OCTOBER 2019 - Sweet Adelines International President Patty Cobb Baker (Harborlites) opened the Harmony Classic Competition in New Orleans on Tuesday, September 17 with the 2019 State of the Organization Address. She discussed the “emphasis on organizational transformation” that has been the focus of the International Board of Directors and which is a crucial part of the life cycle of Sweet Adelines. “It really is a very exciting time for us. There’s a lot of fresh energy and creativity and growth happening right now....We’ll always be evolving and improving.”
Patty reviewed the results of the Visioning Retreat with the International Board, Headquarters Staff Leadership Team, and 25 members representing a cross-section of the organizational membership. That retreat, and the seven months of discussion and crafting that followed, produced a new Vision Statement and Guiding Principles as well as an updated Mission Statement and 5-year Strategic Plan.
“These are statements of intention and promise. They tell the world who we are, what our essential purpose is, and what we value most in that purpose and in our relationship with others. They are words that are both defining, but they are also aspirational. And they are words that say, ‘we promise to do this’ and mean it….Words that we should live by. And that make us uniquely and perfectly Sweet Adelines International.”
These organizational principles can be found on the Sweet Adelines International website at https://sweetadelines.com/mission-vision-and-guiding-principles. Patty’s complete address can be viewed on YouTube.