Band Camp Parent Volunteer Explanation
My Opening Remarks
When we started Band Camp for Roslyn High School, I asked Susan and Jed Schlacter and Bruce Goldman to work with me in organizing an away camp. The school district budget did not have funding for a week of chaperones, so we enlisted parent volunteers to serve in that capacity. Susan, Jed and Bruce ran the parent part of the camp in its entirety. Although I had run about 20 camps prior to joining Roslyn, they took on that part of the responsibility and were so successful at it that I was freed up to really focus on running rehearsals with the kids.
The Schlacters and Bruce have done an incredible service, creating a culture which is ingrained in anyone who has been to band camp with us. Our Band Camp is special – combining learning with team building; during this educational, social, and fun week, we all bond and truly become a tight knit family (BOTH student band members AND parents.)
As much as we did not want to admit it, we knew that the Schlacters would be moving on at some point. Both of their children were former Marching Bulldogs for four + years, but their younger child is already a junior in college! Susan, Jed and I have agreed to use my backup plan this year – they will advise our parents in Roslyn, before camp, who wish to take on more responsibility. Knowing that people might be reluctant to take over this first year, I will run the entire camp - both the music and the team building aspects as I did the 20 years prior to coming to Roslyn.
We are in a good position: the culture and expectations are set. Because the routines are established, new parents can step in easily and be a tremendous help to the students. We will gain advantages from my 30 years of collected experience (I directed my first Band Camp in 1984); I will take the excellent culture we currently enjoy and hone/modify this year’s camp to make it a better experience for all.
Two major modifications that I made this year are to select a new camp, Camp Taconic, and to create a new contract that puts more responsibility on the camp staff rather than the parents (specifically supplying needed refreshment to our students twice a day). By shifting the snacks and water responsibilities to the Taconic Staff, I have reduced the need for all the parents to stay at the camp the entire day. The location of Camp Taconic, in the Berkshires, is a wonderful locale for day trips, shopping, and the arts; there will be occasions, on a rotating basis, for parents to go into the surrounding areas during the day or evening to enjoy the area. We still need parents to help run and judge the afternoon and evening activities (and to participate in “Pie Mafia”), and we encourage the parents to watch the progress of our kids through the course of the week, but the required “on call” time should be less than in the past. I am also flexible with parents coming just before bedtime to take on a bunk, especially if they have been chaperones with us before.
Meetings and Planning
I have also built the band schedule to allow me the time to take on a greater role with the parents. Our band schedule starts out with basics, which Mr. Downey and Ms. Miller will be running, while the parents and I meet each morning after breakfast to discuss open items and plan out the day’s activities. I will also have the opportunity after dinner, about 7 p.m., for a recap/touch base with everyone.
I am establishing a structure in which the ”Parent-Director of the Day” will be the "go-to" person, answering questions and being in charge between those two meetings and at night, so that I can fully devote the balance of my attention to running rehearsals with the band.
Bunk Chaperone
One parent is needed in each bunk each night from 11pm through wake up at 7:30am. The bunk chaperone’s job is to be a pair of eyes in the room, an adult to help watch over them in case there is an emergency. Bunk chaperones are not to be disciplinarians or the generals of your platoon. The process is simple. If there are any problems in the girls bunks, the chaperone notifies Ms. Miller; boys’ chaperones will notify me. Ms. Miller and I can rectify any issues in a few minutes. Our kids are great, so bunk chaperoning is a piece of cake. Before signing up for a slot you can look to see who is in that room; the bunk list is listed below. In the past, if parents asked to be in the bunk with their own children, we tried to accommodate that request, and we will try to do so again. However, depending on which parents volunteer to be chaperones this summer, I cannot at this time commit that every parent will be in a bunk with his/her own child.
Extra Female or Male Chaperone at Camp
These are chaperones who are at camp, and will double up in two of the bunks. They are there in case we have an unsupervised bunk due to one of our bunk chaperones being suddenly called away on a personal issue (a child needs to go to the infirmary, for example).
Afternoon and Night Activity, and Pie Mafia
These parents will run the afternoon activities, the Pie Mafia for the day, and the night activities, as listed. Once again, since these activities are already established; it is pretty simple to coordinate. If you enjoy leading students and have done this before, it would be a perfect place for you to join in. Other parents, who are also Bunk Chaperones on those nights, will be there to help you. On the last night, I need a parent to help run the Senior Ceremony, which is a huge part of our Band Camp.
Parent Director of the Day
This is a parent who has done at least two band camps with us, has a rapport with me, and can be in charge for the day, an overseer of the parents. Do not feel intimidated - if you have previously volunteered as one of our band camp chaperones, you are well qualified to take on this role! As I stated, the camp staff is providing all snacks and water during the day, and a night snack of ice cream each night. This Parent Director would help to organize/coordinate the afternoon and night activities and the Pie Mafia, and any other little things we decide on each day. This parent must also be a Bunk Chaperone on the nights for which he/she signs up.
Please sign up
In the coming weeks, Susan and Jed plan to meet with the parent volunteers to review the afternoon and night activities, the Pie Mafia, explaining how these activities have been run in the past. I would like the parents to sign up as soon as possible, so that we can organize these informal meetings and be fully prepared for a great band camp. I will be updating the schedule daily, so you can look right here to see who is on it.
We need you! We want you! And we are sure that this will be an incredibly rewarding and satisfying experience for the parent volunteers! Thank you for helping to make this such a memorable experience for your kids.
