Important Information and Special Announcements for Parents

Contributed and Maintained by Rachel Rentschler

The next band booster meeting will be on Tuesday, August 5th at 7:30 in the bandroom.

BINGO VOLUNTEERS NEEDED...

We are still in need of volunteers to work our Bingo sessions. Games are held every Wednesday and Friday evening. Volunteers should be there bt 5:15 if possible. Doors open to the public at 5:30 and the evening usually wraps up around 10:00-10:30. Even if you can't be there until late, or if you can only stay for a few hours, we need your help! This is a wonderful opportunity for the booster to raise some much needed money for the band program. We need everyone's help to make it successful. Please contact Rachel Rentschler at lloydfundraising@insightbb.com or call 727-6414 or 743-3029 to volunteer.

PRIVATE LESSONS AVAILABLE...

Private lessons are now available through Lloyd for all instruments. The 30-minute lessons are held weekly and are $10.00 each. If your child currently takes lessons in the area, you know that this price is considerably less than what you are now paying. Contact Mr. Shears to sign up.

BUS / TRUCK DRIVERS NEEDED...

Parents and other band supporters - We are in need of volunteers to transport (by bus and truck) the marching band and their equipment to and from competitions. To qualify, you must contact the Erlanger-Elsmere Board of Education (500 Graves Avenue, Erlanger, Phone: 727-2009). There are no special licensing requirements, but you must pass a background check with the MVR and pass several associated written tests. You must also have a valid driver's license and a clean driving record. All training is done as a group. Qualified individuals may also have the opportunity to provide bus service for various school field trips, if needed. For more information, contact the Erlanger-Elsmere Board of Education, or Denny Steffen at DStef513@aol.com.

The following is a letter that was mailed out to all band students on December 13, 2007.

All Band Parents and Kids,

I’d like to take a minute to express to you my thoughts and concerns regarding the fundraising opportunities available to the Lloyd Memorial High School Band Booster organization. Throughout the year, numerous fundraisers are held to raise money for the band program. Car washes, bagging groceries, selling cookie dough and candy, dining at restaurants, and working community events are just some of the fundraisers the boosters participate in each year. Fundraising is an integral part of any successful organization, and our group simply cannot survive without it.

To have successful fundraisers, we need everyone’s help. I had a student make a comment to me last week while I sitting in the band room counting money from the collection jar that was set out at the middle school concert. He made the comment that if he had a dollar he’d make a donation too. I told him that his making a donation would defeat the purpose of the donation since the money is used for the band program, and ultimately, him. He then made the most insightful comment a student has ever made to me about fundraising. He said, “More people need to help or there won’t be a band. I don’t think people get that.” Wow. He nailed it. It’s as simple as that. We either get serious about fundraising or resign ourselves to the fact that there won’t be a band program. Personally, I think that would be a devastating situation for everyone involved.

Think about it…what does band mean to your child? To my child, it means doing something she loves, whether she’s twirling a flag or playing the flute. It means making friends and relationships that will last a lifetime. It means learning to work as a team for a common goal. It means preserving and growing her love of music. It means a sense of pride and accomplishment. It means all of these things and more. I want her and all of the children involved in the program to continue to have the wonderful experiences the band program affords them. I see the passion these kids have for music. I see the positive effect the band has on them. I know what it means to them and I don’t want to see that taken away from them because of a lack of funds.

The booster organization needs your help. We are in danger of losing our staff because of our inability to pay them. I’m speaking of the staff we all know. The staff that, when we were suddenly left without a band director, not once, but twice, two weeks before Pre Band Camp, dropped what they were doing and took over. The staff who have dedicated themselves to your children, putting in countless hours of their own time to see that the program went on. Not to mention the talent that these particular people possess. Talent that is being passed on to your children through their teaching. Do we want to lose them? I don’t. My daughter doesn’t, and your child doesn’t either.

Everyone’s schedules are hectic, mine included. I know that everyone cannot work every fundraiser. We all have busy lives. But if we want to continue to have the band program as part of our lives and the lives of our children, everyone must get involved. Even just a couple hours of your time makes all the difference. Please encourage your children to sign up for fundraisers. They might even be surprised at the fun they’ll have. Sign-up sheets will always be posted on the white board in the band room or you can contact me directly anytime.

I implore you to think carefully about what I’m saying here. It will take everyone’s help. It will mean giving up some of your personal time on weekends. It will mean hard work. It will also mean that the band program will continue. Our kids deserve that. They’ve earned it. They need it and we must all work together to give it to them.

Thank you for your time.

Rachel Rentschler, Ways and Means Chairperson, LMHS Band Boosters
Home: 727-6414
Cell: 743-3029
Email: lloydfundraising@insightbb.com