Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1928-12-27
PERFECT CHRISTMAS
SPIRIT BEHIND GIFT
HONOR PAID FORMER
CITIZEN or THOMPSON



the past, the present, and the future
of Sinfonia.
First Assistant
! am the spirit OF the past. recall.
ing those who with Brother Mills eea.
stiiutcd the founders OF Sinfonia.
Through me speak The voices of T.. w.
Briggs. q. A. Burdich. II r. Dreyer
g. s. Durham. A. NJ Gardner, j +.
Hartwell. W. G. holcomb, T.. 2. Perry,
A. J. stephens, H. l.. Stone, ). r.
Supp. and William Tanner From
the first informal meeting of group
Of the "old boys" az New England
Conservatory on September -. 1898,
to the formal meeting on October 6.
1898, when the Sinfonia Club was or
ganized. and on through the 9th Of
October two years later when the SEE
ond chapter. known as Beta. was or
ganized IN Philadelphia. and still fur
Their on 70 April 1920, 1901. when the
first national convention of Sinfonia
was held ia Boston with representa-
tires Of three ehapters-Alpha, Beta,
and Delta in Boston, Philadelphia and
Ithaca respectively, | would recall the
earnest, devoted, and brotherly dis
cussioR and activity in these men who
made our present organization possi-
BILE. would record the names of the
first national officers Ossian f. Mills.
supreme president. George G. VII
hams. supreme vice-pfesident; Ralph
II. Pendleton. supreme secretary; Gil
bert r. Combs. supreme treasurer.
and Percy J Burrell. supreme histor-
ian. All of these men excepting one
served az SOME time as supreme presi-
dent. and the single exception served
as supreme secretary and supreme
historian in two successive terms.
Here were a group Of vigorous, eapa-
bic men, and in their name | place
tins wreath By which the past would
honor the memory of Ossian r. Mslls.
Second Assistant
am the spirit of the present. ex-
tending from the first national con-
yention Of Sinfonia in 1901 to the be-
ginning Of the year which is but a
week hence Two days ago. on Decem-
Der q. the iiftieth chapter of Phi Mu
Alpha Sinfonia was Installed More
than 1000 men are now enrolled as
active members. and to all of them the
name Of the founder is as a talisman
of brotherly devotion. In the name
OF them and of the 5000 men who but
recently were active members in their
various chapters, | place this wreath
by which the present would honor the
memory of 0ssian +. Mills.
Third Assistant
am the spirit of the future To
all of US human the future is a closed
book except that we know It is a con-
tinuation of the present. just as the
present flows out OF the past. We,
therefore, can speak of the Sinfonia Of
the future only in terms Of what has
been. There has hsen a gradual IN
crease in the rate Of growth. From
the organizing Of the chapter in Bos-
ton 10 the first convention three years
later, three chapters were formed. In
the ten years from 1901 10 lal ! eight
new chapters were added In the sue
ceeding ten years, 1911 TO 1921, twelve
more chapters were added. In the
seven years from 1921 10 the present,
twenty-seven chapters have been add
ed OF these fifty, all but three and
those among the very early ones. are
active and prospecting today. II this
rate of growth continues it will not be
long before there will be- 100 chapters
upon our roll. In the name of this
ever increasing army OF young man
hood in music | place this wreath by
which the Sinfonia of the future
would honor the memory Of ossian r.
Mills.