~ George Wythe Band Boosters ~

WELCOME!
Meetings are held at 7:00 on the third Thursday of each month in the George Wythe band room.
Come join us!

Who are we?

We're mostly made up of the parents of the Mighty Maroon Marching Band. Sprinkle in a few alumni, faithful friends, music lovers, and a town full of generous patrons and that pretty much rounds out the group.
Our task is to do what ever we can to promote the program of our favorite band. The director and band members work hard and put in loads of extra hours to put on a quality show. We're there to provide financial, physical, and emotional support to help make the band program worthy of their best efforts.
We don't mind giving a cheer or two for the kids in the other bands in the neighborhood, too. After all, we know the hard work and effort that goes into a quality program (BEEN there, DONE that!). And we appreciate the fact that the kids in the bands are mature enough and special enough to to work together for a common excellence.
In a time where a single instrument costs more than the entire annual funds provided by the school board, we're the ones you'll find selling the hot dogs, washing cars, peddling band turkeys, and knocking on doors begging for money to take up the slack. We do it because we enjoy the payoff.
When our over achieving sons and daughters see us crawling back from the football game dripping in hot dog chili, smelling of popcorn, and with Pepsi spilled all over our pants, hopefully they can hide their smiles and are appreciative of the sacrifices we have made for THE PROGRAM

... or they could end up stuffed in that new tuba in the back of the band room!

Welcome to the George Wythe Band Boosters

When your kid picked up that instrument, you became a band booster. No, a membership card didn't magically appear in your wallet, but just the same, a band booster you are. Who is it that paid for that instrument? Who is it that shuttles your favorite local musician to practices & performances? Who is it that takes that big case to school when that same musician forgot to? And, most importantly, (this takes dedication) Who is it that listens to those first practice sessions of your new fledgling virtuoso? Look in the mirror. There's a band booster staring back at you.

[BAND BOOSTER TIP #1: Hot chocolate is a great way to pass the time during practice sessions of beginning band students. That's right, a large mug of hot chocolate soothes the nerves and comforts the soul during these awkward early days of a band career. And don't forget the marshmallows either ... ONE IN EACH EAR!]

The George Wythe Band Boosters is a place for all of the individual booster parents to come together to support the bands at George Wythe High School and Scott Memorial Middle School. When a new Sousaphone costs as more than the budget allotment for both schools for two years, it is easy to see our first mission is fund raising. Money raised by the Band Boosters provides many of the essentials of the band program including, not just new instruments, but uniforms, music, instructors, transportation expenses, etc., etc. that it takes to put on a quality music program.

The Boosters also provide a lot of the physical effort it takes to put on a great performance. Loading and unloading instruments, chairs, stands, etc. gets done a lot quicker with many helping hands (and a lot cheaper with free labor). You're gonna be there for the show anyway. Come early and help set up.

The Boosters also provide a lot of the encouragement needed to inspire the best efforts of the band. Having your Mom cheer for you is nice. Having someone else's Moms cheer for you is different. They're fans.

Booster meetings are the third Thursday of each month. Meetings begin at 7:00 and are held in the George Wythe band room. Please take time to attend the meetings and provide your input into the band happenings. New ideas and opinions are welcome and encouraged. It's also a chance to meet and compare notes with the other parents of the other fledgling virtuosos out there. We're kinda like a support group.

Hey, if you take my kid to practice, I'll bring yours home afterward and we can talk about riding together to the next competition.

George Wythe Band Boosters Bylaws. Check out this link for the grease that makes things work.

Congratulations to the New Booster Officers

The new officers for 2007 - 2008 are:
  • President: Mark Weisser
  • Vice President: Melissa Vaught
  • Treasurer: Anita Wagner
  • Secretary: Zella Dillon
  • Concessions: Shawn Weisser
  • Ways and Means: Shawn Weisser
Don't be upset if you didn't get an office. There are plenty of committees to serve on such as:
  • Band Festival
  • Spring trip
  • just to name a few

Band Fees

You already paid for that instrument, isn't that enough? Well, almost. There are just a few more things to take care of. Unfortunately, they both hit now. All of this is covered in Article 10, Section 2 of the new bylaws.

Band Camp Fee

Band Camp fee for Summer 2006 is $165. This fee covers room and board for each band member while they are at camp. Other expenses for materials such as new flags and equipment, transportation to and from camp, and instructors are underwritten by the Band Boosters. This usually totals another $3,000 or so. Now you understand why we get so excited about selling hot dogs!

Families with more than one student in the band will pay one full fee ($165) for the first student and half fee ($82.50) for each additional band member. Students qualifying for free or reduced lunches will also pay half fee for camp.

Uniform Fee

The Uniform fee is $25. This money covers the cost of a new pair of gloves, uniform cleaning, and maintenance and replacement of uniform parts. It will be held in a separate account dedicated for this purpose.

Typically the uniforms are cleaned twice a year at a cost of $5 each. The remainder of the fee will be used to repair and replace uniform parts as needed. Our uniforms were purchased as a set of interchangeable parts. The jacket, pants, hats, etc. can be traded to fit the needs of the individual. Parts can be replaced as needed without suffering the expense of purchasing an entire uniform. The Uniform Account will assure funds are available to keep our band looking sharp.

Please also see Care of Your Uniform.

Hopefully this explains satisfactorily why the fees are assessed. The fees are not intended to prevent any student from participating in the band program. Families with special needs should contact the Director or Booster treasurer to make arrangements for payment of fees.

Paying Band Fees >>> Student Accounts

While Mom and Dad could just pluck some more leaves off the money tree to cover band expenses, the booster organization has a better idea: let your kid pay for it! Check the bylaws and you will find out about the band member accounts. Money earned from individual fundraisers is kept in an account in each member's name for use in covering band related expenses. Items such as the $25 Uniform Fee to the $500 plus expense of the bi-annual competition trip can be deducted from these funds rather than the family checking account. The program makes it easier for members to participate in the band and gives them an opportunity to earn their own way. Please take full advantage of the fund raising events as they occur during the year.

Questions? Comments? Drop us a line at