Role Models
* * *
Aniah
AniaHope@aol.com
* * *
A MB fic. Fantasy of next year, possibly. Rant. One shot. Spontaneous. Here we go.
* * *
It was 9am, the second to last Monday in August. The band room was stifling; the AC worked well in every other part of the high school but there. Woodwind instruments would be out of tune beyond reasoning. The band director had brought name tags, permanent markers, clip boards, and breakfast fixings. Life was good, I reasoned.
"Let's get started," he said, rolling up his sleeves and promptly turning control of the first 2003-2004 staff meeting to his second-in-command, the DM. She was one of my good friends. Actually, almost all of the students were. 14 out of the 20 staff this year were juniors, like me.
"I've made up some guidelines with help from some of you," she pulled out a large roll of durable paper from nowhere. She unfurled the garish yellow paper proudly; it had taken a select few of us three hours to revise it:
1) All staff are role models for underclassmen, newbies, and the less serious members of our band. If there are any disagreements among you, then our efficiency will fall apart. Please keep personal issues off of the field and try to get along. If there's a serious problem talk to me or the director.
2) All sections will be given outside and inside locations for sectionals. Please keep your sections intact and focused. Freshmen in particular seem to need attention. If you need your drill instructor to help, don't hesitate to ask them.
3) Drill instructors will step out during set-to-set practice and make sure their whole section is good with each move. Each section will have a field chart for both shows and the DIs will be required to memorize who goes where.
4) Have fun, keep up the spirit, and GO KITS!
I was proud of us. I was excited. After two years of watching the upperclassmen take charge and be biased, it was our turn to run things. I anticipated a smooth, fun season. With a last point from the DM the guys went to go paint hash marks and I started to clean up. It was the beginning of a new generation of marching band staff.
* * *
I'm going out for spirit leader, clarinet drill instructor, and guaranteed the position of photographer for next year. This is how I hope our first season as staff members for the class of 2005 will go. Cheers!