TOURNAMENT OF ROSES PARADE

UPDATE #2

MARCH 5, 2007

I hope all are receiving these updates and the info I am sending makes total sense as we continue to move forward with this great opportunity. I apologize for the misspellings in the last newsletter as I forgot to do a complete check on the entire newsletter. Will work harder to make sure it does not happen again.

FYI

In case you did not know we will make the dates of the trip December 28, 2007 thru January 4, 2008. We have added an extra day in San Diego!

DEPOSITS

Thanks for continuing to forward the deposits so we can reserve air seats, buses, hotel rooms, etc. It has been very time consuming so far but I greatly appreciate your handling it all by the deadlines I have established. Please make sure when you do send deposits and money that your band ID number and TOR are on the outside of the envelope. I wish to make sure that we do not get it confused and put into a different account. Any rising 9th grader will not have an ID number so just make sure your name is on the envelope and check so we can process.

AND ALSO THANKS TO

Helen McGee and Terry Tomlinson who have been assisting us with letters and locating more financial assistance for this trip. They were left off Newsletter #1 and I wished to tell all thank you for their efforts. We hope to begin hearing great news on all fronts from all letters and grants that have been submitted to so many in North Carolina and surrounding states.

AIRFARES

We continue to work with the airlines to see if the price might come down but if it does not, I am happy with what we have. But I am always looking to lower the cost if possible. If you are handling your own air details remember that I must have a copy of your schedule no later than MAY 1, 2007. After that date we will be charging all for air seats. Please forward your schedule so we can mark your name off that part of the trip.

If you are making your own air reservations (frequent flyer or family vacation to the west), you are responsible for your transportation to the hotel. Please do not expect me to have a bus ready for you at Los Angeles International or other airports in the vicinity to transport you. Your trip will be "land package" only and that starts at the hotel when you arrive.

CONFIRMED

Mr. CL Keedy, President of TOR and his wife Adrienne, will be our guests in Raleigh May 29-June 1, 2007. They will be here to officially invite us to the TOR. Please mark your calendar for those days as we will be hosting the Keedys in a few dinners and things and all band members and their parents will be invited. The Keedys will be visiting very school that will be sending bands to 2008 TOR and we will be their first visit so we wish to give them a good southern time and make this the highlight of their trips all around the world!

JUNE 1 BALANCES

As all head home for the summer break, we will be releasing to all trip participants the total amount that is in your Rose account. Any present band members who will have a "surplus" in their accounts on June 1, 2007 will have that "surplus" moved from your general account to your Rose account. Hopefully by that time we might also have some grant money to report. But regardless of which direction you have taken to pay for your trip, please continue to look for alternate sources with sponsorships from people in the community. There are so many opportunities out there---you just need to locate them!

Want to get more in your account by June 1, 2007? Then go after our food card program and buy those gift cards that can be used at all local stores---LOWES'S, KROGER, FOOD LION, and HARRIS TEETER!

FINAL COSTS

As soon as the Normans return from Hawaii with a group they are hosting, we will get the final cost to you. Mr. Norman has given me what he things it will be but we both are mulling over everything to make sure there are no HIDDEN costs or something we have missed. We are attempting to make sure that you know everything when it is printed and that no price increase will occur. Course we see gas prices going up daily so hopefully our airline deposits will hold that price at the level given. We are still waiting on the Universal Studios confirmed prices for the next year along with a few hotel things. When those things are resolved, the prices will be released.

I am very pleased with prelim price Mr. Norman has given me and in fact it is LOWER than the cost of the Tennessee Band that went to TOR in 2007. And we are staying an extra day and traveling further! So I totally trust Mr. Norman in all that he is doing. Last January 1, 2007 when I was walking to our TOR seats to watch the parade, I asked Mr. Norman what he thought the cost would be for us to come to TOR based on all that I wished. He quoted me a price that right early morning and it is believe it or not was only $10.00 lower than the price he just gave me Sunday night on the phone! So I think that is pretty impressive! I will keep you posted as we move forward.

AND PARENTS!!!

I would ask that you do me one favor ... PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE NORMANS DIRECTLY!!!! He has brought it to my attention that a few of you have contacted him asking for "various favors" on the trip or special privileges. This man is very busy with many groups traveling all around the world and the only names he knows from North Carolina are Needham B. Broughton High School and me! When an unknown parent calls asking for "special privileges" it makes his life extremely tough. Besides that, you went over my head as I arrange this adventure. He has been kind enough to allow anyone to make their own air fare arrangements and agreed to assist anyone with parade and Queen Mary dinner tickets. And believe it or not many of the costs he is quoting me are the EXACT COST. We know he is a travel agent and will be making some money to set this up for us. But many things he is giving us at COST! So the few who have contacted him I would ask that you do this NO MORE. And make sure that all your questions go through me.

To the ones who have contacted me asking various questions, I have responded and informed you the best I can. And I will continue to do the same. KEEP SENDING THE QUESTIONS! I have been kind enough to allow many to go on the trip and could have basically made it a band member and select chaperones experience. But that is not what I wish to do. So please abide by my wishes. I would be glad to turn this adventure over to anyone who would like to have it. I would like to have a life again!

PARADE TICKETS AND QUEEN MARY DINNER

Prices for this have been confirmed! Anyone NOT TRAVELING WITH THE OFFICIAL PARTY---the cost per ticket for the parade is $70.00. These are bleacher reserved seats to watch the parade. To attend the dinner on the Queen Mary, the cost is $60.00 per ticket.

Therefore, I will need payment for your dinner tickets/parade tickets no later than May 1, 2007. We will lose the parade tickets which are already reserved on that date. Please check with all of your California relatives/friends/etc and have them forward a check for what they will be attending by that date. If I do not hear from you, then I will just mark your name off the lists for one or both events based on your desires.

DRIVING TO THE PARADE

Obviously the "official" party will travel to the parade on buses. Anyone not traveling that way will need to provide their own transportation. Pasadena is a small town and reminds me a lot like Chapel Hill but only a little bigger. One million people will be coming into Pasadena on parade day to see the parade. Parking is a tough thing to get. Mr. Norman has agreed to assist us in obtaining parking permits for all who are not in the official party. The cost is $30.00 per vehicle. This is the permit cost and he is NOT making any money off this assistance. If you know you will need a permit let me know! I will pass that info on to him for him to assist.

CONCERT THURSDAY

Concert on Thursday and we hope to see you there! Bring your checkbook for food cards and any more deposits you would like to make to TOR!

That's about it for this update!

JR