Join the Team
Are you looking for a way to stay involved in your child’s life without cramping their style? Join the McLean Band Parents Association (MBPA) Executive Board! There are many opportunities to become an active participant in the award winning McLean High School Band program. Through your involvement, you provide vital support to a great organization while enriching the band experience for your child. The more you give, the more they get!
What can I do? The band parents are involved in all aspects of the band program. We conduct the fundraising efforts to purchase and repair equipment, pay registration fees for events and competitions, produce award winning half-time shows and provide weekly sectional instruction from specialists on the various band instruments. Parents organize the travel for Marching Band competitions, Jazz Band events and Concert Band competition trips like this spring’s trip to Florida. For the past two years we have hosted the All District Band Festival at McLean High School. We organize and chaperone the summer marching activities where the Marching Band and Color Guard learn to strut their half-time stuff. We work with various media to provide publicity in the community for the bands and all of their great achievements.
How do I sign up? Please contact Mike Tapscott (President 2011-12), Tapscott@gwu.edu, 893-5481 or Chris Weise (band director), CMWeise@fcps.edu, 714-5815 if you are interested in joining the team. I encourage you to do so because it is very rewarding and a great way to meet the people who play a big role in your child’s high school experience.
Mike Tapscott
Help Wanted
MHSBPA (McLean High School Band Parents Association) is always looking for a few good men/women to lend a helping hand toward our many projects and events. Please browse the following to find the best match for your special talents and give the contact person a call today.
Executive BoardThe MHSBPA holds four executive board positions.
President – Mike Tapscott 893-5481
Secretary – Laura Harris 734-6966
Treasurer of Banking – Ron Hutchinson 389-3736
Treasurer of Accounting – Elinor Gruber 790-5889
Alumni Liaison (Cynthia Quinn 356-3654)
For the sake of continuity and historical perspective, a graduated member of the board serves on the current band board each year.
Awards (Pam Tapscott 893-5481)
Our band students are recognized for many honors and awards. At the end of the year, the band director recognizes their many achievements with trophies and plaques. Parents are needed to organize and order the awards for presentation at the awards banquet in May.
Concert Programs (Judith Fulp-Eickstaedt 536-5181)
Concert programs are printed for each band performance. Parents are needed to design and print the concert programs from an established format.
Concessions (Mary Beth Mohr, 237-9419)
MHS band sponsors the Vienna Band Camp each summer where students in the district can attend a four-week camp to develop proficiency on their instrument. As a fundraiser, the band parents run a concession stand during the 30-minute break time each day. Parents are needed to manage the sales and purchase the items for resale.
Directory/Data Base (Catherine Dirix Anderson 748-3057)
The band publishes its own on-line directory with contact information for all of the directors, band parents and students. It is important to maintain these directories from year to year in order to be able to keep in touch with current band families and alumni.
District Band (Liz Stigall 790-8891)
For the past few years, McLean HS has hosted the All District Band auditions. Parents are needed to help with registration, building set-up, refreshments for volunteers, and tabulation.
Equipment (Frank Key 536-3937)
During marching band season, the instruments and equipment used in the percussion “pit” needs to be moved on and off of the football field. It is also trucked to competition sites. Many parents are needed for each event to be able to move the equipment on and off of the field very quickly.
Fruit Sale (Stephanie Stewart 938-2212)
The fruit sale is another band fundraiser held in the late fall. Oranges and grapefruit are pre-ordered by the community and picked up at the school. Parents are needed to contact band parents and community members to place their orders. They are also needed to work the tables on distribution day in December.
Guard Liaison (Kathryn St. John 850-5246)
Our color guard program is an integral part of the marching band performances. They also have their own winter competition schedule without the band. Members come from the school community and are not necessarily band students. A parent serves as a representative for the guard to the band board.
Hospitality (Karrie McMillan 893-9645)
The awards ceremony is part of the end of the year Band Banquet held in the school’s cafeteria. Parents are needed to set up and run this event. Hospitality also provides breakfast for the students on Tag Day in the fall and Raffle Day in the spring, refreshments for the judges’ room for All District auditions in January and snacks for the General Membership meetings held three times per year. The hospitality committee also provides a picnic/tailgate dinner for the parents and students before the preview show of the marching band performance at the beginning of the school year.
Jazz Liaison (Kathy Key, 536-3937)
Our Jazz Band is made up of students from both concert and symphonic bands. They have their own concert and rehearsal schedule under the direction of Scott Weinhold. A parent serves as a representative for the jazz ensemble to the band board.
McLean Chamber (Jody Winter, 821-0111)
The MHS Band is proudly a member of the McLean Community Chamber of Commerce and participates in the chamber events via two representative members.
Publicity (Jenny Ruley 663-8125)
The MHS Band is a source of pride in the McLean Community. It is important to publicize our special events and achievements to the public in order to maintain the great support they have given to our program through the years. A parent is needed to work with the local papers and school media to advertize the great work of our students.
Raffle (Anna Arnold 854-1646)
Our spring fundraiser is a raffle. Students sell tickets to family members, in the community door to door and at the shopping centers. Parents are needed in early April to drive small groups of students to sell in neighborhoods. The raffle drawing is held at the spring Pyramid Concert in May.
Scrip Program (Mary Beth Arnold 827-5701)
Grocery scrip cards are sold at face value to band parents and interested community members for use at Safeway and Giant food stores. The band and the parents who purchase share a 5% profit for every $100 sold. Parents may use their “banked” credit against the spring band trip expenses.
Spirit Wear (Mary Beth Arnold 827-5701)
“MHS Band” T’s and sweatshirts are worn by friends and family during football games, marching competitions and fundraising events to show support for our band program. Orders are placed and distributed as needed.
Summer Marching Program (Denise Shochet 356-1118)
The summer marching program is a weeklong event where our marching band and color guard learn the music and the drill formation for their award-winning half time performances. Parents are needed to transport band equipment, chaperone, organize social activities and provide assistance to the instructors. The week is a wonderful bonding experience for all.
Tag Day (Frank Key 536-3937)
This is our biggest fundraising event held on a Saturday in September. Students dressed in their marching band uniforms, perform in small ensembles at local shopping centers asking for donations to the band. They are also driven to neighborhoods going door to door for contributions. This has been a tradition in the community for many years and is well received. Parents are needed to chaperone at the shopping centers, drive students to the neighborhoods and work in the “counting room.”
Trips and Chaperones (Betsy Davis 854-1899)
Travel arrangements need to be made when the band goes on the road for competitions. This past year, the band traveled to Myrtle Beach, SC. They also attend several local and regional competitions. Parents are needed to book the commercial travel arrangements, collect and record the student forms and payments.
Uniforms (Beth Lord, 734-1118 )
Marching Band and concert uniforms are the property of the band. Parents are needed to fit and assign uniforms to the students and maintain rental records and payments. The occasional repair and cleaning is also part of the job.
Web Site Manager (Nancy Steelberg 761-3018)
Our web site was beautifully revised in 2009 by band parent Mark Clark. A parent is needed to maintain the site by updating information provided by the band director and other board members throughout the year. Our web site includes shopping links to popular retailers. When shoppers link to these stores through our site, the band receives a gratuity. A parent is needed to maintain and promote the current shopping link information for the band membership. When parents are reminded to shop through the mcleanband.org site, it is an easy way for the band to raise funds.
