May 25, 2025 Band Notes

Safety

Student Safety is Our Highest Priority!

With over 200 students participating in upcoming practices—many of whom are new or student drivers—ensuring everyone’s safety is absolutely critical. Please carefully follow the guidelines below during on-campus band rehearsals to help keep everyone safe.

Safety Guidelines for Band Rehearsals:

• Drive Slowly and Stay Alert: Use extreme caution while driving through the back parking lot. Always watch for pedestrians, especially students and volunteers carrying instruments or pushing equipment.
• Observe the One-Way Traffic Flow: The back parking lot is one-way only, moving counter-clockwise (see arrows in image below). Never drive the wrong way, even briefly.
• Avoid the Bus Circle: Do not drive or park in the bus circle at any time before, during, or after band rehearsals—even if it appears empty.
• Do Not Use the Ramp as a Crossing: The ramp between Parking Lot G and the bus circle is for band instruments, props, and equipment only. Vehicles are not permitted to drive across it under any circumstances.
• Drop-Off Procedures: When dropping off a student, please pull forward as far as possible along the building to keep traffic flowing smoothly. Avoid stopping directly at the door.
• Need Extra Time? Please Park: If students need to retrieve items from the trunk or if you're switching drivers, park in a designated space. This reduces the chance of cars maneuvering dangerously around stopped vehicles.
• Pick-Up Policy: All student pickups must occur from a parked position. Do not stop or idle at the curb. You may park in the Band Lot or in the staff parking area outside B Pod (on the opposite side of the bus circle).

Thank you for your attention and cooperation!

Upcoming Events

Monday, May 26

• Memorial Day Parade: 9-11am; report to St. Susanna (2025 MEMORIAL DAY GUIDEBOOK)
• Parade starts at 10am
• MB Leadership Team Meeting/Camp Prep: 1-3pm; MHS Band Room

Tuesday, May 27

• Mini Band Camp: 9am-5pm; MHS (2025 MINI CAMP GUIDEBOOK)
• On-campus lunch break: 12-12:45pm
• Medication Drop-Off: 8:30-9:30 a.m., under Red Tent 
• Sign up for a time in BoosterHub
• Senior Banner Photos: 5:45-8pm (based on reservation time) ; Choir Room

Wednesday, May 28

• Mini Band Camp: 9am-5pm; MHS (2025 MINI CAMP GUIDEBOOK)
• On-campus lunch break: 12-12:45pm
• Optional Band Social at The Web: 6-8:30pm; The Web

Thursday, May 29

• Mini Band Camp: 9am-5pm; MHS (2025 MINI CAMP GUIDEBOOK)
• On-campus lunch break: 12-12:45pm

Friday, May 30

• Mini Band Camp: 9am-5pm; MHS (2025 MINI CAMP GUIDEBOOK)
• On-campus lunch break: 12-12:45pm
• Volunteer Fair and Family Picnic: 5-7pm; Bus Circle
• Parent Meeting: 5pm; Small Commons
• Medication Pick Up 5-7, any medications from 24/25 season not picked up will be discarded. 
• School-Owned Instrument Contracts/Payments Due

Sunday, June 1

• Marching Band School Fee 3 $400 due

Future planned events can be found on the updated band calendar: Mason Band Calendar.

Parent To Do Checklist For This Week

1. Come watch the band in the Memorial Day Parade!
2. Make sure you are current with all payments and forms for Mini Band Camp. See registration steps below.
3. Optional: Sign-up student(s) for the 5/30 evening Band Social - The Web Lazer Tag   (Sign-Up/Payment Form - also requires uploading signed Web Waiver and signed MCS Activity Permission form)
4. Optional: Place food order for the 5/30 Family Picnic at the end of Mini Band Camp by this Wednesday, May 28.
5. Consider donating to the Jacob Langbein Memorial Fund.
6. 2025-26 Wind Symphony: Recordings (required) are due this Wednesday, May 28, and OMEA All-State auditions (optional) are due this Saturday, May 31.
7. Pay MB School Fee 4 by Sunday, June 1.

NEW INFORMATION

Be Part of the Team!

A program of our size has a lot of moving parts and requires a lot of volunteers. We are extremely proud of our quality program and the amazing experiences it provides to our students.

We want to ensure that quality continues, but we need your help to do it! We have a number of open Committee positions for this year. We also have many Board and Committee members “graduating” at the end of this year, who need shadows to learn and take over for next year.

Please consider whether you might be able to take on any of these positions, or at least help with one area under a committee to lighten the load.

If you might be able to help, please speak with any Board member, Committee member, or Director at our Volunteer Fair this Friday. If you are interested but not able to attend that event, you can also email any board member.

Committee Chair Positions (open for this season)

• Spirit
• Car Raffle
• Music for All Festival
• Awards Banquet
• New Member
• Concert Uniforms
• Alumni
• Registration

Board & Committee Shadows (learn for next season)

• Travel
• Secretary
• Treasury
• Secretary
• President
• Tag Day
• Uniforms
• Flower Sales
• Seniors

We Need Spirit!

We have some big shoes to fill for Spirit this year - we are hoping to divvy up the many and varied activities the Spirit Committee covers! Last fall, we had a couple people step up to take over buttons and candy grams, but there is is still a lot we need.

T-shirts in particular is an urgent need, as Band Camp shirts are needed for July, quickly followed by Tour Shirts and Senior shirts.

Note that not everything requires creativity or craft skills - for example, our Tailgate booth.

Here is a pretty comprehensive list of all the different opportunities there are for this important committee:

1. Shirts
1. Camp Shirts - Design, Coordinate with Vendor, & Order
2. Tour Shirts - Get art from Directors, Coordinate with Vendor, Order, & Distribute
3. Competition Shirts (Mason Invitational, MSBA) - Design, Coordinate with Vendor, Order, Sell at event
4. Senior Shirts - Design, Coordinate with Vendor, Order, Sell
2. Pep Squad
1. Send Offs - Coordinate with Travel, Communicate details
2. Decorate Music Wing (Grand Nats) - Schedule, Create Signs, and get supplies
3. Create images for families to use in Signs and on Facebook posts
4. Survival bags for Grand Nationals - Gifted to students as they get on the bus
5. Trading Items for Full Retreat - design, get approval, order, and distribute
6. More Ideas? - This is an area that could really be grown
3. Show themed Spirit Items for Sale
1. Fan Flags - Design, Create, and Sell
2. Stickers and Magnets - Design, Purchase from Vendor, and Sell
3. Luggage Tags - Make, Organize, and Sell
4. Stadium Bags - Make, Organize, and Sell
5. Yard Signs - Design, Purchase from Vendor, and Sell
6. Mini Color Guard Flags - Get fabric-(Cut and Sew), Assemble with other components, and Sell at Competitions (Big Band Money Maker)
7. Buttons - Make, Organize, and Sell
8. Jewelry and Charms - Make, Organize, and Sell
9. Mini color guard flags
10. Fan flags
11. Organize other items as opportunities arise
4. Stores & Booths
1. Maintain online stores - Friday Threads, Band JotForm, & Redbubble, others?
2. Spirit Booth & Pop up sales - Volunteer Fair, Invitational Booth, MSBA Booth, and other sites as needed
5. Tailgate - Represent Mason Band at the District Tailgate. Run Plinko and get Prizes
6. Support for Competitions - Invitational, MSBA, MEPA, & Music Festival
1. In Spring, add Flowers to the sale items
2. Shout Outs and Candy Grams - Organize, Purchase Candy, and run Booth
3. Spirit Booth - Sell t-shirts, Mason Merch, Buttons, Cold Weather items, etc.
4. Event Programs - Design, Gather Details, Print at Vendor, and Sell
5. Signage for Event - Tickets, Concessions, Shirts, Shout Outs, Candy, etc.
7. Other Spirit Tasks as needed throughout the year

Also, does anyone have a Cricut or Silhouette machine that can create die-cut images? We need these next year for Senior Night and Music Hall decorations. 

Please email vp-membership@masonbandboosters.com if you are able to help in any of these areas.

REMINDERS

Memorial Day Parade

The marching band will be performing in Mason’s Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 26, Memorial Day Parade. The parade is for current 9th-12th grade band and guard members = anyone who marched in the 2024 “Shhhh…It’s Rabbit Season”. Rising freshman and new members do not march in this one.

2025 MEMORIAL DAY GUIDEBOOK

Schedule:

• 9am - Report Time
• 10 am - Parade Starts
• 11am - Students dismissed

Mini Band Camp - New Information

Mini Band Camp will be taking place May 27-30. This is for all incoming Freshman through rising Seniors who will be in the Marching Band for the 2025 Season.

Schedule

• 9am-12pm - Full Band Rehearsal
• 12pm-12:45pm - Lunch (bring your own or have food dropped off)
• 12:45pm-5pm - Full Band Rehearsal

Please see the 2025 MINI CAMP GUIDEBOOK for detailed schedules, important deadlines, and form & fee requirements for participation, and much more! 

Optional Band Social at The Web

We are excited to bring back fun, optional socials as part of Mini Camp at the Web! The web offers Lazer Tag, Go Karts, Trampolines, Mini Bowling, Mini Golf and more. These social opportunities are a great way to meet the people in your section after rehearsals during our first week together as a marching band!

HOW TO SIGN UP: 

Jotform with payment/permission slips - CLICK HERE

• DATE: Wednesday, May 28
• TIME: 6:00pm-8:30pm
• LOCATION: The Web Extreme Entertainment: 7172 Cincinnati-Dayton Rd. West Chester, Ohio 45069    
• WEBSITE: CLICK HERE
• TRANSPORTATION: Transportation is not provided, so families that want to participate will need to pick up and drop off their student.
• COST: $26 to participate 
• WAIVERS: In the Jotform above, there is a Permission slip from the Web & a Permission slip from MCS to participate. Also available here:  The Web Waiver - CLICK HERE    AND   MCS Permission Form - CLICK HERE

Family Picnic and Volunteer Fair

Join us on Friday, May 30th to celebrate the end of an amazing week of Mini Camp. We will start at 5:00 pm in the Small Commons with a parent meeting (and uniform reveal!). Afterwards, head out to the bus circle to a Volunteer Fair where you can hear about all of the different ways to get involved, and a family picnic where you can meet and mingle with other band families. We’ll end the evening watching the Marching Band’s first performance of the year! *See the Mini Camp Guidebook linked above for more information.

Wondering about food for the picnic? We’ve made it easy for you! Feel free to pack a picnic dinner, but we will also have Papa John’s pizza available for pre-order. You can place your pre-order for pizza, chips, and water by completing the 2025 Mason Bands Picnic order form. (Pre-orders must be made by May 28th at 11:00pm). 

Every good picnic ends with a sweet treat, so the Kona Ice food truck will be available for direct purchase at the volunteer fair and picnic.

Snack Donations Still Needed

THANK YOU to the awesome band families that have already donated snacks/refreshments for this year’s Mini Camp & Band Camp events.  We have a few remaining items needed from the list.

New this year: We've made it super easy! Instead of running to the store and then delivering bulky items to school, you can simply click the link below to order directly. All donations will be shipped straight to us!  Donation Link is Now Live:  Order Donations Here

Ordering Tips:

• For the best experience, order from a computer, not a mobile device.
• If an item is "Unavailable," do not substitute it - we’ve chosen specific items for a reason.
• Avoid selecting "Subscribe & Save" to prevent recurring deliveries.
• Avoid selecting “This item is a gift” - no need for custom messages/gift bags.  
• Prior to hitting the “Place Your Order” button, ensure “Mason Band Boosters - Mason, OH” address is selected.

Thank you for supporting our hardworking students—we couldn’t do it without you!

Medication for Mini Band Camp and Beyond

All medication and DMS forms from the 2024-25 school year are considered valid until the end of Mini Camp on May 30, 2025. Medication remaining with the band as well as any approved central OTC medication will be available for your student during Mini Camp if fully completed DMS forms have been uploaded. All medication from the 2024-25 season must be picked up by the end of Mini Camp or it will be discarded. 

We are also currently accepting new DMS forms for the 2025-26 season. 

Drop-Off Time:

Drop of medications that may be needed for Mini Band Camp will be on the first day of camp - May 27, 2025, from 8:30-9:30 a.m. under the Band Aid Tent at Mini Band Camp. If you plan to drop off medication that day, please sign up for a time slot in BoosterHub.

For questions about medications or forms, please email Sally McDonald medicalsecretary@masonbandboosters.com

Booster Meeting - Mini Band Camp Edition

Our next parent/booster meeting will be the Friday of Mini Band Camp - May 30th - in the Small Commons. This edition happens at the special time of 5:00pm so that families can attend the Family Picnic / Volunteer Fair immediately after, followed by a special performance from our 2025 marchers! This meeting is specifically focused on marching band and color guard - find out all about our exciting upcoming season!

Mental Health Awareness Month

The Mason Band is proud to partner with the Jake Langbein Memorial Fund to continue promoting mental health education and training for both students and staff. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it’s also a time to remember and celebrate Jake Langbein. In honor of Jake and his legacy of being forever 22, the Langbein family invites everyone to donate $22 to support mental health awareness. To learn how you can donate, visit: Jacob Langbein Memorial Fund. Please help us spread the word to alumni, friends, and family. A heartfelt thank you to the Langbein family for their ongoing dedication to making a lasting, positive impact in our program and community.

It’s Skyline Time!

Our next Dine and Donate will be on Saturday, June 14th, at Skyline at 5214 Bardes Road. The fundraiser is good 11:00am-10:00pm. Just bring this flyer, and Mason Bands will get 15% of sales for the day.

Pit Crew

We are looking for volunteers to join the Mason Bands Pit Crew. This role is perfect for anyone eager to support our students and be close to the action, no prior experience needed. If having the opportunity to see the excitement on your child’s face up close as they walk of the field from a performance excites you, then the Pit Crew is for you. By moving performance equipment, building props and loading trucks, you'll be right there with the whole band. For more information and to sign up, please visit our Pit Crew page and become an integral part of our band community.

Uniform Crew

Do you want to be part of one of the most active and involved groups of volunteers for the marching band?

Do you want to interact with your student and their fellow band members right before their performances?

Do you want a front-row seat to the behind the scene workings of the marching band?

Then join us! The Uniform Crew is looking for volunteers. We handle all uniform-related activities both on and off the field. We are a fun, friendly group of volunteers who truly enjoy helping our students! It takes an entire village to make sure nearly 180 instrumentalists are dressed to perform! No experience or sewing skills necessary!!!!

Email Emmy Weiss at uniforms@masonbandboosters.com to sign up, or if you have any questions.

Photo Corps

Get in front of the action and be part of our photo team! 

• Captures photos at all Mason Bands events including concert band, marching band and guard
• All experience levels welcomed
• High-end camera not required
• Creative, encouraging group dedicated to growing together while serving

If you have questions or would like to join, contact Angie Gdovin at smugmug@masonbandboosters.com or Nancy Riley at photo@masonbandboosters.com.  

Student Care Team

🎶 Join the Band—Be a Hero Behind the Scenes! 🎶

Are you passionate about supporting students and love being part of something exciting? We're looking for enthusiastic volunteers to become Chaperones & Band Aids—the heart and soul of our Student Care Team!

Whether you're a returning member or brand new, we’d love to have you join us! This is your chance to make a meaningful impact while sharing in the unforgettable experiences that come with being part of our band family.

Ready to learn more? Visit our Chaperone & Band Aid Info Page for all the details on how to get involved and what the roles include.

First Steps:

• Everyone—new and returning—should fill out the Band Aid Interest Form to get started!
• You will also need an extended background check.
• Keep an eye out for information on upcoming training sessions.

Step up, show up, and be part of something amazing…   The band can’t do it without you!

Marching Band Leadership Dates

Upcoming Leadership meeting dates:

• Monday, May 26, 1:00-3:00pm = Leadership Meeting/Mini Camp Prep

Required Info for Next Year’s Wind Symphony 

Everyone in the 2025-2026 Wind Symphony should have received an important message from Mr. Jackson this week about: Commencement Band and Progress Check Audition (All State Music)

Please Read over this information and let Mr. Jackson know if you have questions. 

2025 Marching Band Next Steps

Marching Band Registration Next Steps:

• Registration Guide is now live.
• Due June 1:
• Band School Fee #3, $400 via PaySchools Central or check to Mason City Schools
• PAST DUE: 
• 2025 MARCHING BAND COMMITMENT & FINANCIAL AGREEMENT
• Band School Fee #1, $400 via PaySchools Central or check to Mason City Schools
• Band School Fee #2, $400 via PaySchools Central or check to Mason City Schools
• Consumables Form and Payment
• Instrumentalists
• Color Guard
• FINAL FORMS
• Fill out all forms
• Upload a current physical
• Complete Student Care Forms
• HWBP: Health And Wellbeing Profile
• SCP: Student Care Plan and Upload SCP Electronically
• DMS: Dispensing Medication at School and Upload DMS Electronically
• Accept BoosterHub Invite

Other Marching Band Documents: 

• Marching Band Summer Dates 2025 - One Pager
• Marching Band Summer Dates 2025 - Packet
• 2025 Marching Band Drop Form
• 2025 Marching Band Handbook
• Color Guard Handbook Extension

IMPORTANT: For all payments by check - please include the student’s name and student ID and the fee you are paying on the memo line of the check. Example: “Jane Doe 987654 Band Fee 1”

School fees are available in PaySchools Central. You will find the fees under Performing Arts. Scroll to the bottom of that section and look for the ones that start with "NEXT SEASON". All three school fees are live and payable, with the due date for each listed in the name. 

Members of Our Band Family Need Us

Thank you to those that donated so far. Fuz and the Burton family have greatly appreciated your support. You can still donate  to the GoFundMe.