September 21, 2025 Band Notes

Upcoming Events

Sunday, September 21

• Individual Portrait and Pano/Section Photo orders due

Monday, September 22

• NO REHEARSAL - Rest and enjoy the afternoon off!!

Tuesday, September 23

• Full Band: 6-9pm; MHS

Wednesday, September 24

• Wind Symphony/Symphonic Band Brass Rehearsal: 3-5pm; MHS Band Room
• Color Guard (Optional) WG Skills Session: 5-5:45pm; MHS Large Commons
• Color Guard: 6-9pm; MHS

Thursday, September 25

• Full Band: 3-5pm; MHS
• Homecoming Parade (Full Band): 5-7pm; MHS

Friday, September 26

• Full Band: 3-5pm; MHS
• Homecoming Football Game vs. Princeton: 6:00pm to approximately 9:30pm (see typical schedule below)
• Note: Any timing updates will be sent through Parent Remind. Details on how to set up parent Remind can be found HERE.

Saturday, September 27

• No rehearsal - Enjoy Homecoming!

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

Parent To Do Checklist For This Week

1. Order pano/section group photos and schedule individual portraits (optional) by TONIGHT Sunday, September 21 (click here).
2. Sponsor a trophy for the Mason Invitational (click here).
3. Sign up in BoosterHub to volunteer for the Mason Invitational.
4. Purchase car raffle tickets, and spread the word about this fundraiser.

NEW INFORMATION

A Royal Congratulations!

Congratulations to the William Mason High School Marching Band, who debuted their 2025 competition show “Regency” yesterday, with two fantastic performances at the Bands of America Northwest Ohio Regional at the Toledo Glass Bowl!

The band earned 2nd Place place out of 23 bands that attended the competition!

A huge thank you to everyone who traveled with the band and helped the trip to be successful and run smoothly from start to finish! As always, we cannot provide these opportunities without the support of many. We are thankful for our Pit Crew, Uniform Crew, Color Guard Crew, Chaperones, Band Aids, Photo Corps, Staff, and everyone who watched the performance both in Toledo and at home. 

Special thanks to the entire travel planning team and especially to Tiffany Williams for coordinating the weekend. The logistics involved in these trips are mind-blowing, and we are always thrown a few curve balls. Our students and travel team members alike are absolute troopers and make sure we have a safe and successful experience!

There are already some pictures available on SmugMug - check them out, and keep checking back for more! 

BOA Toledo SmugMug

Homecoming Football Game This Friday Night

Friday Night Lights - HOMECOMING Edition - versus Princeton! 

Uniforms

Students will wear their Classic uniforms this week. They should bring their uniform undergarments with them to school so they can change into it prior to the game (see schedule below). Instrumentalist Uniform Lookbook 2025 - please read!

Secret Buddy

This Friday’s game is a Secret Buddy event.

Feed the Band- 9/26/2025

All students will be offered food every FOOTBALL FRIDAY compliments of our sponsors and/or the Mason Band Boosters!!

This Friday’s Menu will be sponsored by Mason Band Boosters and provided by:

Chick Fil A - VOA, 7733 Voice of America Centre Dr, West Chester Township, OH 45069

The Menu* will be as follows:

Regular Diets - Chick Fil A Sandwich (no pickle) with choice of assorted sauces, Lays Chips, Apple Sauce, Cookies, Gatorade

Vegetarian/Halal/Vegan/Dairy Free/Onion Free - Southwest Veggie Wrap (No cheese/no onion) with choice of assorted dressing and sauces, Lays Chips, Apple Sauce, Gatorade

Gluten Free/Nut Allergy - Grilled Chicken Nuggets with choice of assorted sauces, Lays Chips, Apple Sauce, Fruit Snacks, Gatorade

Note:  The special diet foods are ONLY for those who have declared a special dietary need as we only have a limited number of those meals.  Everyone else is expected to eat the Regular Diet meal.  Likewise, those that have declared a special diet are expected to eat their special diet offering. Thank you for your cooperation!

*If the above do not meet your dietary preferences or needs, you always have the option of having food dropped off or packing your own dinner!

Any questions can be directed to our Feed the Band Chair, Smita Ankola at smita.ankola@gmail.com.  We thank Smita for volunteering her time and taking on this large task for us this year!!!

Tickets

A reminder to our new families, tickets are required for anyone who wishes to enter the stadium to watch the game (and the band’s pregame and half-time performances).  

Information on tickets for all Mason sporting events can be found HERE. (You will need to log into Schoology to view) Tickets can be purchased directly HERE the week of the game.

Mason Bands Football Primer--Key Things to Know

1. Students rehearse right after school and do not have time to leave campus. They should have their regular rehearsal gear and filled water bottle with them to keep hydrated throughout the evening on long Friday game nights. 
2. Students should bring both rehearsal and performance clothes (either summer uniform or what they wear under their uniform) to school on Friday. Directors will communicate in advance what uniform students will wear at the game. This week they will be wearing the Classic uniform.
3. Students are not allowed to leave campus for dinner. The Band Boosters provides dinner for students on Friday nights between rehearsal and game time. You may bring dinner to your student at 5:00 pm if you wish. Each week the dinner plan will be shared in the Sunday Band Notes. 
4. The Band plays in front of the Beacon building before they enter the stands. If you want to see that, stay outside the football stadium at the entrance and then enter after they play the fight song,
5. Parents not working to support the band at the game, have to purchase tickets to enter Beacon Stadium. Please see above for information on how to purchase tickets.
6. Students will stay with the band through halftime performance and then have third quarter off to visit friends, family and the concession stand! Students need to bring money if they want anything at the concession stand. Students cannot leave the stadium during third quarter. They will be bringing their personal water bottles up with them for the game.
7. Students will return to the End Zone for the 4th quarter.
8. Parents pick-up students at the High School after they have changed. Students will need time to put away all instruments and equipment and ensure their uniforms are properly put away.

If you have questions about Friday, feel free to contact Tiffany at Travel@MasonBandBoosters.com

Typical Friday Night Home Schedule - All Times are Approximate

Individual Portraits Sign-Ups Due TONIGHT!

Don’t miss this! Sign up by TONIGHT September 21!

Individual portraits for both instrumentalists and color guard this year will be:

• Tuesday, September 23 from 2:30pm to 5pm
• Tuesday, September 30, from 2:30pm to 5pm

Click here to order and schedule your timeslot. The popular time slots go quickly, so don’t wait till the last minute!

This year, your timeslot is the time you should arrive at school to get your uniform, change, and be photo ready in the auditorium. Plan on around 45 minutes total to get ready, take photos, and change back out of your uniform. 

For new families, this is when marchers can get their picture taken for the show-themed buttons that you see everywhere, especially on competition days! There is also an option for digital photos, which is extremely popular for things like social media posts for our competitions.

Top 4 Regrets After Portrait Day

How portrait days work and fun swag you don’t want to miss

Panoramic Full Band and Section Photo Orders Due TONIGHT!

Order by TONIGHT September 21!

These photos will be taken October 3, prior to celebrating Senior Night! Unlike individual portraits, you don’t need an appointment, so everybody should be in the full band photo and one of the sectional photos.

Most of our students spend the season forming tight bonds with their section, so they really cherish these mementos.

These photos are traditionally passed out at the awards ceremony to celebrate a great season.

Click here to order.

Volunteers Needed for Mums Pickup

Mums orders will be distributed on Saturday, October 4 outside the Performing Arts entrance in front of the Middle School.

We need volunteers that morning to help sort the orders, distribute them to families, and then clean up afterwards. If you are able to help that morning, please sign up in BoosterHub.

Mason Invitational October 11th

On Saturday, October 11th we are hosting the Mason Invitational Competition.  Competitions are an important fundraiser for the boosters, but most importantly provide a high quality competition experience for the many bands and students we host. This event gives bands in the area the opportunity to showcase and get feedback on the shows that they have been working so hard to put together. It truly takes a village to make this wonderful opportunity happen for our young musicians. We cannot pull off an event of this magnitude without the help of every single band family. As a gentle reminder, each family agreed at the beginning of the year to work at least one shift of the Invitational as outlined in the Marching Band Handbook.

How you can help -

• Sign up for your volunteer shift in BoosterHub.
• Sign up in BoosterHub to bring a donation for the bake sale or hospitality, which feeds visiting band directors and bus drivers.
• Contact the competitions committee to be a subcommittee lead or shadow for the following areas - guest parking, programs, or band guides.
• Sponsor a trophy.

Volunteering and Needed Donations

Below is a list of the areas where we will need volunteers and donations. You will see volunteer signups for each of these in BoosterHub, with job descriptions for each. Volunteers receive free admission to the Invitational!

Mason is scheduled to perform at the end of the night to allow parents the opportunity to watch their student perform. Details regarding the complete student schedule will be released soon. Please plan that your student will need to keep the entire day free.

• Bake Sale Donations (Does not count towards volunteer hours)
• Bake Sale Volunteers 
• Band Guides and Band Check In (shadow needed)
  • Band Guide Shifts will be entered later this week
• Car Raffle Ticket Sales
• Concessions
• Extra Helpers
• Guest/VIP Parking (lead needed)
• Hospitality
• Hospitality Food and Monetary Donations (Does not count towards volunteer hours)
  • Food donation needs are in BoosterHub
  • Monetary donations can be made here.
• Spirit Booth
• Ticket Sales
• Truck/Bus Parking
• Ushers
• Volunteer Check In
• Water Station
• Programs (the printed program sold at the event) - no volunteer slots, but need a shadow for the area lead

Invitational Trophy Deadline Extended

We have 19 trophies that still need sponsors!

Sponsors will have their names announced as their trophy is presented to its band. Your student may join us on the field to present the trophy or you can opt for it to be presented by a booster member. Please fill out the Trophy Sponsorship form. This is a great opportunity to show students from all the bands that their hard work is acknowledged and celebrated!

If you have any questions regarding the competition, please contact our competitions team at competitions@masonbandboosters.com. Thanks for your help in making the Mason Invitational a fun and successful event!

REMINDERS

The 2025 Car Raffle is Here!

This gorgeous 2025 Audi Q3 S line 45 TFSI quattro could be yours! 

Mason Band Boosters is thrilled to once again be partnering with Audi Cincinnati East for our 2025 Car Raffle. A HUGE thank you to them for the donation! We are very excited! 

This fundraiser is a very important one for our organization as it helps provide some much needed funds to help with the expenses of our program as well as allows us to reach outside of our band family and community to help raise funds!

We Need Each And Every Family To Help Reach Our Goal Of Selling 4,000 Tickets And To Give Away This Fabulous Vehicle Or A Cash Prize!  

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW NOW

Raffle Period - Raffle runs NOW until November 7th at 5pm OR until 4,000 tickets are sold...whichever comes first!

Drawing - Saturday, November 8th, 2025 at the MSBA AAAAA Championships, hosted at Mason. Need not be present to win!

Prizes - 

• Grand Prize -  2025 Audi Q3 S line 45 TFSI quattro or a cash prize!
• 2nd Place Prize - $1000 cash  
• 3rd Place Prize - $500 Cash

Car Raffle Rules And Regulations - Please Click Here for complete Car Raffle rules and regulations. Must be 18 years of age or older and a Resident of Ohio to purchase or be named on the ticket.

Ticket Prices - 1 ticket-$25 or 5 for $100 (to same individual)

• Note: If purchasing a bundle, all tickets in the bundle must have the same name, address and phone number with them.      

Ticket Purchases - Tickets can be purchased two ways:

1. Online via the 2025 Car Raffle Ticket Order Form
2. In person at home football games and the Mason Invitational

Band Family Sales - We are NOT distributing paper tickets to band families this year, but we are still asking each family to sell (or buy) at least 9 tickets to help make this a successful fundraiser.

• Please share the link and QR code with family and friends. Feel free to share it via social media as well.

Information regarding the Car Raffle can be found on our website Here. 

Questions? - Please direct those to carraffle@masonbandboosters.com.

Mad Monks Dine & Donate

Our next Dine & Donate event will be at Mad Monks Pizza Company, located at 753 Reading Road on Monday, September 29th from 6pm-9pm. This Dine and Donate event is during the Monday Night Football game for the Bengals. The band will get a portion of all pizza sales that evening. No flyer is necessary, just mention you are supporting the Mason band when ordering. 

Senior/Family Night

Attention Seniors and Senior Families: The William Mason High School Marching Band senior night is one of the most looked forward to and special events we do throughout the year. We want to honor our seniors and their families for their dedication to our program. In the midst of our planning, we need to collect a little information from our seniors so they can be honored accordingly!

Both the  2025 Mason Marching Band Senior Night Information with escort information and the Senior Spotlight Note to be placed in the Invitational Competition Program. These are now PAST DUE. 

The 2025 Senior Night/Family Showcase will take place on Friday, October 3rd. Below you will find the schedule for the night for your planning purposes.  Thanks so much for your help!

Please contact Kaja Harper at seniors@masonbandboosters.com with any questions.

Secret Buddy Reminder

We are glad so many students chose to participate in Secret Buddy this year!  Here are the remaining dates during band season to bring secret buddy items.  Please make sure everyone takes good care of their buddy! 

• Home Football Game Friday, September 26th (HOCO)
• Mason Band Invitational Saturday, October 11th
• Home Football Game Friday, October 24th  
• MSBA Championship Saturday, November 8th
• BOA Grand Nationals Friday, November 14th  

Any questions, please reach out to vp-studentexperience@masonbandboosters.com

2025 Marching Band Next Steps

Marching Band Registration Next Steps:

• Registration Guide is now live.
• Due October 1:
• Student Experience Fee #3, $400 to Mason Band Boosters
• Invoice will be sent out via email from: quickbooks@notification.intuit.com
• 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
• Band School Fee #3, $400 via PaySchools Central or check to Mason City Schools
• Student Experience Fee #1, $400 to Mason Band Boosters
• Invoice were sent on 7/19 via email from: quickbooks@notification.intuit.com
• Student Experience Fee #2, $400 to Mason Band Boosters
• Invoice were sent on 8/19 via email from: quickbooks@notification.intuit.com
• 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
• Complete Bob Rogers Registration Forms Bob Rogers 2025 Registration link 

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.