We appreciate all of your great willingness to volunteer your time and energy!

The Lincoln High School Marching Band Parents are the best ever!

Nancy Krueger, Janiece Peterson and Kris Wollman
Co-Chairs of the Dinner

This note is a little bit late, but certainly needs to be written. Mr. Carlson and I (Mr. C) wanted to express how extremely proud of the band we were on Saturday night for what turned out to be a chilly but passionate performance. We were so impressed at how well everyone dealt with adverse conditions (cold, time restraints, illnesses) and pulled together with such an amazing team effort. It is such a thrill to watch the Lincoln Marching Band Machine in full throttle – from the students’ audience-pleasing performance to the racing roadies to the sleepless chaperones to the die-hard fans in the stands. It was a fabulous performance by all, and it was thrilling to see everyone rewarded in such a big way on such a big stage.

We especially wanted to thank the students that graciously gave up so much of their Fall to join us at the last minute to fill the spot of someone who dropped out during the season. The hole fillers are: Kristian Asfeldt, Natasha Baumgartner, Veronica Bierig, Devin Fox, Natosha Hiipakka, Virginia Larsen, Rachel Munce, and Natasha Phill. Those are eight spots that would’ve been empty throughout the season had these students not stepped up and helped us all out.

We are now dealing with another issue that is taking students out of band – the flu. Last night we had 40 students out with type A influenza and the H1N1 virus, among other things. We are hoping students fully recover and have modified our rehearsal schedule to hopefully make things a bit easier on everyone. Please continue to practice healthy habits to hopefully avoid contracting an illness.

Thanks again to everyone who contributed to make Saturday night a success. We are proud of you all!!!

- Always remove your uniform from the garment bag following a performance, whether wet or dry. 
- Hang all uniform parts separately on hangers–allow to air out/air dry completely.
- Turn the garment bag inside-out and also hang to air out/air dry.
- If wet, remove plume from the tube to air dry.  You may attach the metal clip of the plume to a hanger with a clothes peg, to allow the plume to dry upside-down.  When the plume and tube are dry, put the plume back into the tube, metal cup-end first.
- Remember to store hats upside-down in the hat box to avoid wear on the silver brim.
- Check that buttons and snaps are sewn on securely, and repair as required.    

Jim Pundmann, our representative with Stanbury Uniforms, confirmed this month that the replacement cost for an LHS uniform is $573.50.  The breakdown of cost per individual uniform piece is as follows:  Coat= $323.50; Bibbed trouser= $157.00; Sash= $32.75; Sequined Vestee= $60.25.  These costs are assessed to student ISA’s for uniform parts that need to be replaced.  A $15.00 charge is also assessed to ISA’s for pants that are returned frayed at the hem. 

One student had a sash that was too loose on her shoulder.  The button holes had become stretched and were too large for the buttons, causing her sash to fall off.  She resolved this by using white thread to sew the sash button hole sizes to be smaller.  Also, some students have made adjustments to their pant hems to avoid fraying at the bottom of the pants.  These are good things to check for when looking over your uniform in preparation for a performance. 

The uniform that you take care of this year might be your uniform again next season; if you move into a different uniform next year, it is good to know that it has also been well taken care of.  Everything you do as a band member reflects on your band. 

Thank you for your help with uniform care! 
      -The Uniform Committee

Lincoln band parents were the official hosts of the finals competition and, once again, did an outstanding job!  With over 110 fantastic volunteers (not including LHS Chaperones and Roadies), the entire evening ran very smoothly as everyone pitched in to make our guests feel welcome. 

We want to thank all the Committee Chairpersons for the extra time and effort they put in before and at finals as well as the excellent work in organizing their volunteers.  We could not have done our part without you.

Thank You 
Aisle Monitor                      Nancy Harsh
Band/Gate Marshal            Nancy Krueger
Button/Program Sales       Kathe Nicolet
Judges’ Helpers/Runners  Dennis Kaufman
Parking/Traffic Control      Dan Westphalen
Registration                      Deb Marks
Water Stations                 Ted Brandner       
    
Thanks also to Steve Pfeiffer, our current President, who assisted us and answered all of our questions.  His willingness to “hang out” and do whatever was needed can not be overlooked.

Finally, we want to thank each and every volunteer who gave up his or her evening to help host this spectacular event.  We have had an opportunity to witness first hand why Lincoln band parents are the best.  Your willingness to work (even in the rain), your commitment, and your ongoing support of the LHS Marching Band is what makes this organization the best!  Thank you for being an important part in making this a wonderful and memorable event.  

Thank You

Ann Allender, Sandi Baumgartner, Linda Bell, Tami Bennett, Linda Betzler, Michelle Bierstedt, Dana Brandner, Ted Brandner, Shar Chester, Dave Christenson, Jeff Clauson, Ilse Clayton, Kim Cunningham-Foster, Laurie Dale, Julie Dellman, Rhonda Denney, Randy Doty, Patricia Eirinberg, Dennis Fixsel, Jane Fixsel, Meredith Foster, Ben Gertner, Ruth Gertner, Bradley Giebink, Mary Giebink, Madonna Graanstra, Mike Graanstra, Martha Gregg, Julie Grossman, Kendall Harsch, Nancy Harsh, Tim Harsh, Doris Haugen, Dan Haushild, Ronda Haushild, Dave Hemmer, Dan Hoffman, Doug Hoffman, Pam Hoffman, Sandra Hoffman, Shelley Hoffman, Beth Hughes, John Hughes, Jim Jaton, Lisa Jaton, Margie Jensen, Lisa Johnson, Dennis Kaufman, Mary Kaufman, Geraldine Keller, Rex Keller, Linda Koepsell, Loren Koepsell, Nancy Krueger, Paul Linde, Deb Marks, Denise Martin, Greg Martin, Beth McLaughlin, Susan Metz, Jamie Metzger, Kent Metzger, Kristi Miller, Mike Miller, John Mogen, Sue Mossefin, Wayne Mossefin, Lori Mohs, Wanetta Munce, Jeff Murray, Mary Jo Murray, Yukie Naoe, Joel Nevin, Kathe Nicolet, Nicole Nicolet, Jared Olson, John Olson, Matt Olson, Wayne Palmer, Janiece Peterson, Brian Petty, Jennifer Petty, Gina Pfeiffer, Steve Pfeiffer, Joan Rensch, Dona Reiffenberger, Tim Reiffenberger, Laurie Rhoades, Steve Rye, Sandy Schulz, Lon Semansky, Ron Sisk, Sheryl Sisk, Terry Slagle, Jon Sogn, Colleen Sorensen, Tim Sorensen, Chuck Stanga, Cindy Stanga, Dick Stanga, Tom Stritecky, Cheryl Swanson, Richard Swanson, Yvonne Thornton, Mike Thury, Sarah Thury, Joyce Uthe, Dean Versteeg, Dawn Wallace, Dan Westphalen, Roger Wood, Teresa Wood, Wayne Wosje, Pattie Yennie, and any other parent or student volunteers we may have missed.

Leon & Brenda Olson
LHS Festival of Bands Representatives

So evidently now we know.  The theme this year seems to be based on toilet issues!!! NO, it was NOT ME who had to make an emergency ‘PIT’ stop on the way back.  A student on Bus 4 just couldn’t hold it any longer.  I won’t name names, but I am sure it will ‘leak’ out eventually.  But hey, I’d rather pull over for a pit stop than for a bus breakdown anyday!  (It was probably that horrible road!-yeah, it might have been interstate, but some stretches were worse than Hwy 23 last week!)

Now, for those of you not along this week I should just make you wonder forever about this picture.  Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah.  Okay, so maybe you weren’t jealous of all the hill climbing we had to do, but you missed being behind the scenes of a great show, a great day, and some great kids!!!  I mean, Wow, after the prelim the chaperones were hot, sweating and tired.  But we weren’t even the ones who just warmed up for 2 hours, performed a show and then still were in a wool uniform, wearing gloves that were taped on, shoes and socks.  And NO, they didn’t even get to take their jackets off.  The only thing they asked for was water.  I didn’t hear one kid whine about being hot.  They just sat on the grass and watched the rest of the shows.  We have the best kids EVER!!!!!  I really don’t think I could’ve done what they do when I was their age.  Could you?  I have SO MUCH respect for what our students do and endure.  I just ‘LOVE THEM’ to pieces!  We chaperones would do well to remember to have the same amount of ‘class’ our students have at band competitions.

So, since I am still brain dead after getting up at 7:30am with about 5 hours of sleep I will not go into all the details I probably should.  And I am not going to thank every individual again.  Partly because Dan Westphalen told me NOT to thank him for his water cooler filling frenzy.  He said ‘I don’t read them anyway!’.  We’ll see if I hear anything about this now.

It was another amazing load up in the morning in 30 minutes.  An on time departure again!  Oh, of course a few things were forgotten in cars or at home, but again, NOTHING like the things kids borrowed last year.    I think we had all the instruments this time too.  We were sans a few students who had been ill, but they joined us later when their parents brought them.
True to how I remember it, hills were aplenty!  Up hills to warm up, up hills back from the stadium and up hill to the student center bathrooms.  Remember, we had prelims, so that was all times 2!!!  And that doesn’t count walk backs for various items that some of us made inbetween.

Okay, you’ve waited long enough.  I’ll explain the picture.  So we pull into our assigned area, park the buses and Bob and Dan tell the kids at 12:05 when they got off the bus they need to go to the bathroom and be in uniform by 12:30.  That was before we found out the pool bathrooms that we were allowed to use only had ONE stall!!!  Yeah, do the math.  Plus, a few minutes later we hear that they have just a ‘wee’ bit of toilet paper in them.  While Julie and I went and knocked on some nearby doors of campus apartments to see if we could get in(no luck) Dan and Bob went UP THE HILL to find more bathrooms.    Yeah, a student center was UP THE HILL.   Believe it or not they were marching off to warm up by 12:40 I believe.  As I lagged behind going UP THE HILL I met Jim T and Jon E.  There was Jim, proudly doing weightlifting with the large toilet paper rolls he got somewhere UP THE HILL!  It was a site to be seen!  Like I said, toilet issue season so far.

So many people helped sweep flags and chaperoadie.  At least half our crew.  Debbie, Dan, Joan, Linda, Wanetta, Nancy, Shelley, Cynda-sweepers.   Sha, Leon, Angie, Lori E chaperoadies.  I bet I missed some too.  Know that your flexibility and willingness to pitch in is appreciated.  And then there was Chad, who got paid to chaperone Saturday!  Lest the rest of you get your undies in a bind, let me explain.  SBI was short on bus drivers so he did double duty.  But he told them he would drive ONLY if he could still chaperone when he got there.  What dedication!
Again the medical chaperones were kept busy.  Thanks Janiece, Cynda and Julie.  Cynda said they were almost ready to set up a triage!  They even recruited the fb trainer who is in band to help wrap ankles.

I do want to especially thank Veronica who ‘volunteered’ to sit with the student who couldn’t march and didn’t go down the hill the last time because she couldn’t get back UP THE HILL.  They sat by the fence.  Thanks Veronica.
And even tho Philip T didn’t chaperone he went down the hill to ask about bathrooms.  Yes, I told you, the theme.  He asked if there was anything he could do to help and I said yes, I don’t want to go back down there, because I don’t want to have to come back UP THE HILL.  So…..one more bathroom issue to mention.
It occurred to me that it would be dark when we got back UP THE HILL after awards.  Since we were at a park I thought I better see if the bathrooms would be locked when we got back.  You guessed right.  They would be.  Then I checked to see if the Student Union would be available.  I was told no, all campus buildings would be inaccessible for bathrooms by then.  So let’s look at this.  Kids were back in uniform by 6pm marching off UP THE HILL to warm up.  Then they would march over to the stadium, perform the show, come back UP THE HILL and load and we’d leave at what, 10:30 or so?  Get back at midnight.  What do you suppose the odds were we were going to make all that happen without a pit stop???  There were a few port a potties in the parking lot we walked by going back UP THE HILL, but did we really want kids taking down suspenders in port a potties!!!!  I talked to Bob during warm up.   He said we would of course march back in formation UP THE HILL, so he wasn’t sure when they would have time to even use the stadium bathrooms.  What a predicament we were in.  We decided to ponder it and decide later.  Well, after the performance, march back UP THE short HILL to the fence they rested while the host band performed.  Suddenly Lynn called me from the stadium bathroom and said there are 12 stalls here, do we have time to let them go now!  Bob said go for it.  So we told the kids to go now or forever hold there ‘pee’ace.  Most went, but not all.  And I think they were almost all back before the big announcement!!
Well, guess what!  We found out later the student center was still open!  Oh, well, another adventure.

It was another record wind up when we got back too.  20 minutes later the lot was empty.  Thank you so much for all your hard work and getting the jobs done.  What a great team we have this year.
I am sure I forgot to mention some heroic deed by one of you.  Accept my apologies.  I’m still up and it’s almost midnight.  I  have one eye open again.

Here is the YouTube link to my son Joe’s video of the show.

Thanks to all who helped at the FB game Friday night.  Another gorgeous night.  Well, for a band performance anyway.  The FB team didn’t have the same luck.  But kudos to the band kids who stayed and kept playing in support of them.
I think Jim and Tom did a good job of training Jeff on the water cooler specialties.  Will you be ready next time Jeff?  Oh, and you have to check out the picture I took of Taylor Martin after Kelly, Cynda and Michelle O finished doing his hair!  The ribbon was a great touch.  All my pics are on Facebook and Snapfish.
No info on Saturday yet.  I may be contacting a few of you regarding some possible chaperone openings coming up for Quad and Mpls.  I will let you know.

Okay, it’s midnight, my bewitching hour has arrived.  I need to sign off.  I’ll send you the link when I get it from Joe.

THANK YOU!

Kathy

PS.  6 down and 11 to go.  I got off count somewhere, unless I was counting the fake run through.  Oh NO, we’ll be half way after next weekend!
PSS. Remember, Chaperone party, Sat., Nov 14th.  Anyone want to host, or should we make a reservation!?