Spirit of Woodlan Marching Band & Color Guard
Parent Information
Download a student registration form here
Woodlan Band Boosters
Volunteer Information
Meal Prep
Pit Crew & Props
Chaperone
Uniform Crew
Concessions
Decorating
Community Performance
Banquet
Band Competitions
Band Financial Overview

Volunteers – WE LOVE OUR PARENT and COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS!

 

Volunteering is vital to the success of the Spirit of Woodlan. We have many opportunities to volunteer throughout the year. Below is a list of various opportunities and the description. If any of these piques your interest, please sign up on the Spirit of Woodlan website or during registration.

 

Volunteering is a GREAT way to meet other parents and create camaraderie with others in the community. New parents - these may seem like daunting tasks, but there are parents that have been around for YEARS that will help you and before you know it, you are an expert! There is no other family like band family!

 

Meal Prep:

During the competitions, the band boosters help to feed the students to ensure they are ready to perform! This was not always a thing – but many years ago some students came to competition day without breakfast or lunch, and it made it hard for these students to be at the top of their game. A few parents decided to donate food weekly and make sure all students had a meal. More and more parents offered to help feed the students and it became the norm. A meal is now planned the week before each competition and parents are asked to donate certain items through signup sheets on the website. A group of parent volunteers help to prepare the food every Saturday. If you are interested in volunteering to prep meals, please sign up when completing your registration form.

 

“The appreciation from the kids for taking good care of them was worth every minute of this opportunity!! It was a great way to get to know every student and parent involved!”

-Kim H, band parent alumni

 

Pit Crew and Props:

Who doesn’t want front row seats during the competition??? The pit crew helps load, pack, and unload instruments and show props during every competition. This is a high acuity role that ensures the band has all of the right equipment ready to go when they are performing. The head of the pit crew is in charge of organizing, training, and executing all plans by the director of the band during the show season. Pit crew members are responsible for setting up all props during competitions and tearing down/removing from the field immediately following a performance. If you are interested in joining the pit crew, please sign up when completing your registration form.

Every year the show takes on a new theme. So, every year these props must be a thought that turns into reality! We have had many parents over the years volunteer their creativity and talents to building the props the director imagines and making it come to life! If you have these abilities and want to help, please sign up when completing the registration form!

 

 

“I liked having the marching band experience, from the point of view of the band and not just the spectator. Going on and off the field with them, being able to smile and wave as the band passed. Being on the track as they performed. Being able to see their reactions as we followed them back to the truck. I like being in the middle of it all and experiencing everything!” Kathy P, band parent alumni

 

 

Chaperone:

We need chaperones on our busses! Chaperones ensure all students are ready to go when leaving the school and when leaving the competitions. You may sign up for this opportunity weekly on the website prior to a competition.

 

“Chaperoning is actually an awesome way to get to know the band kids. In my 8 years of chaperoning, they have always been a great group of kids! From ‘turning left’ to impromptu renditions of the current show, and parading through Woodburn following a ‘we’re going to state announcement’, from counting off rosters to counting sleeping bodies – not forgetting to pack snacks, drinks, and trash bags, to celebrating wins and comforting losses – it was always a new, exciting, and rewarding experience during every trip!” – Patty B, band parent alumni

 

Uniform Crew:

The uniform crew is responsible for the fitting, repair, organization, and transportation of uniforms during competitions. This is a particularly important job so our students our properly fitted for performances! If you are interested in volunteering for the uniform crew, please sign up when completing your registration form.

 

“The best part of uniform crew is getting to know all the kids and being named ‘Mama Hersch’. Those kids became my kids!” -Debbie H, band parent alumni

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Concessions:

This is one of our biggest fundraisers! Band parents volunteer their time to run the concessions for all fall sporting events (home games). The band has made an upwards of $12,000 in previous years. This is a great opportunity to meet other parents and have a free pass to all events! Soccer, Volleyball, JH Football, and Cross-Country events typically need 3-4 volunteers, while Varsity Football games require 10 volunteers. Sign ups for these events are found on the Spirit of Woodlan website. It is important that ALL parents sign up for at least one event during the season. If you are a new parent and have any questions about concessions, please reach out to the Band Booster’s Vice President. We cannot stress enough how important this opportunity is for the financial well-being of the band and we depend on parents to make this happen!

 

Decorating:

Every week, the Thursday evening before a competition, parents gather in the band room and decorate for the competition based on the theme of the show. Crafty? Artsy? Creative? None of the above? Who cares? This is a great opportunity for parents to get to know each other and make the kids smile! The students absolutely LOVE the decorations and the added décor week over week.

 

“Planning with other parents each week to add something bigger and better than the week before was so much fun! Getting to know other parents, laughing with them, seeing the exciting reaction from the kids week after week was amazing! We even had decorating parties prior to state competitions that were so much fun! Nothing beat these memories!” – Mandy D, band parent alumni

 

Community Performance:

The Community Performance is an “all hands on deck” volunteer experience. This is a time where the band performs the show of the season, free to the community, and a light meal is provided. Students are asked to donate a certain item (hotdogs, buns, soda, etc) based on their musical section. If you are interested in heading this event, please reach out to the band boosters president. If you are interested in helping, please sign up when completing your registration form.

 

“The community performance event is such a fun experience. My second year as a band parent, I was put in charge of running the event. So many hilarious mishaps occurred, I met so many great parents, and created some everlasting memories and friendships!” – Dani L, band parent

 

Banquet:

At the end of every season, an end of year banquet is held in the auditorium/cafeteria at Woodlan High School. The booster officers are in charge of budgeting for this event every year to provide the senior gifts and to help offset the cost of food. Decorations are also provided on all tables. This is a great end of year celebration to spend with other parents, the students, and staff. If you would like to be part of the banquet planning committee, please sign up when completing your registration form.

 

 

“The best part of being involved with the banquet committee was being able to honor the seniors at their final banquet, hearing their speeches, and creating different gifts and mementos every year.” – Patty B, band parent alumni