General Assembly
Friday, 4 August 2023
In-person - Zipper Concert Hall, Los Angeles, California, USA
and online (Zoom)
(Summary of the Minutes)
IKS President Dr. Jerry-Louis Jaccard welcomed those attending.
A Heritage Speech video by Peter Erdei was shown (Golden Honoree Presentation, part of the 50th Anniversary of the first Symposium).
The Executive Secretary gave an overview of the year 2022.
The Board had 4 Board Meetings during the year 2022 and the President and those responsible for the IKS Symposium also exchanged emails about various matters regarding the activities of the Society, focusing especially on the 26th International Kodály Symposium 2023, giving guidelines and assistance to the organizers in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Because of the rising costs, the Board and the General Assembly of 2022 approved raising the membership fees, introduced on 1 January 2023.
In the previous years the website content was updated and the membership fee payments were handled by the Membership Secretary, Lili Vandulek, and in May 2022 the Executive Secretary, Krisztina Molnár-Litvai took over these tasks as well.
Several smaller malfunctions and one big crash happened, each time the technical problem was with the IT provider. Because of these difficulties the IKS Office will ask for bids from other IT providers.
IKS has an annual subscription to Zoom Pro to support the online Board meetings and other IKS-related online meetings.
The PayPal payment method was introduced at the end of 2022 to offer more possibilities for payment at the IKS webshop.
New IT equipment was purchased for the office (Laptop, Portable Storage).
In May the Sarolta Kodály Scholarship I and II 2022-2023 were awarded for studies at the Kodály Institute in Kecskemét, and in December the decision about the 2022 IKS Scholarship was also made. The IKS was represented at:
• Commemoration of the death of Zoltán Kodály at his grave in Farkasrét Cemetery (Budapest).
• Commemoration of the Centenary of the birth of Árpád Darázs in Jászberény (Hungary).
• Hungarian Katalin Forrai Day at ELTE Budapest (Hungary).
• Kodály 140 – commemoration of the birth of Zoltán Kodály (concert at the Kodály Museum and Music Academy)
The Report of the Auditors was approved.
The Annual Report 2022 was approved.
Secretary Treasurer Dr. Shinji Inagi shortly reported on the Denise Bacon Endowment which has been placed on a secure savings account in Hungary since the spring of 2015.
The draft Budget for 2022 was approved.
Dr. Shinji Inagi gave a Report on Membership - according to the database at the end of 2022.
The Executive Secretary reported on Publications.
Golden Honoree Presentation Judith Neszlény and Betsy Moll – lead by Ms. Shelly Suminski Mahpar (co-chair of the Organizing Committee of the Symposium); Heritage speech by Betsy Moll.
Reports of the Affiliated National Institutional Members (presented in person or report read):
- Australia: Kodály Australia - Jason Boron
- Canada: Kodály Society of Canada
- Denmark: Danish Kodály Society
- Finland: Finnish Kodály Society - Olli Varonen, Virva Garam
- France: Voix Kodály France
- Germany: German Kodály Society - Kornelia Nawra, Elisabeth Krauß
- Greece: Greek Kodály Society - Michalis Patseas
- Ireland: Kodály Society of Ireland
- Italy: Italian Kodály Society (AIKEM) - Maurizio Bovero
- Japan: Japanese Kodály Society - Dr. Shinji Inagi
- Korea: Korean Kodály Society - Hongky Cho
- Philippines: Kodály Society of the Philippines - Roselle Elinore H. Matias
- UK: British Kodály Academy (BKA) - Mary Place
- USA: American Organization of Kodály Educators – (O.A.K.E.) National Office - Kevin Pearson
Report on Future Projects by Dr. Jerry Jaccard.
Trying to find some funds to increase the ability:
• to grow and keep up with our ideas
• for Board members to travel to support, and train
• for us to be able to cultivate your membership
• offering scholarships, to a range of kinds of Scholarships
• to mount the Folk Song Research website
New Honorary Members: Mary Place (UK), Dr. James Cuskelly (Australia), Lili Vandulek (Australia).
New patrons: Ko Matshushita (Japan), Miklós Perényi (Hungary, 2023).
Official announcement of the results of the 2023 Election:
• President: Jerry L. Jaccard
• Vice President: Susanna Saw
• Director: Hilda Mercedes Morán Quiroz
• Director: Miriam Factora
• Auditor: Róisín Blunnie
• Alternate Auditor: Dominka Lenska
Dr. Jerry Jaccard recognized and thanked outgoing Board member, Dr. Anikó Fehér and welcomed Dr. Hilda Mercedes Morán Quiroz.
The results of the election were ratified.
A presentation and invitation to 27th IKS Symposium 2025 was part of the Closing Ceremony of the Symposium. („50 Years of Excellence”, 4-8 August 2025).
Dr. Jerry Jaccard thanked the brilliant work of the Organizing Committee to put together the IKS Symposium 2023, and Colburn School for hosting.
The next General Assembly will be online. The date and the time will be announced later. The Agenda will be posted on the IKS website in due time.