CMEA Magazine Summer 2022

Tri-M® Summer Update

by Troy Trimble,

CMEA Tri-M Representative

State Chapter of the Year Winner

One of the changes that has come at the national level to Tri-M® has been the implementation of a new process for submissions and evaluations for the chapter of the year awards. Alongside this updated process came the important decision to recognize the top chapter in each state in addition to the national winners and runners up. Some state MEAs have already been doing their own processes for state Tri-M® chapter (as well as some for Collegiate NAfME chapters) for many years, but I am happy to see this opportunity now open for all states. It is just one more step in the direction of equity and inclusion that is guiding NAfME forward. As a member of the NAfME Tri-M® Council of Representatives, I was happy to see these changes implemented and I was saddened when the process was put on hold these past two years due to COVID. I will also add that the evaluation process is still a work in progress after going through it with the council this year, but I believe we are on the right track and will make some changes for next school year.

So after a two-year hiatus, I am happy to recognize the Tri-M® Chapter of the Year winner for the state of California:

Chapter 7054 at Fullerton Union High School Troy Trimble, advisor

Every chapter is evaluated based on the chapter of the year scholarship submission questions, photos, and videos that are submitted. They are required to answer a series of questions and show evidence of their service projects in action. To avoid a conflict of interest, in the case of a submission by a chapter that has their advisor serving on the national Tri-M council, that chapter’s submission is evaluated by another NAfME representative not from that NAfME division. The winning chapter is awarded a commemorative banner from NAfME that can be hung at their school to memorialize this achievement. Congratulations, Fullerton!

To encourage more Tri-M® chapters to submit for next year, I wanted to recognize all the schools that submitted during 2021-22. There is a lot of amazing work being done around our state!

I wanted to end this summer update by sharing a short testimony from my former Tri-M® chapter president from last year. I took it straight from our Zoom class meeting that day. We were discussing Tri-M® and why it was important for our new students to consider joining. I asked our president, Esther, to share her thoughts about Tri-M® and it was really the greatest pitch you could ever want! I used it again this year when the time came to accept applications from new music students. Please watch and hear directly from the students on why Tri-M® is important and why you should start a chapter at your school if you haven’t done so already!

Why Tri-M® is Important to Me

Other Helpful Links:

• Click here to access the Tri-M® Music Honor Society website

• Click here to renew or start your Tri-M® Chapter

• Chapter 6613, Academy for Academic Excellence, Jorge Salazar, advisor.

• Chapter 7842, Agoura High School, Robert Hackett, advisor.

• Chapter 3435, Aragon High School, John Chen, advisor.

• Chapter 4431, Homestead High School, John Burn, advisor.

• Chapter 5702, Los Alamitos High School, David Moellenkamp, advisor.

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