Tuesday, November 5, 2013 · Auditorium, KHS
Meeting was called to order by President Jolene Berke.
Approximately 42 Parents were in attendance plus the directors.
Copies of the minutes were available via email blast and paper copies at the door. A motion to approve the minutes with changes (title should read October rather than September) was made by Todd Ochsner, second by Brent Meyer. The minutes were approved.
Basketball concessions: Co-chair Jeanne Thorn reported that an email will go out by Nov 18 with the sign-up genius information so that you may sign up for dates. People who have added their name to the email list will be given first choice of sign-up dates.
Treasurer’s Report from Brent Meyer: Checking $11,190.45, Scrip Account $247.73, Student Accounts $18,925.11, Savings Account 7261.09. Reminder that next Chicago trip payment of $250 is due Nov 15.
Old Business
Scrip – Total rebates at approximately $600, KBPA share is approximately $247. “Scrip for Dummies” was included in an email blast. Signed up Mr. Mitchell on screen to show the process. Drew names for the SCRIP incentive for October. Krista Fritson won the $5 iTunes gift card and Amy Glenn won 5 CatCards.
NSBA – Got an excellent (II rating), but marched the best they ever have. The video is posted on the Give Where You Live fundraiser website.
All-State – Had 18 kids try out for 22 spots and 11 made the bands. This is the highest number ever of KHS students to make All-State ensembles in a year. Two students made jazz band and Kearney is the only school outside of the Lincoln & Omaha area to have kids make it into the jazz band! Are making over 60 recordings for kids auditioning for 5 honor bands. It is awesome to see the kids giving the extra efforts for these opportunities!
Veterans’ Day Parade – Will be on Monday, Nov 11. Kids will be dismissed at 3:00, meet at the parking lot on Central & Railroad at 3:30. Parade starts at 4:00. Will be turning in uniforms after the parade. Students trying out for honor bands may keep their uniforms. Hats may be turned in (not needed for honor bands) and if they are auditioning for the Underclassman Honor Band, uniforms are not needed for it. Grace period will be given; students may turn in on Tuesday, Nov 12. After that date, those who have not turned in their uniforms will be provided to the office as students who have not returned school property. Kids will need a student transportation form since kids are leaving before school ends.
Directors
Coming up on Thursday, January 14, we will be hosting the KHS Jazz Workshop. Professional trumpet player Ken Watters will be here with the UNO Jazz I Ensemble working with our kids. A potluck meal will be provided (check the website post) by the KHS Jazz families. Concert at 6:00 at the Merryman.
Next Band Concert is Tuesday, December 10 at the KHS auditorium. Kids will also be receiving music for auditions for next year’s band placements.
Band Boosters are raising money for new instruments. If all kids sign up that we have now, we will have 8 sousaphones (5 now). Currently we use fiberglass sousaphones but have our sights set on brass sousaphones.
This will cost about $65,000. A mailer was sent to KHS Alumni and a phone-a-thon to follow up the mailer. This will be held this Friday, November 8 at the Century 21 office.
There will be a Give Where You Live fundraiser on December 5 in connection with the Kearney Area Community Foundation. Information can be found in the post on kearneybands.org/.
NSBA – great weather, some of the best we’ve had. The way the competition is set up, the bands are in flights based on previous ratings. It handicaps bands who have not scored the best in the past by essentially acting as prelims and this is finals. This year we had originally elected to go to the competition site because it was felt we’d get a more fair look at the festival site. Received a rating in each category, 5 were superiors (I) and 7 were excellents (II). Have told kids, it is not about the ratings, but about the process to get to the product. This year, the kids worked so hard and definitely gave their best performance. We will be proposing several rule changes to hopefully provide a better experience for ALL bands.
New Business
Pampered Chef Fundraiser – Table until December
Pep Band Shirts – Apparel Committee has designed T-shirts that cost $8 for shirts that kids would wear for pep band nights. Yellow band wears yellow, blue band wears blue. Can’t MAKE the kids purchase shirts. Would like to ask the kids to wear the color of their band. Question before the KBPA is if we want to subsidize purchase for kids who cannot afford. Idea is to create unity, make the band identifiable, instill pride, etc. Several people voiced the opinion that they don’t want KBPA to get into the habit of purchasing items for students who either don’t want the items or cannot afford the items. Discussion led to the agreement that we would not require shirts but will offer them and encourage their purchase. On pep band nights, the kids are asked to wear the color of the band they are in (blue or gold).
Trip Sponsor Fundraising – We have the unique situation of a person who is going on the trip as a sponsor but no longer has a student in band. This person is a KPS employee and has done stadium clean up and sold CatCards. The question is if we allow this person to fundraise. Discussion included: If I am a parent and have a kid going on the trip and I am going on the trip, may I fundraise? The answer is yes, if there is extra money in the student’s account, it may be applied to the parent’s trip. It was also noted that we would like to be sure that this person doesn’t take limited slots from the current parents/kids.
Another point was made that this is a “Band Parent” association. This person is no longer a band parent as they don’t have a child in band. By-laws read: Non-voting membership is open to anyone interested in the welfare of the band. This definition would qualify this person as a KBPA member. Additional point was that this person is a working member of the band and this is not a leisure trip. Someone who offers to go on a trip with this knowledge is someone who wants to help us. Mr. LeFeber stated his opinion is that we should do right by this person and let them keep the funds since they worked in good faith, stop the work at this point and we will then address the larger issue and set guidelines for the future.
Motion made by Alexis McNeal, second by Krista Fritson to allow this KBPA member to receive credit for fundraising which has been completed thus far this year, will cease further fundraising with the exception of the SCRIP program and the KBPA will continue to review and refine the rules for this fundraising opportunity for the future. Motion passed with majority voting aye.
Having no further business to conduct, a motion to adjourn was made by Ed Uden, second by Todd Ochsner.
