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Band Booster minutes

Jan. 18, 2020

Present: Erik Anderson, Matt Vanderloo, Cam Scarlett, Lori Scarlett, Kimberly King, Sherri Swartz, Ben Jaeger

 

  1. Minutes from 12/14/19 approved

  2. Finances--Balance is $26,000--$2000 will be paid out for trip busses and $10,000 to purchase instruments per targeted donation--hopefully two piccolos, two French horns, and two trombones.

  3. Grants--Madison for Kids grant submitted, will hear back in March; Cops For Kids grant is paying for lessons this semester, Ben will contact Ruben for Kids to pay for lesson scholarships for next semester; Erik is working on Madison Arts Board grant to pay for busses, clinician, and possibly middle school music for The Planets special concerts in Dec. 2020 with community and middle school involvement.

  4. Culvers Share Night coming 2/4, Cam will ask Jeong Park to do signup genius

  5. Wisconsin Winter Plunge is 2/15, Ben will jump, web page is set up, when it is activated will send link to students and families and post on Facebook and website

  6. Jefferson Middle School--Mary Kelley will be interim principal; Jefferson parents encouraged to contact her advocate for open posting and hiring of Jefferson band director position

  7. PayPal account--decided to set it up so money goes to general JMM boosters for now but could be used for capital improvements as needed in the future

  8. Building Referendum--as of now it looks like auditiorium may be built first, unknown when target date it would be completed if the referendum passes; board approved funds to reimburse JMM band parent who is an architect to assist Ben in drawing up plans showing what is needed for rehearsal space; Cam to contact Jennifer McFarland, former band parent and Morgridge Foundation employee, for advice on fundraising strategies for building improvements.

  9. Updates from Ben--will schedule LA trip as soon as LA Phil releases their concert schedule for 2021.  78% of Madison students auditioning for WSMA Honors are from JMM, largely from the band program.  

Dec. 14, 2019

  1. Approved minutes of 11/9 meeting

  2. Financial report--current balance $29, 880  some candy sale money still coming in, $10,000 is earmarked for instrument purchase from donation

  3. This month’s receptions went well, good participation from CB 1 and 2 families.

  4. Pizza party will be for CB2 for Bucky Book sales, they would like pizza 1st hour, HyVee can provide, will order when Ben approves a date, hopefully this coming week.

  5. Winter plunge is 2/15--need to create teams online

  6. Updates needed to letter in program--mention  of LA trip, take out reference to FMPS

  7. Bowl-a-thon--do we have the personnel to do it?  Silent auction is the biggest fundraiser but also takes the most time.  Bowling is a nice community activity. Could do some of silent auction online.  Getting donations should be a bit easier with 501c3 number. Need to get a letter ready to give businesses when asking for donations.  Silent auction donations would go for usual band expenses (scholarships, instruments, etc) as well as LA trip.

  8. First Culvers share night is 2/4.  Jeong Park could make signup genius.

  9. Grants--Fund for Kids is almost done, Wisconsin Arts Board Grant needs phone interview in January, Intent to Apply, and deadline of 1/23 for application.

  10. Boysen commission--need to make $1000 payment for this year, premiere may be delayed if we want it to happen in new performance space after referendum.

  11. Serious fundraising to supplement referendum--could we get someone to talk to us about how to do it and help direct our efforts?  Jennifer McFarland is a parent who works with the Morgridge Foundation, reach out to her. Also Leila Sayner is a band alumna with connections.  Need to find out timeline--get pledges or actual donations before referendum? What if it doesn’t pass? How much time to fundraise afterward if it does pass?

  12. Federal 990 tax form/postcard has been filed.

  13. Need to set up a PayPal account so we can take online donations

  14. Idea for a winter/spring concert, possibly at Brookdale senior living near JMM, for kids to perform their solo/ensemble pieces for an audience.

 

Next meeting: Saturday January 18  10 AM

Submitted by Sherri Swartz 

November 9, 2019

Present: Cam Scarlett, Kimberly King, Matt Vanderloo, Erik Anderson

  1. Boysen commission: Boosters putting ~$1000/yr. towards the commissioned piece. Kimberly to follow up with what Ben wanted to discuss.

  2. Involving middle schools and parents in the fundraising and giving kickbacks. Is this something we want to do?

    1. Yes. Bowl-a-thon is a good event to involve them in. February timeframe.

    2. Two Culver’s dates are set (February and April). Third is pending.

  3. FY20 tax reporting to feds.

    1. TO DO (Cam): End of November deadline to send postcard to IRS.

  4. Financial status update. Financial software?

    1. Big donation last month ($10k) – will go towards new instruments

    2. Total at $26k - good

    3. TO DO (Kimberly): Meet with Bucky Book people to pay up ($20/book)

    4. TO DO (Kimberly): Schedule pizza party for concert band 2 (who sold the most)

    5. TO DO (All): Kimberly open to suggestions for what to give kids as tokens of appreciation for their Bucky Book participation

    6. Dane County Sheriff donation (Cops 4 Kids) will pay for private lessons

    7. Financial software

                                                              i.      web versions are 9-15/month

                                                            ii.      Desktop version is $300

                                                           iii.      Matt to investigate a supposed free software

                                                          iv.      Matt suggested an Excel sheet (or could be a Google Doc)

  1. TO DO: Kimberly and Matt to set up Google Doc

  2. Review concert receptions:

    1. Volunteering went well,  new people helping out, helping clean up

                                                              i.      Cam will suggest people bring snacks earlier for next concerts

  1. General feedback: opportunity for Ben to engage more with audience (introduce songs, Honors bands kids, etc.), bring up house lights at the intermission

  2. Final revisions to Fundraising letter for Performing Arts Wing?

    1. TO DO (Cam): Get letter online for people to add edits

    2. TO DO (All): Give feedback

  3. Revisions for Booster letter for concert program

    1. TO DO (Cam): Add new booster names, link directly to JMM Booster web page

  4. Grant application status:

    1. TO DO (Erik): Follow up with Madison4Kids about $ amount.

    2. TO DO (Erik): Draft WI Arts Board application, watch for the new guidelines to be issued

  5. Revise thank you letters for donations

    1. TO DO (Kimberly): Share letter, everyone can make revisions

 

Next meeting: December 14

Oct. 12, 2019

 

Present: Ben Jaeger, Cam Scarlett, Lori Scarlett, Kimberly King, Sherri Swartz

 

  1. Tax stuff--Wisconsin Charitable Organization approval and certificate has been received.  The federal 501c3 filing is just a short postcard and Cam will file it.

  2. Treasurer’s update--balance is $12,012.92.  A $10,000 donation for instrument repair has been promised but not yet received.  

  3. Fundraising update--Bucky Book sales are about on pace with last year.  We will bring Bucky Books to fall concerts to sell and wrap up sales in Nov. Still waiting to hear back on dates from Culvers and Schwoeglers.  Seroogy’s chocolate bar sales in November.

  4. Grant updates--Erik is writing a Madison4Kids grant request for private lesson scholarship funds.  Ben is writing a Cops4Kids grant for the same purpose. Ben is writing a MFPS grant to buy the score for band of The Planets to perform for the work’s 100th anniversary.  Sherri will look to see if an ETC grant is available this year and what is the deadline.

  5. Fundraising letter for Performing Arts wing--text is here, board to edit by 10/31 and Ben J. to approve the following week.  

  6. Tux distribution will be Friday October 18 12:30-2:30; helpers are welcome.

  7. Deadline to order shirts in new design is 10/14--send a reminder.  Photos will be taken in Nov. after shirts come in, will take photo in auditorium if weather doesn’t allow for outside.

  8. Concert receptions coming up--ask people who signed up to help with receptions to learn how to do the signup genius.

  9. Chris Carusi, JMM parent and school board member, will be meeting with Mr. Jaeger to tour JMM music facilities and talk about referendum needs.

  10. Referendum update--the board’s gold and silver-level plans from the architect would provide $2.3 million for rehearsal areas, which would basically rebuild what we have plus about 2000 sq. ft.  To bring the rehearsal spaces close to equity with other area schools would require another $3 million--reshuffled from performance space budget or funded by private donations. Either way the referendum would have to pass.  Current elementary and middle school students would be the ones to benefit from the new facilities--look for ways to connect with these families, through PTO, middle school music concerts, etc. See facilities referendum folder with presentations and info.

 

Next meeting: Saturday Nov 9 at 10 AM

Sept. 14, 2019

Present: Cam and Lori Scarlett, Kimberly King, Sherri Swartz, Eric Anderson, Matt Vanderloo

 

1. Finances: current balance is $9819, some of which is fundraising earmarked for individual students for the 2021 tour. Expected expenses this year include estimates of $2000 for Milwaukee and Chicago trips, $1000 for Boyson composition, $1000 for flute choir coach, a few hundred for new tuxes, possible instrument repair.

 

2. Reviewed State of Wisconsin Charitable Organization form and signed

 

3. Bandemonium and Band Parents Orientation Night had good attendance and positive reception, got names of new volunteers for a variety of projects. It was good to have it in the band room.

 

4. Fundraising: We would like to have three Culvers share nights, hopefully 11/5 or 11/12, 1/28/ and 4/21. Cam will check on dates with Culvers, and then contact new volunteers. We would also like to revive the Bowlathon in the winter or spring at Schwoeglers. Bucky Book sales continue til Oct. 31. We will offer a pizza party as an incentive to the band that sells the most Bucky Books, and promote the free book after selling 5 to the parents. Seroogy’s chocolate sales start in Nov.

 

5. Kimberly will talk to new volunteer and schedule tux distribution before the 10/23 concert.

 

6. New Band T-shirts--we have one design submitted, and this weekend was announced as the deadline. If no other designs come in, we will offer sales of the old design in new color combinations (green on white) this fall, and try another shirt design competition in spring, with a prize for the winning designer, and promoting the contest school-wide, including the art dept. That would give a T-shirt design ready to go for fall 2020 and the LA tour in spring 2021.

 

7. Band photo to be scheduled during the lunch hour in late Oct.

 

8. Eric will talk to Mr. Jaeger about grant possibilities and grant writing.

 

9. Officers for this year will be: President: Cam Scarlett, VP: Eric Andersen, Treasurer: Kimberly King, Secretary: Sherri Swartz

 

10. Next meeting Saturday Oct. 13 10 AM

Aug. 18, 2019

Present: Ben Jaeger, Cam and Lori Scarlett, Kimberly King, Sherri Swartz

 

1. We have to fill out a Wisconsin Charitable Organization application, it got missed when we got 501c3 status. Cam and Kimberly will work on it.

 

2. We need to call Freshman parents especially and invite them to Bandemonium, Parents Night, and to consider joining the board. Ben will provide the parent contact list and we will split it up and call all new parents.

 

3. Bandemonium will be Wed. Aug. 28 from 1-5 PM.

 

4. Bucky Books will be on sale soon, Kimberly will have them at Bandemonium and also hand out in the first days of school.

 

5. Voted to approve that the Band Boosters portion of the Jazz Band Instructor's stipend will increase from $600 per year to $900 per year, with the money coming from the Jazz Fundraising Fund.

 

6. Referendum update--JMM Performing Arts are included in all levels of a the proposed referendum for 2020 and district and school staff are aware and committed that performing arts spaces will be a priority. However, Ben is still concerned that if MMSD has full control over decisions and costs, the results of the upgrades will be disappointing. A priority is to raise funds so we can supplement the district budget to make sure the space is large enough and acoustically sound. We need to educate parents on this and look for sources of donations and grants now that we have 501c3 status. One potential donor is Diane Ballweg who supports WYSO and other youth arts--possibly JMM WYSO members could meet with her?

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