American River Folk Society to bring culture to schools

At the first meeting of 2013, the new board of directors of the American River Folk Society (ARFS) resolved to steer the society back to its original mission: the “support and promotion of education and presentation activities relevant to contemporary, traditional, and multicultural folk music, folklore, and folk dance in the Mother Lode of the California Sierra Nevada Gold Country.”

Community input will be used to develop a two-year growth plan in which a visiting artists’ program will be initiated in Georgetown Divide schools for the 2013–14 school year. Community performance and jam programs will be started in the next few months.

“The intent is to develop premier programs celebrating the folk traditions, including dance, storytelling, and music,” according to newly elected ARFS President Buzz Chernoff.

Chernoff, along with board members Kathleen Lindsen, vice president; Paul Firth, secretary; Esther Offerman, treasurer; Richard Grimes, Ray Griffiths, Mark Nichol and Byron Pethman, are resolved to make this happen.

The American River Folk Society was founded by Bruce and Cindy Hayden, who with fellow members of the Georgetown Divide community put the organization together in the mid-1990s.

Over the next several years, ARFS gained a reputation on the Divide and throughout the Mother Lode for bringing nationally recognized musicians to the area for concerts and as visiting musicians in public schools on the Divide and in the nearby community of Camino.

In 2000, the organization refocused its priorities to establish KFOK Community Radio, a low-power, locally focused radio station in Georgetown. Now that KFOK has been successfully broadcasting for 10 years and has a capable management team, ARFS is once again focusing its priorities on rebuilding the education and performance programs of its mission.

To accomplish this goal, the ARFS board seeks help and advice from the community. The interim directors for education and performance will hold meetings by the end of March, when two-year strategic plans will be developed and committees will be appointed to accomplish the plans.

In addition, the officers of the board will be going to community organizations and their boards to solicit their support in this rebuilding.

Interested individuals and organizations should contact Mark Nichol, publicity coordinator for ARFS, at 650-678-2527 or mark@kfok.org.

ARFS will launch a Website in March and membership applications will also be available then.