelanders' John Schneider and Roy Swanson we started geaiiing up to get licensed before the end of the year. Tidelander quartets came to almost every meeting and helped keep up our enthusiasm. They were especially needed to show novices how good barbershop music sounds.
About two days before Christmas, we had 27 prospects pay their licensing fees and the license application was sent to International.
1989 - Charter and Incorporation
The now licensed Bryan/College Station Chapter elected a slate of officers: President - Bo Allen, Membership Vice President - Merrill Green, Program Vice President - Ed McKenzie, Music Vice President - Dennis Driscoll, Secretary - Claude Skinner, Treasurer - Pete Teel. Dennis Driscoll kept
the new music entertaining as we started working

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Table of
Contents

Sections:
How It All Began Chapters Chapter Histories International Quartet Champions Choruses Administration
Contests and Conventions Registered Quartets Publications Recognitions In Conclusion