In the beginning, concerts cost little or nothing. Then, as the years went by, costs of music and performance venues escalated, and member dues were not enough. Yet, the group remained committed to providing concerts free of charge. A milestone for the society was reached in 1993-94 when, under the progressive leadership of Presidents Isobel Beebe and Sally Thomas, the Sea Notes Choral Society became a non-profit corporation, and tax-deductible, tax exempt status was achieved. "Friends" of Sea Notes was instituted as a primary source of funding, as individual gifts could be tax-deductible. Sea Notes also qualified at that point for corporate matching gifts as it still does today. Artistic and musical guidance for the Sea Notes has come from a number of talented and enthusiastic local directors. In the early years, the baton was passed between a group of congenial directors who enjoyed working with each other, sometimes directing, sometimes accompanying, sometimes singing. Cindy Sellers, Leila Pigott, Randy Page, and Debbie Skillman shared these various duties through several concert seasons, joined by guest conductors Preston Faggart, Joyce Carmichael, and Carmen Coles.
In 1980 Debbie Skillman became the first official choral director and held that position until retiring in 1985. Debbie was followed by Carmen Coles who served from 1986 until 1989. 1989 brought back Cindy Sellers for a July 4th concert and introduced Gayle Walker, who led the group into 1990. Thom Clemmons stepped in for Christmas of that year. Cindy Sellers again took the helm from 1991 until 1995.
In 1995, Sea Notes opted for the "one director, one concert" style of directorship, giving more people an opportunity to share their talents in the leadership of the Society and giving past directors a chance to step out in front on occasion. The ensuing years brought back Debbie, Carmen and Cindy and introduced Phil Tate, Dianne Hoffman, Jane Boberg, Dr. Robert Jones, Dr. Charles Ellington, and most recently, Diane Kulp, with each director bringing to Sea Notes a wealth of choral experience and his or her own personal conducting style, enhancing the quality of performance and the enjoyment of the singers. Consequently, Sea Notes, which numbered between 20 and 40 members for most of the first 20 years, has grown in the last ten years to more than 100 members.
Keeping an organization like Sea Notes operating successfully for almost thirty years required strong and committed leadership of the elected officers and the volunteer base that assisted them. Although Sea Notes concert history is thoroughly documented, the board history is not. A committee is currently researching the early years for information about those who served. However, from 1982 until the present, records are complete. The Past-Presidents of the organization are as follows:
