Sweet Adeline of the Year
Our Sweet Adeline of the Year for 2023 was awarded to Sam Flynn, Indian Blue's Communication Coordinator
Sam joined Indian Blue Chorus in 2020, singing baritone and taking on the Communications Coordinator role on our management team in 2022.
Sam has flourished as Communications Coordinator, initiating new projects, completing outstanding tasks, refining and streamlining processes and actively participating on the management team by providing an objective and knowledgeable viewpoint. She is a quiet achiever, doing all this without a fuss and without prompting; we just hear that it “has been done”.
Sam’s IT skills are invaluable to our members. She is always willing to help solve issues ranging from emails getting misplaced, assistments and helping PR and Marketing to update the website. Sam patiently answers all our weird and wonderful tech questions, supporting members as issues arise, getting to the bottom of the problem and clearly communicating the solution. An example of this is the assistance she provided to upload voice recordings, creating a step-by-step guide. Members really appreciate that kind of help.
Reliable, knowledgeable, generous, kind, patient, helpful, available, and a true treasure are just some of the words that members have used to describe Sam in nominating her for this prestigious award. She can be completely depended upon in her role as communications coordinator and baritone singer.
When she was diagnosed with cancer last year, Sam could have chosen to hide away and stop participating in chorus life and serving on our management team. Instead, she not only kept going, but she gave her ALL to her healing, and to Indian Blue Chorus. Despite the huge challenges associated with her treatment, Sam still shows up, sometimes with a headscarf, sometimes without, still with that smile, a sense of humour, still helping us all, and maintaining her team spirit the whole time. Sam’s strength, courage and fortitude have not only shone through in how she has fought her health challenge, but have been echoed in her commitment to all of us. What a warrior she is.
Thank you, Sam, for all that you do for us and all the thoughts, love and commitment you show. Congratulations on this well-deserved award, our Sweet Adeline of the Year for 2023!
Our Sweet Adeline of the Year for 2022 was awarded to Kali Caramia, Indian Blue's Director.
Kali Caramia is the Harmony 500 director of Indian Blue Chorus. She is a 25-year Sweet Adeline and completed her Directors’ Certification in 2001. In a life-changing moment, Kali realised that if she started her own chorus from the ground-up, she would be able to provide the opportunities and joy she had experienced in singing barbershop to others. And with that, Indian Blue Chorus was chartered in 2013.
Kali is the epitome of Sweet Adelines, passionate about her role, her chorus and the organisation. Besides being our Director, Kali wears many hats and juggles these roles with commitment, enthusiasm and energy.
Being very open to learning, she is not afraid to try new things and in fact embraces it. Kali actively seeks out the latest information about singing and implements it with the chorus. She always pursues excellence in barbershop to better our craft.
Kali is reliable, dependable, a very good listener and a dear friend to us all. She has time for everyone and shares our joys and sorrows and respects everyone’s opinions. Issues are dealt with in kindness and tact.
The past two years have been very difficult, but Kali always stays positive, bringing us together online or in person (when safe) so we can stay connected, keeping us learning, looking to the future and maintaining camaraderie. She is the glue holding us together during the pandemic and we probably wouldn’t be here without her, our leading light.
Kali embodies the chorus values of commitment; support and encouragement; learning and growth; inclusiveness, acceptance and respect; perseverance and hard work; friendship and camaraderie and passion, enthusiasm and joy.
Kali really exemplifies the best of Sweet Adelines and is a credit to the organisation with her skills, knowledge, compassion and good humoured generosity. Congratulations Kali!
Our Sweet Adeline of the Year for 2021 was awarded to Barb Turner, Indian Blue's Membership Coordinator.
Barb's commitment to the wellbeing of our chorus members during the challenges of 2020 was recognised and celebrated! Barb first walked through our doors in early 2019, joining one of our ‘learn to sing’ courses. From the moment she joined, Barb has approached all chorus activities in a very enthusiastic manner, quickly becoming a valued member of the Indian Blue family. She is committed, reliable, caring, always willing to help and is generous with both her time and her heart. Barb epitomises the Indian Blue values each and every time she walks through the doors at rehearsal or performs with us.
Indian Blue Chorus is thrilled to announce that Kathryn Buehrig is our Sweet Adeline of the Year for 2020.
Kathryn came to one of our Real Women, Real Harmony, Real Fun courses in 2016, joining the tenor section. Since that time, she has actively been involved in many aspects of chorus life. Kathryn always attends rehearsals, volunteering to do any manner of jobs for the chorus, despite having enormous commitments with her family and working fulltime! She always has such a positive attitude, smiling face and energy that permeates through the chorus!
Indian Blue Chorus is thrilled to announce our Team Coordinator, Helen Bolton, as our Sweet Adeline of the Year for 2019.
Helen has been an integral part of IBC since it started back in 2013 with a Real Women Chorus and under her leadership took the group to chartering. She has very capably led the chorus in the role of Team Coordinator since that time. She has also been at the helm of the Basses as Section Leader and has mentored many within the chorus encouraging their growth in skills. Helen is a dedicated Sweet Adeline and willingly volunteers her time and skills to the region.
Indian Blue Chorus's 2018 Sweet Adeline of the Year goes to Alison Carrivick
Each year, members of the Indian Blue chorus vote for who they believe is deserving of the prestigious Indian Blue Chorus Sweet Adeline of the Year Award. This year the award was presented to Alison (Ali) Carrivick, our 5th recipient. Ali is currently Music Services Coordinator and Baritone Section Leader.
Indian Blue Chorus's 2017 Sweet Adeline of the Year goes to Margaret Patullo
Indian Blue Chorus's 2016 Sweet Adeline of the Year goes to Lyn Hull
Indian Blue Chorus's 2015 Sweet Adeline of the Year goes to Morag Nelson
Indian Blue Chorus's 2014 Sweet Adeline of the Year goes to Chris Jones
Indian Blue Chorus's 2013 Sweet Adeline Quiet Achiever goes to Margaret Patullo
