Please call Rick Meyer, Band Boosters Board, at 488-7617 if you would like to volunteer

First, it is important to know that these volunteer opportunities have been going on for years and those who have gone before us have left manuals, lists and notes to help you pick up the baton and carry on.   And, lots of variety means we have a place for everyone!

Uniforms – This is a fun committee with lots of direct contact with the kids, and is an extremely important one.  Needing mostly organizational skills and attention to detail, this committee measures and fits the kids for uniforms during band camp, and then spends time before and after each game or performance helping get the right uniform to the right student and then making sure it all ends up back on the hanger.  Initial fittings have been done on either weekdays or Saturdays.

Pit Instruments – The pit instruments are the stationary percussion instruments played by the sideline (i.e., timpani and xylophone).  Parents assist the band members before and after each home game half-time show and at competitions in loading a truck with these instruments to drive them to the field (only a few volunteers for this), setting them up, and taking them back to the truck after half-time.  No previous experience or special expertise required.  If you can carry cow bells and chimes, you can do this.  This is a good one for couples to do together, too.  Sign up to help at a single performance, or for the entire Marching Band season.  (You don’t need to be a parent of a percussionist – everyone can help.)

Chaperone –  Whenever the band travels to a performance, we have two parents ride each bus to chaperone.  This is a great way to meet the band members.  We will assign you to a bus other than your child’s if preferred by you or your child.

Color Guard Helpers – Mothers with daughters will understand.  We need a few people who can help the color guard prepare for performances by organizing costumes, assisting with flags, and hair and makeup assistance.

Spring Band Banquet – This is held in late May as a year-end celebration in the gym to honor all band, ensemble, and color guard members.  This committee organizes the event by choosing a theme, selecting the caterer, preparing senior gifts, etc.

Handy Tools and Projects Group – Sometimes the marching band shows involve simple props (i.e., a small platform), or other needs arise from time to time.  If you are handy with tools, sign up for this one (and you can sign up for another area, too, because we may never call you for this one).

Photography – This committee takes stills or videos of performances, helps coordinate band DVD production, and takes pictures during band camp for photo buttons. 

Marching Band Care Packages – Help send our students off to their out-of-town competitions by putting care packages together.  The committee will solicit drinks and snacks to be packaged up for band members to enjoy on the long bus rides.  The committee will also explore ways to keep a supply of bottled water on hand for thirsty musicians.  You have no idea how much bottled water a band of 185 members can go through on a hot day on the field in competition!  Volunteers will also arrange for water to be carried to the stadium for band performances at East High football games.

Band Camp Picnic – The picnic is held in August on the last night of band camp.  When you sign up for this one, you are done before the school year starts (so you could even sign up for two things)!  This committee has a great notebook describing every detail for the last three band picnics.

Jazz Band – Jazz band includes supporting Prep jazz band and Blue Note.  This committee puts on a reception in connection with the spring concert (usually in April) and has a concession stand on a Saturday morning in April to raise money for cool jazz band activities.

Pops and Pies – This all-band concert event is held in May and practically runs itself!  Band parents are asked to bring a dessert to share.  Volunteers are needed to promote the event, organize the food service area, serve and clean up.

Fundraising opportunities for individuals – Knowing school activities are hard on the budget, band boosters offer optional fundraising opportunities for students’ individual accounts.  We also have some fundraising to help the entire band program.  This may include coordinating anything from magazine sales to poinsettia sales to plant sales or POGO cards (individuals usually just volunteer to help with one of these).  Or, if you have a great new fundraising idea, sign up and we’ll try it out!

Fundraising Opportunities for the Band - We also have fundraising to help the entire band program.  The Annual fundraisers include:

·        Waffleman  – This event can be held any time during the year.  Help is needed to locate a suitable venue to hold the event, advertising, lining up volunteers to help serve and clean up.

·        Calendar Fundraiser - This is a calendar given free to East High families that lists all school year events (not just music).  We sell ads to area businesses to support the calendar and the band program.  Volunteers make contacts to past or potential supporters.

Year-round fundraisers include cashing in aluminum cans, Best Choice UPCs and Tyson labels; and selling East High Spartan clothing.   Bring your ideas for additional fund-raisers!

Calendar Fundraiser – This is a calendar given free to East High families that lists all school year events (not just music).  We sell ads to area businesses to support the calendar and the band program.  Students sign up to sell ads, so adults can coordinate a sales team or help make contacts to past or potential supporters.

Lincoln East Band 40th Anniversary Celebration - (Technically this is another Fundraising Opportunity for the Band, but since this is a huge one-time endeavor, it requires a dedicated committee of volunteers.)  This committee will help plan an exciting celebration for a Friday or Saturday evening in Spring 2008.  Chairs and volunteers will be needed for event food planning, fundraising/auction item planning, alumni correspondence, alumni band planning, merchandise sales, public relations, location coordination/preparation, etc. This would be a major fundraiser involving past alumni with the school and current band program.

When or Where needed – Just what it says.  Maybe you signed up for a short-term project, but you’re available to help if we get in a pinch!  Or maybe they all sound like too much fun and you can’t decide.  We just sleep better at night knowing we have a list of people to call on when we need to.

Tailgate Parties – Help with pre-game gatherings before home football games.

Communications – With so many band members, it is important to get infor-mation out to students and parents in a timely, cost-effective manner.

·        Band Web Site - The East High bands have a great web site at GOBAND.org.  This is the main source of band news so we parents can easily check out the latest newsletter, fundraisers, etc.  This can be a committee or a single volunteer and we have also had students help with this.  Some web site expertise very helpful for this opportunity, but this is not difficult!

·        Telephone Tree – This is simply a list of volunteers who have agreed to help make phone calls when there are phone calls to be made.  It’s a “tree,” meaning you call several people who have agreed to call several people, etc., so there are never very many calls to make.  The work of this committee will be especially important in getting messages to our parents and students who do not have e-mail addresses.

·        E-Mail List Maintenance – If you like to work alone, this is the job for you.  The current volunteer will hand this assignment off at the end of her tenure (tbd).  The volunteer uses the web-based Yahoo! Groups service to update e-mail addresses as needed, and to post announcements on behalf of the directors of the East High Band program or a member of the Band Boosters Board or one of its committee chairs.  Must be willing to commit to “dropping everything” in order to get urgent messages posted.  If you are techno-savvy, your ideas on how to improve our e-mail efforts would be welcomed!

Please call Rick Meyer, Band Boosters Board, at 488-7617 if you would like to volunteer