EDUCATION

Educational

Sweet Adelines Name and Brand

When we asked about the Sweet Adelines name, the survey results showed the following:

• The name reflects who we are and I like it - 48%

• The name reflects who we are, but I do NOT like it - 10%

• The name doesn’t reflect who we are, but I’m ok with it - 26%

• The name doesn’t reflect who we are and I do NOT like it - 16%

Vulnerable Name and Brand

Vulnerable Name And Brand

• Just under half of respondents believe the name reflects who we are AND like it (48%).

• By contrast, another 26% are ok with it but don’t believe it reflects who we are. We can combine those two numbers to say 74% are “ok” with the current name.

• We could also combine other responses to say 42% believe the name does not reflect who we are.

• Finally 26% do not like it.

Sweet Adelines Name and Brand Cont.

Because each local chorus has its own name, this feedback probably doesn’t indicate respondents’ comfort in identifying primarily as Sweet Adelines. Rather, it indicates their comfort in being associated with this organization in addition to their local chorus. Further, in the one-on-one interviews, few participants indicated strong support and affinity for the Sweet Adelines name.

From a marketing perspective, we want this organization to have a name and brand image that members not only accept and like but brag about by name. This affects recruitment and a general sense of belonging. This issue is one that we believe does need further consideration for the future and we will continue to examine it.

Defining “Women-Centric” for Membership

On this important issue, about two-thirds of members selected various options in the survey that include transgender women, and another third selected options that include all nonbinary people. Roughly one third of the members prefer to define this as “women assigned female at birth/identify as women.”

Definition of Membership

Definition Of Membership

About two thirds of survey respondents also supported options that include transgender women and one third supported options that include all nonbinary.

Women: transgender women, nonbinary female at birth (current)

Women: assigned female at birth/ identify as women

Women: transgender women, and all nonbinary

All genders

Women: transgender women and men, all nonbinary ALL VOTES:

Women: transgender women, nonbinary female at birth (current)

Women: assigned female at birth/ identify as women

Women: transgender women, and all nonbinary

All genders

Transgender women and men, all nonbinary

As noted earlier, of survey respondents supported transgender third supported include all

Defining “Women-Centric” for Membership Cont.

Your feedback was extremely helpful on this important topic – so much so that at the September, 2022 Board meeting held at the International Convention and Competition in Phoenix our board discussed the issue at length and unanimously agreed to amend the Corporate Bylaws with the following membership eligibility definition:

Article III – Membership, Section 2 – Membership Eligibility: “Chapter membership is open to women (including transgender women) and non-binary people assigned female at birth in accordance with the standard procedure for ‘Chapter Membership Admittance’ as described in the Sweet Adelines International Policy Book.”

To help our members understand what this update means, we have created an initial set of ‘Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)’ that has been posted on our website here. We will continue to update the FAQs as we receive questions or requests for clarification from our members.

Our ultimate goal in this clarification of membership eligibility is to create an environment where eligible people know they are welcome and are able to experience their membership as their full authentic selves. We will continue to educate our members about gender identity as part of our DEI educational offerings, including the Chorus Toolkit.

It is important to note that there is no new requirement for disclosure of gender identity - this remains at the discretion of the individual. The survey results and interviews relayed that our members value Sweet Adelines as an organization that recognizes, celebrates and empowers women and have a strong desire that the organization continue to provide that experience while continuing to work toward for more inclusive practices.