What Happened?
I don't know what happened, how it happened, or why it happened. Yesterday morning, I received numerous phone calls, e-mails, and questions about why we were not doing the homecoming parade and game. Apparently, someone (I have no idea who) told a group of parents that we had a competition and were not participating in the homecoming. They said that we are a competition band, needed the competition and were not going to homecoming. Nothing could be more inaccurate. Homecoming is a major priority, the parade, the game, and everything associated with it. With every fiber in my being, we would be at homecoming. I never in any way, shape, or form, indicated that we were missing any of the homecoming activities. I don't know how this rumor got started and was propelled around. The website roslynband.com has the homecoming parade and game down and always has.
Breakdown of the events.
Just before band camp, I was told that the homecoming had been moved to October 13th. I immediately contacted Walt Whitman to find out when their show was. Upon receiving notification that the show was at night, I decided that we would remain in that show since it didn't conflict at all with our new homecoming parade and game. Had the competition been in the afternoon, we would have pulled out immediately. It is a no-brainer. In fact, in 25 years of running marching bands, I have never even scheduled a competition on Homecoming Weekend. The only reason I left this one in was because we had committed to doing it, and it didn't conflict at all. In addition we have enough competitions to qualify for the dome without that competition. That was another rumor that I heard, that we needed that competition to qualify. Once again, misinformation.
Marching Band and the Community.
Last night, after the BOE meeting I heard that another rumor was circulating that the band does not support the community. This is the third time I heard this comment in two days. What band are they talking about? We have done all the home games, pep bands, community parades and events, as well as anything we have been asked to do. We had planned on doing the "Friday Night Lights" this year. Last year we couldn't get it together in a week, but we added it to our schedule for this year and from now on we will proudly do it. The community is the most important entity to our school. The Roslyn Marching Band has continued to support the sports program and the entire school district whenever called upon. I don't know how this rumor got started either.
Read the Website.
Any of these rumors could have been totally banished by simply reading the roslynband.com website. We are getting 150 hits a day, so somebody is definitely reading it.
