Board Acts to Stem Red Ink

by the Board of Directors

As the Hudson Valley Folk Guild enters its 20th year in 1999, we can reflect back across the years on great music, friendships and many, many successful events. One of the many overlooked accomplishments of the Folk Guild in its almost 20 years has been its excellent financial management. It is quite amazing when you stop to think that the Folk Guild takes in approximately $10,000 in revenue per year and presents over 50 events (chapter coffeehouses and concerts along with other special events), publishes a high-quality bi-monthly newsletter (1000 copies), maintains 4 chapter sound systems and a larger system for special events, and pays for liability insurance, a post office box and other miscellaneous administrative costs (publicity , correspondence and memberships). All this done by volunteer members - no paid staff!

Over the past few years, newsletter expenses have continued to rise, primarily due to significant cost increases to fold, collate and print labels (using a color laser printer). With the newsletter using up approximately 30% of the Folk Guild's revenue, our new treasurer, Bill Wemmerus, has properly brought to the Board's attention that the Folk Guild could lose up to $1425 this year if no action is taken to fine-tune some of our organizational processes and revenue streams. In short, we need to cut costs, bring in more revenue, or do a combination of raising revenue and cutting costs. Please remember, the cost of running the Folk Guild will continue to rise to some extent no matter what we do (due to postage increases, additions to the mailing list, and equipment repairs)

In reviewing prudent actions to take, the Board first looked at reducing the cost of the newsletter, while not adversely affecting attendance at our events. We estimate the newsletter accounts for approximately 25-35% of attendance at Folk Guild events. Our goal remains to send a newsletter to everyone who wants one. Unfortunately, cost cutting actions alone will not bridge the gap between our increasing expenses and our relatively flat revenue stream. This issue is a real struggle for all of us as we endeavor to keep the Folk Guild an organization where the cost of membership and that of attending our events is affordable for people in all walks of life.

Is your label green?

If you have a green mailing label on this issue of your newsletter it means we have not heard from you for four years or more. Unless you tell us otherwise, your name will be dropped from the mailing list. Please write us and let us know you would like to stay on the list. Use the handy coupon at the end of this article or, better yet, become a Folk Guild member and receive the newsletter automatically! We estimate this action will reduce the number of newsletters we mail out thus cutting the cost of the newsletter without adversely affecting operations.

Save the trees!

The second action is to ask those people who would prefer to access the newsletter exclusively on our web page to let us know so that we, again, can drop your name from the mailing list and reduce the number of newsletters mailed out. This is also an excellent solution for those of us who want to contribute to the improvement of the environment.

Act now and save!

The third action we are taking is a very modest increase in membership. Starting January 1, 1999 Individual memberships will increase yearly from $8.00 to $10.00 and Family memberships from $12.00 to $15.00. The rest of the membership levels up to Angel will remain unchanged. However, anyone will be able to renew their membership for 1999 at the old rates if they send in their membership donations before the end of 1998.

We hope the actions we are announcing in this issue of the newsletter will continue to keep the Folk Guild on strong financial ground. This is a true grassroots operation and we are most grateful for everyone's continued support as we continue to accomplish our goals.

The Editor's Ego

This issue of the newsletter contains some important information. First, there's these green mailing labels. If your issue does have a green mailing label and you want to continue receiving this worthy publication, please send us the coupon on front. Otherwise, this is the last issue you'll get courtesy of the USPS. Next is the imminent membership rate increase. Costs are rising (first class postage will increase to 33 cents in January) and we have to keep pace (it's still a bargain, though). Speaking of bargains, you can renew for 1999 at 1998 prices, if you act now! Due to all of this business, Bruce's most recent submission in his highly informative series on all things stringed is buried deep inside. This time it concerns a very timely subject and is worth the hunt. We also are happy to present the first of the Friends of Fiddler's Green chapter reports. Best wishes for the upcoming holidays (yes, they're almost here already!).

Friends of Fiddler's Green Chapter News

by Lyn Burnstine

The twice-monthly September through June concert schedule of the Friends of Fiddler's Green chapter of the HVFG got off to a rousing start on September 13, with New England minstrel, Bill Staines. Bill's eminently singable songs are favorites of not only his audiences all across the country, but other singers as well - professional and amateur. He moved easily from uncommonly beautiful songs that touched the heart - inspiring you to go home and call your son or daughter (or mother? or father?) - to the fun lyrics of his classic "A Place in the Choir." He brought the house down with a yodeling performance that clearly demonstrated why he was named National Yodeling Champion in Texas several years ago.

On September 25, David Grover (the first of several name performers booked through the contacts Steve Allen made while manning the tape/CD table at the Great Hudson River Revival) charmed us with his richly versatile voice and incredible (there's no other word for it) guitar artistry. Performing solo without his "Big Bear Band," David sang songs for all ages: he had the pre-schoolers dancing in the aisles and the grown-ups singing along on wonderful old Weedy Guthrie standards like "Reuben James." The guitar wizardry that made him Arlo Guthrie's lead guitarist for six years was evident as he launched into a medley of "Wildwood Flower," "Under the Double Eagle," "The William Tell Overture" and theme from "Bonanza," David sent us home with the strains of Pete Seeger's poignant "Old Devil Time" singing in our hearts.

HVFG Presence

The Folk Guild went to the dogs on September 12th, when Amy Strom, Pat Lamanna, and Kevin and Carol Becker with Rich Keyes performed for the benefit of the SPCA Paws in the Park Pet Walk. On September 19th, the Lion's Club Benefit for the hearing & sight impaired, held in Pawling, featured Bob Stanhope, Bruce Morrison, Denise Finley, and Joe Murray. On the same day, Mike & Emmy Clarke, Greg Neaga, and Irish Rain (Bill Wemmerus, Steve Otlowski & Barbara Mahon) performed at the Poet's Walk for Scenic Hudson.

In October, Lyn Burnstine played a benefit for St. Simeon's. On the 16th and 17th of the month, the Pawling Theater Company was the recipient of the musical charity of Bruce Morrison, Andy Ferraro, Shiela Valastro & John Iannito, Carol Hotte, and Peter Martin. Also, Lazy River (John Martucci, Rebekah Lowden and Barbara Mahon) performed at Dutchess Horizons.

Temperature and Humidity Hazards of Winter

by Bruce Morrison

This is an update of my January 1988 Newsletter article which Kevin Becker was kind enough to locate in the Archives. As we enter the heating season, it's time for a reminder about the hazards of winter that all wooden stringed instruments face .

Wood is dynamic. It shrinks during the heating season losing humidity in the dry indoor air. Then from April through October it swells as it absorbs humidity. These cycles of expansion and contraction not only make the semi-annual truss rod adjustments necessary, but they subject the wood, the glue joints, and the finish to stresses which can easily produce cracks, and separated seams. Those stresses also loosen braces, frets, and bridges. They can cause necks to backbow and work loose . The Martin pickguard crack is a textbook example of a crack produced by wood shrinking during the heating season.

Wooden stringed instruments are delicate. Very thin pieces of wood which are held together by narrow glue joints are asked to bear a lot of tension. That tension is trying to tear the bridge from the soundboard, the soundboard and back from the sides, bow the neck forward, and collapse the entire structure inward at the neck/body joint. Factor in the seasonal expansion and contraction and you'll begin to appreciate just how fragile these instruments are.

Rapid changes of temperature have a similar detrimental effect on instruments. Not only is a fast heating or cooling likely to cause a wood surface or glue joint to crack, but because the wood and the finish have different coefficients of expansion, the finish will frequently crack, "craze", or "check" as the more rapidly expanding or contracting wood breaks the relatively rigid finish. That is how the checked finish on a guitar occurs.

The two main things you can do to protect your investment are to use a humidifier, and avoid exposing your instrument to rapid temperature changes. During the heating season, indoor air is very dry. A humidifier kept in the case will help prevent an instrument from drying out to the point where it cracks. If you're using a humidifier which goes in the instrument, be very careful to wring out the sponge thoroughly as gravity will cause an overly damp humidifier to leak. Water pooling inside an instrument will damage the wood and eventually the finish. It's a good practice to travel with your instruments in the passenger compartment of your car rather than in the colder trunk. Once you've brought your instrument inside, allow it time to slowly come to room temperature before opening the case. Bringing a guitar from a 20 F car into a 70 F room and immediately opening the case is likely to cause the finish to crack. A case cover with a thermal lining will help.