Athens Band families,

Last night the Athens Band Booster Board met with Doc and we have decided that we will not be able to have band camp at N.C. Wesleyan this year. Because of the extension of Phase 2 of Covid 19 restrictions, we just do not feel that we can put off this decision any longer. This is disappointing news for all of us and we think you all know that we held off making this decision for as long as we could in hopes that we would be able to go away to camp. Our camp experience is a very special tradition and we did not come to this decision lightly.

However, we now have a chance to make some new traditions and our band family is known for making the best of whatever comes our way. We are sure you have many questions about what will come next. Unfortunately, we still don’t have many answers. Here is what we are thinking right now:

CAMP
Doc hopes to keep our schedule, with all events happening at Athens Drive rather than N.C. Wesleyan. This is of course dependent on government and Wake Co. school restrictions allowing us to do so.

Pre-Camp on July 20-23 from 6:30-10 pm
Parent meeting and booster fair on the 21st at 6:45 pm
Camp July 26—gather on the Sunday afternoon/evening
July 27-31— schedule will likely be 9-9 with breaks for lunch and dinner (for the most part students will have to bring their own meals and water bottles) There will be a performance for parents on the evening of the 31st.

We will pass along more details as quickly we are able. Mr. Mares is very supportive of our band and helping us access as many fields as possible so that we can spread out and rehearse similar to the way we do it at camp. We also have a team of parents working on safety precautions, screening procedures and other information chaperones and parents will want to know so they feel safe bringing their students to camp.

Cost of Marching Band
Marching band will cost less this year. Although we will not have to pay N.C. Wesleyan, we will still incur costs associated with camp. We are hoping to provide a couple of meals and we will be purchasing lots of supplies associated with Covid-19 preparations. We will have a better idea of the cost of marching band by mid July.

If you have any further questions at this time, please do not hesitate to reach out!

Sincerely,
Michelle Major & Laurie Cockman
Co-Presidents
Athens Drive Band Boosters
president@athensdriveband.com