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Announcements & Message Archive
Check this page for
current announcements and an archive of emails and
messages
(Message sent 4/26/08)
Hello 2008-09 Symphonic Band
members!
Congratulations! You are no longer "prospective"
members, but have been selected to be in the 2008-09
Rising Starr Symphonic Band. This is going to be an
EXCITING year, and it starts today! We have a lot of
work to do, a lot of music to make, and a lot of money
to raise.
This is yet another update on where we are with
arrangements on the trip to Chicago. Those who know me
(Kathy) know that I strive to make sure you know ALL the
details: the good and the not so good. After all, why
should I be the only one turning gray and gaining weight
worrying about details, huh? We're all in this together!
J
Seriously, I do want to make sure you are up to date on
details. And it starts now. This email may get rather
lengthy, so kids, you might want to just get Mom and Dad
to read it and you go outside to play (no - not video
games, OUTSIDE where there's fresh air and sunshine!).
Parents, you may want to go grab a cup of coffee or tea,
put on your slippers and settle back. Sorry for the
length, but I can't do the details justice in some
scrawny little email.
First, here are the basics right up front:
- Our performance is Wednesday, December 17, 2008 at
4:00 p.m.
- We plan to depart Monday, December 15 in the morning
(8:00-9:00ish range)
- We plan to return Thursday, December 18 in the late
afternoon/early evening (departing Chicago in the
5:00-6:00ish range)
Now to the details ...
Kaleidoscope Adventures (henceforth known as KA since
typing Kaleidoscope has to be THE most awkward word to
type) has sent us a revised proposal and (drum roll) the
costs have gone down (YAY).... some. We asked them to
explore other hotels that would meet our needs, adjust
the FUN stuff, and revise the proposal. Let me explain
some of the criteria with respect to hotels. Of course,
we are looking for the best RATE possible, but with a
group our size, we have to keep in mind the following:
- The hotel has to have enough rooms available of the
right type to accommodate us (we require double/double
rooms – 4 kids in a king – not on my watch)
- We require hotels with rooms that open to INSIDE
hallways. This is a DEAL-BREAKER. We do not want
students in rooms that open to the exterior of the
hotel. This is a security measure that Mr. Tyndall and I
simply will not compromise. Interior corridors are
safer, the kids are more confined, etc. Also know that
part of the cost of our package is two security guards
HIRED BY US to roam the halls, keeping others away from
our kids and keeping our kids safe. These are not HOTEL
security. These are RSMS security. Other guests are ON
THEIR OWN - these guys are looking out for US.
- Breakfast: The hotel has to have the ability to set up
a substantial breakfast for our group. This can be a
grueling trip, and we want our kids to have a good,
healthy breakfast so they're not dropping like flies
because they didn't get adequate nutrition (or, worse,
bouncing off the walls because all they ate were DONUTS
and PASTRIES for breakfast! Lord, help us all!)
- Location: While we do have buses available to us the
entire trip, we don't want to be so far out that we
spend valuable rehearsal, educational, or FUN time on
the bus. Driving in from a bedroom community through
downtown Chicago during the week could eat up a lot of
time on the bus, so we are seeking something close
enough to maximize time, but far enough away from the
convention site to allow for lower rates.
- I'm sure there's something else, but I can't think of
it right now (more caffeine, please).
Taking these factors into consideration, our
representative at KA has moved us from the Essex to the
Chicago City Center (assuming rooms are available when
we write the contract with KA and get our deposit in).
It is a VERY nice hotel, but surprisingly, the room
rates are considerably lower than the Essex, BECAUSE the
Essex is across the street. Prime location, prime rates.
There was another hotel near Chicago City Center with a
slightly lower room rate, but the breakfast rates were
MUCH higher, so in the end we felt the CCC was the
better value overall. Complication: We must get a
deposit in with the contract before we can lock the
rooms.
Based on past trips, Mr. Tyndall also asked to drop one
museum and add a different side trip that we think the
kids will enjoy more. Meals included in our tour package
are at restaurants that we are SURE the students will
enjoy, but again, we have to get our deposits to them
before we can lock the reservation. Tentatively, we're
looking at Bubba Gump, Ed Debevic's, Gino's Pizza, and
Rainforest Café - all very FUN restaurants with great
food. (Students will be responsible for TWO meals on
their own – lunch on Day 1 and 2.)
ALL that being said, our TOUR PACKAGE (not including
airfare) cost is now
Students: approx $515 (taking their quote for quads and
triples and creating a weighted average based on our
gender population... sorry, my real job leaking in)
Chaperones: $595 (for double rooms)
Moving on to AIRFARE: Now that we know our performance
date and travel dates, I have received a quote from
AirTran of $313. I have a strategically placed source
inside Delta who has taken our information and AirTran's
quote and is making contacts to see if they can do
better than the quote I currently have through Delta
group sales (which is higher than AirTran). We know we
have a LARGE population of Delta employees, and we also
have some AirTran. Both companies want our business ...
the question is, who wants it MORE?
There is a complicating factor with Delta Group Sales
(and my Source is aware of it and hopefully can work
around it), that we can only get 76 seats at the group
rates. We had this problem with Indianapolis and
resolved it by having Delta families purchase their
child's ticket on their OWN using the discount family
fare - positive space ticket, so they are guaranteed a
seat. We may have to do this again, only this time we
would need 15 families to do so. There are factors that
go into that which make me nervous, but I won't address
that here. However, I do need to get a HEADCOUNT of how
many families work for Delta who may be able to purchase
their positive space ticket if it becomes necessary.
PLEASE EMAIL ME at
KathyRothfusz@RSMSBand.org
if you are a Delta family! I need to identify
those as soon as possible so I can contact you if it
becomes necessary.
Another DEAL-BREAKER is that we must ALL travel together
on the same flight. We simply can't split up a middle
school group, and we can't be running back and forth to
the airport picking up groups and individuals. (Just so
you know, I contacted American Airlines, who has a
"special rate" for Midwest participants, and nearly
choked on my water at the $600+ fare. So much for
special rate! United cannot accommodate our entire group
on one plane. So we have explored the other carriers,
and right now AirTran beats them and can meet our needs.
Now we wait.)
RIGHT NOW – if we took the AirTran $313 fare, the base
cost for the trip for students would be $828. That is
about what the Seattle trip cost two years ago. We would
have liked to get it under $800, but unfortunately, it
is what it is – especially with fuel costs rising (which
is affecting our tour package, too, with our buses). To
be honest, the night of the parent meeting, with the
Delta rate I had in my hands at the time and getting the
original KA proposal, we were looking at a $1,000+ trip,
and Mr. Tyndall and I were both looking very pale. We're
starting to get our color back.
We hope you know we are doing everything we can to bring
the costs down, but since you are paying a lot in this
difficult economy, we also want to be SURE your child
comes home with an experience he/she will never forget.
So we aren't going to eat at Chili's, Olive Garden, etc.
... you can do that here! And the side trips are to
places we know your child will enjoy and remember the
rest of his/her life. Memories are priceless ... that's
what I keep telling myself (as I'm adding up the numbers
to send a child and myself!). Let that be our mantra
while we're cooking hot dogs, peddling cookie dough,
etc. ... "Memories are Priceless."
PLUS (this deserves it's own paragraph) we are going to
provide you with a wide variety of fundraising
opportunities to offset that cost. We will schedule a
meeting VERY SOON for parents who are willing to help
fundraise to get together, make plans, dream dreams, and
get started on raising money. We still need every parent
who has the ability to check with your employer to see
if they do any corporate sponsorships or donations. We
will take ANY size donation. These will go to cover
those GENERAL expenses, which we have removed from the
student cost. Mr. Tyndall has already made several
contacts that we hope will result in donations. He is
already working - let's get behind him and do our part
on knocking down those expenses. Our goal: $7,000 (or
more!) from outside donations.
If you read between all the lines, you now know that we
will need a deposit VERY SOON. Depending on where we end
up with airline, it may be a large one, as we may have
to pay the entire airline ticket PLUS our KA deposit.
This part is out of our control. Deposits must be made
in order to hold fares and rooms. My other mantra is:
"It is what it is."
I'm almost SURE I've forgotten something, but you KNOW
there will be more emails.
So your tasks now are:
1) Check your budget and prepare for that deposit. It
will be due within the next few weeks (we'll buy you as
many days as possible). Kids - start babysitting and
doing yard work for your neighbors so you can pitch in
to help Mom and Dad on the costs!
2) Watch for news of a parent meeting and fundraising
opportunities. We have TWO on the horizon already: Mr.
Tyndall has contacted the cookie dough company, and the
entire band program will be doing one more sales event
before school is out, only this time with pre-formed
cookies. I also have an online magazine sale I intend to
launch at both RSMS and SMHS in which you can involve
your friends and relatives in other states (can't do
that with frozen cookie dough). You will receive credit
toward your trip on both of these fundraiser, so keep an
eye out for them.
3) EMAIL ME at
KathyRothfusz@RSMSBand.org
if you are a Delta Family.
Holy smokes, I'm already on page 4 ... once your brain
has recovered from the shock, go back and re-read if
necessary. I know there's a lot of information, but "it
is what it is."
Remember,
Memories are Priceless
Thanks!
Lord Darth Vader (you know who he is)
and
Padawan Kathy Rothfusz (Band Mom and Trip Coordinator)
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