The Regina Symphony Women's Association is a major fundraising arm of the orchestra and invites you to join their association. They meet once a month. The RSWA facilitates RSO post-concert coffee receptions in the Conexus Arts Centre. They also run a “Boutique” during intermissions and after the concerts. Their annual Fashion Show and Brunch takes place in October each year at the Hotel Saskatchewan. RSWA members sell and take tickets at all Chamber Concerts at Government House and sometimes help out in the RSO office when needed. In addition to this, they operate a concession at Mozart in the Meadow where they sell hotdogs and hamburgers and hold an annual raffle.
 
If you are interested in joining the RSWA or volunteering to help with one of the fundraisers, please info@reginasymphony.com

Taken from the RSWA 60th Diamond Jubilee Memory Book

The Regina Symphony Women's Association originated in the early 1930s as a Ladies' Auxiliary to the Regina Symphony Orchestra for which it carried out most of the administrative functions of the orchestra. Besides being the Symphony's main fundraisers, the women in the Auxiliary also attended to publicity, promotional and educational activities, looked after the guest artists and generally acted as hostesses.
 
On Friday, February 20th, 1959, the Ladies ' Auxiliary presented its first Symphony Ball in the Colonial Ballroom of the Saskatchewan Hotel which was described as a "glittering social function." While all of the members of the Auxiliary assisted with the planning and presentation, the committee in charge of arrangements was made up of Mrs. H.M. Schweitzer, Mrs. F.E. McKeown, Mrs. John Thornicroft, Mrs. A.E. Perry, Mrs. Stanley Farnsworth, Mrs. P.P. Trebuss, Mrs. Lionel Allen and Mrs.Leola Mars. His Honour L.F. Bastedo, Lieutenant Governor, and Mrs. Bastedo received guests and led the
Grand March. Assisting in receiving were Lionel Allen, President of the RSO Board of Governors, and Mrs. Allen, Mrs. H.M. Schweitzer, Convenor of the Auxiliary, and Dr.Schweitzer, John Thornicroft, Conductor, and Mrs. Thornicroft. The Master of Ceremonies was Frank McKeown, Past President. Music was provided by Alan Vanstone and his orchestra. A buffet supper was provided in the Blue Lounge where a trio of members from the orchestra provided chamber music. Funds over and above out-of-pocket expenses were used for furthering the orchestra's activities. The Auxiliary hoped that this would be the first of many such annual balls.

When the Regina Symphony Orchestra moved from Darke Hall to the Centre of the Arts in 1970 / 71, the role of the Auxiliary changed. Since seats could now be reserved, the handling of tickets was administered by the Centre's box office. Increased attendance at concerts also made the after concert lunch impractical so it was reduced to complimentary coffee and gone were the dainties of Darke Hall. Publicity, flowers and attendance of guest artists were now taken over by the orchestra's management staff.
 
Additional RSWA responsibilities included securing new subscribers and pursuing renewals. This influenced the evolution of the symphony's fundraising activities which took on a new meaning. Over the years the annual ball continued but changed its name to "Candlelight and Wine" while other activities were added: the Fantasy Auction, an annual book sale, teas, bridge parties, raffles, garage sales, a fun run and bingos, to help raise the money necessary to support the orchestra. Since the Board was now responsible for all aspects of management, the RSWA became an "arm of the orchestra" with two seats on the Board for the President and Vice-President of the RSWA. When full-time professional musicians were added to the orchestra the Auxiliary sponsored Chamber Music Concerts.
 
The 1976 Constitution of the RSWA states the aim of the Association is:
 
"To aid, foster and encourage orchestral music in the City of Regina and to
maintain the Regina Symphony Orchestra."
 
This has been accomplished year after year through the dedication and with the
cooperation of women who have served as volunteers with the RSWA.

George Bentley: LeaderPost, May 17, 1992

They're among the unsung heroes who help the Regina Symphony Orchestra make sweet music. Next Sunday, comes their moment in the spotlight. On May 24th, the Regina Symphony Women's Association celebrates its 60th Anniversary with a gala brunch at the Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts. Haven't heard of them? It's not surprizing, says one of the organizers of the event.

"We haven't had a large public profile because we've only worked for the symphony, so we've kept our profile low key," says Lola Mae Crawley, a past president of the RSWA. But ask anyone in symphony circles and you'll soon find out what a vital role the group plays.

Born in the 1930s as the Ladies' Auxiliary, the organization originally carried out most of the administrative functions of the orchestra. Included in those duties were fundraising, publicity and educating the community to make it more symphony-minded. The duties have changed over the years--full-time management now performs many of the jobs the group used to handle. So has the name--in 1976 the Ladies' Auxiliary became the Regina Symphony Women's Association. And the orchestra no longer calls Darke Hall home.

But one thing that's remained constant is the organization's commitment to the RSO, a commitment which includes a lot of legwork putting together the annual Symphony Ball, sponsoring one concert per year, taking part in a huge garage sale and helping the Symphony board with its Book Sale and Fantasy Auction.

Last, but not least, there is that old reliable money--raising venture--bingo. About a dozen members of the organization have spent one night every three weeks, during the last couple of years, working a bingo to help keep the RSO financially sound.

It's a very special group, which ranges in age from 20 to 80, says Crawley. "There just a terrific bunch of women. They're there when we need them and we've never had any real problems," she says.

Something they are not, either, is snobs. "That's one thing I've been trying for years to get rid of. That terrible image is not true at all," says Crawley. "We realize that idea can start for people. When I first moved here myself I thought it was a closed organization. But we're open to anybody who has a subscription to the symphony and wants to show an interest in the orchestra, those are our only pre-requisites," she says.

Past Presidents:
Mrs. Lionel Allen, Mrs. J.L. Biggs, Mrs. F.M. Bourassa, Mrs. Elizabeth Boychuk, Ms. Heather Britton, Mrs. D.G. Scott Calder, Lola Mae Crawley, Mrs. E.J. Ellis, Mrs. Walter Erb, Ruth Fraser, Joan George, Ena Houston, June Hunter, Mrs. Lorne Johnson, Bev Jones, Margaret Klassen, Mrs. M.A. MacPherson, Ivy McNamee, Mrs. L.H. Mang, Mrs. G.R. McKenzie, Shirley Rowley-Mumford, Mrs. H.M. Schweitzer, Mrs. Frank Smith, Mrs. Jean Steer, Luba Tatarinoff, Beth Teskey, Mrs. D.J. Thom, Mrs. T.H. Wood, Mrs. W.G. Yule.

Past Members:
Mrs. J.E. Adair, Clare Aitcheson, Hilda Allen, Mrs. H.M. Anderson, Mrs. D.M. Balfour, Mrs. A.C. Barbour, Edith Bardutz, Mildred Battel, Mrs. F. Baxendale, Emma Bell, Ethel Blakely, Myrtle Bookhalter, Dorothy Borrowman, Margaret Botkin, Elaine Bourassa, Mrs. M.W. Bowering, Elizabeth Boychuk, Mrs. C.F. Boyd, Mrs. T.D. Brown, Margaret Brown, Mrs. A.J.S. Bryant, Helen Scott Calder, Mrs. J.D. Catley, Mrs. R.L. Cheesman, Meredith Cherland, Kay Chernoff, Mrs. G.W.R. Clark, Mrs. J.D. Clark, Mrs. C.C. Clermont, Mrs. C.W. Conrad, Mrs. A.B. Coward, Lola Mae Crawley, Mrs. A. Dall, Mrs. R.J. Davidson, Mrs. E.N. Davis, Ella Denzin, Mary Donaldson, Mrs. Stuart Draper, Ruth Duffield, Carrol Duke, Mrs. Barrie Duncan, Mrs. C.G. Dunning, Mrs. N.S. Edgar, Mrs. J.E. Edgington, Mrs. H.P. Eisler, Mrs. K.P. Elliott, Mrs. E.J. Ellis, Edna Erb, Violet Ewing, B. Fisher, Shirley Flaten, Mrs. G. Forbes, Mrs. Ian Forbes, Mrs. J.G. Forsythe, Mrs. J.T. Franks, Mrs. Foster Froom, Mrs. O. Fuhrman, Mrs. H. Gallagher, Glenda Galvin, Mrs. R.M. Ganne, Mrs. L.G. Ganne, Mrs. J. Gillespie, Francis Gofine, Dorothy Goldie, Dorothy Goldman, Mrs. S.J. Goodfellow, Helen Gordon, Gretchen Goss, Ida Gould, Mrs. J.H. Gould, F. Graham, Claudia Greaves, Mrs. E. Haberer, Anne Hanson, Mrs. A.N. Hardy, Clara Harper, Monica Hartman, Darlene Hatton, Mrs. D.T. Hatton, Mrs. G.C. Haynes, Mrs. J. Heatly, Mrs. H.G. Hicks, Sandra Hoffman, Ruth Hosie, Ena Houston, Mrs. T.H.J. Illsey, Mrs. R.H. Jenner, Mrs. Lorne Johnson, Edith Johnston, Mrs. D. Johnston, Mrs. V.E. Johnston, Bev Jones, Mrs. H.G. Kangles, Mrs. J.N. Kangles, Mrs. O.J. Keehr , Mrs. Lyle E. King, Mrs. G. Kinneard, Heather Koch, Rosemary Kohut, Mary Kosloski, Susan Kyle, Elva Kyle, Eleanor Lake, Mrs. C.E. Lake, J. Lakie, Mrs. A.L. Lamontagne, Blanche Larson, Sharon Latimer, Mrs. B.M. Laubach, Nelle Lawson, Mrs. E.A. Lay, Rita Lebodia, Mrs. E.C. Leslie, Mrs. D.R. Levene, Rosella Liefeld, Mrs. R.J. Lipsett, Mrs. A.T. Little, Olivia Logie, Mrs. S.M. Macdonald, Jeannie MacFarlane, Mrs. G.R. MacKenzie, Mrs. A.P. MacLean, Mrs. J.A. MacLean, Mary Adele MacPherson, Mary MacPherson, Mrs. M.A. MacPherson, Mrs. Iowa MacPherson, Mrs. D.B. MacRae, Mary MacRae, Mrs. C. Malone, Mickey Mang, Leola Mars, Mrs. G. McCarthy, Helen McCaslin, Mrs. W.R. McConnell, Kathleen McKenzie, Mrs. F.E. McKeown, Margaret McLeod, Mrs. L.E. McMenomy, Ruth Meadows, Mrs. W.L. Meagher, Eva L. Melberg, Mrs. J.B. Mesbur, Mrs. E.A. Moore, Marg Mullen, Laureen Moran, Ruth Nelson, Dianne O’Kane, Dorothy O’Keefe, Mrs. H.A. Otten, Mrs. J.R. Parker, Mrs. F.C. Parsons, Mrs. J.R. Paton, Ruth Pawson, Mrs. A.E. Perry, Muriel Peterson, Mrs. J.R.A. Pollard, Marion Powell, Mrs. K.S. Preston, Betsy Raum, Mrs. William Reid, Jean Richardson, Mrs. R.S. Rideout, Mrs. R.H. Roberts, Mrs. T.H. Robertson, Mrs. F.J. Rowan, Mrs. M.C. Schumiatcher, Mrs. H.M. Schweitzer, Catherine Searle, Mrs. Victor Sifton, Doris Smith, Myrtle Smith, Mrs. F.A. Smith, Mrs. S. Swain Smith, Denise Soroka, Erna Stan, Barbara Stang, Mrs. E.W. Stapleford, Jean Steer, Mrs.H.L. Stephens, Mrs. A.G. Stewart, Mrs. C.M. Suggitt, Patricia Sutherland, Betty Szuchewycz, Mrs. J.G. Taggart, Peggy Talbot, Esther Teskey, Dr. Lois Thierman, Mrs. D.J. Thom, Mrs. H.P. Thompson, Annabelle Thompson, Mrs. J.W. Thornicroft, Agnes Thorson, Beverly Tkach, Phyllis Todd, Mrs. P.P. Trebuss, Margaret Turnbull, Ramona Unilowski, Rheata Usher, Mrs. F.S. Van Woert, Mrs. W.G. Van Egmond, Ann Van Vliet, Mrs. V.D. Wallace, Mrs. W.J. Ward, Dorothy Weaver, Mrs. C.C. Williams, Mrs. C.M. Willowby, Mrs. Knight Wilson, Ruth Wilson, Mrs. T.H. Wood, Nadia Woroby, Mrs. J.A. Wright, Mrs. W.G. Yule, Margaret Ziolkowski