Organized on the back porch of the home of the late Russ Myers and his wife Wilma on September 23, 1999, 34 people signed the By-Laws creating of the Rhythm Bones Society (RBS), a organization whose purpose, as stated in the first issue of the newsletter, is “to preserve, educate, communicate and foster development of rhythm bones sounds and music.” We are a non-profit IRS 501(c)(3) society. Seven rhythm bones players were elected to the Board of Directors to lead this new society. The current members are:
Skeffington Flynn – Executive Director
Kenny Wolin – Assistant Director
Steve Wixson – Secretary/Treasurer
Steve Brown
Tom Connolly
Dennis Riedesel
Dean Robinson
Former Board Members are Sky Bartlett, Ev Cowett, Executive Director, Sally Carroll, Jonathan Danforth, Mel Mercier, Sharon Mescher, Gil Hibben, Assistant Director, Jerry Mescher, Russ Myers, Assistant Director, Tim Reilly and Bill Vits – Assistant Director.
A bones festival was the vision of the father of RBS, Everett Cowett. Annual Bones Fests began in 1997 organized by Ev Cowett at the urging of who might be called the grandfather of RBS, Dr. Fred Edmund, maker and seller of rhythm bones and a great instructional video. The Museum Exhibit titled ‘Bones Fests Highlights’ reviews of each Bones Fest.
What do you give a father who doesn’t want anything? For Martha Cowett, on December 4, 1998, it was the Rhythm Bones Central website (click HERE to see the original Homepage) now with the address rhythmbones.org. This website is the source of much information about rhythm bones, and is where many people were and are introduced to the Rhythm Bones Society. In 2021 the website was updated using the WordPress platform.
At the first Board of Directors meeting, the Rhythm Bones Player newsletter was authorized with Steve Wixson as Editor. Articles have been authored by a large number of people with occasional reprints from other sources. To date, there have been 87 quarterly volumes published The Museum Exhibit titled ‘Search The Newsletters’ presents those newsletters.
The minutes of Board and General Membership Meetings are in the RBP newsletters, and an index to them is below.
Society Awards
Ted Goon – Honorary Member – 2001
Russ Myers – Fellow – 2002
Paddy ‘Sport’ Murphy – Special Recognition – 2004
Meritorious Service
Joe Birl – August 2004
Steve Brown – July 2003
Al Cowett – 2006
Dan Cowett – 2006
Everett Cowett – August 2002
Martha Cowett – August 2002
Mel Mercier – August 2004
Mary Lee Sweet – August 2016
Steve Wixson – August 2002
Community Enrichment
Mitchell Boss – August 2016
RBS Brochure
