McNary Choir Booster
Meeting Minutes
22 September 2009

Meeting Convened at 6:10pm, after parents listened to an excerpt from Choir Concert.

Kristyn Noble introduced herself as the new Choir Booster President, stepping up from her position last year as president-elect.  Choir event schedules were passed out.  Choir students should be bringing home those schedules as well this week.  So parents should look for them from their students.

Mr. Taylor’s Report  
Mr. Parshall was able to generate enough money to fund a half-time assistant choir director for this school year.  Heather Steinen has been hired to work with Classics, Intermediate Choir and Musical Theatre.  Winter semester, she’ll teach a music theory class.  Any thanks the boosters give to Mr. Parshall for going to bat for the choir program is appropriate.

Currently enrolled in the choir program is 412 students.  The budget allocated for the year for the program covers $1.37 per student.  That pays for less than one piece of music for each student and has already been spent.  Mr. Taylor’s funding priorities for boosters this year includes the following:
1. Provide music and transportation for away events for the year.  (Example: it costs $900 in bus fees to take the concert choir to Willamette for one event.  To take all groups to the capitol in December, it costs $1800.)
2.  Provide funding for a piano lab where students could work on composing, and practicing music.
3.  Choir robes to outfit the entire choir.  Currently there are not enough of the 1960’s and 1970’s robes that we are using for everyone to have one.  We would like to get enough so that everyone in the choirs that use robes, have one. The four year goal is to get new robes for the concert choir, which is about a $40,000 expense.
4.  Money for guest directors for the choirs for the year.

Mr. Taylor’s priority is to encourage kids to go to college and show them opportunities for scholarships; even to kids who are not majoring in music.  Many of the $100,000 in scholarships that last year’s seniors generated, were for non-music majors.  He also is trying to create a safe, supportive environment in choir and at McNary with the choir program’s “Hands are not for Hurting” curriculum.

Choir Carnival Saturday, October 17th
The upcoming choir carnival is for the entire Keizer community, especially the McNary feeder schools, to create some camaraderie with singers of all ages.  The currently planned time for the event is 3:00-6:00 pm. Entry fee will be $5.00 per person or $20.00 per family.  That fee pays for a hamburger or hot dog and a drink and all the game booths.  There will also be popcorn and snow cones for an additional cost. There will be a dunk tank as well as the inflatables for kids to jump in. We are in need of donations that you can send with your student.  We need bottled water, soda (any kind or brand) and candy bars for the candy bar walk.    We also need volunteers to help with set-up, tear down, booth help.
Class Fee
Because of red tape, the much needed $35 choir fee did not get into the McNary Class catalog this year.  So, the choir cannot charge the fee.  However, we are strongly asking for your $35 choir donation.  If all choir students paid that fee, it would pay for:  music for all choirs for one year, the rest of the needed robes to complete the set of current robes so all are outfitted, robe maintenance for the year and a few guest directors to come for work sessions with the students.  In order to make your donation tax deductible:  DO NOT put your student’s name on your check.  Make it payable to “McNary High School.” (not the choir boosters)  You may write “choir donation” on the memo line of your check.  The office will send you a receipt letter with McNary’s tax ID number for tax purposes.  Checks are safer than cash but you can submit cash just include a note with your name and address so the office has an address to send your letter.

Volunteer Committees
The following committees need volunteers:  Fundraising, Grant Writing and College Mentoring.
Currently planned for fundraising this year includes:  Choir Carnival, Pie Sales, Madrigal Night, Cabaret Night and Carol-o Grams.

Jo Moore suggested an idea to create a choir website with links to online businesses that would give the choir a portion of the sales if people will just buy from them by going through the link on the website.  Creating the website is being looked into.  Jo has a professional webmaster who would charge $100 to set it up.  The choir is looking for a parent who’d be willing to volunteer their creative web services to handle that.  It needs to be up and running by the first Oct. concert.

Election of Officers
VP and President-Elect:  Stephen Murphy was nominated and unanimously voted into VP for this year.
Secretary:  Laura Reid was nominated and unanimously voted into the secretary position.
Treasurer:   Jo Moore was nominated and unanimously voted into the treasurer position.

It was voted on and approved to have the choir booster meetings each month on the first Tuesday from 6:30-7:30.  (As a side note, the Fundraising Committee meetings will be held right before each booster meeting from 5:30-6:30.)

The meeting was adjourned at 7:19pm.

Respectfully submitted by:  Holly Rushton