Help Wanted: Meal Preparation

Everyone has skills. Everyone has talents. Everyone has a desire to make their children happy. (I mean, mostly. Right?)

Anywho, if happiness comes in the form of the marching band, then we must all pitch in to make every season great.

This is part of a series giving details on how the parents, guardians, family, and friends of the marvelous marchers of the Spirit of Woodlan can support the band.

When the registration form arrives at the beginning of the season, and you stare at the "Band Booster Committee" page, there could be some serious WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO thoughts. But have no fear. We're all in this together.

And we have a pretty darn good time.

Let's talk meal prep.

Food. It's very important. Especially to a bunch of hard-working marching band members. So on competition days between practicing and climbing on the bus to perform, the parents feed the musicians.

One or two people usually head up this group and plan meals for each competition day. They decide what to feed the hungry monsters...sorry, musicians...and how much food they require. Some days they have tacos, which will need taco shells, meat, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream...and then to complete the meal they'll want fruit and and chips and cookies and water and soda (there are two big coolers) and plates and napkins and ALL THE EATING THINGS. A list of how many of each item is needed will be posted on the website and people sign up to bring what they can.

Drop off the items on the mornings of competitions in the band room.

THEN ENTER THE MEAL PREP WARRIORS.

This fine group gathers all the meal items and makes food happen, so when the band is ready to eat...they can eat. There is a schedule each competition Saturday, where Mr. Slattery will post when the band will eat.

Meal prep warriors will arrive an hour or two, depending on what set-up there is, before the scheduled lunch time and set up tables outside the band room or head over to the concession stand and use that space to set up a line, kinda like the lunch line at school. Note: There are days when because of where and when the competition is, lunch and the meal prep crew will set up at the competition site, meaning in the parking lot where the buses are parked. They set the fruit out and any desserts. They will pre-make some things, like sandwiches (there are always pb&j for those who don't want what is offered) and have everything ready for grabby hands to take and eat. AND THEY DO TAKE AND EAT AND TAKE AND EAT AND TAKE AND EAT...you get the idea.

The band members do a pretty good job of making sure they eat and taking care of their trash. Then the Meal Prep Warriors put away all the leftovers. Note: On days they eat before they get on the buses, the leftover food will go with the band to the competition site, where they can munch on things until they get dressed in their uniforms. NO ONE GOES HUNGRY.

The band keeps marching, thanks to those who donate food and those who work hard to plan the meals and those help set-up, serve, and clean up. They have a good time, chatting and laughing and get to talk to the band kids. AND YOU GET TO EAT SOME YUMMY STUFF. LIKE COOKIES. COOOOOOOOKKKKKIIIEEEESSSSS...

So consider being a Meal Prep Warrior.