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Huron Expositor, 2000-07-05, Page 66 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, July 5, 2000 Featuring... Band marches on after surviving chopping block, funding crisis By Susan Hundertmork Expositor Staff Last year's- funding crisis for the Seaforth District High .School All Girls' Marching Band has brought support from all over Huron County. for the almost 50 -year-old hand: Before we cried out for help. people had gotten apathetic and didn't realize what they had. Nobody wants to see the hand fold. but it took a crisis .in'the education system to bring the communities together," says. hand executive member Penny Breen. "Since .we launched the appeal. we've raised over $3.0041 from communities all over Huron County." she says. As well. a recent hour --year grant of $33.000, was received by the hand from the Trillium Foundation.. Members of the hand executive thought they might •he facing disbandment" last February when new provincial funding formulas for education caused the Avon Maitland District School 'Board to start looking at whether or not it could continue-l'unding.the "dozens of.outside groups" it had traditionally r'unded. _ The girls hand. which executive members were shocked to learn was ...The Seaforth All -Girls Marching Band no longer •considered a school pmgram Fiy the hoard. was told that its atknual hudget of 53.700. plus the . yearly salary of bandleader Charles Kathtleisch: who had heen paid by the hoard to run the hand "for 21. years.. were on the chgpping.htock: Following several delegations by, the .hand to the school hoard. along with a new hoard policy expecting outside groups to apply yearly for funding, the band • Stant Hilgendorff photos -. Sandra Pepper (band Member from 197143, plays an older tune on the glockenspiel while her daughter, now a band member; Lesley, gets her saxophone ready. Ban memorabilia to be displayed • in Seaforth town hall lobby The.Iobby of Seaforth's "town hall will Noon be. the new location for a display of memorabilia and awardsof the Seaforth District High School A11 -Girls' Marching Band. -1.year and a half ago, the band display, disappeared from outside the gym at thee., high school and no one knows why, tt will. move to.town hall this summer." says band executive member Penny Breen. Seaforth administrator Jack N1cLachlin says the town offered display and storage space for the band's memorabilia when the high'school was"believed to be closing earlier this year.• , • "Wei offered permanent _Storage space and the display will be up as,soon as possible." he says. The display will show a history cif the ,,band :with original uniforms troth the band's formation in the 1950s, as well as awards and plaques won over the years by the band: "Most people don't get. to sec the awards and plaques that have been carred alt over North America," says Breen. retained its $ 3 . 7 0 0 funding last year. But. a decision about this year's funding from the board has not" 'yet been announced. "We're not holdin4 our breath Avant the funding hut if the board lets us keep the. -storage space ,and practice space at the highschool ' as. well as the transportation agreement, we'll he happy. The education director said last year that none of that is casting the hoard any money." says Breen. She adds that the hand is "extremely grateful" for tie support it's been receiving lately from the Seaforth community. Both the Seaforth Lions Cluh and the Seaforth Agricultural Society are now "tinnily hehind us," she says.. ' The.. Lions Club ran Saturday's barbecue at Lions Park during the hand's all - years reunion. an annual fund raiser than has been held at Goderioh 's Harbour ' Park since 1995. ' • "The Iasi time we .held a fundraiser•in Scalbrth was in 1994 at the high school but it , got to the point that we were doing so much to raise so tittle that, we changed ,thct, *location." sans Breen. - , While the hand raised 52.000 each year' when it hegan holding the fund raiser- in arerin Goderich. the totals have decreased to S1.70()in recent years so the hand decided to change locations again. And, while the :Seaforth Lions turned dowh the. band when it fir-st approached them .last fear to sponsor an application' for Trillium funding; the Seaforth Lions have. since renewed. their commitment to the hand. "They -didn't understand -at the time that sponsoring us wouldn't affect their chances for ,funding and they .had several, projects they wanted - to apply tor. They didn't realize that" it would just mean .lending ' us their charitable donation number until we, can get our tiwn,'' says.Breen. :Instead. the Godcrich Lions.Club was•cniisted -and its sponsorship helped them receive the Trillium funding ;this :spring ut S 10.Ol0 each year -tor. the first two years, and then `58,111(1 and 55.000 for years three and fiver. "We'll he -affiliated with the Goderich Lions for the next lour years .while they adn)inistrate that' grant [Honey." she says. ' • But, along with running •the hand's barbecue last weekend. the Seaforth Lions , have pledged to help the , hand "in any. way we can and whenever we can.:" says Seaforth Lions member Joe Stealer. • • ".I'm very. very proud to say I'm from the Seaforth high school in the.50s and 60s aid the hand .is still a part of our community and :high school. It'sour privilege todo something in return,liar what the hand has done for us,' Those girls have -hr. -ought international attention to 'Seaforth." says Steffler• . Steffler. himself pledged to help the hand during its tight last year to retain school hoard funding. feel the hoard cif 'education really let the hand down by -taking it out of the school's hudget and I decided wanted to do anything cotitd to help the hand." he says. • • "The Seaforth kions are in for the tung"haul..As tong as my heart is pumping, we'll he there for the hand. You can't measure what they do for the community." says Steiner. •' The Seaforth Ag Society has also been helping the hand by providing practice space- in the Agripicx:. whenever school ,facilities - were heing used tcir something else. While the, Ag Society hriginally planned to help with the barbecue: the. July I date conflicted with its annual tractor elimination draw. "We're hehind :them 1(11) per cent and hope they're -always able to stay -in- ,our -i town." says .Ag Society president Gord Glen. "The hand is notable with inanq successes to their -name.: They've always participated. in our fall fair.parade." • Along with prpviding practice ' space when. necessary. Gien says the. Ag Society will also be happy io provide space for - any fund raisers the hand [night plan in Seaforth. • Breen says many Seaforth. businesses have also been donating funds- and supplies • for the ha thecae. such ,,s coffee. rCduyect ?ate. 1141 groceries and charcoal: As well:. the town ul Seaforth provided the hand with a 51.1((1 grant hoth last year and this year. • - "Dollar tUr ckrtlar, Scati,rth is doing extremely well compared with tither communities in helping the . hand." says Breen. She adds that the hand needs to partner will all 'communities ,n. -Huron County. since the hand members Come from all over Huron. Donations of: -money and supplies have recently come front many communilics such as Dungannon. _Egmc[ndcille. Auburn.. Clinton and Brussels. • And. Breen. points out that since the hand has a 525,1001' annual hudget. fund raising will continue. it, he an important sourcc'ot revenue for the hand. In tact. the • Trillium funding aipulatcs that the hand must. continue its past fund raising efforts: . - " The hand. which.hegan to 1952. has 91) • incrnhers ranging.in age from 12 to It is the only all -girls hand in - Ontario. the one of only three marching hands" iii `Ontario . ,tnd has to turn- down 10 invitations for every one ,t accepts.. `Members pay Only 52,5 ion' enrollment in an effort Jo Weep the: hand open for everyone. The hand travels, to 5" . parades a year•aS well as various other events • ,n Canada and the. U.luted States; Every, March `the hand, t travels to Myrtle Beach` South_Carolina for a week ,,t:. performances and has also opened in Florida'. Disney.:: World for the. Legends in Concert show :aid. played ;it • .Busch Gardens and the Blue Jars spring training tames to Dunedin: Florida. The Nand has been invited • by World -Youth Music to play in*london,. England and Paris. France ,n 2.002. However. Breen ,sn"t sure •the hand will he able to meet • 'its annual hudget i'eywrcments and do separate fund raising tor aEuropean tour. i tVith tiles /rr„ii .luliu 1tefch. . Goderich Sir;rral-Star.calf) A community barbecue was held Saturday at Uons Park as part of the bands reunion event. Scott Hilgendorff photo Former members toned with current members at the Seaforth All -Girls Marching Bond's reunion and barbecue fund raiser. Among the members, past and present are: Mary Flannery (1961-64), Sondra Pepper (1971-73), Brooke Miskie (1991-97) Carol Ryon (Flannery -1959.61), Jessica Wheeler, Becky Brugger, Lauren Snell and Lesley Pepper. Barri members performed Friday at Seaforth Manor and Saturday in Uons Park.