Dear Parent/Guardian:
We are thrilled to have your child become a member of the Smith County High School “ Pride of the Upper Cumberland” Marching Band! This long standing tradition of excellence is being continued by your child, and we are extremely excited to have them join us! With that being said, we had questions regarding fundraisers. A normal question asked is how fundraisers help our program and how the money is used. Below is a cost breakdown of our entire year
Why?
What SCHS pays for band and what fundraisers help support:
Director supplemental salaries (color guard instructor, percussion instructor, Dance Instructor, etc.)
Marching Drill
Licensing for the music Mr. McDonald composes( Meaning, we have to have permission to use songs from various artists. This is not a composer fee, this is a fee that ensures we have a right to use the song as we see fit.)
Bus Transportation for games and contests
MTSBOA/ALL-STATE/MID-STATE FEES ( to compete at mid-state and regional events, there is always a $380 fee.
Band Competition fees
Instrument repair
Props for show
Transportation costs
Props for show
Transportation costs
Food for students on special occasions like homecoming( Thankful for parents who bring items!)
Band camp costs (including 3 meals a day/lodging/lifeguard)
Show/uniform/ t-shirt/marching shoes/gloves
Folders for music
Flags for show
Rifles, flag poles, tapes, crutch tips and other guard supplies
Community donations also help us with these costs; however, fundraising is our biggest funding source( ads, football programs, donations). I want all of you to understand that prices fluctuate, depending on how long we may have to wait if some of our students under perform at fundraisers. Secondly, transportation fluctuates as well as we have playoffs in unexpected places! Last, drill design price becomes difficult when kids randomly decide to quit weeks in advance. For example, if I pay $500.00 for drill design and a child quits, I must send that drill back to fix the hole that the empty space leaves on the field. This means additional cost at times. Most larger programs require $1000.00 for dues, all of which comes out of YOUR pocket, while the rest is fundraiser money throughout the year. Remember, the harder we work at fundraisers, the better chances we have to go on bigger trips, and to compete at higher levels! Let’s keep working hard for what we want to accomplish!
Also, after you reach your amount for dues each year, that doesn't mean you STOP fundraising. We all still need to pull equal weight with fundraising if we hope to go on bigger trips, and have better opportunities. Remember that it takes a team to make this work! :)
Les McDonald, Ed.S
Director of Bands
Smith County High School