GHBOB UPDATE

FRIENDS, can you believe it? This is our LAST email blast of the 23-24 school year! But lest you think there's nothing left to talk about, THINK AGAIN, because we still have ​

TONS of news to share. Please read on!

1. ANOTHER BIG WEEK: It might be the end of the school year, but you wouldn't know it with our program's level of activity. The last seven days saw two traveling concerts by two of our student groups, plus two big farewell events - and you can click here to read about all of it and see photos on our web site (under the headline "One Busy Week"). Enjoy!
2. MARCHING BAND PERFORMANCES: This week provides two more opportunities to see performances by the GHHS Marching Band. On Thursday, the current seniors and squad leaders will provide music for the City's annual Blue Star Mother's event, at 7:30pm at Memorial Park. You can click here for more details. Then on Saturday, the entire GHHS Marching Band will step off together one last time to lead the city's annual Memorial Day parade. The parade begins at 10am and travels First Avenue from Cambridge to Oxley. See you there!
3. 
   CELEBRATING OUR SENIORS: In case you have missed it, we are in the middle of daily posts recognizing each of our eight graduating seniors over on our private GHBOB Facebook group. Not a member of the group? Join up today and catch up on what you may have missed. We use the group to boost communications and share photos and last minute information too, so it's a good idea to join to stay informed. 
4. 
   SQUAD LEADERS ANNOUNCED: GHBOB congratulates the following GHHS students who have been selected as squad leaders for the 2024 edition of the GHHS Marching Band: Ben Carini, Carmen Cunningham, Peyton Debelak, Annabel Dimes, Ben Donahue, Luna Gupta, Porter Knouff, Luke Lobao, Quinn Markle, Finn McKelvey, Sean McKelvey, Ben Ritzman, Charlotte Ritzman, Lucas Schmied, Sophia Szabo-Ramsey, Allie Wahl, Jeremy Wurster, and Maddie Young. (Editor's note: is this the first time we have had TWO sets of Band siblings serve as squad leaders in the same year? We need a Band historian!)
5. 
   BAND CAMP MATERIALS: REMINDER for ALL FAMILIES with students who are participating in that 2024 GHHS Marching Band - we need your band camp materials! Please click here for the band camp web page, and note the "quick links" for registration and payment - both of which are DUE ON JUNE 30!
6. 
   GHBOB ELECTS NEW OFFICERS: At the GHBOB's final meeting last week, we elected new officers to lead us for the 24-25 school year. Congrats and our HUGE THANKS to Jennifer Kinsinger (president), Molly Schmied (vice president), Jay Carini (treasurer), and Natalie Glenn (secretary) who will serve on the Board this year (I will also continue as communications officer). All but Jay and me have taken on new roles, and Natalie is entirely new to our Board - WELCOME NATALIE!! We are still working on a full-year meeting schedule, but our next meeting will definitely be on Thursday June 20 at 6:30pm in the GHHS Band Room - feel free to join us!
7. 
   A CALL (CRY?) FOR HELP: GHBOB-er Bob Rutter has agreed to take on the leadership of the fall concessions operation (thank you, Bob!) but he needs more hands and would LOVE to assemble a committee of additional volunteers so he can have a second in command, third in command, and hey maybe even a fourth and fifth. Can you be one of them? Email Bob directly by clicking here, or just let us know by replying to this email. PLEASE NOTE that we welcome the help of jazz parents, middle school parents, and orchestra parents for this work - the more the merrier, and the funds we raise are used to support ALL of our students. And there are jobs to do that don't require you to be at the games on Friday nights, like organizing cleanup, ordering and picking up food supplies, meeting vendors for deliveries, and so on. Truly, there's something for everyone!
8. 
   SUMMER COMMUNICATIONS AND UPCOMING VOLUNTEERING: Finally, just a note to say that unless you have a marching band student, you won't hear from us as frequently over the summer months as you do during the school year (I know, I'll miss you too). But please stand by and be ready to help with two big fundraising activities as the school year kicks off again - the GHBOB Decal Drive (August 18) and operating that concession stand during home football games (August 3, September 6, 20, 27, October 25). Please mark your calendars NOW and plan to help, as these are all big volunteer needs for our group! MARCHING BAND FAMILIES PLEASE NOTE that we will also need a LOT of volunteer help for Band Camp, including overnight volunteers to chaperone in the dorms, so please click here to check your background check status and plan to sign up to help as soon as we have a signupgenius to share.

 
UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES
MAY
23     LAST DAY OF SCHOOL +
         Blue Star Mother's event (select GHHS MB)
25     Memorial Day Parade (GHHS MB)
JUNE
20   GHBOB meeting
30     2024 BAND CAMP FORMS/PAYMENT DUE
JULY
15  Pre-Band Camp rehearsals begin (GHHS MB)
21 Band Camp begins (GHHS MB)