BAND TAG DAY COORDINATOR (provided by Laurie Beachamp, beau5champ@msn.com, 10/06/02)

 

SUMMER DUTIES:

 

#  Meet with Orchestra Coordinator in mid August to discuss procedures.  The Orchestra Coordinator oversees the whole Tag Day Operation.

#  Get mailing labels of students and parent letter from Orchestra Coordinator.

#  Select student labels from all bands and color guard. Separate out any duplicate mailing labels.

#   Fold, label, and mail the parent letter.  This is usually mailed out the beginning of the last week of band camp before school starts.   It depends on when tag day begins but it is usually scheduled around the second weekend that school has begun.

#   Put up sign up sheets , AM and PM session , on a poster board and post in band room by Monday of the last week of band camp.   The Orchestra Coordinator will have these.

#   Remind directors and drum majors to please encourage students to begin signing up for tag day during the last week of band camp.  They are not to sign up parents drivers, this is to be confirmed by parents themselves.

#    Remind drum majors to announce that a parent letter describing tag day will be mailed out and parents are to sign up to drive by returning this slip.  Also have this announcement made during the last week of band camp.  All band students and color guard are to participate in Tag Day for at least one session.

#     Post extra parent sign up slips on the student sign up form in the band room for those people who misplace forms.

#    Plug tag day at the first Band parent meeting.  Have an extra sign up form to pass around for volunteer drivers.  On this sheet include specifics about how many seat belts the car will have, what shift (AM,PM, or both) and phone numbers.

#    The orchestra coordinator is in charge of photocopying and assembling all tag day materials with maps into envelopes.  Sometimes she may need some help assembling these envelopes.   The band coordinator may be asked to help assemble, along with the chorus coordinator.

 

SCHOOL BEGINS:

#    Once school has begun it is time to split up the duties of those people who have volunteered to help on Tag Day.  The Volunteer Coordinator will have a list of those people who checked off tag day on the band parent volunteer form. (Not the mailed tag day driver forms)

      Make sure there is  a coordinator to oversee the lunch provided on the day of  Tag day  (pizza and soda)

      Find one volunteer to be a money counter in the back room on Tag day.  They need to     

             begin  around 11:00AM, and be prepared to stay until at least 4:00 PM

      Recruit at least 2 more people to man the tables along with the band coordinator  

             on Tag Day.  These people need to be there by 7:45AM and stay until at least

              3:30

 #    Begin collecting parent driver forms that will start collecting in the band box.   Remind drum majors to continually plug student sign ups during each band class.

 

 

#     Take down the student sign up forms by the Tuesday evening (after marching band practice) preceding  Tag Day.  Again, drum majors  need to announce that all students should be signed up by this time at marching band practice.    They need to also remind students to return the parent sign up forms in the band box by this point.

#     Set up the car pools using the sign up sheets that have been filled up by students, and match them to the parent driver sheets.  Also use the list of those drivers who volunteered at the band parents meeting.

#     Try to get a master list of band students, which is very helpful in deciphering some of the students’ hand writing. 

#     Student pairs are never split up, but  sometimes student groupings  needs to be split up in order to fit every student into a car.  We encourage the kids to be flexible but we try to accommodate.  Not every parent will be able to drive their own student.

#     If there is an odd person, they are added to a pair.  No one goes out alone.

#     On the master sign up sheet, add an extra line for pair c for drivers with vans.

#     It helps to highlight cars with open slots on the master list .On the day of tag day we can see where to put extra students who show up.  Make a note of all cars that are vans on the master list.   (Cars with a full van are given maps with a larger area or are given two map areas to canvas).

#     Confirm the parent drivers by phone or e-mail.   Be prepared to recruit last minute drivers, as this is where the largest volunteer force is needed.

#     Have a few people assigned as back up drivers for both the AM and PM session.  Sometimes students show up at times other than planned, and many decide to stay and do an  extra afternoon shift.  Some morning shift kids arrive too late and miss their group..

#     Take a count of morning students, and all parent volunteers ,and give to Orchestra Tag Day Coordinator.  This is for those people that order breakfast.

#     Take a count of all PM students and volunteers  for those people ordering lunch.  Note, all AM people stay for lunch.   Some PM people overlap from the AM.   Try to get these counts to the food people by Thursday if possible.

#      Be prepared for many last minute changes in the master list!

#      Make at least 3 photocopies of the master list:.

                    Post final  list on a poster board for the band room ( this helps crowd     

                           control,  Band is by far the largest group to handle on tag day.)

                    Post master list to display behind tag day tables,  (this will be the list  that

                            those manning the tables will work from and make notes on).

                    Have a third copy of the  master list set on the table for those drivers and

                             band students waiting in line, in order for them to find their name on    

                             the master list.

 

 

ON THE DAY OF TAG DAY

 

#   Tag day coordinator and table monitors should arrive by7:45AM . 

#   Post the two master lists in band room and behind tables in school foyer.

#   Bring extra highlighters.

#   Boxes with manila envelopes and maps will be randomly distributed by the orchestra coordinator.   Some go to band ,chorus , and orchestra.   These will have been set out on the various tables.

#    Start separating maps of larger areas to use for fully occupied vans.   It there are not that many larger areas, give a fully occupied van two maps.  But make sure there will be enough maps for PM drivers and vans, and that chorus and orchestra have enough maps .  There are only a certain number of map totals in all.  Check with orchestra coordinator on the fair distribution of maps.  Band has the most students participating.

#    In vans and suburbans with three pairs of students make sure that there are three sets of  white business envelope packets  in the large map envelope.   These packets have been collated and stuffed by orchestra people before tag day.

#    Students and parents arrive at about 8:15 for coffee and breakfast , then they are given instructions by the band directors.

#    Drivers should arrive at tables for map assignments which we pass out randomly.

#    On master sheet, write the number of the map assigned to that driver.

#    Remind driver that the students are to stay on the inside of the map area highlighted.  They may come back for a different map if the area does not seem to be working. 

 

 

#RETURNING VEHICLES

#    Student pairs are to add up their count on the white money envelopes before returning them to the tables.  They are then  told to separate any extra papers, tag, forms, pens, and distribute them accordingly at a separate table.  Cross-out driver number when they return so we know when all cars have returned.

#     Money envelopes are discreetly held until the “runner” can take them to the back

counting room.  Adults only are allowed are allowed in the counting room.

 

 

#      In between shifts, help collate more envelopes for vans and find larger map areas for the vans.  We may need to restuff envelopes with returning unused “tags” or “sorry we missed you” forms, from the AM session.

 

 

#       Reassign the returning PM drivers with another map.  All other drivers are assigned the  same way.  Make sure directors remember to give the  first time PM students and volunteers instructions.

#       Help orchestra coordinator in any clean up duties at the end of the day.

 

 

 

Tag Day Lunch, from Charlotte Gazlay 2001.  Also contact Tom & Martha Donegan for 2002 updates.

If my memory serves me correctly, pizza was arranged with Dominos.  They

charged $5.25 for each pizza, I think.  Don't forget to tip the driver.  We

went with cheese and pepperoni.  Not much of a choice, but sufficient.  Two

slices were figured for each person expected to eat.  Soda and water were

estimated at two each, also.  I believe there were cookies on hand for

dessert.  One nice addition would be platters of veggies for those of a

healthier nature.  Paper plates, napkins and paper towels are needed as well

as plastic gloves for serving.  We arranged with the custodians for trash

barrels,tables,a few chairs and access to the ice machine in the cafeteria. 

We did most of the cleaning up, then the custodians collected the trash and

tables as we finished.  Coolers for soda were solicited from parents and ice

was gotten from the cafeteria. 

I hope this helps.  Charlotte