Competition Day
Friday Evening:
Students will normally have a rehearsal or football game in the evening.
Volunteers will help load trailers near the end of the scheduled rehearsal/game.
Saturday:
Students will normally begin the day with rehearsal (either at school or Falling Springs) a couple of hours before departure to the contest.
Students are sometimes fed or given a snack before departing. That will be conveyed to you through the Boosters. Volunteers are needed to help serve meals if we are serving breakfast or lunch.
Volunteers will help finish loading trailers/equipment and the convoy will leave for the contest.
Once the trailers arrive at the contest we will set up in the pit box.
Volunteers will help unload equipment and prepare props/equipment for the performance. Props are normally taken to a staging area close to the field for the performance.
The students normally arrive about an hour after the convoy to the competition site. Students will change into uniform, warm-up, perform, sometimes be fed, sometimes perform again - It all depends on the timing of performances.
Only chaperones with background check requirements may take the students to change in/out of uniform. Other parents/volunteers may not accompany the students to the changing area because other students are present.
There can be quite a bit of down time throughout the day (dependent on performance times). Plan to bring a chair, snacks, sunscreen, work/book, or just hang out and talk to the other volunteers. You can also use this time to go up and watch other bands perform.
When it's time for the band to move to the warm-up area the volunteers helping with the pit will help push the equipment to the warm-up area and then follow the band to the field. Volunteers helping with props will go to the staging area to get props/equipment ready to move onto the field.
Performance Time: Volunteers help move the equipment and props quickly onto the field (by the end of the season we do this in under 3 minutes). Once you have set your equipment you will move quickly to the sidelines to watch the band perform their show. As soon as the band finishes the show the volunteers go back to onto the field to quickly move all of the props/equipment off of the field.
The band might return to the pit box after the performance or stay at the field to watch other bands perform and wait for awards. The pit will always return to the pit box right after the performance. The props will return to either the pit box or the staging area (if we have a second performance).
If there is down time after the first performance the students & volunteers will normally be served a meal (by more volunteers). The students may change out of uniform during this time if they have a while until the second performance or if they are finished performing for the day.
Once all performances for the day are complete the volunteers will help disassemble props and load everything back onto the trailers. The band and the convoy will stay for the finals awards and then travel back to WCHS when awards are complete. Volunteers are welcome to head home once their duties are complete or stay with the band through the awards ceremony.
Trailers may be unloaded at WCHS when the convoy returns to the school or could be unloaded at a later time. That is TBD.