September Parent Meeting

The meeting covered volunteer requirements, upcoming competitions and events, finances, concessions, fundraising, uniforms/apparel, student expectations, travel, and the Century Showcase.

The biggest themes were:

• Volunteer approvals must be renewed annually, although fingerprints remain valid unless circumstances change.

• Volunteer hours need to be logged through the Google form so they can be credited toward student accounts/requirements.

• September and October are very busy, with can drives, competitions, the September 19 parent preview/barbecue, and the October 17 Century Showcase.

• Fundraising opportunities are plentiful, including concessions, can drives, pie and See's Candy sales, restaurant nights, employer matching, and Fred Meyer rewards.

• Students are expected to practice and pass off their music, with additional help available when needed.

• Several travel opportunities are being planned for jazz, winter guard, winter percussion, and the full marching band. Passport/REAL ID requirements should be handled early.

• Parents are encouraged to sign up for volunteer roles and attend competitions, while shifts will be structured so volunteers can still watch their students perform.

  
  
  
  

Key dates

Volunteer requirements

District volunteer approval

• Volunteer approval expires annually and needs to be renewed. Volunteers will receive renewal notices approximately 30 and 15 days before expiration.

• Volunteers should send a screenshot showing their approved status/expiration to the band volunteer coordinator.

• Fingerprints do not need to be repeated annually; they are generally one-and-done.

• The annual training video is approximately 1.5 hours and is expected to be completed yearly.

• Volunteers having trouble finding themselves in the system should contact Amber Owen.

• Use your full legal name when searching the system if you normally use a nickname or middle name.

  
  

Other certifications

• Food handler cards: valid for three years and useful/needed for food-service activities.

• OLCC training: needed for certain alcohol-serving/concessions roles.

• Crowd manager training: specifically useful for the Century Showcase; it is not required for ordinary volunteering. Certification lasts two years.

  
  

Volunteer hours

• Parents should log hours through the volunteer-hours Google form.

• Approximately 304.75 hours had been logged collectively from July through the meeting.

• Some volunteers had already exceeded the 16-hour threshold.

• Hours are processed in batches, so there can be a delay between submission and credit.

  
  

Upcoming volunteer opportunities

Bottle/can drives

The can drive is one of the band's largest fundraising sources.

• September 12 was discussed as a major upcoming drive.

• Another drive is planned for September 24.

• Parent help is needed for pickups, sorting, and other tasks.

• Last year, can drives raised more than $32,000 for the band.

  
  

First-aid supplies

Parents are being asked to donate supplies for the band's first-aid kits and Showcase operations.

Frequently needed items include:

• Band-Aids

• Blister Band-Aids / moleskin

• Ice packs

• Wraps

• Bandages

• Feminine hygiene products

The band does not stock or distribute medications such as ibuprofen or Tylenol.

September 19 BBQ / Parent Preview

The Friends & Family Parent Preview and barbecue is September 19.

This year, instead of assigning freshmen/juniors/seniors specific food items, parents will be able to sign up for season-long food/trailer supplies.

The goal is to:

• Reduce duplicated purchases, Make donations useful throughout the season, Better manage the band's food budget

  
  
  
  

More information/sign-ups will be distributed through Cuttime.

Competitions and travel

Competition volunteering

Competitions require many different volunteer roles, including:

• Chaperones

• Uniform assistance

• Food service

• Prop movers

• Front ensemble/loading assistance

• Camp setup

• Other site-support positions

  
  

Parents can volunteer for different portions of a competition day rather than necessarily working the entire day.

The goal is to make shifts short enough that parents can both volunteer and watch their students perform.

Grants Pass

The overnight Grants Pass trip will involve sleeping on a school gym floor.

Chaperones must be fully district-approved, including fingerprint clearance.

Students should bring sleeping bags and be prepared for the expectations of an overnight school trip.

Century Showcase — October 17

Century hosts the Showcase on October 17.

Current expectations:

• Volunteer setup beginning around 8 AM

• Competition approximately 1–9 PM

• Cleanup extending later into the evening

• Volunteer shifts targeted at approximately 2–3 hours

  
  

Potential volunteer positions include:

• Ticket sales

• Wristband checking

• Judge runners

• Gate/tunnel monitoring

• Parking

• Band entrance/exit

• Warm-up monitoring

• Raffle/merchandise

• Concessions

• NWAPA judge/staff hospitality

  
  
  
  

A particularly important open need is someone to handle food and hospitality for NWAPA judges/staff throughout the day.

Parents can contact the Showcase team if interested.

Fundraising

The band reported being approximately 25% of the way toward its fundraising target.

Sponsorship committee

A sponsorship committee is being formed to develop sponsorship materials for the band and its events.

Parents with business, fundraising, marketing, or sponsorship experience are encouraged to participate.

Band merchandise shop

Parents are encouraged to help expand the band's online merchandise shop by:

• Creating/submitting designs

• Uploading products

• Promoting the store to friends and relatives

  
  
  
  

The shop can sell products beyond shirts and hoodies, including items such as mugs and other merchandise.

Pie fundraiser

• Sales: October 12–28

• Pickup: November 13

• Pies are frozen and need to be picked up the same day.

• Online and physical-order options will be available.

  
  
  
  

See's Candy

See's Candy is a new fundraiser this year.

• Sales remain open through December 4.

• Students need their own helper account/link/QR code for sales to receive individual credit.

• A generic link will also be available, with proceeds going directly to the band.

• Orders can be shipped, making this easier for relatives who don't live nearby.

• The meeting indicated approximately 15–20% standard profit, with some products having different margins.

  
  
  
  

Restaurant fundraisers

Upcoming restaurant fundraising dates mentioned:

• Red Robin — December 14

• Mod Pizza — January 3

• Chick-fil-A — March 15

Additional restaurant events may be added.

Employer matching

Parents should check whether their employers match charitable contributions or volunteer hours.

Intel was specifically mentioned, including a current additional matching opportunity during September.

Fred Meyer

The band's Fred Meyer Community Rewards program generates roughly $300 per quarter.

Parents who shop at Fred Meyer should make sure their rewards account is linked to the band.

Godfather's Pizza

• September 25, All-day fundraiser

• Parents should explicitly tell the cashier they're supporting Century, including for online orders when applicable.

  
  

Student accounts and finances

• Statements/invoices are sent through CutTime around the beginning of each month.

• Next payment deadline discussed: September 18.

• Checks should be payable to Century Band Boosters.

• Student name, amount, and purpose should be included.

• Multiple invoices can be combined into one check; the treasurer will allocate it appropriately.

• Payments may also be made through the applicable online systems.

• Money earned through qualifying fundraising/concession opportunities can be applied toward eligible band-related expenses.

• Student fundraising balances generally remain with the band when a student graduates rather than being paid out as cash.

  
  
  
  

Concessions

Upcoming opportunities include PSU and Century-area football events.

Different positions have different requirements:

• Runners: food-handler certification

• Cashiers/alcohol-related roles: food-handler certification + OLCC

• College-game concession work can generate money directly for a student's band account.

• High-school games generally count toward volunteer hours/points rather than putting money directly into the student's account.

The band is also partnering with Hillsboro Stadium to collect cans/recyclables after games, particularly where alcohol is served.

Uniforms and apparel

New apparel is being offered, including:

• Show shirts

• Show hoodies

• Century Marching Band shirts

• Century hats

• All-weather jackets

• New senior shirts

The all-weather jackets come in men's and women's cuts and can include a student's name.

Students receive one show shirt as part of their Fair Share fees, so parents do not need to purchase one for their student.

Parents were reminded that students should have multiple pairs of long black socks, including an extra pair for performance days.

Shoe-order clarification

There was a technical/administrative issue with the shoe invoices, but:

• The shoe order was not cancelled.

• The order is being processed.

• New invoices will be sent.

• Parents who already paid do not need to take action; the issue will be handled internally.

  
  
  
  

Director's notes / student expectations

Mr. Dunlop emphasized several expectations.

Music pass-offs

Students must demonstrate that they can correctly perform their assigned music.

• Pass-offs can be done multiple times.

• Students may record themselves and submit a recording.

• Section leaders, drum majors, and staff can help.

• Additional practices/help will be provided for students who need it.

• Students are expected to practice outside class when necessary.

The emphasis is on mastery rather than simply logging a certain number of practice minutes.

Jazz band

Jazz band meets Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 7:30 AM.

Marching-band students may have some jazz classes cancelled around marching-band obligations.

Competition schedules

Exact competition schedules often arrive only a couple of weeks beforehand.

Parents should expect competition Saturdays to potentially occupy most of the day and wait for the official schedule before making detailed plans.

Pickup after events

Parents should not arrive based on an estimated return time.

Students should call/text when the band is actually leaving the stadium or competition. Packing equipment can add significant time.

Percussion and other students with equipment responsibilities may need approximately another 20+ minutes after returning to Century to unload, dry, and store equipment.

Future travel

Several smaller ensembles have travel planned.

Winter Guard

Trip to Ohio for DCI World Championships.

Winter Percussion

Potential trip to a DCI event in California.

Marching Band

Planned Victoria, British Columbia parade trip, around May 20–24, with the parade on Victoria Day.

For Victoria:

• A passport is required.

• A school ID is not sufficient.

• Families should begin the passport process early.

For students who will be 18 or older and flying, a REAL ID or other federally acceptable identification will be needed.

Travel costs are still being finalized. The organizers are working to keep the two flying trips as close as possible to approximately $1,500 or less, but that is not yet a confirmed final cost.

Parent buddy program

New families can still request a veteran parent buddy.

This is intended to help newer families with:

• Competition expectations

• Volunteer questions

• CutTime

• Travel

• General band logistics

  
  
  
  

A few veteran parents were still available.

Important takeaways for parents

1. Check your volunteer approval and renew if necessary.

2. Complete the annual volunteer training.

3. Log all volunteer hours.

4. Sign up for upcoming can drives and competitions.

5. Plan for the September 19 BBQ/preview.

6. Mark October 17 for the Century Showcase and expect a major volunteer need.

7. Check CutTime for invoices and the September 18 payment deadline.

8. Make sure students have long black socks and appropriate performance supplies.

9. Encourage students to practice and complete music pass-offs.

10. Start passport/REAL ID preparations now if your student may participate in upcoming travel.

11. Consider requesting a parent buddy if you're new to the program.

12. Watch CutTime/band communications for detailed competition schedules, travel information, and volunteer sign-ups.