Membership and Dues.
Membership is open to everyone interested in the objectives of the Chapter.
There is no longer a family membership option. Annual dues are recommended by the Executive Committee and approved by the membership at the Annual General Meeting. Dues may be paid to the treasurer by cheque, sent to:
Debby Wright, Treasurer Toronto Duke Ellington Society, 21 Kirk Bradden Road East, Toronto, ON., M8Y 2E5.
Alternatively, current members renewing may e transfer their $50 per person membership dues to tdestreasurer@gmail.com.
Only paid up members have the right to serve on the Executive Committee, make motions, vote on business or receive the monthly newsletter.
Meetings:
When: 1:30 p.m. on the Second Tuesday of each month (excluding July and
August). In December the regular meeting is pre empted by the Annual
Holiday Party.
Our general Meetings will now be held The Fairfield Seniors' Centre at 80 Lothian Ave, Etobicoke. For those travelling by subway, from the Islington station, walk SOUTH on the east side of Islington Avenue to a little beyond Springbrook Gardens Road. There is a sidewalk OR PATHWAY going eastbound (turn left). You can see the building ahead. There will be a greeter at the appropriate entrance to direct you to the meeting room. The distance from the Islington Subway is essentially the same as to Monty's Inn at 850 meters. There is a bus service from the Islington subway. Route 110 a, b or c going south on Islington. Alight at Bering Ave.
This bus service runs on a 15-minute schedule at the 1:00 p.m. hour. For the return journey, at 4 - 5 p.m. or so, there are 6 buses per hour.
For those coming by car, there is an abundance of free parking.
You can enter the building via the west entrance - that's from the parking lot. Or you can enter the building from the north entrance. The doors do not open manually. There is the standard handicap push button or the red touchless door opener that you wave your hand over. The light turns blue when the doors start to open. We exit the building the same way.
Members or special guests make presentations on some aspect of Duke’s music interspersed with recordings or videos. On occasion live music enhances the proceedings.
Guests are always welcome. However, after attending a couple of meetings, guests are encouraged to join. Members who join on or after the Spring Fundraising concerts will have their membership fees applied to the upcoming season.
The current Executive Committee, elected at the October 10th 2023 Annual General Meeting is:
Treasurer– Debby Wright
Vice President – Martin Loomer
Secretary – Jim Northover (Editor of the newsletter and Web Master)
Program Chair – Irene Barton
Outreach Events Coordinator – Judy Shiels
Phone Committee – Matt. Wood
Disposing your record collection.
We have all, over the years, put together
collections of LPs and CDs. We have thoroughly enjoyed our collections, the
time spent putting it together and listening and enjoying the recordings. Our
collections are of significant value to
us though in most cases of limited commercial value or of broader interest. We
should not be disappointed.
There comes a time though when we
have to dispose of our collections due to downsizing, moving or other life
changing events. We all want our
collections to go to a good home where the recordings will be listened to and
appreciated. However, the reality is that with a few exceptions, we all have
the same collections, more or less, and the likelihood of our collections being
taken as a whole is remote. The potential buyers are all in the same position
you find yourself in, wanting to downsize too.
Here are some suggestions which
may be of help:
- · If you have a group of friends or likeminded people, make a list of what you have and distribute the list to potential buyers.
- · If a list is too a big a task, and I can understand why, consider asking for lists for specific items that people may be looking for. E.g. “I am disposing of my record collection. If you are looking for specific items, please let me know the details and I will see if I have it.”
- · Be specific as to price. Be reasonable.
- · If you have items of value such as Mosaic sets of CDs or LPs that you know are of significant value, sell on eBay.
- · Contact a dealer which may be the best and easiest option. Collections of 100 vinyl records or so are of little interest to dealers. Do you have collections that modern buyers want? Today’s buyer is 20 to 55 years of age and is interested in post 1955 modern music such as Miles Davis and John Coltrane according to record dealer Aaron Keele.
- · For 78 rpm records contact John Wilby of Jazz Oracle at 416-232-9629
- · A really helpful website is Kops Records. Their website has a lot of helpful information on selling collections of records of all types: https://www.kopsrecords.ca/
- · For significant LP collections contact Aaron Keele at The Record Guys 416 778-6933. Email : tuneup@sympatico.ca- Their web site is: therecordguys.com
- · Among potential buyers of collections including books CDs and LPs are:
She
Said Boom: https://www.shesaidboom.shop/
Contact Randy Harnett 416-944-3224
Sonic
Boom: https://www.sonicboommusic.com/ Contact 416-532-0334
·
Booksellers Sellers & Newell at 672 College
St. in Toronto purchase book accumulations too.
647-778-6345
- · There is the option of directly selling online via eBay or Amazon.
- · When you have exhausted all of your sales options consider donations to a worthy cause such as Friends of the Library, Mississauga Symphony Book Sale and local charity shops. There are several organisations which hold sales of books and records which may be appropriate.
- ·
CDs
have little value according to Aaron Keele.
