Over the past Memorial Day weekend, at the 13th Conference in Minneapolis, the SAA was delighted to announce Heart of America Suzuki Association’s Chapter Affiliation. Founded in 1979 by Beth Titterington, HASA is one of the oldest Suzuki associations in the Americas. They have a large membership base that is concentrated in the Kansas City area and additionally surrounding counties on both the Kansas and Missouri sides.

Jean Dexter and Beth Titterington

Jean Dexter and Beth Titterington accept the HASA Chapter Affiliation certificate. Photo courtesy of Michiko Yurko.

Image by Michiko Yurko

Becoming a Chapter Affiliate

As the Chapter Affiliate program grows, the SAA would like to remind ongoing members and inform new members about the program’s purpose and potential. In effect, the SAA created a membership category under which existing state, local and provincial associations that meet our criteria may become Chapter Affiliates. Debuted at the Leadership Retreat at the end of May in 2001, the SAA’s Chapter Affiliate program was established to create a more formal relationship with local Suzuki associations so the mission to spread the vision of Dr. Suzuki can garner recognition across the Americas. We believe the relationship is a mutually beneficial one in which local Suzuki groups have presence on the National Level while the SAA has presence at the local level.

Basic criteria includes that the Suzuki group has a minimum of 30 teacher members, is open to all instrument areas, and covers a continuous geographical area. A list of benefits, the application, and details about the application process can be downloaded from the Chapter Affiliate section. If you have any questions about requirements or the process of applying to be a Chapter Affiliate, please do not hesitate to contact the SAA office at 1-888-378-9854 or by email at [javascript protected email address]

Special Thanks to SAM

Thank you to the Suzuki Association of Minnesota for all of your volunteer help at the Conference. In addition to providing volunteers and lending equipment, SAM organized and sponsored an outdoor play-in and picnic for local students and Latin American students at Peavey Plaza by the Orchestra Hall on Saturday, May 24th. It was a lovely day for the event, and everyone had a great time!