Dual Membership – The Agony and the Ecstasy
By Cammi MacKinlay, Lions Gate Chorus, Region 26

For some choruses, having dual members has been nothing but a plus, but for others, oh boy!

Because of these differing viewpoints, the Membership Committee has been asked to discuss dual membership, because it has raised some challenging questions for some of our members.

First a little history: Dual membership came into being on May 1, 1997. Initially it was designed to accommodate snowbird members who flew south in the winter, yet still wanted to be able to join a chorus and sing while away from home for several months. It was a very popular decision and many women took advantage of this choice.

A few years later, the International Board of Directors (IBOD) received inquiries from women who wished to be able to sing in more than one chorus in their own region. They did not wish to leave their primary chorus, but wanted to be able to sing in another chorus. Sometimes this was because they came from very large geographical regions, and had moved out of touch of their first chorus. (Previously they could belong only to choruses that were not in the same region. However, we know that some regional boundaries make it possible to be in two choruses in close proximity but still in separate regions, while others could belong to two choruses in the same region but separated by many miles.) Some members wanted to be able to join a larger or more successful chorus, the chorus on its way to International, or a smaller, less successful chorus where they felt they could do some good. As this was another way to give women choices in the organization, the IBOD approved and in the spring of 2002, this became a reality. The one proviso was that they could compete with only one chorus in any given regional competition.

Not long after, Regional Management Teams met with International Board members to discuss all sides and the ramifications of dual membership, both within and outside the members’ regions. After a lengthy debate, the results were compiled and thoroughly studied by the IBOD to determine the best membership alternatives for our whole organization.

In the spring of 2004, the rule was modified again and members could then compete in both choruses in the same region provided there was no hold up in the traffic pattern and no special provision would be made in the drawing for contestant order, which leads us to where we stand today.

So, what are the ramifications of allowing Sweet Adelines the choice of belonging to more than one chorus in the same region?

On the plus side there may be:

• Improved educational opportunities
• Ability to sing in two (often completely different) environments
• Chance to make new friends
• Chance to sing a different voice part
• Chance to sing in a different riser placement
• Increased visibility regionally and/or internationally
• Exposure to a different director and teaching technique
• Exposure to different coaches, perhaps at a higher level
• Chance to sing in an additional contest rotation
• Chance to find new quartet opportunities
• More and/or different performing opportunities
• Chance to compete in an international competition (perhaps) or more rotations
• If in a small chorus as well as a large chorus, there is the ability to bring back the additional education to the smaller chorus
• Chance to keep the smaller chorus alive
• Renewed enthusiasm for the art form and the organization
• Happy choruses and directors because of increased numbers of members on the risers
On the down side there may be:
• Increased travel time from home to second chorus (sometimes HUGE distances!)
• Traveling twice a week to rehearsal instead of once
• Two sets of chapter dues to pay
• Two sets of costumes to buy
• Two different repertoires to learn (All of the above are true of being in a quartet too.)
• Possibly confusing riser position (e.g. stage right versus stage left)
• Possibly a different voice part to get accustomed to, and the challenges of switching back and forth between the two choruses
• Time commitment expected from both choruses
• Possible time conflict of extra rehearsals, retreats, sneak previews before a contest, performances, etc.
• Feeling of being overloaded and perhaps quitting the organization altogether
• Possible resentment from some of the first chorus’ members that your loyalty is split (especially if competing in the same regional contest)
• Resentment that you are having too much fun in the second chorus, and may choose it over the first, and quit the first altogether
• Possibly misguided perception that the second chorus is “luring” you away with offers of special favors (better riser placement, better education, perhaps a position of authority)
• Also, the possibly misguided perception that perhaps you will bring new members to the second chorus and not the first as it is a “better” or “bigger” chorus
• Lack of interest in running for any positions, particularly in the smaller chorus, which may create resentment as there are fewer people to share the load
• Unhappy directors because they have a different group of women on the risers each week, especially if the choruses rehearse on the same night and the dual members are only coming twice a month
• Having to deal with two directors who are both demanding more time than the member is willing or able to give, or perhaps demanding that the member “choose” between the two choruses on contest day if both are competing.

How does a chorus address these issues? Not easily! All of these pluses and minuses affect us in one way or another if we have dual members in our midst. Everyone would agree that keeping the lines of communication open between the dual members, the other chorus members and the director will go a long way to solving any differences of opinion before they become issues of contention. The dual member should make sure that both choruses are aware of her status so there are no surprises on contest day, or at any other performances. We all know how important it is to head conflict off at the pass. However, if conflict does seem to be rearing its ugly head, perhaps being mindful of the Four Agreements* will help to allay some of the fears and resentment that seem to go hand in hand with feeling threatened by those who wish to go this route.

The Four Agreements*:

Don’t Take Anything Personally: The chances are fairly good that the chorus member who has become a dual member did not do so because of you or something you said or did. If that were the case, she would have left your chorus and just joined the other one without going through the hoops to become a dual member. Becoming a dual member means just that – a member of two choruses. If she is enthusiastic and joyful about her new experiences and is bringing this back to share with you, she is not trying to rub your nose in it and make you feel resentful. She wants you to be inspired by her enthusiasm and be reminded of why we joined Sweet Adelines in the first place. She is probably not encouraging you to go the same route — it is not for everyone, as we can see from the previous list. However, allowing her to wax poetic about the new chorus allows you the chance to be infected by her joy. She has made the choice to pay extra, go to two rehearsals, do everything that both choruses demand — not easy, and certainly not something to cause resentment.

Don’t Make Assumptions: You may assume that becoming a dual member is her way of leaving your chorus but in a slow and less obvious manner. Ask her (in a non-threatening way) what her intentions are. You want to keep her as a member of your chorus so you want to make sure that she stays a happy camper. Don’t assume that the other chorus is simply a better place to be. Don’t assume that in becoming a dual member, she is going to persuade other members of your chorus to do the same thing. It is not for everyone. (See above!) When she is talking to non-Sweet Adelines about the organization and the benefits of belonging, do not assume she is talking about the other chorus and not yours. Every chorus has its character and what may suit one person may not suit another. She may well be extolling the virtues of your chorus and you will get new members as a result. If she feels that your chorus is a positive experience, she will talk about you with gusto. Let her help to grow the organization!

Be Impeccable With Your Word: Don’t gossip or gripe or whine about the dual members in your chorus. If you exude a positive energy about the choices they have made, it will make your chorus a more attractive place to visit and become part of. No one wants to belong to a group that is bitter and angry about people who have left or who are sharing their time between you and another chorus. If you practice acting in a positive way, pretty soon it will become part of your psyche and you will be positive about all the possible opportunities. You will be more fun to be around and hence, the dual members will want to stick around. Also avoid making them feel guilty, as that is a sure way of giving them a reason to quit. And directors — let them know your expectations, but be realistic and empathic if they can’t always choose your chorus.

Always Do Your Best: Embrace all educational opportunities, get the best singers you can (without actively soliciting members from other choruses), put on a positive face and treat everyone the way you would want to be treated. This particular agreement is important for those embracing dual membership. Each dual member agrees to double responsibilities and is expected to give her best to both choruses.

* * *

Dual membership is here to stay. What we do with it and how we deal with it is up to us. Women nowadays are interested in expanding their horizons and they want their chorus experiences to be positive, up-lifting, educational ones. Generation X, in particular, is looking for excitement and high energy activities, and these women are likely to seek it elsewhere if they are not finding it in their primary group. If we impose demands on them that they cannot fulfill, they will leave the organization, which defeats the purpose. We urge you to allow women the choices they need, embrace the differences in choruses and what they have to offer and encourage women to make the choices that work best for them in their lives. Dual membership can work to everyone’s advantage — if we let it!

* The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.

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