Valary Smith
Oct 6, 2026
Band Booster Board Meeting 10/6/2026
Grants Pass Trip and Competition Logistics
- Volunteer-hour totals remain to be completed.
- Shako wraps are in progress; final fronts are being worked on tonight. The group emphasized retaining all 10 people needed because all available people are needed.
- Transportation plan remains to use both U-Hauls, with the luggage U-Haul dedicated to luggage and the other U-Haul for props. Additional loads include the semi-truck, two trailers, and 3 buses.
- The new trailer is ready to roll after racking installation. Tony is signed up to haul the food trailer; Tori Rask is available as a backup trailer hauler if needed.
- Thursday practice is scheduled from 9:00 to 3:00. Families should be informed about lunch, hydration, and the need to bring lunches because lunch will be shorter.
- Nearly all equipment will be loaded Thursday night; luggage will be loaded the morning of departure.
- The travel stop will be at Valley River Center. Participants are still encouraged to bring lunch even if they have money to buy food.
- Grants Pass volunteer coverage is generally in good shape, though some gaps remain. Chaperones are expected to help fill operational needs.
- Concerns were raised about the Saturday morning schedule: a 9:00 breakfast followed by a 9:30 rehearsal would not provide sufficient time for hair, makeup, loading, eating, and travel.
- The final direction is to retain the Saturday morning rehearsal at the middle school because there is no practice space at the high school competition site. Breakfast should begin earlier, around 8:00, to provide more preparation time. Cris needs to be informed.
- Saturday rehearsal is planned for 9:30–11:00. The front ensemble will not rehearse that morning because it is too difficult to unload and reload; battery equipment will be loaded in the U-Haul for easier access.
- Lunch is expected at the middle school before departure. The group expects to leave around 11:30, arrive at the high school around 12:15, and begin warm-ups then.
- Students should allow adequate time for showers, breakfast, hair, and makeup.
- Friday-night activities will include a clothespin-making party with Coraline movie playing and a one-hour activity led collectively by the freshman-at-large candidates. Each section is responsible for bringing a bag of clothespins.
- Popcorn and other snacks may be provided for Friday-night activities; microwave popcorn is already available.
- Saturday night after the competition, Lupe and Roger will provide quesadillas and snacks. Seniors will receive In-N-Out shakes as a special gesture for Kevin’s senior year.
Showcase Planning
- Showcase stadium-side volunteer coverage is improving, while concessions are about half filled. More volunteers are needed for concessions and stadium roles.
- The band-side volunteer schedule cannot be finalized until Mr. Dunlop confirms the Saturday call time. Probably around 11:00 but the bandroom will be open earlier to do hair.
- Not all students need to arrive early for hair styling; students may arrive at the regular call time if their hair is already done.
- The group would like students to attend and watch other bands where possible, at minimum wearing their show shirts and appropriate pants. Final student timing and attire will be determined with staff and distributed.
- Julie Casper will make the opening announcement only. She confirmed availability.
- Judge dinner remains unresolved. Options discussed included Shake Shack, Panda Express with warmers, Jimmy John’s, and other catering alternatives.
- Nolan was suggested as a potential Showcase photographer; no commitment was confirmed.
- Concessions volunteers will use the same check-in process as stadium volunteers: check in under the tunnel, obtain a badge, and then report to Dreamweavers. The sign-up wording is expected to be updated.
- Siblings aged 14 and older with food-handler cards are being considered for concessions for this event; this remains pending.
- The culinary class will cover the meal, reducing the usual meal setup and cleanup workload.
- A minimum of one 8-foot pop-up canopy is needed on the field. Additional canopy needs depend on weather.
- Cascades may bring its trailer; confirmation is pending. An iPad will be available for transactions if needed.
- Stadium Wi-Fi remains a risk. The stadium reportedly has its own Wi-Fi, but the group will monitor whether it is reliable. The contract should be checked to determine whether the stadium is required to provide Wi-Fi.
- Homecoming football game performance is confirmed
- A student assembly performance is planned for the 21st, with an early and late assembly, pending final approval. Brown Middle School is expected to come to Century on the 30th to watch a performance.
Fundraising, Sponsorships, and Sales
- Sees Candy is active, but sales appear to have slowed. Flyers are ready for distribution next week, including optional personalized flyers with individual QR codes.
- Restaurant fundraiser dates reported were Red Robin on December 14, MOD Pizza on January 3, and Chick-fil-A on March 15. A Handell’s event is being pursued.
- Wingstop did not offer the requested fundraiser arrangement and instead offered 10% off orders. A follow-up with the actual manager is planned.
- Responses are still pending from Jamba Juice and Jimmy John’s.
- Lupe secured two or three $1,000 sponsorships. A sponsorship packet needs to be assembled by Thursday.
- The group discussed sponsor recognition on trailers and the need to determine a permanent location for banners/logos, whether sponsorship recognition renews annually, and how expired logos would be removed.
- A possible approach is to use the white trailer for band branding and sponsor logos rather than a full wrap. This remains a proposal.
- Swag station inventory includes hats, miniature flags, black socks, buttons, stickers, grams, small toys, handmade bags, pom-poms, and hand warmers.
- Suggested pricing discussed included $3 for black socks, $1 for older buttons, $3 for newer buttons and stickers, $5 for gram items, $15 for handmade bags, and approximately $5–$7 for miniature flags.
- A box of hand warmers is needed if sufficient donated hand warmers are not available.
- Several double-wide rolls of raffle tickets located
Website and Communications
- The current website was described as outdated, difficult to navigate, not mobile-friendly, and missing recent content, including several years of shows and outdated staff information.
- A proposal to rebuild the site was supported. The new site would retain the same domain and calendar but replace the existing design.
- The group agreed that website management should fall under the secretary/communications function, with board-controlled access.
- Multiple user logins with limited permissions may be used so board members can maintain their own sections, such as fundraising information.
- The new website should be built separately and launched only when ready, rather than taking down the current site during development.
Program, Staffing, and Future Travel
- Students who are behind on payments are not being excluded from travel. They may not sign up for buses until they speak with staff, receive their current balance, and provide a payment plan.
- Thirty students reportedly have not paid anything toward the trip, representing $12,000 at $400 each. This is a significant financial impact.
- Students who have not passed off all movements will be assigned to additional rehearsal chunks; students with no movements passed off must attend all four rehearsal chunks.
- The itinerary has been unlocked and distributed. Students have been repeatedly told that lunch is not provided and that they must bring lunch or money.
- Medication procedures were reviewed: medication must be checked in during morning check-in and will travel with the trip.
- Drumline has registered for a California competition on the Saturday and Sunday before spring break, the Power Regional in Temecula. Travel method, budget, and participant availability still need to be determined.
- Staff commitment was praised, particularly their willingness to travel, rehearse, and support students.
Payment Processing
- A Zeffy account was created for nonprofit payment processing as an alternative to Square for in-person sales, including Showcase tickets and swag.
- The intent is to reduce fees. Last year, Showcase reportedly incurred about $600 in merchant fees.
- Zeffy currently requires compatible phones using NFC/tap payments; it does not work with the existing Square tap devices or the available iPad setup.
- Logistics remain unresolved for staff and volunteers to access the system securely. The plan under consideration is to create limited-access logins for ticket-booth workers.
- Zeffy’s payment prompt may request a tip that goes to the payment processor rather than the band. The group wants to be transparent with buyers, potentially through signage stating that tips are not required and do not go to the band.
- Zeffy may also offer fundraising-campaign functionality, which should be explored later.