Join the Team

 

Are you looking for a way to stay involved in your child’s life without cramping their style?  Join the McLean Band Parents Association (MBPA) Executive Board!  There are many opportunities to become an active participant in the award winning McLean High School Band program.  Through your involvement, you provide vital support to a great organization while enriching the band experience for your child.  The more you give, the more they get!

 

What can I do?  The band parents are involved in all aspects of the band program.  We conduct the fundraising efforts to purchase and repair equipment, pay registration fees for events and competitions, produce award winning half-time shows and provide weekly sectional instruction from specialists on the various band instruments. Parents organize the travel for Marching Band competitions, Jazz Band events and Concert Band competition trips like this spring’s trip to Florida. For the past two years we have hosted the All District Band Festival at McLean High School.  We organize and chaperone the summer trip to Westtown where the Marching Band and Color Guard learn to strut their half-time stuff.  We work with various media to provide publicity in the community for the bands and all of their great achievements. 

 

How do I sign up?  Please contact Katherine Key (president 2009-10), kathy.key@cox.net, 536-3937 or Chris Weise (band director), CMWeise@fcps.edu, 714-5815 if you are interested in joining the team.   I encourage you to do so because it is very rewarding and a great way to meet the people who play a big role in your child’s high school experience.

 

Katherine Key

Help Wanted

 

MBPA (McLean Band Parents Association) is always looking for a few good men/women to lend a helping hand toward our many projects and events.  Please browse the following to find the best match for your special talents and give the contact person a call today.

 

MHSBPA (McLean High School Band Parents Association) is always looking for a few good men/women to lend a helping hand toward our many projects and events.  Please browse the following to find the best match for your special talents and give the contact person a call today.

Executive Board

The MHSBPA holds four executive board positions.

President – Katherine Key 536-3937
Secretary – Ellen Greenwood 533-0468
Treasurer of Banking – Wendy Chinn 442-8580
Treasurer of Accounting – Elinor Gruber 790-5889

Tag Day (Frank Key 536-3937)

This is our biggest fundraising event held on a Saturday in September.  Students dressed in their marching band uniforms, perform in small ensembles at local shopping centers asking for donations to the band.  They are also driven to neighborhoods going door to door for contributions.  This has been a tradition in the community for many years and is well received.  Parents are needed to chaperone at the shopping centers, drive students to the neighborhoods and work in the “counting room.”

Summer Marching Program (Claire Prough 288-4747)

The summer marching program is a weeklong event traditionally spent away from home.  This is where our marching band and color guard learn the music and the drill formation for their award-winning half time performances.  Parents are needed to transport band equipment, chaperone and provide assistance to the instructors, and run a “canteen” for the students during their afternoon break.  The week is a wonderful bonding experience for all.

Awards (Pam Tapscott 893-5481)

Our band students are recognized for many honors and awards.  At the end of the year, the band director recognizes their many achievements with trophies and plaques.  Parents are needed to organize and order the awards for presentation at the awards banquet in May.

Publicity (Susan Woodward 288-6566)

The MHS Band is a source of pride in the McLean Community.  It is important to publicize our special events and achievements to the public in order to maintain the great support they have given to our program through the years.  A parent is needed to work with the local papers and school media to advertize the great work of our students.

Hospitality (Position Open)

The awards ceremony is part of the end of the year Band Banquet held in the school’s cafeteria. Parents are needed to set up and run this event.  Hospitality also provides breakfast for the students on Tag Day in the fall and Raffle Day in the spring, refreshments for the judges’ room for All District auditions in January and snacks for the General Membership meetings held three times per year.  The hospitality committee also provides a picnic/tailgate dinner for the parents and students before the preview show of the marching band performance at the beginning of the school year.

Web Site Manager (Nancy Steelberg 761-3018)

Our web site was beautifully revised in 2009 by band parent Mark Clark.  A parent is needed to maintain the site by updating information provided by the band director and other board members throughout the year.

Directory/Data Base (Catherine Dirix Anderson 748-3057)

The band publishes its own on-line directory with contact information for all of the directors, band parents and students. It is important to maintain these directories from year to year in order to be able to keep in touch with current band families and alumni. 

Concert Programs (Judith Fulp-Eickstaedt 536-5181)

Concert programs are printed for each band performance.  Parents are needed to design and print the concert programs from an established format.

District Band  (Liz Stigall 790-8891 Assistant Needed)

For the past few years, McLean HS has hosted the All District Band auditions.  Parents are needed to help with registration, building set-up, refreshments for volunteers, and tabulation.

Equipment (Frank Key 536-3937)

During marching band season, the instruments and equipment used in the percussion “pit” needs to be moved on and off of the football field.  It is also trucked to competition sites. Many parents are needed for each event to be able to move the equipment on and off of the field very quickly.

Fruit Sale  (Stephanie Stewart 938-2212)

The fruit sale is another band fundraiser held in the late fall.  Oranges and grapefruit are pre-ordered by the community and picked up at the school.  Parents are needed to contact band parents and community members to place their orders.  They are also needed to work the tables on distribution day in December.

Raffle (Ron Hutchinson 398-3736)

Our spring fundraiser is a raffle.  Students sell tickets to family members, in the community door to door and at the shopping centers.  Parents are needed in early April to drive small groups of students to sell in neighborhoods.  The raffle drawing is held at the spring Pyramid Concert in May.

Trips and Chaperones (Betsy Sigman 448-9511)

Travel arrangements need to be made when the band goes on the road for competitions.  This past year, the band traveled to Orlando, Florida and the year before they went to Montreal, Canada.  They also attend many several local competitions.  Parents are needed to book the commercial travel arrangements, collect and record the student forms and payments.

Uniforms  (Maureen Pardue 748-1723 Two Assistants Needed)

Marching Band and concert uniforms are the property of the band.  Parents are needed to fit and assign uniforms to the students and maintain rental records and payments.  The occasional repair and cleaning is also part of the job.

Concessions (Nicki Birch 255-0420 Assistant Needed)

MHS band sponsors the Vienna Band Camp each summer where students in the district can attend a four-week camp to develop proficiency on their instrument.  As a fundraiser, the band parents run a concession stand during the 30-minute break time each day.  Parents are needed to manage the sales and purchase the items for resale.

Scrip Program (Mary Beth Arnold 827-5701)

Grocery scrip cards are sold at face value to band parents and interested community members for use at Safeway and Giant food stores.  The band and the parents who purchase share a 5% profit for every $100 sold.  Parents may use their “banked” credit against the spring band trip expenses.

Newsletter (Curt and Janine Buser 448-0555)

Three times per year an “in house” newsletter is published on line for the band membership.  Articles feature pictures and accomplishments of our band students as well as parent volunteer information regarding upcoming events and fundraisers.

Jazz Liaison (Anne Krieg 288-9613)

Our Jazz Band is made up of students from both concert and symphonic bands.  They have their own concert and rehearsal schedule under the direction of Scott Weinhold.  A parent serves as a representative for the jazz ensemble to the band board.

Guard Liaison (Position Open)

Or color guard program is an integral part of the marching band performances.  They also have their own winter competition schedule without the band.  Members come from the school community and are not necessarily band students.  A parent serves as a representative for the guard to the band board.

Alumni Liaison (Cynthia Quinn 356-3654)

For the sake of continuity and historical perspective, a graduated member of the board serves on the current band board each year. 

McLean Chamber (Frank Key 536-3937 Assistant Needed)

The MHS Band is proudly a member of the McLean Community Chamber of Commerce and participates in the chamber events via two representative members.

Sales Affiliates (Position Open)

Our web site includes shopping links to popular retailers.  When shoppers link to these stores through our site, the band receives a gratuity.  A parent is needed to maintain and promote the current shopping link information for the band membership.  When parents are reminded to shop through the mcleanband.org site, it is an easy way for the band to raise funds.

Winter Gala (Karen Owen 827-0676)

The band parents treat themselves to an elegant evening out for dinner, silent auction, and dancing to the sounds of the MHS Jazz Band.  This great evening is open to the public and is usually attended by parents, friends, neighbors and community business leaders.  Parents plan, cater, and host this lively and entertaining evening.

Spirit Wear (Mary Beth Arnold 827-5701 Assistant Needed)

“MHS Band” T’s and sweatshirts are worn by friends and family during football games, marching competitions and fundraising events to show   support for our band program.  Orders are placed and distributed as needed.