Please help Support our HS Band(Not Financial)

[CStolz338]

To all concerned citizens,

I am forwarding this email from one of our local High School band students(see forward below), and asking that everyone please send an email to our High School Principal(Phil Wilson) at pwilson@usd108.org and to our Superintendent(Micheal Stegman) at mstegman@usd108.org encouraging them to do right by our band students and give them equal and fair access to District resources(transportation). The band is not asking for special treatment, they are asking for equal treatment. Many other non-academic trips are taken with other groups and departments in the High School every year and the Band has worked very hard to make this trip possible. The Business that sponsored them is my business, Stolzer and Son’s Gunsmithing, and I will be attending the Board meeting tonight but it would really be great if a flood of emails came into the Principal and the Superintendent today showing support for the Band. If you think that because you aren’t in this district that this issue shouldn’t matter to you or that you have no influence over this district, I would just like to remind all of you that our District receives Federal Tax dollars, so no matter where you are in the country, you are in some way supporting our School District. I am asking that you please read the attached forward below and then send an email voicing your opinion to our Principal and Superintendent to give our Band equal and fair access to a Bus. Again the emails are pwilson@usd108.org and mstegman@usd108.org.

Please forward this to your contact list, the more emails the more influence.

Thank You for your support,

Colin Stolzer

Stolzer and Son's Gunsmithing
1777 20th Road
Washington, Kansas 66968
(785) 325-2601
stolzergunsmithing.webs.com

Dear Band Parents,
Recently, the band has asked permission to go on a trip to World’s of Fun as a reward for their work as a band. We have had some problems getting transportation because the trip, as we had first planned it, was not academic. The band altered the plan to include a free concert given by the Kansas City Orchestra. I don’t know how many of you are aware of the situation, but I wanted you to be informed. Below is a copy of the article I plan to put in the Washington County newspaper.

How many times throughout the year do you see the Washington County Band or a member of the band performing somewhere at some event in the community? The band performs in the annual fair parade, they play pep band for home football and basketball games, they perform at pep rallies, they play in the school concerts for winter and spring, they go to large group league and state contest. Members of the band also work up solos or small ensembles to take to league, regional, and state small group contest, as well as 4-H Days. Over all, you could say that the band is involved in many things, both independently as well as a school function. Who, at Washington County High School, uses the buses to go on trips sponsored by the school? The sports teams, certainly, as well as groups going to participate in Scholar’s Bowl, Forensics, FCCLA, FBLA, FFA, Foreign Language Club, and various other groups. Granted, the band does use the buses to go to contest, but typically the buses are used for other functions. In October of the 2011-2012 school year, the band went to Principal Wilson to ask if they would be allowed to do some fundraising to sponsor a trip they were hoping to take in the spring to Worlds of Fun as a reward for their hard work throughout the year. The band was given permission to fundraise. In February, a local businessman donated 500 dollars to the band for the specific purpose of giving the band enough funds to go to Worlds of Fun. Principal Wilson was informed of the donation by Roger Wilson, the band director, as well as the businessman who donated the money. Principal Wilson was fine with the arrangement and told the band that all they needed to do was pick a date and run it by him. Recently, in the last week of April, the band picked June 5 as the date they would like to go to Worlds of Fun. Roger took the date to Principal Wilson. The principal said he thought the date would be fine, he would simply need to check on transportation. When the principal came back with word on transportation, he told Roger that the band would not be able to go on their trip. Band officers Ashley Stewart, Tyler Stille, and Justin Stolzer went in to speak to the principal about the reasons the band was no longer allowed to go. Principal Wilson said that the band was not being allowed to go because a trip to Worlds of Fun is not an academic trip. He also told the officers that this was his very first time hearing about the band’s decision to go to Worlds of Fun. Both Principal Wilson and Mr. Stegman gave the band a no because the trip was not educational. After some research, it was discovered that the Kansas City Orchestra was giving a free concert June 5 at seven o’clock. The band officers took the revised plan to Principal Wilson and have not, at this time, received an answer. The band is in hopes that they will receive a yes as they would enjoy a reward for their work as well as an opportunity to see an orchestra perform.

If the band receives a no from the principal, a few band parents will be attending the board meeting on May 14. Please, if you want to stand up for the band, go to the meeting as well. If you know of anyone in the community who would be willing to support the band, forward them this e-mail or talk to them. Thank you so much!
Marlyse L’Ecuyer

[CStolz338]

The School Board's answer to all the parents and students who showed up tonight was "we'll take this into consideration but at this time we are going to defer to the administration." To put it into plain English - whatever the Superintendent say is what we are going to do. So I will be pursuing this further up the later, Kansas Board of Education, our local representative, our Federal Reps and the Governors office. I'm also going to be starting a full on campaign to the Editors of all the major News papers in Kansas. The Superintendent and Principal might have won this round but all they've done is declare war.

Colin