TOURNAMENT OF ROSES

UPDATE #12

SEPTEMBER 5, 2007

THE TIME IS GETTING REALLY CLOSE UNTIL WE LEAVE!!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT FOR ALMOST ONE YEAR AND NOW WE ARE DOWN TO 4 MONTHS!

As you know account sheets are out. We have found a few mistakes but overall congrats go to Dave Rossi and Sandy Johnson for their expertise in keeping the books! If you should find a mistake let us know!

You know that all forms -- rooms, air seats, and QM dinner reservations are due back by Friday September 14, 2007. Make sure you return all three forms and follow the instructions like I explained to the students in class. Many of them have been working on them in lunch and I am happy to report that I see many families having dinner at the QM with their COMPLTE FAMILY!! That will be a great memory for all! BRAVO!!

Ballgame on FRIDAY in complete uniform...............and it will be hot! We will pump the H2O into them all the time! And bravo to our team who won last week!

BLACK PULLOVERS

You know that we are giving as part of the trip package a black travel pullover to all. It will have both the Rose Parade Logo and our BHS logo on it. A nice keepsake to wear for years. We will FOR THE LAST TIME be measuring the students after halftime to make sure that the size they have requested does fit. We had many who changed their t-shirt size so I decided that I needed to double check this. SO leaving the game on Friday night might take a little longer as we once again and for the LAST time double check their sizes.

PARENTS: If you would like to double check your size, you can do that in the stands during the ballgame on FRIDAY. You will have the first and second quarters to do so. We will have the samples there and you can see Pam Wilson who will be standing up behind the band doing this for the parents who will be traveling. THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME!

Book money is DUE like last Friday!! Get with it! Got more if you need them!

Thanks for all who continue to find your money sources! I am still hearing neat ways of raising money so keep working! As I continue to check all my revenue and things I am thinking that I may at this time be able to lower the costs another $50.00 per marching member. I will let you know as money continues to come in! BE WATCHING!!!

I have since we started this adventure been able to find $45,000 in the community to assist. Part of that ahs gone to lowering the student expenses $100.00, paying for the Keedys visit while they were here (that was $10,000!!!!), paying for a picture that the band will have taken at the Rose Bowl, etc. SO I am trying to NOT raise the cost but instead use more $$$ as it comes in to pay for the incidental things. REMEMBER: No one is paying to ride a bus to Charlotte to get on a plane. Money is being used for that. I am holding some back as I am not sure (nor is our travel agent) how much USARWAYS will charge to handle the big percussion and tuba cases. They are going to charge us but we just don't know how much at this time!

Nothing more to report but I continue to do the PR work in Pasadena by sending things to all the important people and hopes they will remember us and give us a really good parade spot. I have heard from many via email that we should be very proud and even "gloat" over how well we represented BHS while the Keedys were here. After seeing the display case in the Tournament house where the President puts all trip things on display, they have gone to two cases this year! Why? BECAUSE OF US! It was sort of embarrassing to see all our stuff and then some other schools who had basically given them NOTHING! SO hopefully all these nice gifts and PR work I am doing will pay off on January 1, 2008!

We are doing a lot of work now in this oven heat and I applaud the students. By doing it now, it means we will be able to get to Pasadena and JUST HAVE FUN! So let's just keep moving forward and doing what we need to do! And pray for rain! I would even give up a rehearsal for rain...........

8TH GRADE MARCHERS

Around October 1, 2007, you will receive a CD and a copy of music via your older sibling band person who will show you how the music will go for the parade. You will be expected to learn it and also meet the November parade calendar schedule for getting you into the Raleigh Christmas Parade. More to follow!!

I think that is about it!