Lifetime Achievement Award

Marsha Fulton

2018 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

Applause, cheers and enthusiastic whistles greeted Marsha Fulton, Region #26, Regional Administrative Director, when she stepped forward to accept the 2018 SA Lifetime Achievement Award from President Patty Cobb Baker during the St. Louis convention.

Smiling and waving, Marsha touched the “Proud Singer” ribbon she wears as a member of a small, close-knit group of Sweet Adeline friends who have, for decades, met to catch up at every convention. This evening, an entire arena of proud singers welcomed her.

Patty explained that it was her “incredible honor” as international president to choose Marsha, who she described as a “lifelong selfless servant, mentor and fearless leader.” The rationale was clear, as Patty read Marsha’s long list of accomplishments: two-time international president, 47 years as a certified expression judge, international judge specialist moderator and expression judge specialist, local/regional leader, director and singer, to name a few. Since joining SA in 1962, Marsha has attended all education and regional events and has been at all but three international conventions.

Patty also read comments from Marsha’s fellow Proud Singers, who described her as “a lion at the board table, always willing to take on important issues” and a mentor with an “uncanny way” of spotting and helping talent flourish.

“After 56 years in the trenches, it’s clear you have the heart of a volunteer,” Patty noted with admiration. “And yours is as big as they come.”

As Marsha recalls, the ability to type was the catalyst that launched her legendary SA career. In 1963, she was elected recording secretary of the London Chorus, Region #2, and handed the “essential tools” of typing and carbon paper, along with a portable typewriter.

It was a friend in her card club who introduced her to four-part a cappella harmony and as Marsha continued to find her voice within SA, she left behind her former hobbies – cards, bowling and the Olympic sport of curling.

“I never had the right equipment and I was always freezing while curling so when I found Sweet Adelines, I didn’t have to do that anymore!” she laughed.

As she became more involved in Sweet Adelines, Marsha spoke about a significant moment as a member, when she knew she would dedicate her time and talents, musically, personally and administratively, to the organization.

It happened when former international president Lois (Anderson) Chartier (then a Region #2 leader) spoke to Marsha’s chorus.

“I was very taken with this woman. She was articulate, enthusiastic and talked about the role of singers in the health of a chorus,” Marsha remembered. “She also said that rehearsals were a night for the singer to be herself and be part of an extended family.

“Wow. I wanted to be that woman. That evening influenced how I saw Sweet Adelines at the time and what I could see myself being and doing.”

Marsha began her final remarks with what she called “a commercial” relating to organizational growth. She cited a 1988 Pitch Pipe article by Bev Miller, addressing the responsibility for reversing declining membership. The promotional tagline back then was “Be a Singer/Bringer.”

“That still rings true today. We all own a piece of this rock called Sweet Adelines.”

“Sweet Adelines has been very, very good to me,” she added. “And the pleasure has been mine, all mine.” Then, touching her ribbon again, she announced: “And I am a proud singer!”