HR0267 LRB094 11819 HSS 44443 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, George Gentes is the Music Department
3 Chair-Director of Chorale Ensembles at Hoffman Estates High
4 School; he will be retiring at the end of the 2004-2005 school
5 year; and
 
6     WHEREAS, He grew up in Bloomington and graduated with a
7 B.A. in music from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where he
8 met Kathleen, his wife of 32 years, who is also a music
9 teacher; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Mr. Gentes taught for six years in Minnesota; he
11 started teaching at Hoffman Estates High School in 1978 and has
12 been there for 27 years; he is actively involved in the school
13 and the community with his choirs and Madrigal Singers, an
14 elite group of high school students which sings songs from the
15 Renaissance; under his direction, the Madrigal Singers have
16 performed at Stronghold Castle in Oregon, Illinois, for the
17 past 24 years; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Locally, Mr. Gentes' choirs have performed at
19 hospitals, retirement homes, village events, Rotary events,
20 and many other locations; nationally, his choirs have performed
21 in New York City, New Orleans, and St. Louis; internationally,
22 he has been taking students to Europe for the past 28 years,
23 performing in Denmark, Ireland, Amsterdam, France, Belgium,
24 Sweden, and Mexico; and
 
25     WHEREAS, He is gifted with the ability to develop a rapport
26 with students and to motivate them to perform at extremely high
27 levels; he has always believed in sharing his choirs with the
28 community, thereby teaching his students about the importance
29 of giving back to the community; and
 
30     WHEREAS, He is the District Chair for Music, and he works

 

 

HR0267 - 2 - LRB094 11819 HSS 44443 r

1 closely with School District 54 and shares his talents and
2 abilities with the junior high schools; he coordinates an
3 annual District 211/District 54 choral concert and has worked
4 with colleges throughout Illinois and Iowa; he has been the
5 musical director for the spring musical for many years; and
 
6     WHEREAS, He is an active member of the American Choral
7 Directors Association and the Music Educator's National
8 Conference; in 1992, he was recognized as "Teacher of the Year"
9 in District 211 and was awarded a certificate of merit by
10 "Those Who Excel" in the State of Illinois; he has been elected
11 to "Who's Who" among American Teachers numerous times; and in
12 2004, he was a recipient of the Studs Terkel Humanities Service
13 Award; and
 
14     WHEREAS, His family includes 2 sons, Aaron and Jeff; Mr.
15 Gentes is being honored at a retirement celebration on April
16 10, 2005; therefore, be it
 
17     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
18 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
19 we congratulate George Gentes on the occasion of his
20 retirement, and we thank him for his many years and countless
21 hours of devotion to music education at Hoffman Estates High
22 School and in the State of Illinois; and be it further
 
23     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
24 presented to Mr. Gentes as an expression of our deepest respect
25 and esteem and with best wishes for a relaxing retirement.