West Johnston Band Parents

let's see that would be thread# 33

guess I am misinterpreting the snobbish attitude in regards to Triple S's band

 

OK, look at it this way. Say you can get 4 kids in a room, and the room costs $100. That is $25 per kid. Now if you have 8 kids, you need 2 rooms for a total of $200, that is still $25 per kid. The per student cost does not increase, just the total cost. In fact, if anything, the per student cost should go down for a larger number of students, because of volume discounts. If you have 400 students, you would need 100 rooms, and it would still be $25 per student, unless they give you a discount for renting so many rooms.

Some things that could make the per student cost higher would be more expensive uniforms; more expensive instruments; more travel. If the WJHS band wins a lot of competitions and travels more to compete at the next level, that would increase both the total cost and the per student cost.

By the way, I saw the WJHS band at the Strawberry Festival, and they looked great. I understand they do very well in competitions, and have been invited to participate in one of the really big parades - Macy's? - next year. I think it's a great experience for kids, and I admire them for all the work they do, both in band and in their classwork. Kudos to all the members of the band, and their parents.

 

You're right, they do TRY to stay in gyms, churches, etc WHEN possible to cut costs. But depending on where they're going, that is not always an option. And, as the band gets larger, it becomes more of problem to find ample space (especially with bathrooms & showers), and yes there is a FEE for these places too, they're not free!

As far as meals - sometimes meals are provided (cooked by those hard -working BPA parents), but again, thats not always possible. Some places allow it, some don't. Try cooking or even making sandwiches for 200 kids....there's not always enough time to prepare, depends on their schedule.

 

Money

From a former member of a band program, while I admit not at the same scale as the one at West, let me let you all in on a little secret.

The costs to transport and house these kids should be the same per child, per school, if they were in fact staying in the same style of hotel/motel and riding on similar buses, give or take a few dollars. So yes, based on the number of kids, your costs should be the same regardless if there were 200 or 400, and to honest, hotels tend to rate down the cost per room when you occupy more at one time.

The EXTREME costs come in when you look at the "presentation" aspect of the program. Your costs are absorbed in all of the high end pieces of visual aids that they use on the field. Flags alone are OUTRAGEOUS! I do not know if West reuses the same items over and over, but from what I have seen each year, none of their shows look the same, have the same theme, etc... That means they purchase new stuff every year, which absorbs cost. Visual effect is a large portion of scoring when you travel to competition, so I assume they are spending quite a bit to make sure that part is as high as they can get it.

Just my two cents.....

 

Stinger...I think we can see that if the BPA uses the same accounting methods as bandmom, why they have to charge so much!! Even after its been explained, a fundamental lack of understanding economics.

 

I know, LOL....good thing I'm not on the budget committee....:-D

 

While it is true that no single child will be left out of a trip due to not meeting his or her portion of the fair share fundraising, if enough students do not meet the goal the entire band will be left out -- while that has never happened, it has come close a few times. As for WJBPA, their annual budget is given out at BPA meetings and is typically included in mailings during the season. I also have to say, this fair share can be raised entirely w/out any out of pocket expense (minus gas money and time) through various fund raising opportunities. I know of some who have earned enough from working the RBC center alone that they have met their goals for this and next year already. That said, I have to agree w/Stinger's original post, don't deny your kids the chance because you feel you cant raise or donate that much money yourself.

 

What if every parent with a child in the band program did that? And, please, you don't have a couple hours a week to work for what your child will receive? We put our daughter through the program for $0 out of pocket for the last 2 years by working the RBC program. We actually left over $200 over-earned money behind. The first 2 years we paid about half out of pocket. I work 2 jobs during the week and I still had time to work for my kids participation!!

So, if I'm working my butt off to keep my "fair share" going to float the program and you sit on your butt and add nothing to "fair share" I'm suppose to feel good about that? "Mechanical fastening device" you!!!!! Get off your lazy "I don't have to pay" butt and get to work! That's a lousy example your setting for your kid, "Ride the system kid and don't worry about paying."

Stinger, of all the people, "Mr. Conservative", is in here telling people to free-load. A topic you have P'd & moaned about; saying there is too much of it in the U.S. now already? Playing both sides of the net are we?

I'll quit before I get P'd off, but, what your child gets for that $950 is participation in one of the best band programs in the United States. I may have not seen eye to eye with the BPA over those years but my kid got one heck of an, "only once in life," experience. My kid's out of the program now but she still bleeds teal green.

 

I saw let's ALL support these kids no matter what activity they are in and realize that each program is as important as the next. Some kids are cut out for football, basketball, track, etc and some are into band, which is as physically and mentally demanding as the others. Some of these programs are lucky enough to have more funding than the others, so unfortunatly, those kids that are not funded like the others are have to turn to other ways to pay for what they do. As stated, there are always fundraisers to help raise money for the fairshare and even help pay for the kids' trips. I remember a while back when there was a big debate about band and I admit, I was a big part of that. But this going back and forth like this is not getting anyone anywhere. No one is going to back down from what they believe. For me, I wish the band did get more funding. It is a great program and provides the students with so much. Someone else may not agree with me and think it is a bunch of bunk.....I may think that way about some of the other sports. But hey, these are our kids, and we need to support them, all of them, no matter what they are into. I have helped the football team (Friday night games!) and any other kids that has been involved in things for their sport. Does it get tiring sometimes, yes, but as long as it is for a good cause.......

Ok, I am off my soap box. Tried not to stay on there too long, but wanted to voice how I felt

 

just to respond west johnston reuses everything they can, the band and percussion use the same uniforms from season to season, and the guard uses the flag poles from season to season. they conserve money as best as they can. perhaps band fees wouldnt be so outrageous if everyone would do their part and others werent having to carry double the weight...

 

perhaps they would not be so high if someone got the clue and realized that marching bands are meant to be a boring half-time entertainment during the football game. No need to travel anywhere for that except maybe to playoffs.......:mrgreen:...signed Mr. Jock

 

We had "fair share" at our high school for chorale also. Difference is, in Wake County schools, if you don't pay the "Fair share" fee...your child can't:

• Have the priviledge to pay the outrageous $120 a year to park at the school
• Check books out of the library
• Participate in graduation and get your diploma

In order to be "excused" from paying the fee, you have to fill out a financial proof form, showing you are too poor to pay.

 

So sorry you cannot appreciate all that the band does and how hard they work. You may not enjoy or apprecate what these kids accomplish because of your closed mind and your ignorance, but many, many people do and if you want to compare how well marching band kids do compared to your so called "jocks", well statics show that kids in band do a whole lot better.

 

????

What happened to the day when if a kid was in band, his parents bought or rented his instrument?!?

 

They also sew all their own flags, purchase used flags, uniforms, and props from other school, plus they try to re-use parts from the props from year to year!

 

Most kids do have their own instruments. But when it comes to larger ones such as bells, chimes, tempani, cymbols, quads etc, most people don't own their own... for one thing they could never afford them! Also, alot of these kids play several different instruments, can't expect them to own all of them, yet through the band program they have the opportunity to learn and play them.

Plus, because of all the 'wear and tear' there is also instrument repair and sometimes replacement costs. Here again, when possible, they do look for used ones. Mr B said at one of the BPA meeting's that they'd purchased an Oboe off ebay!

 

For the more common instruments, this is still the standard procedure. Flutes and, clarinets, trumpets, trombones, alto saxophones are all expected to be provided by the student. However, larger instruments are quite an investment; one the West band program and most every other band program in the nation do not expect their students to make. Tubas, baritones, bassoons, oboes, french horns, mellophones, and other instruments that can run in upwards of $2500 are an investment that the program doesn't want to impose upon parents.

 

ignorance and closed minds...sure. Would love to see your statistics as high school sports have a long track history and most never leave the state and still compete at a higher level. Band is great, but will never compare to the thrill, experience, and lessons of sports

Wonder where the top marching band students rate against this list
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/specials/fortunate50/2007/

now back to playing nice......I am so grateful that we are blessed to have such a wonderful band and the successful fund raising that supports it.

 

So if the child who plays a clarinet pays for his instrument...does the child who plays the largeer instruments pay a separate fee that other child doesn't have to pay?

And IMHO...tubas, oboes, french horns...are no different than trumpets and clarinets, and should be provided by the parents of the player if flutes, clarinets and such are provided by the parents of the player.

 

:roll: hey y'all...I'm sorry...I would be the "lazy, unintelligent, unable to pay for my kids band career" parent that stinger started this whole thread about...I am sorry...but first let me say that he never told me to not pay my childs "fair share" he simply told me to stop worrying about paying...you see in June my husband was activated as a military policeman in the United States Army, he will be serving in Iraq for up to 18mos. possibly more...and when he recieved his call on a thurs. to report for duty the following monday...well needless to say my friggin' household budget was thrown completely for a loop. I am a mother of three...well rounded very active children..and also worked full time to help support my childrens activities...drdan..your pompous attitude really cut me to the core...I have had the pleasure of seeing you in action at one of your favorite karaoke hangouts...and wished to god that i could afford to go and party all night as well instead of working in the kitchen as your melodious voice filled the air...as your rather pretty wife shook her groove thing on the dance floor. but alas...as a no-load current band parent, this is not to be....i simply had issues with the time-frame of payments...as i had every intention of paying our "fair share" just not at this exact moment...sooooo...that being said..I find that the wjhs band to be a wonderful pastime for my son who has made many new friends and probably will not have the same issues of adjusting to high school life that my daughter who is graduating this year had, as she came in w/out the desire to be in band, but has many friends who were. I am sorry for the uproar this has caused and well...I am sorry for being "BROKE!"