Chrome Times

February 24, 2008

Greetings from Racine!

Finally!! A beautiful (albeit CHILLY) sunny day for southeastern Wisconsin! Unfortunately, more of the white stuff is predicted for this week. One more reason to be excited about our upcoming camps!!

I was looking at the calendar this morning and realized that our FIRST CONTEST is a little less than 4 months away. " Move In” day is only 111 days away. Just thinking about this makes me excited!!

A reminder to Racine NORTH and Racine SOUTH: ALL paperwork that was passed out. at the last camp is now due. This includes:

• Membership application (official copy)
• Medical form (If you get hurt at camp and I have no medical form, you’re sunk)
• Boy Scout/Venture Crew form (you MUST be on the troop/crew charter in order to be covered by BSA insurance.

A gentle reminder from the Treasurer. There’s no time like the present to start paying your annual corps dues. You can pay by cash, check, OR you can use Pay-Pal and pay electronically. Once your equipment fee has been paid, you can sign out your equipment.

People have also asked about corps jackets. They are available for purchase and the cost is $75.00 for sizes S-XL. Larger sizes are also available and the cost for these is $80.00. It takes 3-4 weeks to process your order.

We are still in need of parents to help out with the next TWO Texas camps. If you have always dreamed about cooking for a crowd; please e-mail me and let me know that I can count on you for March, April, or BOTH camps! IF we have the new trailer by the time we go to Denton in April we will need many hands to get it outfitted properly. This would be a great opportunity for parents and other drum corps supporters to see our combined corps, and to make new friends. We will be sewing some flags at the April camp in Denton as well. As always, there will be a parents meeting at the March camp. Racine NORTH will be on Sunday morning March 2 at 10:00am and Racine SOUTH will be on Friday evening March 7 at 8:00pm.

If you are trying to decide where to travel for a family vacation this summer; why not plan to come and spend a few days on the road with the corps? We will certainly be in need of parents, grandparents, friends, etc to prepare and serve meals, drive our busses and truck (we can train you so you can obtain your CDL) help with construction projects and sell souvenirs at corps contests. I will have a sign-up calendar at the March and April camps so don’t be shy!

The “what to pack” list has been updated. I have also added a list of what you need to get for your uniform. Each corps member will be responsible for ordering their own marching footwear this year. This information is listed on the MEMBERSHIP page.

If you are an Eagle Scout, please send me a paragraph or two with information on your Eagle project and when you received your Eagle Badge. Be sure to include your troop number and any other pertinent information. I would like to submit an article on your achievements to the Scouting magazine. If I have counted correctly, we have 5 Eagle Scouts marching this year. Our brass caption head, Eric Sperry, is also an Eagle Scout and our corps patriarch, Howard Dahnert, is a 1935 Eagle Scout.

Have you done something noteworthy lately? Did you get accepted to the college of your choice? Received a scholarship? Made the Honor Roll or the Deans List? If so, WE WANT TO KNOW!! Send this information to me and I will post it in future editions of the CHROME TIMES. This month, we congratulate Cayman Berg (baritone) and Haley Hill (guard) for their 1st place awards at the Oneida Nation School Science Fair. Both of these students will now advance to the National Indian Schools Science Fair in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the end of March.

BINGO HELP NEEDED FOR RACINE NORTH!! A gentle reminder, corps members and staff who live within a 150 mile radius of Racine are expected to have a parent or family member work 2 BINGO occasions a month. If you are over the age of 18, YOU can work these occasions. BINGO IS OUR PRIMARY SOURCE OF FUNDING, AND WE REALLY NEED YOUR HELP.

Communication: Most everyone has been great when it comes to staying in touch and letting us know when you can or cannot attend rehearsals. With a larger corps that covers a HUGE geographic area; we need to step it up a notch. If you cannot be at rehearsal, YOU must let either Paul or Andrea know. Don't expect someone else to tell us the day of the rehearsal. YOU need to make sure that we know at least a week in advance. Contact information is listed at the bottom of this letter. If you e-mail Andrea, please put RACINE SCOUTS in the subject line. If you CALL me, be sure to speak clearly and LEAVE YOUR PHONE NUMBER. I am not a psychic. I cannot remember your phone number, and nine times out of ten, will not remember you by your first name only. (Well, at least I won’t get names and faces straight until June)

Financial sponsorship letters are available. You may make as many copies of this letter as you want and send them to area businesses, friends, relatives, teachers and who ever you think might make a contribution toward your dues. Remember, financial assistance is only available to those who help themselves first!! ..Our best advice? Dress nicely, and take these letters personally to your prospective sponsors. YOU are the best person to convince them to support your cause. No amount is too small.. Every dollar helps!

Membership contracts are at the printers. They will be given out to those who have earned a spot in the corps for 2008 at the next camp. In order to be considered for a contract, you must have paid your audition fee and attended at least one camp. Those who attended the Racine SOUTH February camp will receive their contracts at the March camp. A parent's signature is required on this document, so please encourage your parents to attend the parent meeting.

As you know, we host a contest each summer here in the Racine area. MUSIC ON THE MARCH will be held on Sunday, August 3, at Wilmot HS in Wilmot, WI. This will be a 14 corps event. We are starting to work on the 2008 ad book for this show; which provides revenue to the corps. I will have ad-book forms available at the March and April camps. For any amount of ads that you sell for the ad book over $25.00, HALF of the total will be credited to your corps account.

We are in need of a volunteer who would take on the task of writing articles for area newspapers, both in Wisconsin and Texas. If you like to write and have a few hours a week to donate, please let me know as soon as possible.

This is all the news for this week. Stay warm and dry, wherever you are.

See you all soon!

Andrea Birbilis, Corps Manager

abirbili@oneidanation.org (PLEASE put RACINE SCOUTS in the subject line)

920-592-8616 (house)

262-331-3092 (cell)

Paul Chaffee , Executive Director

pac366@aol.com (PLEASE put RACINE SCOUTS in the subject line)

Last Updated on  Feb 24, 2008