Clark Band Boosters General Meeting Minutes
Tuesday, January 11, 2005 

1.  Meeting called to order by Becky Plemons at 7:05 p.m.

2.   Door prizes were awarded. One was given to the first to arrive at the meeting; those who who were holding agendas with stars on the back side also got prizes.

3.  The minutes from the November 9, 2004 General Meeting of the Band Boosters were adopted; motion by Mike Hutzler, second by Sharon Amann.

4.  Report from Band Directors – Mr. Kuentz and Mr. Telles

a.  Mr. Kuentz reported that the band students are in the midst of preparing for the solo and ensemble contest. Students are required to perform one or the other as part of their six weeks grade. If the students want to receive a UIL scoring for their performance, they are required to have a pianist accompany them. Numbers for pianists are posted in the band hall. February 17 is solo and ensemble competition at Clark High School. It’s an extracurricular activity but all students must play that night for a grade.  Performance times are from 4:30 to 9:30 pm.

b.  Region band tryouts were at held at Clark prior to the holiday break. Clark students performed very well; out of about 55 to 60 kids from Clark that tried out, over 30 made it -- a very high percentage. The majority of those students made the top band of the two Region bands. Eighteen of those students qualified for area, more than any other school in our area. All-State tryouts were on Saturday, January 8. Anthony B., bass trombone, and Matt M., contrabass clarinet, made All-State. No other school in our region accomplished that. Only a total of four students made it from this region. The majority who made it came from the Houston area. The convention is in San Antonio in mid-February.

5.  Report from Becky Plemons - President

a.  Becky offered thank you’s to various individuals for their efforts:

i.  To Ramona Teter Lonas and Jim Lee for heading up the recruiting presentations at the middle school Holiday Concerts.

1.    Students helped out at middle school holiday presentations.

                                                             ii.     To the Hospitality Committee for a great job on the Faculty/Parent Breakfast and the Holiday Concert that evening.

1.   Thanks to Judy from Hospitality for the refreshments tonight.

                                                            iii.     To Tammy Nicholson for taking care of the Alumni at the Holiday Concert and for making the Alumni ribbons.

                                                           iv.    To Rosanne Fohn for the nice job handling the CD sales for the concert.

1.   There are some Holiday Concert CDs still available at a cost of $10.

6.  Report from Mary Lee - First Vice President – Fundraising

a.     Our next fundraiser is pizza kits and runs from January 28 to February 11. The delivery date is the week of February 22, hopefully Thursday. Parents can pick up the fundraiser sheet tonight but students can not sell at school until the January 28^th. Forty percent goes to the student’s account. It’s the last big fundraiser before the trip. Booster officers sampled the pizza and it’s pretty good. There is also cookie dough and some other things. The most expensive item is $22 for 4 pizzas. Please support this fundraiser.

b.     The board is discussing whether to add one more fundraiser. We have time blocked off in March. We’ve also talked about the possibility of a 5K run in May. There’s too much going on until then, but May’s also busy with graduation activities. We’re still looking at whether to do it this year. 

c.      Becky asked for feedback from the membership regarding a March fundraiser. We’ve often done candy but the problem is collecting the money because the kids get the merchandise before they turn in the money. Discussion ensued regarding why they get the money first. If we asked the students to pay for the candy first, it would probably reduce participation drastically. Can the kids sell the candy on campus? They cannot sell during lunch period but can sell on other times like before and after school. Other options are candy in the box that you pre-sell or magazines, a restaurant night where the restaurant gives the school a percentage of the proceeds for the night’s sales, or Krispy Kreme cards. You just can’t sell them at the store doors. Each card is $10 and each student gets 10 cards. 

d.      Mary Lee will look into these options and will inform the membership at the February meeting regarding whether we will do another fundraiser.

7.   Report from Gloria Chavez – Second Vice President – Concessions

a.       There are new concession opportunities. Gloria will provide those signups.

8.  Report from Gus Belitzer – Treasurer

a.      Gus reported the cash balances in the money market ($13,523.12) and checking account ($9,905.32) as of December 31, 2004.

b.     The Band Bucks income has the trip payments flowing through it. Gus made a $30,000 payment so the Band Bucks income is reduced.

c.      On the first day back from school after the holiday break, 56 students received statements because they were behind in their accounts. The majority were related to trip payments. Ten statements contained a mistake because the last deposit was not included in them. Please check with Gus if you have any questions regarding your account. 

d.     The most recent trip payment was due January 7. If you haven’t made it, please do so immediately. 

e.       February 1^st is the last Band Bucks payment ($75 for one student, $50 per student for families with more than one student). If you are participating in the pizza fundraiser, you can use the proceeds against that last payment. The fundraiser won’t be over February 1, so if you are doing the fundraiser you can delay that payment and turn it in with your fundraiser. However, you need to pay by February 1 if you’re not doing the fundraiser. Anything you have left in your account rolls over to next year, unless you have a senior with no sibling. The next trip payment is due February 11. The last is due in March. Please keep up your payments because we have to pay the travel agent.

9.  Becky Plemons briefed the membership on Winter Guard activities

a.      Winter Guard students practice three nights a week. 

b.      Their first contest in Arlington, Texas, from February 18 to 20. Each student must be current in their Band Bucks payments plus pay $100 (by January 28), which is the cost of the trip. If they’re not current on both, they can’t go on the trip. 

c.      Mr. Telles stated that the color guard switches modes to Winter Guard this time of year. They perform in a different venue--a gym--and participate in competitions all over San Antonio and the state. The first contest is in Dallas; it’s a WGI regional. WGI oversees regional contests throughout the United States. It’s a two-day event.  Students leave Friday and return Sunday. The Winter Guard at Clark has a long history of success; they are consistent winners in state events. They are always state champions, and they do very well at the Regionals. Regionals include multiple states. There is a contest every weekend in March. The first Saturday in April is the State contest here in San Antonio. It’ll be on the Web site, and parents of Winter Guard students will get a list. 

d.      Becky encouraged everyone to support the 22 students participating in Winter Guard.  The students really appreciate the parental support. They practice Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings in the gym. They represent the Clark Band program and the school in their activities. Parental support helps grow the program.

10. Becky Plemons reported on trailer shed status.  The order for the trailer shed material was cancelled. Mr. Woods and Mr. Kuentz are working to get NISD to participate more fully in this project. 

a.      Mr. Kuentz stated that we cancelled the order because the kit was going to be too labor intensive to construct. It was beyond what we could expect the community to help us construct. The band boosters have been, to date, working on this on their own. Mr. Kuentz felt that support from the district was in order. Some written information was sent to the district and they are evaluating it. The hope is that district resources hired and trained for this type of work will help in this effort. The district will most likely come and look at the foundation. They have contacted Mr. Woods to let him know they are working on it. We’re looking at two options of buildings and want to pick the product that will work best within our financial constraints. We’re looking toward NISD because it becomes NISD property once it’s constructed. Regardless of funding, NISD should be involved since it will belong to them. They’ll insure it.

11. Reports of Standing Committees

a.  Membership:  Karen Leach (Chair)

                                                               i.      Please call with any changes of address, phone numbers, etc.

                                                             ii.      Committee members can contact Karen for an updated student roster, if needed.

b.  Publicity/Web Master – Jim Lee (Chair)

                                                               i.     Before the holidays, some of the middle school band students from Hobby and Rawlinson came and played with the first period band class. Donuts and juice were served.

                                                             ii.     Letters of congratulations were sent to middle school students who made Region Band.

                                                            iii.     Recruiting presentations were made at the Rawlinson and Hobby holiday concerts.

                                                           iv.     Letters will be mailed to 8^th grade band students inviting them to the orientation on February 7th. There will be a reception and meeting in the band hall prior to the orientation where we will have refreshments, handouts and a slide show regarding band activities.

                                                             v.     Becky asked the membership if they have any other ideas regarding how to reach the 8^th grade students to encourage them to participate in marching band. If you have a student at a feeder middle school and they receive something from a magnet school, share it with the band boosters so we can understand the “competition”.

c.  Spaghetti Dinner – Karen Hickman (Chair)

                                                               i.     Susan Guinn, Lori Davis and Connie Somers are the committee along with Karen. 

                                                             ii.     The dinner is scheduled for February 22^nd in the Clark Cafeteria, 5:00 – 7:30 pm.

                                                            iii.     Sign up sheets are available; please sign up to help and to donate the things we need (like plates, cups, etc.) and baked goods.

                                                           iv.     On January 28^th each student will receive 7 dinner tickets to sell at $6.00 per tickets. Tickets will be $6.50 at the door.

                                                             v.     Alberto Fernadez Valerio is catering. He works at the YO Ranch Resort and Conference Center and is a freshman parent. He is bringing two chefs with him who aren’t receiving a salary. He got a lot of the food and supplies donated and the rest is at cost. 

                                                           vi.     The meal will included pasta, alfredo or marinara sauce, meatballs, bread, salad, and parmesan cheese. Valerio gave us a great financial deal. We’re giving each of his chefs a gift of $100 since they’re doing it without pay. The food is $629 for 700 people for a total cost of $829 or a little over $1 per person. 

                                                          vii.    The committee hasn’t been very successful with donations yet. So we’ll need a lot of baked goods. We may get Marie Callenders to donate some desserts. Let Connie Somers know if you can get donations or if you asked a business for them, or tell Connie of a place she should ask. We feel fairly certain that we can bring homemade baked goods, but Mr. McMahon will check and let Connie Somers know. Desserts that sell best are specialty cakes and pies and homemade desserts. Store-bought cookies do not sell well. Let Connie know what you’re bringing.  Desserts are not included in the price of the meals. 

                                                        viii.     Last year, we raised money for ponchos through the Spaghetti Dinner. The committee asked if we should something similar again. Some needs identified include: jazz band music ($200), band stands - 6 to start (cost about $100 each) which totals $1,000. We also want to purchase a new parade sign and a banner for handing at football games (about $1,200 for both). Member asked if the Winter Guard needed anything. They have a new floor. There is also some money left in their account for equipment and costumes so they’re doing OK. Marcia Stipek said maybe there are some needs for uniforms that could be funded with Spaghetti Dinner proceeds. General consensus was to fund the new banners since it benefits all the students.

                                                           ix.     Decorations will be a western theme. Dress for the theme if you’d like. 

d.  Funday Sunday – Becky Plemons (Chair)

                                                               i.     Funday Sunday is scheduled for April 17, 2005 at the Leon Springs Dance Hall from 1:00 – 5:00 pm.

                                                             ii.     Ramona Teter Lonas is working on the Silent Auction. She needs donations and volunteers. If you have a business or contacts with a business, please donate.  Crafts do well. Christmas gifts that you don’t want can be donated. Memorabilia sells well also. Volunteers are needed to deliver letters, to solicit donations, to call businesses that didn’t respond to the solicitation. Talk to Ramona if you can volunteer at 696-2393. 

                                                            iii.     There will be a committee meeting tonight immediately after booster meeting.

                                                           iv.     Signups will be available at the February booster meeting.

e.  Scrip – Elaine Hutzler (Chair)

                                                               i.     The next order is due February 1^st. The schedule is laid out in advance for scrip order due dates and the deadline is firm. Please be polite if you miss the deadline.  Elaine takes the brunt of people’s anger if they or their students miss a deadline.  The deadlines help to serve everyone so orders can be delivered when everyone expects their cards. Becky picks them up about 4:15 or 4:30 the deadline day and puts a sign on the box that she picked up the orders. You can drop off orders at Elaine’s house that evening. Please be sympathetic to Elaine for all her work. Keep a copy of your order so that you can call Elaine to give her the order over the phone and take her a check if necessary to meet the deadline.

                                                             ii.     If you haven’t picked up your order from December, please do so ASAP.

                                                            iii.     Check Web site regularly for changes in merchants and merchant percentages.

12.  Upcoming Events/Updates/Reminders

a.       Tuesday, February 1^st, Executive Board Meeting, 6:30 pm in the Band Hall.

b.      Tuesday, February 8^th, Booster Meeting, 7:00 pm in the Band Hall.

13.  Fine Arts Advocacy meeting is on Thursday, January 13. 

a.     This will be a planning meeting. Mr. Miculka is planning to be there. Talk to Debbie Korinchock if you are interested in attending the meeting. 

b.      Mr. Kuentz said that one of the reasons people move into Clark’s area is the attraction of the programs, particularly fine arts. 

c.     There was an article in the paper yesterday about NEISD’s problems. The same threat is there for NISD. This advocacy group will help avoid that problem. 

d.      Mr. Kuentz encouraged everyone to support this group to be sure we don’t lose funding. Mike Hutzler stated a concern that Rawlinson will be cut back from their current funding level and not get an assistant director next year. No other middle school is losing a position as far as Mr. Kuentz knows. Rawlinson affects Clark’s program so we need to support them. 

14. The Executive Board is hoping to have additional articles of clothing for boosters to    purchase in the fall (jackets, long-sleeved shirts, caps, etc.). We expect to do one order.

15.  Meeting was adjourned at 8:15 pm.