Be Prepared – Programming with GSUSA

In the 2011 fall edition of The Podium, chapters were urged to evaluate their current programming and to consider utilizing the National Programs as guideposts for future chapter projects.  In this article, we will consider the use of one of these programs:  “Scouting For Music”.

Girl Scouts of the USA has over 100 Girl Scout councils and 3.2 million Girl Scout members.  You can locate the girls and troops within your area very easily by using GSUSA’s Council Finder.  Programs for the girls are based on the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, where girls discover, connect, take action and become stronger leaders.

The Girl Scouts National Program Portfolio (the materials designed to assist girls along their adventure) includes The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting and three themed Journeys:  “It’s Your World – Change It!”, “It’s Your Planet – Love It!”, and “It’s Your Story – Tell It!”.  The new Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting includes the new Legacy Badges.  In addition, Skill Building badges are also available for the girls to earn.

The transition to the new Program Portfolio has brought about some changes including the retiring of badges such as the Brownie’s “Sounds of Music” Try-It Badge and introduction of new badges like the Junior’s “Musician” Skill Building Activity Badge.

Become an advocate for girls interested in learning about music.  They are the future of our collegiate bands and the future women in music.  Contact the closest council to begin your conversation with local Troop Leaders and girls.

Need help starting your program? Email National VP for Special Projects, Kevin Earnest at kevin+scouting@tbsigma.org.

Musically Yours,

Kevin Earnest, Gamma Mu, Life Member

Tau Beta Sigma

National Vice President for Special Projects

March for Music

Will you join the March? March for Music, that is.

As you may already know, music programs all over the country, and especially in the southeast, are being cut due to lack of funding for the arts. The Southeast District of Tau Beta Sigma, in accordance with the Tau Beta Sigma Alumni Association, aims to raise money for struggling programs through fundraising, donations, and walking at March for Music. As members of our two organizations, we believe music is an important way to grow, learn, and live in life. And so, the Southeast District of Tau Beta Sigma will extend our reach next March, beyond the collegiate field, to strive to keep music in the educational curriculum of the next generation.

March for Music is an 11-hour walk-a-thon style event, where participants join teams to walk or run around a track. Each team is asked to have at least one representative on the track at all times, however, more than one is encouraged. With each team also having a designated “team area” for them to congregate. Each team will also be encouraged to sell merchandise, food, and/or other small items to raise their donation total. The eleven hours you dedicate towards this event represents music and the ability it has to affect our educational, social, and professional periods of life. Music does not cease during a lifetime, and neither will it during this event. Join us for an unforgettable day that will help shape and effect young musicians forever.

The March for Music event will be held in Marietta, GA at Jim Miller Park on March 9, 2013.

Things you need to know to register for March for Music:

• All participants must individually register for the event. Individual Registration is $15 with a mandatory additional direct donation of $5, so $20 total.
• The “Team Leader” must create the team before individuals can join their specific team. Team Registration requires a $100 minimum donation (payable by cash, check, or card). The goal is that each team is sponsored by their individual chapter, band program, or university, as well as raises money to donate to the event. All proceeds will directly benefit the 3 sponsored schools for this year’s event.
• The deadline to register individuals as well as teams, without a late fee, is February 1, 2013.  This will allow shirts to be ordered, as well as allows us to be prepared for the amount of people in attendance. After the February 1 deadline, an individual late fee of $15 and a team late fee of $50 will be imposed.

Although this is a Tau Beta Sigma event, we cannot do this alone. As sisters, we need the brothers of Kappa Kappa Psi to strength us as well as to grow, hence why our organizations were made together in the bond. Invite everyone you know who is a supporter of the arts, this is NOT a strictly ITB event. Create a team made up of band members, or the 4 musical greek organizations, or your neighborhood… this is a community event and a community project. Let us join together to establish music and the related arts as mandatory curriculum in schools.

Visit our website below to read more information about the event, see the schools we are sponsoring from around the Southeast, and TO REGISTER!

Website: http://tbsmarchformusic.webstarts.com/

Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/SEDMarchforMusic

Follow us on Twitter @SEDMarch4Music

If you have any further questions, please email me at sedvpsp@tbsigma.org.

 

With music all around us,

Belinda Baker

Tau Beta Sigma

Southeast District VP of Special Projects

Kappa Kappa Psi District President

Developing leaders through tradition.

Promoting music through service.

In the Southeast we have a lot to be proud of. We are the district where leaders are born. Our strong tradition of leadership has placed us among the best in the Nation and it is time that we honor that.

Brothers from the Southeast District have gone on to join many ranks, including that of National President. They have each held instrumental roles in shaping our fraternity to what it is today. Ken Corbett (ZX),elected National President at the 35th National Convention, worked to strengthen our ties with Phi Mu Alpha, helped us adopt a uniform national membership education program and developed the Chapter Field Representative Program. Kirk Randazzo (ZX) began the Diversity in Music Speaker series, as well as the Service Showcase at National Convention. Scott Stowell (AH) was the first National President in modern history to serve in all four of the National Council elected positions, He began a long term-strategic plan for our fraternity that included a mission and vision statement. This is just to name a few of our brothers who have been active on the Kappa Kappa Psi National stage

Three of the seven members of the National Board of trustees are brothers of the Southeast District. The Kappa Kappa Psi National Flag was created by G.R. Schagg a brother from the SED. The brothers from our district are constantly recognized for excellence in music, service, and brotherhood.

This year at Southeast District Convention we will be celebrating our tradition of leadership. You will get the chance to have an open dialogue with leaders from the Southeast, bond with brothers and sisters from our great district, and participate in meaningful workshops that will help you strive for the highest in all that you do.

AEA,

Ema Ashley

Kappa Kappa Psi

Southeast District President

Zeta Eta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi Takes Top Honors

Republished from scsu.edu News Archives, 2012 

For more than 30 years, the Zeta Eta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity has represented all facets of the University’s Band Program.  This national fraternity is dedicated to service and music performances. Recently, the Zeta Eta Chapter of the Kappa Kappa Psi was recognized during the organizations Southeast District Convention held at the University of Central Florida, Orlando, Fla.

The Southeast District is comprised of seven states; Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and South Carolina. During the convention, members of the organization attended several workshops, meetings and group activities. At the conclusion of the conference there was an awards banquet and the Zeta Eta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi captured three of the highest honors; the Raymond D. Shannon District Leadership Award, the Outstanding Service Award and the J. Lee Burke Student Achievement Award.

Devoted to becoming leaders in a global society, the Zeta Eta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi received the Raymond D. Shannon District Leadership Award for the following service project: the ‘SC State University Honor Band Clinic.’  In 2011, Florence, S.C. native Latrondrick Hunter, a senior music education major at SC State University, reinstated the SC State University Honor Band Clinic. This four-day clinic recruited high school students across the states of South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. It presents all participants with the opportunity to rehearse and perform with a renowned band clinician. During the clinic, participants engaged in sectional rehearsals and master classes with members of the University’s Band Program with a closing concert on Sunday with a notable band clinician.

Alphonso Counts, a senior music education major at SC State University and member of the organization since 2009, is elated about the opportunity awarded to high school African-American students. “We reinstated a clinic predominately for African-American students amongst South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia. We are presenting students with the opportunity to become better musicians, helping to keep music in schools.”

The Zeta Eta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi also received the Outstanding Service Award for their committed service to the Orangeburg community. The organization also hosts several community service events in the Orangeburg community such as the following; a high school band camp, a high school band day and a band appreciation day.
After receiving two of the highest honors in the district, Latrondrick Hunter took home the most honorable achievement of them all, the J. Lee Burke Student Achievement Award, the award given to student leaders who have made an outstanding contribution to college bands and the Fraternity.  In honor of Dr. J. Lee Burke who served as the grand president from 1925 to 1967. Hunter, who currently serves as the president of the Zeta Eta Chapter, received the highest national award a student can receive. “I was shocked and at a loss of words, when I received this award. As a student from a Historically Black Colleges and Universities, (HBCU) out of the pool of students from six other states, it was a great feeling,” said Hunter. “It is great to know that my name will always be a part of the history and legacy of Kappa Kappa Psi he continued.

Hunter has served in several leadership capacities at SC State University. He has served as a former drum major for the Marching 101 Band, overseeing more than 300 students, and he is also a 2010 alumnus of the Conn-Selmer Institute for Music Educators, one of the most elite manufacturers and distributors of band and orchestral instruments. After graduation from to SC State University, Hunter plans to attend graduate school.

In 2010, Avery Daniels became the advisor to the Zeta Eta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi and transformed the organization on campus. Daniels is excited about the direction of the organization. “The Zeta Eta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi has evolved and is becoming more visible on campus and in the community. Members of Kappa Kappa Psi have been elected to serve as presidents and vice-presidents in other organizations on campus. We are an organization of leaders. It feels great to be recognized for all of the dedication and commitment that we have for the University’s Band Program,” he exclaimed.

All Theta, All Lambda

By: Jessica Luhrs, Theta Lambda Chapter of Tau Beta Sigma, Auburn University

Occasionally at larger chapters, sisters can experience a lack of contribution from the chapter.  Sisters sometimes rely on others to rise to the occasion and serve their band while they just sit on the sidelines.  At Auburn University, our chapter of Tau Beta Sigma currently has 46 members, and sometimes we fear that we will be one of these larger chapters that don’t have all of their sisters contributing.  However, at Auburn we have a saying called ‘All Auburn, All in’, that was originally used during the 2010 football season to rally support for the team during games.  Now, along with the SED’s new operation 100%, the sisters of Theta Lambda have set a goal to be ‘all in’ in everything that we do, and to have 100% participation in all that we do.
Since we are sisters of Tau Beta Sigma, we know that it has been an honor to be selected for us to serve our band and music department.  We therefore strive to be first and foremost a service organization that is 100% committed to helping our bands and music department in any way possible.  For Theta Lambda, this starts by completing our normal service projects that we have throughout the year, as well as being on call for our graduate assistants in the music department.  This includes helping out during band camp with our marching band by distributing uniforms to all 380 marching band members, including fitting all of our new members for their uniforms.  We’re called upon to help out the marching band when they go on away trips by distributing per diem.  We also help out throughout the season by overseeing plume distribution and mending uniforms throughout the season.

Sometimes these tasks can demand a lot from our sisters, such as when we hurry around our music building trying to find the right uniform for someone knowing that there’s still 10 people waiting in line to be fitted for their uniform.  Being in charge of plumes, we have to make sure to gather the plumes the moment that we finish performing one of our shows, which means that there’s usually sisters running throughout the band in order to collect everyone’s plumes.   Sometimes the marching band is required to leave for away trips as early as 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning, and our sisters are still expected to be up and handing out per diem to the band.  Instead of focusing on the stress that these tasks can sometimes give us, we instead focus on the positive things that we’re getting out of serving our band, such as knowing that because we fit all of the new members for their uniforms, we have an opportunity to get to know our freshmen and interact with them.

We also try to be all in by not only serving our band and music department, but by serving our community and country as well.  Every year we come up with new ideas to help our community out.  For example, this year we’ve decided to buy toys to give to children in the Philippines for Christmas, as they typically don’t receive anything during the holiday times.  By creating new service projects, we can continue to be enthused about helping out our community and country, which helps give us even more of a reason to be all in.

The sisters of Theta Lambda are so all in when it comes to serving our music department and community because of the bond that we’ve developed between us.  Developing the bond between us is something that we are all in to as well, by incorporating Tau Beta Sigma into every aspect of our lives.  For us, this is something as simple as catching up with one another before practice or rehearsal, or grabbing a bite to eat before chapter.  This bond that we’ve developed then helps us get strength to get through a rough week, because we know that we can always count on our sisters to lift us up when we need it.

Our sisters of Theta Lambda come from high schools and bands across the country, and are in different colleges and have different majors from one another.  We have sisters who hold leadership positions such as section leader, and we have sisters that are simply members of a band here at Auburn.  Though we have a large chapter full of differences, as sisters we have learned how to come together to give 100% to our band, music department, community, and ourselves by being all in, all the time.