District 9 Meeting Minutes: August
Pinellas County, Florida

66th Year, No. 1                                                   August 17, 2001

Present and signed in were:

ITEM NO. 1 - CALL TO ORDER & INTRODUCTORY REMARKS:  The first meeting of the year was called to order by District Chairman, Diane Suris, at 9:30 am.

ITEM NO. 2 -  ROLL CALL:  All directors were asked to sign in at the front of the room.

ITEM NO. 3 - READING OF PREVIOUS MINUTES:  District Chairman Suris said “ If there are no objections or changes to the previous minutes, they stand approved as distributed.”

ITEM NO. 4 - TREASURER’S REPORT:   $255 in the account
We are receiving funds from FSMA.

ITEM NO. 5 - COMMUNICATIONS, DISTRIBUTION OF PACKETS:  Chairman Suris distributed a packet to each school that contained a meeting agenda,  a Classification Form, an All-State Band Audition Application, 7th and 8th grade Honor Band Nomination Form, a Festival Assessment Form, a Jazz Band Festival Entry Form, a Jazz Festival Music Title Change Form, Concert Festival Music Change Form, and an information sheet that needs to be filled out and sent to the secretary.

ITEM NO. 6- UNFINISHED BUSINESS:      Discussed a proposal regarding Sight Reading from State Band Festival be eliminated; in place of Sight Reading there would be a clinic. Music Supervisor Jeanne Reynolds suggested doing this as a pilot, try it out in our own county before it goes to the state level. After lengthy discussion the proposal was agreed to as long as we keep Sight Reading at the District Level.

ITEM NO. 7 - COMMITTEE REPORTS: None

ITEM NO. 8 -  NEW BUSINESS:
    A.  Membership Dues & Enrollment Forms are due September 15.  Send them          
     to:  MENC 1806 Robert Fulton Drive, Reston, Virginia  20191.  Dues are $134, this includes MENC/FMEA.  Make checks payable to MENC.
    B.  Classification Forms are due October 15; a Principal and Director
signature is required.  Late forms will be fined.  The fine is $50.00 for submitting the form late, $100 on the 8th calendar day
after the deadline.
    C.  All-State auditions are September 15th at Keswick Christian. Applications need to be in the Chairman’s hand by September 1.  The fee is$15 per entry.  No personal checks will be accepted, only school checks or band booster checks.  Late applications will be fined.  The fine is $50.00 for submitting the application late, $100 on the 8th calendar day after the deadline.
    D.   All-State Jazz Band Auditions
    E.   Schedule for auditions will be on a first come first serve basis.
    F.   PLEASE SCREEN YOUR STUDENTS CAREFULLY!  This is an audition for exceptionally talented and prepared students.
    G.  Small Schools Honor Band & 7th & 8th Grade Honor Band Nominations Fee is $15.00 per school.  Complete forms should be sent to respective Chairman whose name and address are on the form.
    H.  Marching Band Festival is November 3 at Clearwater High School.  We are trying a new format this year:  all bands are required to stay for the whole festival, plaques will be given out at the end of the festival.  A committee was formed and will discuss the new format.  Some ideas presented for a new festival format are: charging middle school students $1 per ticket;  model our festival after the choir festival where every band is in a block of time and each group is required to stay for their whole block; random draw for performance time-not according to classification, an 8th grade mass band to play the Star
Spangled Banner, and a mass high school band to play the Star Spangled Banner.

ITEM NO. 9 - OTHER FESTIVAL DATES AND SITES:
Solo and Ensemble is February 8th and 9th, site Gibbs High School.
        Motion Randall/Wood:   Have Solo and Ensemble at Gibbs High School with back-up sites at Osceola High and Countryside High.  Passed.
High School Concert Band Festival is March 15th and 16th, site TBA
        Motion Kile/Lucas:  Have concert festival at Pinellas Park High with a back up at Mahaffey Theater.  Pending letters.
Middle School Concert Festival was originally scheduled for March 21-23.
        Motion Stovall/Lucas:  To move the Middle School Festival to April 18-20 and give priority to those who have two groups performing (band and choral).  Passed.

ITEM NO. 10 - ADJUDICATORS FOR FESTIVALS:
Marching Festival:  Mark Nelson (Music Performance), Donald Varner (Music performance), Paul Wilson (Marching and Maneuvering), Bert Cresswell (General Effect), and Janie Varner (Auxiliary).
High School Concert Festival:  Bert Cresswell, Lee Ponder, Jason Duckett, and Cindy Berry (Sight Reading)
Middle School Concert Festival:  Randy Sonntag, Eric Miles, Jan Coolman,  and Brian Sullivan (Sight Reading).

ITEM NO. 11 - NOMINATIONS FOR ADJUDICATORS LIST:
Motion Lucas/Kile:  Nominate Diane Suris as a percussion judge for Solo and
Ensemble.  Passed.

ITEM NO. 12 - SUGGESTIONS TO MUSIC COMMITTEE OR CLINICS COMMITTEE:
    There were none.

ITEM NO. 13 - PROPOSALS TO EXECUTIVE BOARD:
    Motion Meredith/Fuoco:  All forms be put on computer rather than have to be typed.  Rationale:  Too difficult to get access to a typewriter.  Passed.

ITEM NO. 14 - CORRESPONDENCE

ITEM NO. 15 - GOOD OF THE ASSOCIATION:
Robin Benoit passed out a survey to be filled out to update the Flex List.
Robin Benoit asked to borrow any working string instruments from anyone that might have them.
Seminole Sound Competition is October 6 at 4:00 pm.
Golden Invitational is October 20 at 2:00 pm.
Frank Williams has a jazz publication out through FGH entitled “Guava”
Robin Benoit addressed Middle School All-County--we are still doing it, she is accepting ideas for clinicians
Jane Lucas spoke about PYS.  Auditions are September 8 at Osceola Middle. If there are questions call 438-3149 or email at pysmanager@yahoo.com
Tony Fuoco announced there will be a Middle School All-State Jazz band new this year.
Tony Fuoco informed everyone that the duets for Solo and Ensemble are on the web page.
Robin Benoit announced there will be an All-County Middle School Jazz Band this year.  They are still looking for a clinician.

ITEM NO. 16 - NEXT DISTRICT MEETING--DATE AND PLACE:
    November 14, 2001 at Keswick Christian at 7:00 pm.  Florida Music Service will be there.
ITEM NO. 17 - ADJOURNMENT:  The meeting was adjourned at 10:52 am.
Motion   Dunsizer/Ehrmann.  Passed.

Respectfully Submitted,

Hannah M. Ehrmann, FBA District IX Secretary