The Hillwood High School Band
Weekly News

July 15, 2009

This Week's News

• July Booster Meeting DATE CHANGED AND MANDATORY. The next general Band Booster meeting will be held the evening of July 16. This meeting is mandatory for at least one parent from each family. We have several very important items to discuss and vote on. If you don't come to any other meeting, you must to come to this one. The band members will be having their ice cream social during this meeting. Some items to be discussed will be:

1.         Band Camp fee and paperwork

2.         Band Contest logistics and opportunities

3.         Football Game opportunities

4.         Band Trip in the Spring of 2010

• Car Wash! The next car wash is July 18th from 9-12 at Advanced Auto Parts on Hwy 100.  If it is busy, we may extend the time some. Cindy/Bob Smith and Shirley Dansby are the adults in charge.  We will take the first 20 people who sign up, no more. ALL SPOTS HAVE BEEN TAKEN.
• Need your physical? Nurse Practitioner will be available for band camp physicals for $20 this Thursday.
• Now Accepted: Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AMEX, and PayPal. Band fees can now be paid by using a variety of methods through PayPal. Don't forget donations! We have a place for that now, too. Visit the HHS Band website at http://www.hillwoodband.com/ to see (and use) them.
• Fundraising Opportunities:
• Kroger cards (contact Mrs. Jody Gregory)
• Car Wash July 18, 9:00 AM
• Central Parking (email parking@hillwoodband.com)

Commentary

From Mr. Chester

No comments this week.

Additional Comments

The "Comfort Zone"

We all have ?comfort zones' that we just don't want to cross and in most cases we humans never do. Well this year I have stepped over one line of my zone to become the president of the HHS Band Boosters. This is definitely not my area but at the time I just felt that it was the right thing to do. Hopefully by next May you will feel the same.

My other line is the discussion of politics, religion and money matters. Well I must cross another line and bring up the discussion of Money.  I don't like this subject but it is one that needs to be addressed so please bear with me.

The Hillwood Band program gets nothing from the Metropolitan Nashville Public School System. We do receive grant money for instruments but this is only when Mr. Chester writes the grant. He does this as often as possible but then we must wait for the grant to be awarded to us. Since there is not a business or organization out in the world that can operate without money, we divide our annual operating band budget among each member. This practice is the only fair and right thing to do since each member carries equal weight during each football game performance and weekend contest.

For the 2009/2010 competitive band season, camp begins July 27 and your first payment of $300 is due that morning at registration. We have to have that amount in order to pay the instructors and cover other expenses like music, show drill, the design, supplies and building the props. Now in order to pay the remaining $500 you can fund raise by getting or doing the following:

1.      Buy a Kroger Card for $5 from us and use it to receive 4% of everything you purchase from groceries, gas and even in the pharmacy. Every time you go to Kroger reload the card with additional money. I have used to same card for two years.

2.      We will be distributing the Smart Cards during band camp. For every card sold you receive $7 so if you sold 10 you just earned $70! How easy is that?

3.      Working Central Parking is another way to fund raise. Go to the band's website (http://hillwoodband.com), look under Fundraising Opportunities and click on the email address. Send an email stating you want to sign up to work and a working calendar will be sent to you with instructions on what to do. The hardest part of working CP is getting in your car and driving to either LP Field or Lot 77 behind the Sommet Center. You earn $8.50 per hour and you work anywhere from 4 hours to 6 hours depending on the event. So for 4 hours of work each person earns $34.00! Anyone can work but please be aware that students 17 to 15 years of age must work with an adult.

4.      Fruit Sales in October and November for November and December delivery. This again is easy. Obtain orders from family, friends, church members, neighbors. The fruit is juicy, sweet and good for you!

5.      Christmas Trees collections. We collect trees during the three Saturdays following Christmas. Bring a trailer if you have one but not necessary. We meet at Hillwood, divide into groups, get our area assigned with maps and go collecting.

As you can see there is really no reason for not having your student's fair share paid for. Better yet that one check could be the only check you ever write because the money you raise carries over year after year. The more money you raise by taking advantage of these fund raisers the less you pay out of pocket. It only takes some time and effort on you and your student plus you will be spending quality time together and in this day and time that is equally hard to do.

We look forward working with you to make this season of competitive band successful.

Gail Reeder

President, Hillwood High School Band Boosters

Calendar

JULY

July 14 (Tue) - Rehearsal (6:00 PM - 8:30 PM)
July 16 (Thu) - Rehearsal (6:00 PM - 7:30 PM)

                    - Band Member Ice Cream Social (7:30 PM)

                    - General Booster Meeting (7:30 PM)
                    - Physicals (during rehearsal)

July 27 (Mon) - Band Camp (10:00 AM - 9:00 PM)

July  28 (Tue) - Band Camp  (10:00 AM - 9:00 PM)
July 29 (Wed) - Band Camp (10:00 AM - 9:00 PM)
July 30 (Thu) - Band Camp (10:00 AM - 9:00 PM)
July 31 (Fri) - Band Camp (10:00 AM - 9:00 PM)
Aug 1 (Sat) - Band Camp (10:00 AM - 12:00 PM)

The Hillwood High School Band
400 Davidson Road
Nashville, Tennessee 37205
Phone: 615.353.2050
Email: bandboosters@hillwoodband.com

Email updates are provided by Hillwood High School Band Boosters.
Cindy Franco and Shirley Dansby,
Co-Vice Presidents for Media and Community Relations