Letter to the Editor

The Tuttle Times

October 06, 2006 09:51 am

— To the Editor:
Due to an angry parent and husband, we now have a very angry Athletics Club and Board Member.
I truly believe that Cameron Dobie’s opinion was a release of a lot of anger built up regarding several issues. I don’t believe his intentions were to hurt anyone, especially the Athletics Club.
His article started out regarding the statement made by a School Board member and turned into an arena of “laying it all on the table.” Even though the statements made were true, it left out the options that were offered to the Band Boosters by the Athletics Club.
The Athletics club decided not to allow the Band Boosters to sell their Homemade Cinnamon Rolls at the game this year because they felt it cut into their sales at the concession, but at least they offered to buy 60 each week for their Saturday morning game reviews. If my calculations are correct, Ms. Laura Dobie made a minimum of 100, but as many as 300 Cinnamon Rolls for each home game.
Due to the success of this for the Band Boosters last year, we had full intentions of doing more this year, because people were buying them by the dozens for Saturday morning breakfast, until the Athletics Club told us that they did not want us to do this anymore, again as they felt it was competing with their concession.
The Athletics Club also offered to let the Band Boosters work concession for the Clinton game, which would have helped, but we lack parent support and do not have enough parents willing to work.
Therefore the Athletics Club offered to let the Band Boosters sell the Programs for each home game and agreed to pay the Band Boosters half of the sales. We could handle two workers for that easily.
They offered to fill our Megaphones with popcorn and our souvenir cups with a beverage to help our sales and in turn get potential further sales for them.
Because of Mr. Dobie’s article, the Athletics club has now decided that none of this will happen.
Many have questioned, why is it that the Athletics Club has total say over what the Band Boosters can or cannot do at the football games? Is this not school property?
I realize that in this day and time the majority of the public come to the football games to see the game, not the Band, but what would happen if the Band, even as small as they are, didn’t come to the games to boost the fans and the team?
I recall last year when there was one game, which was out of town quite a distance, when the Band did not go. There were a lot of questions asking, “Where’s the Band”?”
This was a safety issue. The Band Director did not feel that it was safe for him to “drive all evening”, getting home after 2 a.m. and then turning around and getting up again at 5 a.m. to be back at the school the next morning to “drive the bus” again to a competition. Again, this was for the safety of our kids.
The fans say they want the Band at the game, so why can’t we try to raise money our way for the Band at an event that the fans want the Band at?
Bottom line is, the Band Program is lacking support from everyone. We have a very small High School Band, therefore having very little parental support, which in turn means very few workers for fundraising.
We know that the School Board has expressed their concern for how the Band Program is failing and have discussed these concerns time and time again, but with no resolution.
The Band Boosters have expressed their concerns and possible solutions, but to no avail.
As far as the statement the Board member made, that was his opinion and had never been discussed with the Band Director nor the Band Boosters.
You may not know, but the uniforms that the Band Students wear are very hot. They wear their polo shirts with the Band Logo and blue jeans so they won’t be so hot and uncomfortable. There have been numerous other bands that wear similar clothing for the same reason.
I do not deny the fact that the band students look more like a Band and very sharp in uniform, but then again, I wouldn’t want to wear that uniform when it’s 90 degrees or above either.
At this point, the damage is done, people have been offended and animosity and revenge has taken over.
The human nature has taken precedence over the kind hearted Christian people of this town and I am embarrassed to be associated with any of it.
I think that all parties involved need to rethink what they have done and realize that the only thing that has come from it is the financial hurt to the Band Students.
What an example we have set……!! We should all be ashamed!!!!!!!

Angie Plumlee