TOB stands for Tournament of Bands. This is the circuit we compete in. Currently Walkersville is in the Group 1 Category. This means we can't have anymore than 35 musicians on the field without a penalty. To read more about TOB you can go to their website at www.tob.org.

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There are two very good websites you can go to that post results almost every night after the competitions. They are:

www.bluewaveband.org	Click on "TOB Info/Scores" in the upper left hand corner
www.tob-info.net	Click on the week we are in under the 2006 season

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Every week before a competition driving directions along with an estimate on our performance time will be posted on the Parent Information Board and can also be found in the green bin located next to Ms. Neal’s office.

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Yes. Usually the price is $5 for an adult and $3 for a child, but the prices do vary. Before the competitions the host school will send tickets to Walkersville to sell. We get to keep this money. If you buy a competition ticket at the gate the host school gets the money. It is very important that you buy your ticket at Walkersville to help offset the transportation costs that we have to pay. Tickets are on sale Saturday morning when you drop your student off for morning practice, and usually tickets are on sale before the buses leave for the competition. The best way to go to a competition is to go as a pit crew member or chaperone. You get to be right on the sidelines, and you don't have to pay for a ticket!

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Pit crew is a group of parents that drive the golf cart and help setup our pit (tympani, chimes, marimba, etc.) before the competitions and football games. Usually the pit crew is also in charge of picking up and driving the U-haul truck we need to get equipment to the shows. They also assist in getting the band off the field after the show is done. We are under a time clock at the competitions and if we don't get on or off the field in a certain amount of time we are penalized. The pit crew is just as important as the kids marching in the show! Sometimes they even get trophies!

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Prop crew is a group of parents and/or students that assist in getting the Band Show props on and off the field. As mentioned for the Pit Crew, we are under a time clock at the competitions and if we don’t get on or off the field in a certain amount of time we are penalized. The prop crew is also just as important as the kids marching in the show. Sorry, no trophies here!

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Chaperones ride the buses with the students as well as remain with the students before and after the performance. After the students perform the chaperones will escort the students back to the buses to change, then back to the stadium to watch the rest of the competition. After the students perform, Ms. Neal and the staff begin the job of preparing for the judges meeting. It is vital that chaperones stay with the students at all times. Please contact Susan Miller at susanm@carr.org if you are interested.

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The band program needs two kinds of support. The first and most important is active parental support from every band family. The second is financial support.

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Active support means you give some of your time to help the band get better. We need parents to act as our pit crew, chaperones, and seamstresses. We also need a cheering section at the end of rehearsals. Please, when you come to pick up your student come down to the field and cheer them on! It is also important that we get a good showing at band booster meetings. Meetings are held the second Thursday of every month in the band room. It is here where we plan the fundraisers that will make the marching season possible.

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The most important thing is to make sure your child's band fee is turned in on time. We also need parents to help with our big fundraisers like Tag Day, Breakfast with the Easter Bunny (spring) and Santa (winter). It is also important that parents chair these important fundraisers. Without leadership, the fundraisers are not possible. We are also beginning a corporate sponsorship program so if you are a member of a company that may be interested in making a tax-deductible donation of money or services please contact Mr. F for the application. The easiest way to support the band financially is to register your grocery scanner cards (Food Lion, Giant, Safeway, and Giant Eagle) at our website www.whsmusic.org (click on "Easy Fundraisers", then a scanner card program.) This is an easy way for the band to net hundreds of dollars throughout the year.

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We depend on your creativity and ideas! You can either contact Ms. Neal at Windy.Neal@fcps.org, (240)236-7333 or, you can contact our band booster president Mark Smith at mws@datatel.com.

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