| The first few
years of
Sinfonian history are somewhat unclear, but things appeared to go well.
By 1932, Sinfonia was a well-accepted part of campus life at Coe. It
made its first appearance in the Acorn, Coe College’s yearbook.
In 1932, the chapter boasted a membership of 28 men, a combination of
student, faculty and community members. Sinfonia’s social calendar was
a busy one, hosting the annual American Composers Concert, a tradition
that had carried over from the days as Pi Sigma Rho. In addition to the
concert, the chapter also pitted the campus fraternities against one
another in the inter-fraternity sing, held in conjunction with the
annual Inter-Fraternity banquet. Throughout the early 1930’s membership
remained in the low to mid twenties, and the chapter seemed healthy. By 1935, however, a different story seems to unfold. The depression had hit Coe College hard, and men were having trouble meeting the financial commitments of fraternity. In correspondence between Edwin Dike, Chapter President, and Charles Lutton, Supreme Secretary-Treasurer, in the summer of 1935, tense words are exchanged about dues. Mr. Dike expressed doubt that the fraternity would survive the depression years, due to a limited number of men, and even more limited money. Indeed the situation was so dire that the fraternity was omitted from the 1935 Acorn. Happily, Mr. Dike’s grim predictions about the future of the Beta Kappa were false. Indeed, by the next year, the chapter had returned to campus in fine from. The 1936 Acorn reports a healthy membership of 24 men. By 1938, the chapter was on to bigger and better things. Student membership was up within the chapter, with students now numbering 11 (the Acorn in 1938 lists only student members – a tradition that is still carried on to the present). The men of Sinfonia had beefed up the social calander to include a mixer for all music students in the fall of each year. In March of 1938, Beta Kappa hosted its first Back to Bach party in the Recreation Room of the Men’s Gymnasium. Groups from the Military Band, Women’s Band, A Capella Choir, Vesper Choir, and Orchestra presented stunts. Additionally, Beta Kappa began its role as host on a larger scale. On Saturday, May 7 1938, Beta Kappa hosted its first Province Workshop, for the North Central Province. Highlights of the day-long workshop included an address by Province Governor Tolbert MacRae (Alpha Delta), and address by Charles Lutton, Supreme Secretary-Treasurer, and a broadcast by the Convention Chorus over WMT Radio. 1939 was a banner year for the Beta Kappa. The chapter was to take its mission more seriously now than ever. It began a series of weekly "phonograph concerts". These concerts, where a series of serious musical selections was programmed and presented as a formal concert each Sunday evening were a highlight of the ensuing years. In 1939, the chapter also inducted its first two honorary members. The first was a clear choice. Prof. Paul Ray who had been with the chapter from the beginning was being honored for his work directly with the chapter. The other was a bold move for the chapter. Not only were they to go outside the realm of the music department, but they were headed to the heart of the Coe community. In 1939, the Beta Kappa Chapter conferred honorary membership on Dr. Harry Morehouse Gage, President of Coe College. |