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Band room phone number is 732-505-5724

Volume 08-04                                                                                                                        May 2008

President’s Message

By Kathy Dorman

Our year is almost over, how can that be?  In September I am always thinking that I will never get through all that lies ahead of us and then before I know it we are ready to welcome in our freshmen class and start all over again. 

Before we do that we do have a little work to do. Our May meeting has our election of new officers.  This year the nominees are Kevin Bartley, Denise Ericksen, Julie Salamon, and Helene Bogen,.  With new members coming on board we must say good bye to the wonderful people who will be leaving us, Helen Onulak, Lori Illuzzi, Terry Fanelli and Scott Yates.  There are no words that will properly thank these wonderful people for all that they have done and to say I am going to miss them is an understatement.  

Our bi-laws will also come up for a review and vote at our May meeting and as a result I urge everyone to please try to attend.  It is important that we have as many people as possible attend this meeting so that we can start our new season in a positive direction

Our Annual dinner is also around the corner.  This event has been scheduled for Sunday June 8^th at St. Luke’s Church.  Invitations will be sent our mid May with the seniors receiving them first.  Students who have paid their membership fee will be able to attend this dinner, please make sure your account is up to date.  Also, please, please, please make sure that you R.S.V.P. by the date on the invitation.  We are dealing with a caterer and we need to have the head count to him on time.  All members are considered as going, however if we have not received an invitation for family members you will not be able to walk in on the day of the event.

Finally to everyone who made my year as president so easy and so much fun, thank you. This has been such a wonderful year because of all your hard work.  We were able to do so much for all of the kids and that is what it’s all about.  There are so many wonderful memories that will last forever and I hope you know that I appreciate all you have done and will always have a special place in my heart for all of you.

Notes from the Director

By Frank Hughes

     By the time you read this, we will have done the All-Shore Concert and Jazz festivals and the Scholarship Fund concert.  We look forward to the Spring Concert on May 22 at 7:30 and the Jazz Concert on June 2 with guest soloist Guitarist extraordinare Frank Cicala.

      We also have parades on Memorial Day – May 26 – in Beachwood. The parade starts at 11; we will have to be in the bandroom at 9:30 and should be back by 12:30 the latest.  Founders Day is June 7 at 9:00.  We report at 7:45 and seniors will turn in all uniform and equipment stuff after the parade. Students should be done by 10:30.

     Students should give pictures to be used for the slide show at the Awards Dinner to Kate Sommerfeld or Hillary Fanelli.  Every year, students fail to put in pictures and every year they get upset because they are not in the show…..if you don’t put pictures in, you will not be in the show. 

      Next years Field Show is the Beatles….it should be a great show.

                        Frank Hughes  

Squad Corner

By James D. Leonard
     The year is quickly coming to a close.  Winter Guard finished up on Friday, April18, at Central Regional.  We improved each week we performed as our score rose by 7-10 pts.  One of the reasons we only had (1) performing group this year as opposed to the usual (2) was lack of leadership and the experience of the majority of the marching Squads.  This has been a very difficult year for over all leadership for the total Marching Squad Unit.  With the exception of a few persons, when work needed to be done, equipment put away, flags put on or taken off poles, rifles taped, store room straightened up etc., there were few or none of the members that would easily volunteer to help, including in some cases Captains!

     When we get all the returning members & new persons together, things are going to be different this next year.  Just because some individuals think they are “qualified” to be a Captain does not automatically make “them” a Captain.  This is an earned position not an “ego trip”.  There will be a “job description” so to speak. The persons in the leadership position will follow that outline or they will not remain a Captain or Co-Captain.  It would appear that many of you think it is totally my job to move carts, put equipment away give you a new pair of gloves each week, on & on!  No it is not!  I get reminded by parents that it is not my job to do all things I end up doing.  So this will change!  We will be visiting the Middle Schools during the 1^st. week in May to sign up potential members.  I will designate who will attend & what school!  The field show will be the Beatles next year.  This is a show we have previously performed & hope to do as well again, it can & will be a fun show to do!

     In closing, I ask that all Squad parents remember & remind their students that we have 2 major parades left to do this year.  Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, we will be in Beachwood & Sat. June 7 is Founders Day.  Each & every member of Band Front, Rifles, Dance Line Flags & Color line are required & expected to be in attendance at these 2 events.  No excuses will be considered.  As I have stated before we put out a yearly calendar of events with the mandatory parades & events listed.  They are not to be ignored & other events planed instead.  St Patrick’s Day Parade in Seaside this year was embarrassing with 2/3 of the Band Front not present.  You can not join an activity such as this and just not show up because it wasn’t convenient.  Athletes can’t pick & chose which game they will attend, Academic Teams can’t pick & chose what competition to take part in and neither can Squads. That’s why you have a calendar of events a year in advance?  See you next month.

Sincerely,

James D. Leonard

                        Squad Coordinator

Fundraising

By Terry Fanelli

 OCEAN COUNTY FAIR

     The best fundraiser of the year is just around the corner.  The dates of the fair are 8^th to 13^th.

     There are two opportunities for the students to make money for their band accounts.  First, the student and a parent can work at the entrance gates.  The adult will work the booth and the students hand out the schedules.  The second opportunity is for the students to work in the parking lot directing traffic.  Again this is the best opportunity to fund raise, you are not selling anything to anyone and to be honest we have fun. There are several shifts for each day and sign ups will begin after the June meeting.  Sign up sheets will be placed in the band room and will be available at the Annual Dinner.  If you have not signed up you can call or e-mail Kathy Dorman at 732-255-6521 or Kathydor@comcast.net.  Thank You

REMINDER: We will be running a scrap book crop event on the 10^th of May.  We can still use your help with this event.  if you can help, you can donate new scrap book items to be used for door prizes, you can donate items for a tricky tray or silent auction and you can donate baked goods and soda.  The crops are wonderful fund raisers and we would like to have two a year to help with the general fund, any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you Kathy Dorman

     Searching the Internet = Fundraising!

What if TRNMMM earned a penny every time you searched the Internet?  What if a percentage of every purchase you made online went to TRNMMM’s fundraising efforts?  Well – they can and do!

GoodSearch.com is a Yahoo-powered search engine that donates HALF of its advertising revenue, about a penny per search to the charities its users designate.  Use it just as you would any search engine and watch the donations add up!

GoodShop.com is a NEW online shopping mall which donates up to 37% of each purchase to the designated charity.  Hundreds of great stores including Target, Gap, Best Buy, eBay, Barnes & Noble and more (just click on the categories to see all stores listed).  These stores have teamed up with Good Shop and every time you place an order, you’ll be supporting TRNMMM!  if you’re going to be doing any kind of online shopping, you can help TRNMMM just by taking an extra minute to go to your online store through GoodSearch.com. Start today! Go to http://www.goodsearch.com/. Where it says “enter your charity here…” put “Toms River North” and click verify.  Imagine how much we could raise if everyone started using Good Search?  Tell your kids to start using it.  Ask family members.  Every penny helps.

Raising Money without Spending or Selling!

Support the TRNMMM Boosters whenever you search the Internet. Here’s how:  Go to http://www.goodsearch.com/

Enter Toms River North Marching Mariners in the box and then click “Verify”.  Search the Internet from the box provided.  Each time you search, revenue is generated for the TRNMMM Boosters!  To date, we have raised over $50 with nothing more than a mouse click.  We’d like to thank those of you who have been clicking to help us raise money, but we can raise so much more!  One search per day…times well over 100 members – we could be earning at least $30 per month, if everyone helps.  It costs you nothing, but raises money for your kids.  Please keep clicking!!  Thank you.

Chaperone Corner

By Frank Avignone

     I would like to thank everyone for all your help throughout the year! Thank you, 

Frank A.