Meeting started at 7:30pm
Attendance: 45

President: Welcome

Secretary: Thanks to Jami Summers for taking and preparing minutes from last month’s meeting. Minutes distributed and reviewed. Motion to approve by Tabitha Groelle, Second by Jenae Emanuel.

Treasurer: 

• Payments for Philadelphia trip going good. For those on payment plan, next installment is due October 5 and final installment on November 5.
• If making monthly payments for Marching Band fee, payments are $75 per month through February.
• Budget layout in QuickBooks is being redesigned. Will be a new way to look at budget. Should be available for next meeting.

Composite Photos:

• President introduced Tricia Bristow of Just Smile Photography, photographer for Marching Band composite photos. Trish went over Just Smile’s new online ordering system. Pricing about the same as last year, maybe a bit lower. 8-10% of total sales donated back to the band.
• Marching Band composite photos will be taken at the school on October 6, 8, 9 and 10. Casual and concert attire photos can be taken if desired.
• Will need volunteers to write down name/class during photo sessions.
• Students should have COMPLETE Marching Band uniform (including shoes and socks) plus concert attire and casual clothing if photo session desired. Make sure students have appropriate shoes and matching socks if applicable.
• To sign up to be notified when photos go online, go to: justsmile.shootproof.com/event/817192 To login, enter your email address with password ADHSband
• To order, login and click on picture you like, add to cart, can select filter yourself.
• You can crop your own photos & select different color effects e.g black & white
• Recommended Composite Photo size is 11×14.
• 3 finishes available: lustre (between glossy and matte – most popular), glossy (super glossy and very shiny), and matte (no gloss).
• Purchases will be delivered to you via US Mail.
• Digital media purchases are instant download to your computer. Whole album for $55. Full resolution. No printed DVDs available.
• Communicate with Trish if you want a custom designed collage. Can ‘star’ the photos you would like included in the collage but don’t order. Contact Trish via phone or email prior to ordering custom designed collages.
• To have your photos touched up to eliminate acne, etc contact Trish directly (especially if purchasing as instant download).
• 50% discount for 2nd sibling. Email Trish for promo code.
• November and December very busy. May not be able to reply immediately.

OPERATIONS

Chaperones: Considering ways to cut down on band’s use of paper cups used for water at football games. Proposed purchasing 150 20oz water bottles for $109.50 to replace paper cups. Pit crew would transport bottles. Name on each bottle and student responsible for washing and putting in crates to be filled. Seniors would take theirs when they graduate. Others reuse theirs until graduation. Purchase annually for incoming freshmen. After some discussion, a decision was made to do a trial run having students bring their own water bottle. It was also suggested that this system could be used at practices too.

WAYS & MEANS

• Coupon Books – Sale ended today. Raised approximately $2700 for general fund and $1400 for student accounts. Band accounts will be charged for any books not returned.
• Grocery Cards – Signup to have band boosters automatically relink your VIC card annually. Information on Harris Teeter page of our band website. Old Kroger Cares program which put $ straight into band accounts ended on August 30th. Please link your Kroger Cares card to Kroger’s new “Kroger Community Rewards” program which donates all reward $’s to ADAF. Information on Kroger Rewards page of our band website.
• Scrip Program – 5-18% of purchase amount goes to band account. Contact Melissa Merchant if you would like training on how to use the system.
• BBQ – BBQ is next Friday (9/19). All $’s go to general fund. Still have lots of openings for volunteers. Please signup online. Students with lunch passes can pick up at Community Center. No organized effort to get plates to school for students. Per school administration, school’s cafeteria contract does not allow outside food to be brought in for sale to students. Teacher sales at school are still ok and orders are being collected.
• Lemonade Stand – Two games into season and we have earned approximately $2222 with $972 going to general fund. Carpool for next week’s game (9/20) leaves Athens at 2pm for 5pm game.
• Bulls – Tonight is last game of playoffs. Earnings for this season approximately $20,000 to band accounts and $6000-$7000 to general fund.
• PNC – Events through end of November will go live tomorrow at 1pm. September 21 starts pre-season games. DRESS CODE STRICTLY ENFORCED! If PNC employees can be fired for not wearing uniform, then volunteers not wearing complete uniform will be sent home. Uniform is black pants – no jeans, no corduroys, no cargo pants; black shoes – must be completely black, no other color can be anywhere on the shoes; tucked in blue band polo with or w/out logo.
• Cookbook – First email has gone out. Will push more after BBQ is over. For now, WE NEED RECIPES! Recipes need to be submitted no later than September 26. Can submit via email to Jami Summers at cookbook@athensdriveband.com or directly at www.typensave.com (userid athensdriveband password arewealone). Text only, no pictures. This first ever Athens Drive Band Cookbook will contain band program history. Recipes personalized with year of graduation. Categories listed on website and include breakfast, brunch, grilling and feeding large groups. Sale dates TBA. Delivery by Christmas.
• State Fair Parking – Going great. Signup slots went fast. Only dates left open are on the two competition Saturdays. Depending on competition time, it may be possible to work State Fair Parking AND attend competition.
• Hillsborough Parking – New parking fundraiser opportunity for parking cars during NC State Fair in lot located at 5404 Hillsborough St. Lot is currently owned by same company that owns Carolina Ale House and is up for sale. This lot is not associated with our Gregory Poole State Fair Parking fundraiser. Signups online next week. Money collection all shifts. All collections go to band. Due to new fundraiser status, fundraiser service credits are not available this year. Since this lot and its associated building are for sale, we will need to negotiate with new owner, if sold, regarding our use of the lot next year.
• Mattress Sale – Ready to go. Coupon will be placed on BBQ plates. Clint Stovall of Custom Fundraising Solutions will be at next booster meeting on October 2 for Mattress Sale information session. Each student with a parent in attendance (up to 100 parents) will receive $5 cash. Advertising will include testimonials. No pressure sale. If you purchased last year and would like to provide video testimonial, we will be recording after meeting.
• Big Al’s – New fundraiser opportunity during NC State Fair. BBQ stand with tented structure, cafeteria style with seats and tables, needs servers, folks to bus tables, cashiers. Nothing confirmed at this point. Two shifts 9am-3pm and 3-10pm. Band account gets $9/hr adults and $7/hr students. General fund gets $1/hr. Ages 16+. T-shirt, gloves and apron provided by Big Al’s. Wear own baseball cap. Orientation session required. Carpool can park at Gregory Poole. Free fair admission with shift. Signup schedule out and firm commitment over next 5 days. Big Al’s will backfill open slots with college students and temp workers. Tabitha Groelle will set up online signups, which will open Saturday (9/13) and close Thursday (9/18).

COMMUNICATIONS

• PTSA – Michelle Young is our band’s new PTSA representative. Informed PTSA members of Band BBQ at last meeting. PTSA membership forms available. Seniors must be members of PTSA in order to apply for PTSA scholarships.
• JAG Club – Projection for completion of new stadium is now Fall 2015. Should be ready by homecoming 2015. Cost $4.5 million. Concession stand only comes with a cooler. We are responsible for putting new stuff in new stadium as well as fixing and maintaining Williams Stadium (old field). In line to get 2 new big activity buses; however, only CDL certified drivers are allowed to drive them due to federal mandate. Mini buses need to be replaced. Cost around $37,000. Announced “Celebrate My Drive” competition sponsored by State Farm to raise “Don’t Text and Drive” awareness. $325 million in awards broken into 90 at $25,000, 4 at $100,000, top 2 with concert by The Band Perry. Estimate that only 1500 votes per day could win our school $25,000. More information once registration is closed around October 2nd. Need ideas of what band could use $ for.
• Social Media – We are asking all boosters and students not to create any social media accounts containing the band’s name (Athens Drive Band, Athens Band, ADHS Band, adhsband or any variation). If such an account is needed, please contact our website committee. All band social media and online accounts are moderated by our booster communications and website committees. As a band, we want to be very careful about what we “put out” on the Internet for the world to see. We need to ensure our band’s online presence is secure. This is especially important at a time when we are applying to participate in big events such as the Rose Bowl, Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day parade, etc., the people who make the acceptance decisions look very closely at our band’s public image online. If such accounts have been created, we ask that you delete them. We also request any YouTube videos containing the band’s name be made private. Thank you for understanding.

Director’s Report

• Athens is indeed a diamond in the rough. Now entering it’s golden years of exceptional growth with incredible organizations paving the way.
• Marching band is off to a great start. All groups looking good. Our program is different from most bands in the area. Most march to compete. Our program marches to entertain and provide musical and personal growth for our students. We strive to do our best, have fun and entertain. Different bands do things differently. We do parades, concerts; our program is not just about competing. We are the ambassadors for Athens Drive.
• Marching band will be marching in the Military Parade at the NC State Fair on October 22. Will do our annual Village of Yesteryear performance on the 22nd as well.
• Made top 30 in 2016 Rose Bowl Parade selections. Our application was spot-on. At this level, everyone is good. Approximately 18 bands are selected. Decision all boils down to what type of band/marching style they are looking to fill a particular slot, where the band is from and how many other bands are from the same geographical area. Will reapply for 2017.

Meeting Ended at 10pm
Next Meeting Thursday, October 2, 2014, 7:30pm, ADHS Band Room