Mineral Springs School District

Band Booster Handbook

2017-2018

Table of Contents
Foreword, Welcome Message, & Mission Statement......3

Executive Board, Members, & Position Descriptions.....4

Communication Methods & Meeting Information..6

Chaperone Qualifications.7

Calendar of Events...8

Information Form.....9

Contact the band director:

Ms. Jonasson
Email: JJonasson@mssd2.k12.ar.us
Phone: 870-287-4747
Website: http://mssdmusic.weebly.org

Foreword
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This handbook is intended to be used by the students, parents, staff members, and the band
director as a convenient source of information regarding the policies, expectations, and
other varied aspects of Mineral Springs Band Booster Organization. This is the primary
document for the MS Band Booster Organization, therefore all boosters are expected to
abide by and understand the rules and policies set forth in this handbook.

Welcome Message
Whether you are a returning student, a parent, or you are new to the Mineral Springs
Instrumental Program, get prepared for an exciting experience! The musical season kicks off on
July 31st with band camp for the Marching Hornet Band and continues until the last week of May
with the Graduation Band performance. Between the months of August and May the music
department participates in many activities, competitions, concerts, and other musical
performances which are made possible by the continuous efforts of the parents & volunteers who
are actively involved in the boosters organization. The organizational information and policies
of the Mineral Springs Band Boosters are detailed throughout this handbook.

Mission Statement
The mission of the Mineral Springs Band Boosters shall be to work together with the band
director and professional staff to:

1. To support the band director in all aspects of the Mineral Springs Music Department.

2. To Promote and maintain an enthusiastic interest in the various components of the

Instrumental & Vocal Music Programs of Mineral Springs High School.

3. To lend all possible support, both moral and financial, to all of the Mineral Springs music
programs.

4. To support those in charge of the Music Programs, the Administration of Mineral Springs
High School, and the Board of Education.

5. To build and maintain an organization which will help promote the music programs at
Mineral Springs High School enabling the organization to share the love of music and
performance.

Executive Board

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Position Name Email Phone
Band Director Jessica Jonasson JJonasson@mssd2.k12.ar.us

President

Vice President

Secretary/Volunteer Head

Treasurer/Fundraising Head

Executive Board Members will be elected at the last booster meeting of each school year.
Board members may be elected to serve in a position for a maximum of 2 years, and must
go a minimum of one year before re-applying for the position held. If, due to an emergency,
an Executive Board Member must step down mid-year, the booster group will call an
emergency meeting which meets Quorum (the president or the VP, the band director, and
1/3 registered members) to elect an interim official. Interim officials hired mid-year may
still hold a position for two full years, not including the partial year held due to the
emergency election.

To Qualify for an EB Position:

1. Must have attended a minimum of 6 booster meetings throughout the course of the
former year
2. Must have shown initiative and support of the Music Department
3. Must have a positive attitude
4. TO QUALIFY FOR PRESIDENT: must have held any EB or served as a committee head
the year before application.

And EB member may be removed from their position if they fail to meet the Mission
Statement or are otherwise deemed unfit. The member will be given a private Notice of
failure-to-follow-mission and will have 1 month to address the concerns within. If they fail
to meet the concerns, their EB status will be voted on during the next Quorum meeting.
The EB and band director also reserve the right to remove non-EB booster members from
the organization if they fail to uphold the Mission Statement.

Executive Board Job Descriptions:

President: Will be in charge of scheduling and running monthly booster meetings. Will speak
regularly with the band director to promote communication within the organization. Will ensure

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a strong, positive group environment is fostered within the Booster group. Will be in charge of
applying for 501(c) (3) status for the Boosters for the 2017-2018 year, and all paperwork
associated with application. Will be familiar with Roberts Rules and assist the EB and all
Booster members with following proper meeting etiquette.

Vice President: Will support the President, and will take the place of President when elected
president is absent from meeting. Will also take monthly minutes if Secretary is not present.

Secretary/Volunteer Head: Will be in charge of taking attendance at monthly meeting, will be in

charge of writing meeting Minutes and submitting them to the band director for publication on
the website no more than 24 hours after the conclusion of the meeting. Will be in charge of
ensuring emails/hand-outs are all sent to Booster members a maximum of 24 hours after
meetings. Will also be in charge of ensuring enough chaperones (see page 6 for qualifications)
for trips/competitions/events, as well as uniform committee volunteers. Ideally we will have 3
chaperones per 10 students at each event.

Treasurer/Fundraising Head: Will be in charge of all monies during fundraising, and will submit
all receipts and monies to the band director at the immediate conclusion of the fundraiser. Will
notify band director of students who are failing to participate in fundraisers and all discrepancies
therein, and will be held personally responsible if monies checked out do not match monies
turned in, if solid records were not kept. Will be in charge of establishing fundraisers a minimum
of 1 per semester for the Mineral Springs Music Department. Fundraisers must be approved by
the band director before they can begin, but creativity within this department is highly
recommended. ALL high school band members will participate in fundraisers. Individuals in
this position must take care to keep excellent records of funding.

If the Boosters are interested in modifying job descriptions, adding new positions, starting new
committees, etc. they are more than welcome to present these new ideas at a monthy meeting for
discussion. Growth is expected, and therefore all ideas involving growth are more than
welcome!

To qualify to be a Booster Member:

Have a willingness to grow and develop the MS Music Department. No need to have a currently
enrolled student!

Communication
Communication is the key to the success of this organization. The MSBB Executive Board
strives to offer a variety of communication platforms to fit all needs.
*Please fill out and hand in the attached Contact Info & Volunteer Form.*

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Email: This is the best way for the MSBB to get large amounts of information, reminders,
forms, etc. out to its members. You may send a request at any time to either the Secretary or
the band director, at JJonasson@mssd2.k12.ar.us to be added to the list. Please include your
name, band/choir members name, and any email addresses you would like to add.

Website: www.mssdmusic.weebly.org contains updated information including meeting

dates, fundraising information, forms, schedules, documents (meeting minutes, bylaws, a
virtual copy of the handbook, etc.), and all relevant information.

Remind App: Sign up to receive text and/or email alerts. Text @msmbooster to 81010
*PLEASE NOTE: This is for reminders from the Boosters only and is in addition to Ms.
Jonassons band/choir Remind Groups.

Paper Handouts: Forms, flyers, fundraising materials will be given to students to take
home to parents and handed out at booster meetings. Since students sometimes misplace
paper handouts, a message will be sent via email and Remind containing the same
information on the handout, and it will be published on the website.

Meetings
Booster meetings will occur once-monthly on the first Monday of every month to establish
monthly volunteers & various necessities for the band program. ALL parents of Mineral Springs
Music Department members are welcome to attend; however the vast majority of the meetings
will be band-related, due to the competitive nature of the HS band. Please do not bring children
to these meetings.

Due to the late start of the Booster Group this fall, the first official Booster meeting will be
August 7st to elect the Executive Board and get the program up and running smoothly before the
first week of school. Boosters who wish to volunteer to assist with uniform fittings and
instrument check-out are more than welcome to contact Ms. Jonasson, as these will occur the
first week of August during Band Camp (before the first Booster meeting).

Chaperones
One of the most important jobs in the band program is taking care of our students. One the
average, one chaperone is used for every ten students in the band. Parent volunteers are

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coordinated by the Secretary/Volunteer head and are used for most band events. Each Booster
interested in becoming a chaperone must pass a criminal background check, as our students
safety must be our number one priority. To show our appreciation for your time and
involvement, Chaperones will not have to pay to enter football games, since they will be entering
and remaining with the band.

The duties of chaperones include:

1. Monitoring the band facility before and after performances.
2. Walking with the band to and from the football stadium for performances.
3. Walking in parades.
4. Carrying jackets, coats, and student supplies.
5. Clearing, drying, covering, etc the bleacher areas for band seating after rain.
6. Being available to offer assistance to band students in need.
7. Spot-checking uniforms, shoes, gloves, etc.
8. Assisting auxiliary members & guard instructor with costumes, make-up, hair, etc.
9. Supervising stand behavior at football games and competitions.
10. Riding the bus for competitions and performances when space allows.
11. Maintaining order during rest stops, eating establishments, crossing heavy traffic areas, etc.
12. Cheers, supports, encourage positive behavior with all students.

During marching season, the Mineral Springs Marching Hornet Band travels to each football
game. As a general rule, the band arrives at the event an hour before performance/game-start.
Stops will be made for food and rest depending on the length of the trip. Chaperones will be
positioned on each bus to assist in maintaining order throughout the trip with special instructions
given by the Director of Bands. Chaperones must be restricted to adults as space is very limited
on the buses. Therefore, no children may accompany their parents on the buses (with the
exception of children who perform with the band!).

Calendar of Events
Due to the nature of school scheduling, event times and dates may be changed.
Updates are received via email, hand-outs, on the MSSD Music Dept website, and/or through the Remind App.

July 31 Band Leadership 9:00am

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*July 31 First Booster Meeting 5:00pm
August 1 Full Band Camp Begins 9:00am
August 11 Last day of Band Camp 9:00am
August 15 First Day of School

Information Sheet
Please complete and give to booster secretary or band director.

Name:________________________________________________________________________

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Primary Phone:_________________________________________________________________

Secondary/Work Phone:__________________________________________________________

Email:________________________________________________________________________

Mailing Address:________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

I am interested in being a Chaperone (Circle): YES NO

I have a child currently enrolled in the Music Program (Circle)? YES NO

If yes, name of student:___________________________________________________________

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