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Joliet Convention '98 review... Joliet hana houby Bo and Betty Bahret
(Reprinted from the HSGA Quarterly, Winter 98 issue) "The weather outside was frightful, but inside was music delightful" could be a fast summary of HSGA's October 1-3 convention, this year. A nice beginning for us, however, was being able to share a limo from O'Hare Airport with Art and Lorene Ruymar and Doris Atkinson, in the pouring rain. Cool, damp un-Hawaiian climate outside for the next few days. Inside was a very different story. Nowhere can the sun shine brighter and warmer than within the individuals at an HSGA convention. The warm alohas and hugs on arrival at the Holiday Inn Express bring the best of Hawai`i alive in an instant. At mid-afternoon on Wednesday, Sept. 30, many members had already gathered in the hotel lobby, including Greg Sardinha, our Guest Artist, and his wife, Sandy. The many months of advance planning by Don and Donna Weber made for what appeared to us (who didn't have to do the work) a smooth and effortless Convention Registration and stage set-up for the next three busy days. The threesome of Doug Smith, Barbara Kuhns and their own group's "main man", Floyd Alexander, set up the mikes and speakers quickly and professionally. For the next three days it was they, with occasional help from Mike Beeks, who manned the console and kept the eight channels in sync with the performers. 
The convention schedule was similar to last year, with one exception. Both lunches and dinners are no on-your-own, outside the hotel. Thanks to Don's map of the area we had access to a variety of good places to eat. With places like the Family Table and its "mile long" dessert counter, we all managed to find lots of yummies to fill our tummies. The Holiday Inn continued to provide it Continental breakfast in the mornings, however, giving everyone a chance to say "aloha kakahiaka, pehea `oe" before the music started at 9 a.m. Bob "Pulewai" Waters opened convention with the traditional Hawaiian prayer and read good wishes from John Auna. Then Bob and Julie Waters on Spanish guitar and `ukulele, Bernie Endaya on standing bass and Duke Ching on steel gave the musical downbeat with "Hawai`i Calling", swinging into "Maile Lei Swing". Four first-timers, Tom Swatzell, Teruo Ishiyama, William Diablo and Gerald Ross joined convention "regulars" on stage, this year, to pull out all the musical stops in the book to display their special talents. And, during the three days, there was always that familiar call "Grzadzinski, would you stand up with your bass?" Two "regulars" who had to cancel were Kay Koster and Neal Cosand, whose doctor said "no", but both were with us in spirit It was like one continuous Ho`olaule`a in the hotel hallways, filled with music from rooms on all the floors of players getting ready for their thirty minutes of steel-playing fame on stage. If you were there, you might have noticed that the Pros were scheduled for as late in the program as possible -- that was to allow our Pres, Alan Akaka, the Duke, our guest artist Greg Sardinha and the more enduring of the back-up musicians a chance to sleep in after the previous night's No Sleep jam session, which didn't end until 4 am. Through it all, awake or sleeping, the ever--present Paul Weaver perched on his mini-stage, recording and photographing the activity for posterity. (Ed. Note: see page 5 for Paul's list of available Joliet '98 videos.) We were all grateful that Don Weber secured use of the old dining room at the back of the lobby for these all-niters, as it gave many of us an added chance to hear some great and impromptu Hawaiian steel playing. At the back of our convention room tables of tapes, CDs, T-shirts, sheet music headbands were sold with all or portions of sales donated to HSGA's Scholarship Assistance Fund. Rich Mermer displayed his guitars, and Vivian Bangs kept busy selling raffle tickets whose prizes were neat silk leis, flower arrangements, calendars, live flowers, and more -- all for Scholarship. As related and pictured in the Fall Quarterly, election of Directors was held, and members were recognized for their continuing dedication and active participation in promoting HSGA, and its programs. Then came our last music session, Saturday afternoon. It was shortened so that we could all get "gussied up" in our Hawaiian-best for the evening's Lu`au. Lu`au night in Joliet is always special Just viewing the splendid looks of white jackets and pants, Aloha outfits, colorful Mu`umu`us on beautiful people wearing radiant smiles would have been enough, but of course there was more. At the door, each person was presented with a lei, a kiss and a hug, a true Hawaiian greeting, and on the tables, each received a brand, new HSGA Bumper Sticker to spread our steel guitar aloha spirit everywhere. As requested, after last year's event, and thanks to the insistence of Don Weber, the rice was definitely stickier this year, although it still needs to be given a "test run" first, to make sure it will stick to the wall. Next year, Don? The Pros ate first, so they could start the music program around 8 p.m. With Bob Waters as emcee, memorable songs, instrumentals and hulas filled the dining room. On stage were Julie Waters, Alan Akaka, Duke Ching, Greg Sardinha, Bernie Endaya and Ian Ufton. Newcomer Gerald Ross sat in, and "Joe" and Katsuko Ikada added several delightful songs in their inimitable style. Alan Akaka presented recognition fresh-flower leis shipped in from Hawai`i to Don and Donna Weber, Bob and Julie Waters and Greg Sardinha, filling the air with tropical fragrances. Our evening was pau with the Ohana circle of hands and the singing of "Hawai`i Aloha", a typical Hawaiian ending to a special event. On Sunday morning, for those of us who didn't have to leave for home at dawn, Lane and Cheryl Vifinkle and Bonnie McGowan offered a musical church service at 9 am. It was a very thoughtful addition (and finale) to another great Joliet convention. What's next? Sleep! Perchance to dream of Joliet '99 (for which Don already has plans underway) and then get ourselves ready for HSGA's Biennial convention in Honolulu next May. See you all there? 
HSGA * HAWAIIAN
STEEL GUITAR ASSOCIATION Homepage URL: www.hsga.org (hsga@lava.net) Last updated: 07/22/02 by Gerald Ross (gbross@umich.edu) |
