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MINNEAPOLIS COMMODORES CHAPTER HISTORY From 50-Yr Anniversary Booklet
THIS PAGE CONTAINS: Chapter Goals from 1949 Commodore Competition History Quartets at International
Miscellaneous Facts Show History Commodore BOTY Past Chapter Presidents
CHAPTER GOALS adopted in 1949 along with the constitution and bylaws of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America have long guided the activities of the Minneapolis Commodores.
  1. To keep barbershop quartet singing in its rightful place as a highly traditional form of American folk music.
  2. To give every member an opportunity to sing in a permanently organized quartet and to encourage and assist the forming of as many good quartets as possible from the members.
  3. To promote the best possible chorus singing of songs arranged in barbershop style.
  4. To foster maximum altruistic participation of SPEBSQSA units in worthwile community, state and national projects.
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COMMODORES INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION HISTORY Info from 50-yr Anniversary Booklet
YEAR SITE DIRECTOR PLACE
1959 Chicago Regs Ellefson 11th
1962 Kansas City Harold Ulring 5th
1964 San Antonio Harold Ulring 11th
1966 Chicago Harold Ulring 11th
1970 Atlantic City Robert Spong 12th
1971 New Orleans Robert Spong 10th
1978` Cincinnati Robert Spong 5th
1979 Minneapolis Richard Dick 3rd
1980 Salt Lake City Richard Dick 4th
1982 Pittsburgh Spong/Rod Johnson 6th
1983 Seattle Doug Miller 7th
1984 St. Louis Doug Miller 10th
1985 Minneapolis Doug Miller 8th
1986 Salt Lake City Doug Miller 9th
2007   Paul Wiggley  
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MINNEAPOLIS COMMODORES QUARTETS AT COMPETITION From 50-yr Anniversary Booklet
  1. Atomic Bums (1947, 1948F 1950F, 1952, 1953F, 1954, 1955, 1957) - 1949 LOL District Champions
  2. Celebration (1985)
  3. Corporate Image (1975, 1976) - 1974 LOL District Champions
  4. Happiness Emporium (1973, 1974F, 1975 Champions) - 1973 LOL District Champions
  5. Harmony Galore Four (1975, 1976) - 1975 LOL District Champions
  6. Harmony Works (1985) - 1985 LOL District Champions
  7. Hut Four (1958S, 1959S, 1969S, 1961S, 1963, 1964, 1965S, 1966S, 1967S, 1969) - 1958 LOL District Champions
  8. Lake Aires (1958, 1960)
  9. Little Rascals (1981, 1982, 1983) - 1981 LOL District Champions
  10. Mel-O-Dons (1960, 1964)
  11. Men of A-Chord (1963, 1964)
  12. Red Barons (1972) - 1971 LOL District Champions
  13. Ring of Gold (1981, 1983)
  14. Roadrunners (1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1984) - 1972 LOL District Champions
  15. Talk of the Town (1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984) - 1976 LOL District Champions
  16. Grandma's Beaus (1990 International Seniors Quartet Champions)
NOTE:  F=Finalist, S=Semi-Finalist
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OTHER INTERESTING COMMODORE HISTORY From 50-yr Anniversary Booklet
  • Chartered in 1944
  • 14 LOL District championships
  • Four medals were earned in competition with the best choruses in the society
  • Finished in the top ten at international competition eleven times
  • Ten quartets from the Commodores have won the LOL District Contest
  • One quartet earned the gold medal in international competition
  • One quartet was named the International Seniors Quartet Champion
  • A Minneapolis quartet has earned the right to sing in international competition 53 times
  • Commodores have had well over 100 registered quartets in their 50+ year history
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ANNUAL SHOW, SITES AND CHAIRMEN Last Update: 2008 March
# YEAR NAME CHAIR DIRECTOR SITE
0 1944 none   Clarency Pingrey  
0 1945-7 none   Elton Bjorklund  
1 1948 Parade of Quartets Rudy Clark Luther Sletten West High
2 1949 Frames of Yesterday C. Booth Luther Sletten West High
3 1950 Old Gang of Mine Elton Bjorklund Luther Sletten West High
4 1951 Parade of Quartets Elton Bjorklund Luther Sletten Northrop
5 1952 Evolution of uartets Rudy Clark Luther Sletten Northrop
6 1953 Ye Olde Time Theater Joe Williams Luther Sletten Northrop
7 1954 Westward Ho Ralph Ibberson Luther Sletten Northrop
8 1955 Showboat E.H. Hamlet Luther Sletten Northrop
9 1956 Falls of Minnehaha E.H. Hamlet Luther Sletten Northrop
10 1957 Pageant of Beauty Maynard Szxe Luther Sletten Northrop
11 1958 Afternoon in the Park Joe Dworsky Regs Ellefson Northrop
12 1959 The Blue and the Gray Cecil Brantner Regs Ellefson Northrop
13 1960 Khords in the Klondike Ed Peterka Les Mikelson Northrop
14 1961 I Love a Parade Mel Orenstein Harold Ulring Northrop
15 1962 Stadium Harmony Bruce Churchill Harold Ulring Northrop
16 1963 Chording Twenties Larry Murphy Harold Ulring Northrop
17 1964 Coney Island Holiday Art Erlandson Harold Ulring Northrop
18 1965 Iceland on Parade Malcolm Liepke Harold Ulring Northrop
19 1966 Mardi Gras Olaf Lee Harold Ulring Northrop
20 1967 Harmony Circus William Shaw Harold Ulring Northrop
21 1968 Tunes in Toonerville Robert Spong Harold Ulring Northrop
22 1969 Harmony Hoedown Robert Johnson Harold Ulring Northrop
23 1970 Melodies for Maladies Rich WIlliams Robert Spong Northrop
24 1971 Singin' Sam Dick Plaisted Robert Spong Northrop
25 1972 Alice in Harmony Land Marv Spears Robert Spong Northrop
26 1973 Melodies Bring Memories Orv Haugan/H. Ulring Robert Spong Northrop
27 1974 Riverland Harmony Hardin Olson Harold Ulring Northrop
28 1975 Music and Memories John Kulka Harold Ulring Northrop
29 1976 We Love the Ladies Walt Swanberg Harold Ulring Northrop
30 1977 Spotlight Specialties John Hansen Harold Ulring Northrop
31 1978 You Asked for it Norm Wolfe Robert Spong Orchestra Hall
32 1979 Breakfast of Champions Jim Richards Richard Dick Orchestra Hall
33 1980 Show Time Norm DeCarlo Richard Dick Orchestra Hall
34 1981 The Commodores Present Dave Paxson Richard Dick Orchestra Hall
35 1982 Barbershop Revue Bob Brutsman Robert Spong/Rod Johnson Orchestra Hall
36 1983 Midwinter Sunshine Mike Stump Doug Miller Orchestra Hall
37 1984 Around the World in Song Roger Meyer Doug Miller Orchestra Hall
38 1985 Let There Be Music Roger Williams Doug Miller Orchestra Hall
39 1986 Harmony Theatre Glenn Nellist Doug Miller Orchestra Hall
40 1987 Back Home Again Dan Slattery Doug Miller Northrop
41 1988 Heritage of Harmony Ron Setzler Doug Miller Northrop
42 1989 Ain't We Got Fun Denny Rolloff Doug Miller Northrop
43 1990 Grandpa's Attic Brooks Bergerson Dwight Mennenga Northrop
44 1991 I Feel a Song Comin' On Brooks Bergerson Dwight Mennenga Northrop
45 1992 Summer Sounds Quentin Wood Dwight Mennenga Northrop
46 1993 Just One of Those Thing Mark Conlon Doug Miller Northrop
47 1994 K O R D - Minneapolis Doug Miller Doug Miller Ted Mann Concert Hall
48 1995 Reveille Remembered Wes Hatlestad Doug Miller Ted Mann Concert Hall
491996Tin Pan AlleyQuentin WoodDoug MillerTed Mann Concert Hall
501997Fifty Years of HarmonyBill Shaw, Jr.Jim HalvorsonBethel, Benson Great Hall
511998Come Join Us In SongVern HalvorsonDoug MillerBethel, Benson Great Hall
521999The Magic of the Minneapolis CommodoresJoe HouserBob PetersonBethel, Benson Great Hall
532000 There's No Business, Like Show Business Quentin WoodPaul WigleyBethel, Benson Great Hall
542001The Belvedere Academy All-Class ReunionBob RingoldPaul Wigley Bethel, Benson Great Hall
552002Remember The Days, A Salute to VaudevilleDan TonnPaul Wigley Bethel, Benson Great Hall
562003Around the World with BarbershopDan ColePaul WigleyBethel, Benson Great Hall
572004The Best of BroadwayDan SmithPaul Wigley Bethel, Benson Great Hall
582005Sentimental JourneyDan TruePaul WigleyBethel, Benson Great Hall
592006Celebrating Musical Memories of a LifetimePeter JarnbergPaul WigleyBethel. Benson Great Hall
602007 Here Comes the Showboat! Carl Pinard Paul WigleyBethel, Benson Great Hall
61 2008 Salute to Disney Gary Jacobson Paul Wigley Bethel, Benson Great Hall
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COMMODORES BARBERSHOPPER OF THE YEAR ("BOTY")
Paul Wigley 2007
Dan Cole 2006
Mark Sathe2005
Joe Houser2004
Dan Smith2003
Dave Bayer 2002*
Guy St.Martin2001
Wes Hatlestad2000
Jim Windey1999
Bill Hamre1998
Pete Villwock1997
Carl Pinard1996
Chuck Dostal1995
Mark Conlon1994
Doug Miller1993
Bob Griffith1992
*David George1991
Brooks Bergersen1990
Merrill Miller1989
*Mike Stump1988
Bill Shaw, Jr1987
Ron Setzler1986
Rod Johnson1985
Norm DeCarlo1984
Loren Berthilson1983
Dan Slattery1982
Hardin Olson1981
Marv Spears1980
*Orv Haugan1979
Jim Richards1978
*Will Sheldon1977
*Bernard Lamotte1976
John Hansen1975
Bob Dykstra1974
Dick Plaisted1973
Bob Spong1972
*Herb Friesen1971
Rich Williams1970
Harold Ulring1969
*Art Erlandson1968
*Bernard Page1967
Olaf Lee1966
*W.W. MacQueen1965
Ed Peterka1964
*Malcolm Liepke1963
Lee Mikelson1962
*Regs Ellefson1961
*Bruce Churchill1960
*Cec Brantner1959
*Ed Hamlet1958
*William Furst1957
*Rudy Clark1956
*Maynard Saxe1956
*Robert W. Browne1955
*Joe Williams1954
*Luther Sletten1953
*Elton Bjorklund1953
*=deceased TOP
PAST MINNEAPOLIS COMMODORES CHAPTER PRESIDENTS
Curt Brekke 2007
Terry McClellan 2006
Peter Jarnberg 2003-2004-2005
Dan Cole 2003
Dan Tonn 2002
Dan Smith 2001
Joe Houser 1999-2000
Dave Bayer 1998
Bill Shaw 1997
Carl Pearson 1996
Guy St.Martin 1995
Bob Griffith 1994
Jim Windey Mar-Dec 1993
*John Snyder Jan-Mar 1994
*Bruch Churchill 1992
Tom Wickenheiser 1991
Carl Pinard 1990
Merrill Miller 1989
Mark Conlon 1988
Rich Evans 1987
Bill Shaw, Jr 1986
*Mike Stump 1985
Dave Goodwin 1984
*Ron Setzler 1983
Norm DeCarlo 1982
Dan Slattery 1981
Roger Meyer 1980
Stu Leck 1979
Marv Spears 1978
*Orv Haugan 1977
Jim Richards 1976
Hardin Olson 1975
*Bing Kaufman 1974
*Les McNeice 1973
Dick Plaisted 1972
Ron Thomley 1971
Rich Williams 1970
Gary Odland 1970
Robert Spong 1969
*Dr. William Thomas 1968
Joe Cameron 1967
Dick Plaisted 1967
*Art Erlandson 1966
Rich Williams 1965
Larry Murphy 1964
Olaf Lee 1963
*Mal Liepke 1962
Ed Peterka 1960-1961
*Regs Ellefson 1959-60
Les Mikelson 1958
*Bruce Churchill 1957
*Cec Brantner 1956
*Bill Furst 1955
*Percy Hopkins 1954
*Dr. Ed Hamlet 1953
*Rudy Clark 1952
*Maynard Saxe 1951
*Dr. Paul Hartig 1950
*Dr. Ralph Ibberson 1949
*Elton Bjorklund 1947-1948
*Bill Elliot 1946
*Tom Hastings 1945-1946
*Joe Williams 1945
*Ken Goit 1944
mplscommweb@aol.com * = deceased TOP