BLIND AND CANNOT SEE, DEAF AND CANNOT HEAR

SMUG were at Central Queens United Church in Hunter River this morning, performing a total of 10 selections that seemed to delight the congregation. In the absense of the minister, The Reverend Barbara Wagner,the service was conducted by Mr Roland Easter with SMUG doing two anthem selections and the message brought by our own "Pastor" Maurice Steeves.Christine Belanger was the organist, assisted by Nancy Rackham. Maurice told the congregation the most wonderful story of how his father was both deaf and blind,his mother deaf, and what Louis Braille was eventually able to do for them to enable them to communicate. This heart-warming tale which began in the very early 1900's, tells of how his father was sent off to a school for the deaf in Saint John, where Maurice's mother and father met and eventually were married. Maurice explained Braille and how Louis Braille put it together to enable the world of blind people to read.There were samples for those assembled and Maurice explained the process and how a typewriter was eventually invented also to make putting Braille down on paper so much easier to process.The Braille passage that was sent around for the congregation to see said : "Count Your Blessings", one of the hymns sung in the morning service.

David MacIntyre Benefit in Winsloe

SMUG played at the Lions Club Hall in Winsloe last night, to a very packed house which was a benefit for local resident, David MacIntyre. David, who is going to Poland to receive treatment for MS. has suffered for many years. The entertainment began at 7: 30 featuring the JUST FOR FUN Band which gave way to many other local performers throughout the evening. Smug performed four numbers at 8:30 but there wasn't opportunity for the photographer to record the performance on film. It was wonderful to see the support in the community for David as he travels overseas to take this new treatment which everyone is hoping will provide him with relief.It was reported this morning by Allison Coles, one of the organizers,that over $22,000.00 was raised last night for this worthy effort.

Leah and Norma discuss their new Ohana Tenors


Getting Ready

SMUGGERS ARRIVING AT LIONS HALL IN WINSLOE

I SAW THE LIGHT AT LEAH AND BARRY's

Leah and Barry were our hosts today, offering a mixture of sun, cloud, chocolate cake,( compliments of Joanne,) and coffee, along with their always gracious hospitality which we have enjoyed for the past three summers. The rain threatened when we arrived but the sun soon came out and we were well protected on their comfortable deck.

O CANADA........HAPPY CANADA DAY

While Her Majesty, The Queen, and His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, graced the Canada Day celebrations in the nation's capital, Ottawa, SMUG performed in the enthusiastic Canada Day celebrations and parade in the streets of North Rustico, P.E.I.
With the advantage of a new trailer,and a beautiful July day, Allison Coles took SMUG to Rustico to perform for the citizens of that Acadian community on the Island's North Shore. Allison put together a lively program that will be well remembered by the huge turnout. The crowd showed their appreciation with clapping and singing along as we toured through the streets for an hour or so! Our trailer was only large enough to hold 10 Smuggers, but when our kitty grows we may purchase a trailer three times the size and add a sound system, so that all members of SMUG may ride along and even be heard, as they move along the streets of PEI in many of the annual community parades held each year.

MONTAGUE PARADE

Nobles Kendal Godkin, Allison Coles and Ralph MacLeod

Four Smuggers who are members of the Island Shrine Club,took their ukuleles on the Shriner's Airplane Float yesterday in the annual Montague Parade. They sang a selection of songs chosen for the day and sung continually from beginning to the end of the parade. Not knowing whether anyone could hear them or not, the four along with Malcom Paterson, another member from Montague, had a ball, and are planning another outing on Thusday, Canada Day, in Rustico.(Weather permitting of course!)

FATHER'S DAY AT ANDREWS OF STRATFORD

Father's Day was the theme for the June gathering in the activity room at Andrews of Stratford. Seats had to be brought in and they were lined out in the corridor to hear SMUG perform an hour program of oldies for the Young at Heart. While there were probably more Mothers than Fathers in attendance they were all enthusiastic and gave us a warm welcome following each selection.We put a ukulele on almost every table for them to try and get a feel for what it might be like to play a ukulele. The residence has acquired several ukuleles and residents are encouraged to purchase one for themselves and members of SMUG have offered to get them started playing for sing songs in the home and indeed elsewhere when they become more proficient. We might call them ASUE, (Andrews of Stratford Ukulele Ensemble)Want to join.....see Sharon.

Our thanks to Sharon and the staff of Andrews for the special treats and kind hospitality, and to Sharon also for taking the photos. A Happy Father's Day to all the Dads.

The following was the program for the afternoon:

ALEXANDER’S RAGTIME BAND(Smug)
CLEMENTINE
YES SIR THAT’S MY BABY
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL/MY BONNIE
BLACK RUM AND BLUEBERRY PIE
DARKTOWN STRUTTERS BALL
SHANTY IN OLD SHANTY TOWN
PLEASE DON”T TALK/ FIVE FOOT TWO
I’M SITTIN ON TOP OF THE WORLD
OH YOU BEAUTIFUL DOLL
WHEN IRISH EYES/ MY WILD IRISH ROSE
LET ME CALL YOU SWHT/GOOD OLD
DAISY BELL MEDLEY
PEARLY SHELLS/ TINY BUBBLES
THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE
P.E.ISLAND IS HEAVEN TO ME
THE HAPPY WANDERER
NOW IS THE HOUR




SMUG AT PLAY




SMUG AT WORK







CHUCK AND JOE

IRENE

WHY SMUG?

SMUG'S FIRST CHRISTMAS PARTY 2008


The questions have been asked, “Where did the name come from?”, “How did you get started”?
It all began in the winter of 2007 when my friend Ron Atkinson, who keeps me up-to-date on the interesting things on the internet, sent me that well known You Tube video of Jake Shimabukuro playing the Beatles “My Guitar Gently Weeps” on his beautiful Kamaka Tenor Ukulele. I got to thinking it would be nice to have a real good ukulele instead of the $20.00, 30 year- old one hanging on my wall, and maybe I would get around to playing it more often. My interest in Jake soon brought along The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, the Langley Ukulele Ensemble, James Hill and Israel Kamakawiwo’ole with his famous rendition of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”. This was too much enticement and a visit to David MacDonald at Sobers in May 2007 came up with a new Greg Bennett “Samick” concert ukulele which I quickly purchased after looking at a soprano they would have to order for me, and then might not be able to obtain I was told. However, it did arrive in July and I went to take a look and of course had to purchase it too. Shortly after, I got a call from Sobers asking if I was interested in taking ukulele lessons in September. In talking to Allison Coles and Leah Ziegler about the renewed interest in the ukulele, the “third wave” as they say, they both became interested in the idea of ukulele lessons. Allison, who is a member of the “Just For Fun” guitar group, bought my Greg Bennett concert and Leah acquired a Kay soprano and the class began in September under the direction of Jim Rumson, who Allison and I had known from the Masonic Lodge.( There were initially seven in Jim’s first class until Christmas, but the group got smaller during the next two semesters.) At a Masonic Lodge meeting in October 2007 I mentioned that Jim Rumson, who was not in attendance that night, was teaching some of us to play the ukulele. The remark brought the usual smiles , snickers and snide remarks from the sidelines, but following an invitation for anyone interested to chat with me, brought forth Ron Tallon and Maurice Steeves telling me they both had ukuleles at home. Wow….. something needed to be done about that.


In November some of us were decorating the Shriner’s float for the Christmas Parade one Saturday morning, and Allison, Maurice and I took along our ukuleles and had a get together after the decorating party. Several of the other Shriners there became interested and as a result, after Christmas those showing interest, along with Ron Tallon, went to take lessons with Jim in a new class. Unfortunately the class was short lived as there were time interruptions in their group and they couldn’t continue. In January 2008 we started going to the basement at the Lodge Hall on Saturday mornings and together learning to strum a few familiar songs. It got so we were meeting every Saturday morning and became known as the Saturday Morning Ukulele Group, from which the acronym SMUG became apparent.
Our numbers grew slowly at first from the initial 7 or 8, and has increased several times since to a point where as of this writing we are 19 committed ukulele players who look forward to the weekly Saturday morning jams along with coffee and cookies, and have become busy preparing for engagements at some local nursing homes and other community events as well as some churches in and around the Charlottetown area.

Since our first performance at the Potentate’s Annual Visitation in Charlottetown in October 2008, we have performed at several pancake breakfasts at the Lodge Hall, many different churchs, and several nursing homes and residences. Smug was honoured to be invited to perform at Fanningbank (Home of the Lieutenant-Governor) for a Royal Commonwealth Society Christmas party in December 2009, when one of our members, Errol Monkley, was president of that organization.