submissions for the award are often mixed in terms of quantity, and the number varies greatly from year to year. Andy Jeffery noted that he was in favor of offering the Young Director award but didn't necessarily think that it was something that we had to do every year, just like the Decker award. He suggested thatgetting the word to our membership through other means would be helpful because most people don't even know that we offer this. Streamlining or simplifying the nomination process was suggested. Some Board members wondered if Constant Contact, a Facebook page, or our website could be conduits for nominating candidates for our awards. Others suggested using Google Forms. Many questions surfaced in a brainstorming session: Does it have to be someone in large urban high school? (Some agreed and were concerned that we appear to be suburban/large school centric.) Do we need to offer these annually? What of outstanding members who contribute—should they be offered additional consideration? What of non-ACDA people who are wonderful conductors and teachers—could they be given an awarded and brought into the fold? What of an award for conductors, say, 40 years or younger? Curtis wondered if many awards could be offered based on experience—for example, a 0-10 years of experience award, a 10-20 years award, a 20-30 years award, etc. Similar suggestions arose and suggested the need for closer examination by a smaller group. An Awards Committee. Awards Committee. Several people suggested that the formation of a committee might be the best response to the many questions that are in this discussion. Three people volunteered: Janet McCumber, Curtis Fischer-Oelschlaeger, Linda Marshall, with other invited to join at any time. Future Possibilities. Linda Marshall and Lizzy Zarley discussed some exciting possibilities to consider and explore in hopes of connecting IL ACDA to even more people in our choral community. First, they propose a new Instagram account: ILACDAStudents or simply an ILACDA Instagram page. This can connect us into a wider community and new generation. Linda suggested that we might pursue more opportunities to offer professional development, for example, a webinar series which featured speakers addressing focused topics. These topics might include the issue of diversity or classroom management. A particular value of this approach could be found in its value to future teachers: if we draw them in and connect with them as students, that connection may continue beyond the student years. We might even find some material by featuring ACDA chapters’ work. The potential for connecting with people and inspiring their work, both as individuals and within the organization was mentioned. Upcoming Dates and Details: IMEC/ACDA Board Meeting, IMEC events, Summer ReTreat Winter Board Meeting. Board Meeting. The Winter Il-ACDA/IMEC meeting in Peoria IL will be held on Friday, January 31 from 11:45-1:15 at the Board Room (upper floor) of the Scottish Rite Cathedral (400 IMEC box lunches will be available from First United Methodist NE Perry Ave, Peoria, IL). Church: we will each need to bring money to cover the costs. (These lunches might be from Avanti’s or Chick-Fil-A, but the arrangements have not been finalized.) Paul Laprade will send