Mills' 150th Birthday Observance
September 27, 2005
Dear Brothers,
In the history of most organizations the opportunities to celebrate important milestones are rare, and it is important to take advantage of them when they arise. Therefore it is my great pleasure to bring to your attention that, in February, we will be celebrating the 150th birthday of Ossian E. Mills, our revered Founder. Such an event not only gives us a chance to reflect on the profound values he stood for, but provides a unique opportunity for us to reach out en masse to our communities and touch them with our gift of music. It is worth remembering the following words, spoken at Father Mills’ memorial service in 1928, in order to remind ourselves of why we place such a strong emphasis on the uplift of mankind through the power and beauty of music.
"Each one must make a supreme personal endeavor to elevate others to the place where they may enjoy all that is true, beautiful, and abiding. Our rights, our duties, our responsibilities, our interests, and our thoughts must be mutually helpful. This was the spirit of thoughtfulness to others even at the expense of his own time, effort, and strength, which found expression in our beloved first president."
As these words were used in part to summarize the special qualities of our revered Founder, they provide us the clear guidance as to how we should celebrate his life.
We are planning to celebrate during the week of February 11-18, 2006, by having every chapter, colony, and alumni association of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia involved in the Mills Music Mission. We are asking for 100% participation so that we can record and publicize our Fraternity’s collective impact on a national scale, which means we need your help! Please begin planning today for this exciting nationwide event. It is only with your help that we can honor our beloved Founder by making the sort of monumental difference in our world that he dreamed of.
Thank you in advance for helping to celebrate this special moment in our history, and for the gift of music that you will be sharing with your communities.
Fraternally yours,
In Phi Mu Alpha,
Richard A. Crosby, Eta-Omicron (Cincinnati) '75
National President
president@sinfonia.org
