Instead of Tearing Down Goalposts, They Posed on Them. Lawrence Eyre with the 1970 Whiffenpoofs: One Small Step for a Moline Boys Choir Member

Lawrence "Tooblest" Eyre is the seventh from the right.

The current roster can be found here.

Here are Lawrence's personal notes on the Whiffenpoofs.

Moline Boys Choir Achievers - Leo Brunner and His Brother Kim Brunner

An invitational tournament is named for Leo Brunner.

Leo died in 2003. Kermit Wells, on Facebook, mentioned the annual Leo Brunner tournament. Leo knew all the baseball statistics, and I do mean all of them. He loved to hand someone a baseball encyclopedia and answer any trivia statistic from it, such as lifetime stolen bases or RBIs in each year.

Here in the Line O Type article about Leo.

He used that unique gift in teaching and coaching. I remember him enjoying that fact at one of our reunions (MHS 66). He told me how he wowed the kids with his memory. I did not realize it was the last time we would talk. 

We were at Augustana together, so I often gave him rides when I had the family car. 

Named Chairman

Augustana appoints Kim Brunner as Chair of Board

Augustana College is pleased to announce Kim M. Brunner has been elected chair of the college's Board of Trustees. As chair, he is responsible for leading board members and the college community in fulfilling Augustana's mission to provide students with a distinctive, private liberal arts education and help them discover their desired path in life. Brunner, a 1971 graduate of Augustana, is the executive vice president, chief legal officer and secretary of State Farm Insurance. His position as chair is a four-year term, and he replaces outgoing chair Doug Hultquist.

"Between his professional accomplishments and his deep appreciation of the transformative power of a liberal arts education, Kim Brunner brings a formidable combination of skills and enthusiasm to his leadership of the board," says Augustana President Steven Bahls. "His passion and acumen as a trustee have strengthened the governance of Augustana College, and will continue to do so under his chairmanship."

Brunner believes the next four years will provide many defining moments for his leadership partially due to the national economic downturn. "Augustana must be prepared for what could be an extended period of financial uncertainty. President Bahls and his staff have already established a proven track record of good judgment and decision-making in managing within our means," says Brunner.

He is also appreciative of the college's successes during the last 150 years. "In the years since my graduation from Augustana, I've gained a much fuller appreciation of the debt we owe our predecessors, without whose steadfast dedication Augustana College would not have achieved its present-day status as one of America's leading liberal arts colleges," says Brunner.

"No other college does a better job than Augustana in providing an outstanding educational experience. No other is superior in preparing graduates for success and leadership in a world where change is occurring at such an astonishing pace. Our commitment to developing students broadly, in mind, spirit and body is deeply rooted and unwavering. Augustana College is a special place," he adds.

Brunner supervises the State Farm corporate law department, the third largest law department in the United States. He was inducted into the prestigious Warren E. Burger Society in 2006 by the National Center for State Courts in recognition of his dedication to the administration of justice. 

He grew up in the Quad Cities and was the first of his family to attend law school. After graduating from Augustana, he earned his J.D. from the University of Arizona College of Law. At Augustana, he was an exceptional baseball player and earned the Knute Erickson Scholar Athlete Award. Brunner is married to Donna (Huber) Brunner and lives in Bloomington, Ill. Their son, Jeremy, also graduated from Augustana.      

Augustana's 40 member Board of Trustees consists of leaders from a variety of backgrounds including business, industry, finance, law, medicine and ministry.

Keri Rursch

Kermit Wells Honored as Moline Boys Choir Director

After 54 years, choir director to bid farewell - Quad Cities Online:


The annual Moline Boys Choir spring concert later this month will be extra special -- not only because the April 29 program will inaugurate the new auditorium at John Deere Middle School, but that the choir, alumni and community will bid farewell to its longtime director, Kermit Wells.

After 54 years with the choir, Mr. Wells, 75, will retire this summer. The beloved choir (now with 36 regular members and 14 younger cadets) was founded by Frederick Swanson in 1948; Mr. Wells joined as an assistant in 1958. The MBC has toured the country and overseas, made many recordings, and included as many as 200 boys in three separate groups in the 1980s.

"I still enjoy teaching the kids; I don't have energy for concertizing," Mr. Wells said. "It takes so much stress, physical endurance for the concerts. I just don't have the energy for it. "

Former music coordinator for the Moline School District and a junior-high and high-school music teacher (he retired in 1995), Mr. Wells has directed MBC since 1973. He leads five one-hour rehearsals a week at the Coolidge auditorium; singers -- from second through ninth grades -- are required to attend at least two each week, and three in the weeks leading up to a concert. Mr. Wells often doesn't see the whole choir together until the concert.

The holiday season is a busy time for the choir, with several concerts in November and December. Each spring's concert usually features alumni, and the 3 p.m. concert April 29 should be extra full, given Mr. Wells' announcement, said choir alum Steve Slininger, of Silvis, who serves on the board and is heading up the search committee.

"It was pretty amazing," he said of the director's half-century tenure. "When I was a boy, the transformation occurred from Dr. Swanson to Mr. Wells. He was planning to do this on a temporary basis. He's been doing it temporary for 54 years."

"He was very big on tradition," Mr. Slininger said of Mr. Wells, who also taught his three brothers, and his son, Brian. "We kept up a lot of activities we did when I was a boy. He has his own different style of dealing with the boys. It used to be we never got away with anything."

The choir has hundreds of people across the country on its mailing list, and would like to find an alumnus to succeed Mr. Wells. "It should be somebody who knows the boys choir procedure," he said.

Mr. Slininger said the goal is to hire a new director by August. As he's done for 50 years, Mr. Wells will accompany a group of choir members to a week-long camp in Green Lake, Wis., in July. During the summer, the choir doesn't rehearse regularly, but meets for the week before the trip, and performs while there.

Mr. Wells said he's proudest of getting boys interested and involved in music.

"It's something boys don't come by naturally," he said. "To boys, music singing is a girl thing. Once they get into it, get to know each other, they enjoy each other -- the music, the applause and the standing ovations."

Now it's time for their dedicated director to take a bow.

Quotes from Boys Choir alumni

Reactions to Kermit Wells' decision to retire poured forth in a strong, sustained chorus on the Facebook page "Moline Boys Choir For Life":

Matt Sedlak: "Mr. Wells, you taught me so much. You taught me to believe in myself and to not be ashamed of the voice and personality God gave me. Thank you for being my Moline Boys Choir Director."
Jeff De Leon: "An era is truly coming to an end. Thank you for everything you've done to inspire youth to pursue the arts in the Q.C. and for being an incredible teacher."

Chadwick Vogel: "There never was a more dedicated, wonderful director. Thank you for the years of discipline, and beautiful music you gave to each and every member of the choir."

Tom Mahalla: "But how can one replace that which is irreplaceable?"

Peter Holst: "Thank you is not enough. You have been such a guiding influence in so many young lives. Thank you Mr. Wells!!!!!"

Steve Van Daele: "Kermit, you have been such a positive influence to 'your' boys over the years. One can tell by the following you have from afar on FB. Your dedication has given many the 'escape' they were always looking for. I am proud being an Alumni of the MBC."

Andrew Swenson: "Kermit, Many thanks for your years of service to MBC! My MBC experience provided a solid foundation for almost 40 years of choral singing, an indispensable part of my life. You were a big part of that MBC experience."

Bruce John is in the center, fifth row,
and John Robeson (redhead) is fourth row, on the right.
Dr. Fred Swanson is directing this Christmas concert, probably 1960.

'via Blog this'








Left click for more detail.

Larry Eyre's mother kept this certificate for 50 years. The fine print is worth reading - "not for pecuniary profit."

John Robeson, MBC member from the same year, sent some scans which were posted.

Kermit Wells Provided These Photos of the Moline Boys Choir, 1960

Reprise: Moline Boys Choir

Can you find Linda Nelson Pearson's son Troy?

Moline Boys Choir - Did This Group Inspire "Total Eclipse of the Heart"?

I was not going to post this photo, since Photoshop failed to fix the glowing red eyes and zombie expressions. Left-click to appreciate the effect. But I realized it may have inspired the group in "Total Eclipse of the Heart." The video is posted below.

Dr. Fred Swanson and the Moline Boys Choir

Dr. Fred Swanson's name was spoken with awe, because he started and developed a well known boys choir. We were not just a tractor town.

When the National Music Educators meeting was scheduled to meet in Davenport, 1949, Fred Swanson was asked to organize a Quad-City festival choir of 500 boys from the entire area. Swanson was head of the Moline Public Schools vocal music program. The other music coordinators agreed and the rehearsals began.

After the first and only concert at the convention, the Moline group of 150 boys wanted to continue rehearsing and singing. Requests came in for additional concerts, more reason for the Moline group to continue.

August Sundine, Moline Daily Dispatch, donated money for robes. The Moline Boys Choir sang their Christmas Vespers concert at First Methodist Church in 1949, which began an annual tradition.

Their summer camp at Lake Geneva featured a concert, and that led to paid concerts in the Chicago and Wisconsin areas. The program outgrew the public school system and became a separate community organization, incorporated in 1953.

In 1964, the choir was invited to sing at the World's Fair in New York City. This led to a tour and the start of the touring choir. The touring choir was a separate organization because of the demands for rehearsals and practical limitations on transportation. By 1969 they were preparing to tour Europe, with massive help from Moline fund-raising and volunteers. A few years later they were touring the South Pacific.

John Robeson provided scans from the 25th anniversary (1948 - 1973) booklet about the choir. The booklet was made possible through the efforts of Douglas Frazer, former member of the Moline Boys Choir.

Moline Boys Choir Tour

Moline had its own Trapp Family.

Moline Boys Choir Summer Camp

Left-click to see if any faces are familiar.

Moline Boys Choir Certificate - Kept 50 Years

Left click for more detail.

Larry Eyre's mother kept this certificate for 50 years. The fine print is worth reading - "not for pecuniary profit."

John Robeson, MBC member from the same year, sent some scans which were posted.

More Moline Boys Choir - 1960s

John Robeson sent this photo of the Moline Boys Choir singing in the 1960s, 50 years ago today.

Bruce can be located by looking above Fred Swanson's head and a little to the left.

John is the redhead on the far right, middle row.

In the future, I hope to have more information and photos about the Moline Boys Choir.
posted.

Moline Boys Choir - Fred Swanson

Linda Nelson Pearson scanned this from a program. I added some color so you can find her son. Left-click for a much better view of the photo.

Moline Boys Choir at the St. Louis arch.


The Moline Boys Choir has been famous for many years.

I remember Dr. Fred Swanson auditioning us in the dreary basement of Garfield. Needless to say, I did not make the cut. I remember Larry Eyre, Bruce Johnson, and Greg Keller joining. I think Larry was a Whiffenpoof at Yale, too.

The choir has a Facebook page with a faded photo on it. Good grief - they can do better than that for a famous Moline institution. At the moment I cannot find an old photo of the choir or one of Fred Swanson.

Initial searching showed that Fred Swanson graduated from Augustana College and had a big impact on music in the Quad-Cities. I hope to post more in the future, with some help from Moliners.

From Moline Boys Choir to Jim Bakker.