Everything Day 2020
Hello Mav Band and Guard Families!
We hope you are well and ready to jump back into band this summer (fingers crossed)! Below is important information about our Everything Day Registration that was originally scheduled for this Saturday, May 9. We have moved registration to an online form, and will do the in-person things (trying on gloves and marching shoes, measuring for uniforms, etc.) later in the summer when restrictions have been lifted.
Completion of the registration form is required to confirm your participation in the McNeil High School Band Program for the 2020-2021 school year. It collects very important information that the band directors and the booster organization need to keep your students safe (medical), run the program effectively, and communicate with you throughout the year. We encourage you to fill it out early to take advantage of a longer payment schedule and to help us plan for next year.
* Registration Dates: The registration form will open sometime in the week before June 1. You will be able to access it from the McNeil Band website. That page is http://www.mcneilband.org/ and when you click on the link to the form, it will take you to a secure portal. You can save your progress and come back to finish the form whenever you like until you submit it.
* Registration Fee: The registration fee for 2020-2021 will be $590 for all instrumentalists including percussion, and $635 for color guard members. This fee includes Game Day and Contest meals, Instruction fees, RRISD band fee, 2020-2021 Show shirt, Show design, Water, Contest entry fees, Transportation, and the Ultimate drill book. In addition, for instrumentalists it includes Solo/Ensemble competition, Uniform maintenance, and Gauntlets or gloves. For color guard members it also includes Uniform design, and Makeup.
* Other Required Items: There are some required items that may need to be purchased in addition to the registration fee above. These items only need to be purchased once during high school unless the student needs to replace them. Instrumentalists will need Marching shoes $45. Color guard items include: Duffle bag $45, Jacket $60, Personal equipment bag $25, Black jazz sneakers $35, Gloves $15, Rifle $35, Guard tank top $10, and Summer uniform shorts $20.
* Required Payments: Part of the registration process includes the payment of these fees and required items. Families may pay in full now or may sign up to make payments from now until November. The registration fee for this year is actually less than the fee for last year--to help our families that may have been hit financially with the Covid-19 situation.
* Financial Assistance: If financial assistance is needed for the above fees or required equipment, there will be an online form to fill out to make that request. If a payment schedule is not selected, then the financial assistance form will be required to complete your student's registration.
* Optional Merchandise: We also offer some Spirit Wear and other items that are completely optional. We will try to have the form ready for you to place an order when the registration form opens, but it may be later this summer because we are still working to finalize our merchandise. All optional merchandise must be paid for in full before your order will be placed. Merchandise will include items such as extra Logo or Show shirts, other Mav Band shirts and jackets, and Mav Band duffle bags and garment bags (which can be personalized). We may also have stadium seats, baseball caps, lanyards, clear bags, cowbells, and/or athletic shorts.
Registration FAQ:
If the marching season is cancelled or shortened, will there be a refund of these fees and costs?
Depending on when the season is cancelled, we may save some of the costs for the school year. Certain expenses will have to be paid between now and August so that we can be ready for a full season. Some of the fee also covers things that will not occur until the Spring semester, so those cannot be refunded. However if we do not travel to competitions, transportation costs will be less, and if football games or competitions are cancelled, the Game Day and Contest meals will be less, so what is not spent on those items should be able to be refunded. If things such as marching shoes and color guard additional equipment have not yet been ordered, those costs could be refunded as well. The Booster leadership and the Directors are making every effort to hold off on as many orders and payments as we can until we know more about the marching season.
Why are you collecting money now instead of waiting until we know if there will be a marching season?
We rely on the money brought in from our registration fees to fund much of the band program throughout the year--not just for marching season. The instruction in the band program will continue whether we have a marching season or not, and we will incur costs for many different things throughout the school year. There are also certain costs, such as the design of the show, that must be paid for next year whether we have a marching season or not. We cannot wait until August before having our show designed, so we must pay our designers now.
What if I have questions about Registration?
Questions can be directed to Lana Harris at VP-Planning@McNeilBand.org
Sincerely,
Lana HarrisMcNeil Band BoostersVP Strategic Planning and Coordination 2020 - 2021VP-Planning@McNeilBand.org512-733-0063
