To achieve these goals, the VSA has offered a number of important services to its members and the stringed instrument community in general. In even-numbered years the Society sponsors its world-renowned competition for new instruments and bows. A convention is held annually, offering lectures, exhibits, concerts, trips and other activities of interest to the members.

The VSA publishes the prestigious Journal of the Violin Society of America with a variety of articles on the making, playing and history of the instruments. A newsletter with news of the organization, its members and related activities is published quarterly. Additionally the VSA sponsors workshops, and jointly with Oberlin College, holds an extensive collection of violin-related books.

Membership in the VSA is open to anyone who is interested in the instruments of the violin family and their bows. The rapidly growing membership from all parts of the world includes makers of instruments and bows (both amateur and professional), concert artists, professional and amateur players, collectors, dealers, music lovers and violin buffs, conservatories and libraries. Your membership helps to promote the art and science of making, repairing and preserving stringed musical instruments and their bows through publications, conferences, competitions and workshops.

Benefits of membership

- Subscription to quarterly newsletter
- Subscription to the prestigious Journal of the Violin Society of America
- Reduced rates at VSA sporsored events
- Only members may enter the VSA competition
- Support of the VSA's educational and professional activities

Activities of the society

- Annual conventions: since 1974, annual conventions have been held. These events take place every November and have featured a wide variety of speakers on many of topics related to the violin, as well as demonstrations of violin and bow making and repair, performances of music, opportunities to examine fine stringed instruments and even opportunities for playing chamber music. Most importantly, the meetings afford all those in attendance to meet and share ideas and information with fellow members, reinforcing the bonds that hold together the various strands of the stringed instrument world.

- Competitions: now recognized as one of the three major events of its kind, the VSA competition is held every two years and offers the opportunity for makers from all countries to compete. Beginning in 1975, and in every even-numbered year since 1976, the Society has staged international competitions of violins and bows. These events have gained universal respect as being among the best-run and most objective competitions of their kind. Over the years, the judges have included most of the world's distinguished luthiers and bow makers, and many of today's most promising and respected new luthiers gained their first recognition by winning gold medals at a VSA competition. During the judging period, lectures, discussions and open forums are held for everyone's enjoyment. Frequently instruments by past winners or new instuments are exhibited for study and examination. Our commercial exhibits feature most of the world's leading suppliers of violin and bow making materials and accessories, strings, cases, books and other merchandise of interest to both the maker and player. Once the judging has been completed, the competition rooms are open to all in attendance so that everyone has the opportunity to see and play the outstanding instruments and bows presented.

- Scholarships: The Violin Society of America offers scholarship assistance for needy and deserving students of the art of violin and bow making and restoration. For this purpose the VSA maintains three funds: the Kaplan-Goodkind Scholarship Fund, created in memory of founders Albert J. Kaplan and Herbert Goodkind, the Kun Fund, created in memory of the noted Canadian bowmaker Joseph Kun, and the Aram and Rose Nigogosian Fund created in memory of the parents of Vahakn Nigogosian. Teachers and faculty of leading American violin making schools annually submit the names of those students most worthy of scholarship aid. The scholarship program is funded by gifts from members and others, through donations of items for the Scholarship Auction (held during the competition week), or direct contributions.

- Oberlin Workshop: since 1986 the VSA has sponsored workshops in conjunction with Oberlin College in Oberlin Ohio. The workshops offered every summer offer an outstanding and important opportunity for violin and bow makers to learn methods and subtleties in the art of making fine stringed instruments and bows. The original Restoration Workshop was created by the noted restorer Vahakn Nigogosian. Today there are five programs held during the month of July, which offer in-depth instruction by a distinguished faculty supplemented by renowned luthiers. The current programs are: Violin Making (advanced level), Bow Making (advanced level), Intermediate Bow Making, Setup and Acoustics.

- Goodkind Library: The Goodkind Library, located at Oberlin College, offers materials of interest to violin enthusiasts. Herbert Goodkind, one of our founding members and directors and the author of The Violin Iconography of Stradivari, amassed one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of books, magazines and other literature on the violin ever assembled. It included most every important title on violin making dating from the seventeenth century. After Herbert's death, the VSA, in partnership with Oberlin College, acquired the entire collection so that this precious and irreplaceable resource would not be lost. The Goodkind Library is now housed on the top floor of the Mudd Library at Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio, and is available to all for study and research.

COMMITTEE

President
Helen M. Hayes

Vice President
Sam Ray Compton, Jr.
Jeffrey Holmes
Joseph Regh

Secretary
Edward C. Campbell

Treasurer
Joan E. Miller

VSA Board Of Directors
Dennis Braun
Edward C. Campbell
Mary Campbell
Eric Chapman
Sam Ray Compton, Jr.
William Fulton
Christopher Germain
Helen M. Hayes
Jeffrey Holmes
Philip J. Kass
Lori Kirr
Tschu Ho Lee
Joan Miller
Joseph Regh
Fan Tao
Hans Tausig
Marilyn Wallin
James Zartman

Journal Editor
Albert Mell

VSA Executive Director
Barbara Van Itallie