Spirit of the Midwest – Region 5
42nd Annual Competition/Convention
April 27-30, 2017  Topeka, Kansas
Assisting Chorus: Kansas City, 2016 Region 5 Chorus Champions
Also assisted by: St. Louis Harmony, 2017 Harmony Classic Competitor
Bulletin #2
www.region5convention.org
February 2017
Topeka Performing Arts Center
214 SE 8th Ave
Topeka, Kansas 66603
Judging Panel
Sound ..................................... Janie Macchiaroli, Region 10
Music ....................................... Cydney Wentsel, Region 19
Expression (Panel Chair) .................. Nancy Field, Region 14
Showmanship .................................... Becki Hine, Region 14
Panel Secretary ................................ Andrea Hass, Region 8
Convention Hotels
Headquarters Hotel
Capitol Plaza Hotel
1717 SW Topeka Blvd
Topeka, KS 66612
800-579-7937
Ramada Topeka Downtown Hotel
and Convention Center
420 SE 6th Ave
Topeka, KS 66607
785-234-5400
ALL housing reservations must be made through Larraine Boyd, Housing Chair.
The housing deadline date is MARCH 17. All reservations must be made by this date. If your chorus or
quartet needs additional rooms, please reserve them prior to the deadline date – there will be no rooms
added after the deadline. Rooms can be cancelled but not added. (See more housing info on page 5.)
Important Dates
Correct your email address on SAI’s records (see webcast info below)
Date
February 19, 2017
Entry forms due to International HQ – Quartet
February 27, 2017
Entry forms due to International HQ – Chorus
February 28, 2017
Draw for Order of Appearance
March 6, 2017
LATE Entry Deadline (late fee will apply) – Quartet
March 14, 2017
LATE Entry Deadline (late fee will apply) – Chorus
March 15, 2017
Registration (All-Events Passes) and Housing Deadlines
It’s not too early to start sign-up sheets for housing and all-events passes.
Spirit Award nominations due (optional)
March 17, 2017
April 7, 2017
Please check the competition website – www.region5convention.org - for updates and reminders.
2017 Regional Convention Steering Committee
Position
Co-Events Coordinators
Chair, Regional Convention
Competition Coordinator
Official Panel Liaison
Housing Chair
Registration Chair
Awards Chair
Webcast Chair/Marketing
Champion Chorus Rep
Boutique Chair
Finance Coordinator
Committee Member
Karen Matthews, Acappella Omaha
Bettye Hubbard, RiverSong
Rosemary Olas
Kansas City
Kris DeWeese
Kansas City
Sheila Martinez
Kansas City
Larraine Boyd
Kansas City
Jill Vanderpool
RiverSong
Stacy Patton
Vocal Standard
Linda Gross
Sound Celebration
Vi Reko
Kansas City
Bev Shoecraft, Show Me Sound
Rosemary Olas, Kansas City
Pat Kies
Kansas City
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Contact Info
[email protected]
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Reminders
Contact: Kris DeWeese at [email protected]
The 2017 Competition Handbook contains the rules and regulations that pertain to competition and replaces
all prior handbooks - http://sweetadelines.com/filesSite/Competition%20Handbook.pdf.
Competing in Different Quartets: Members may compete in up to two quartets during the same regional
contest, as long as they are in different competition divisions (e.g., one quartet in the International Division
and one in the Open Division). No more than two members per quartet may compete in the second quartet in
the same regional contest.
Changing Contests: Competitors are not permitted to change contests (e.g., from International Division to
Open Division or vice versa) once the final official order of appearance has been drawn (March 17). We want
everyone to be successful and pick the right contest for them so they have a positive regional competition
experience.
Copyright: All music must clear the copyright process. Failure to use cleared arrangements may result in
disqualification. If you have any questions, please contact Martha Clemons, Education Coordinator,
[email protected] and Melanie Trego, Director of Competition, Education & Music Services,
[email protected]. Region 5 personnel will not deal with copyright issues on site.
Withdrawals: If you find it necessary to withdraw, a written withdrawal notice must be received at
international headquarters. This notification may come by email; a phone call is not sufficient. You also need
to notify Kris DeWeese, Competition Coordinator, as soon as possible of your intent to withdraw.
Audience Choice/Bravo Award: Only competitors entering the Open Division qualify for the Audience Choice
Award. If only one eligible competitor is in the Open Division in either the quartet or chorus competition, the
Bravo Award is given in place of the Audience Choice Award.
Region 5 Boutique
Region 5 vendors, contact: Bev Shoemaker at [email protected]
Outside vendors, contact: Rosemary Olas at [email protected]
This year’s boutique will be located in the Topeka Performing Arts Center (TPAC) instead of the hotel in order
to provide the best access for all participants. Plan to bring your money when coming to the TPAC so you don’t
miss out on the shopping and great deals to support Region 5 champion choruses and quartets. Both the
quartet and chorus competitions will be available in the boutique so you don’t miss any of your favorites!
Is there a product you would like us to see at our boutique? If so, tell us your thoughts and ideas; we’ll do our
best to find a vendor. Do you know a vendor who would like to join us? Please send us their contact info.
All of the boutique information is located at http://www.region5convention.org/boutique.html.
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Webcast
Contact: Linda Gross at [email protected]
Congratulations! Your Region 5 membership qualifies your webcast viewing to be FREE!
How will you be able to watch the webcast for free? Your email address is the KEY to your FREE webcast!
 Your current email address MUST be correct on your Sweet Adelines International “members only”
profile. (By now your chapter contact should have shared with you the deadline to have your email
updated is February 19.)
 If you received this bulletin from Janet Clark ([email protected]), your email IS CORRECT and does
not have to be changed. If you have chorus friends who NEVER receive Region 5 emails (including this
bulletin), please pass this info on to them.
 To log into the “members only” section on the SAI website (NOT the Region 5 website), visit
http://secure.sweetadelineintl.org/members_online/members/login.asp?af=SAI&tp=members/sai_me
nu.asp&param=
 Contact [email protected] or call SAI at 1-800-992-7464 if you have questions.
VERY IMPORTANT!! How to Keep Your Subscription Free!!
In order to offer your webcast subscription free, PAID subscriptions ($25) are needed! The webcast will be
advertised on the SAI SING yahoo group, the BHS Harmonet yahoo group, and on social media. PLEASE - if you
know how to do it – ‘share’ our Facebook and Twitter posts on your own personal social media pages. It’s easy
and free marketing that you can do to help keep your subscription free!
The $25 subscription fee is a bargain for at least 10 hours’ entertainment. Please ask your friends and family to
subscribe and thank them for supporting you and your Region. Paid subscriptions keep your subscription free.
Registration (All-Events and Single-Event Passes)
Contact: Jill Vanderpool at [email protected]
All competitors must have their all-events passes purchased by March 17, 2017. No all-events passes will be
sold onsite. Single-event passes will be sold at the door. More info can be found at
http://www.region5convention.org/chapter-aep.html.
Chapter-at-Large members and Members-at-Large or individual non-members can submit their orders online
and then submit payment either by mail or credit card. More information can be found at
http://www.region5convention.org/cal-indiv-event-pass.html.
Single-event passes can be purchased at the door one hour before each session. Payment at the door must be
checks or cash only. Single-event pass prices for all sessions are $27.50 (includes Kansas tax) for adults; youth
12 and under are free. More info can be found at http://www.region5convention.org/event-passes.html.
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Housing
Contact: Larraine Boyd at [email protected]
Please type your chorus/quartet name in the “Re:” portion of your emails so your info can be located quickly.
The official hotel of Region 5’s 2017 competition is the Capitol Plaza Hotel, 1717 SW Topeka Blvd, Topeka, KS,
800-579-793700. Additional housing will be at the Ramada Topeka Downtown, 420 SE 6th Ave, Topeka, KS,
785-234-5400.
 Choruses - Each chorus contact needs to email a chorus housing member’s name and her e-mail address to
Larraine Boyd, the Region 5 Housing Chair as soon as possible. Room request forms for each member to
complete as well as the form to be submitted to Larraine will be found on the Region 5 Competition website
(http://www.region5convention.org/). Complete these forms promptly so your chorus housing chair can
submit all information on time. All chorus housing requests are due no later than Friday, March 17, 2017.
 Quartets – Please make your room reservations with your chorus. All requests are due by Friday, March
17, 2017.
 It is STRONGLY recommended that if you think you might need more rooms than you initially are planning
for, please book extra rooms now. Rooms that are not needed can be released after the March 17 deadline; it
is NOT possible to add rooms after March 17.
 All room changes/cancellations/additions must come through the Region 5 housing chair only! Do NOT
contact the hotel.
 Region 5 uses the International competition model of assigning rooms. Parties of 3 or more are assigned to
a double room. Parties of 2 are assigned a king room depending on availability. Quartets are assigned first and
may request adjoining rooms. Every effort will be made to keep chorus members together. “Adjoining” rooms
may mean they are located next to each other, but not “connected” to each other.
 Please note, we are trying to accommodate the large number adjoining room requests but that is not
always possible. Our first priority is to keep choruses together. Please do NOT ask the hotel to re-arrange
rooms so that you are adjoining your friends as this creates major problems for the rest of the room
assignments. (ALL changes/additions/cancellations must come through the housing chair only!)
 All room rates are $112/night plus lodging tax (7%) and state tax (9.15), for a total room cost of $130.09
per night.
 If you pay for your room with cash, be sure to have a receipt in hand before leaving the hotel. Cash and
credit cards only – hotel does NOT ACCEPT CHECKS.
 Housing forms for chorus and CAL members are available on the Region 5 Convention Website
(http://www.region5convention.org/housing-topeka.html). Do NOT send credit card information through the
website or in an email to Larraine. It is not needed to secure your room. You will need your credit card at the
hotel desk to check in.

Check-in time is 4 PM; check-out time is 11 AM. Please do not expect your room to be ready before 4 PM.
 Again, sleeping room reservations MUST be made through the Region 5 housing chair, Larraine Boyd, no
later than Friday, March 17.
HOSPITALITY ROOMS – Info by March 1 - http://www.region5convention.org/housing-topeka.html.
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2017 Spirit Award
Contact: Donna Turk at [email protected]
We’ve got SPIRIT! Yes, we do!
The 2017 Spirit Award committee is accepting nominations. The recipient will be announced during the Show
of Champions at regional competition on April 29.
Do you know a Region 5 member deserving of the Spirit Award? There are many members who qualify for this
wonderful award – maybe even your riser buddy deserves to be the next recipient!
To complete and submit the application, visit this link: http://www.region5convention.org/spirit-award2017.html. The page can be printed from the site.
The nomination deadline is April 7, 2017.
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