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News from the WVU Alumni Band in Morgantown, West Virginia. To arrange an interview with a WVU Alumni Band officer or member, please John Sinsel.
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  • 13 Mar 2024 2:16 PM | Sarah Harper (Administrator)

    Greetings!

    As all of you know, within the past year, the Alumni Band began updating its Performance Dress Code. In 2024, we will see the Alumni Band continue to update its visual image – a practice that has been adopted by many College and University Alumni Bands across the nation. Our goal is to sharpen our image, both at Pep Band and Homecoming events and blend with The Pride at joint events – something that has been very well received by the University community and the public.

    • Pep Band Events
      • Blue Gig Shirt (a long sleeve option is available for colder months)
      • Khaki Pants (during the warmest time periods we will offer an option of khaki shorts)
      • Tennis Shoes
    • Homecoming
      • Blue Pants or truly DARK Blue jeans
      • Dark shoes/dark tennis shoes/dark socks
      • White Alumni Band Ballcap (see #2 below)
      • Shirt
        • Parade: Blue Gig Shirt (sleeve length according to weather conditions)
        • Game Day: Gold Polo Shirt
    • Gold - Blue Spring Game on April 27, 2024 
      • Blue Gig Shirt
      • Jeans (The Pride is also wearing jeans.)
      • White Ballcap (The Pride will wear a white ballcap. You may purchase the WVU Alumni Band ballcap during our upcoming merchandise sales or wear another white WVU hat.)

    ADDITIONAL DRESS CODE INFORMATION

    1. We are doing our best to hold costs down for members. Merchandise Chair Scott Mahaney has researched and secured vendors with the lowest price points available. If you encounter hardship, please reach out to the Alumni Band Executive Committee.

    2. Hats: White hats for Homecoming are optional this year, but the official hat will be required in 2025. If you do not wish to purchase a hat at this time but have another white WVU hat, you may wear it for Homecoming 2024. Going forward, combined events with The Pride will require the official white hat. We also wish to incorporate them into Alumni Band Pep Band events when situations permit.

    3. If there is inclement weather, we will make adjustments for any event concerning attire.

    4. Please recall that you signed a release understanding the Alcohol Policy and Ticketing Policy for Homecoming. This year, we will also ask you to sign a Dress Code Policy demonstrating your understanding of the changes. We intend for these changes to become permanent beginning in 2025.

    Our next merchandise sale is scheduled to launch March 18th and will include the Blue Gig Shirt, the Gold Polo Shirt, and the White Hat. Another sale will be available in late summer as Homecoming approaches. 

    The Alumni Band originally launched as a Homecoming-only organization. Fifty-five years later, we are a year-round organization dedicated to representing West Virginia University, the College of Creative Arts, and the WVU Band Office as ambassadors at many public events. Our calendar is expanding this year to include more social events for our members in a variety of locations. Please join us now as we evolve and grow!

    With Pride,

    John Hendricks, III – Retired – Professor Emeritus, Director, WVU Alumni Band

    Ellen Woods Ramey, Ed.S. – Assistant Director, Performance Chairperson, WVU Alumni Band

    Executive Committee, WVU Alumni Band 2023 - 2024

    Al Hall, President

    Angelia Barnett, Vice President, Fundraising/Event Chairperson

    Amber Light, Secretary

    Theresa Smith, Treasurer


  • 22 Feb 2024 7:00 PM | Sarah Harper (Administrator)

    You are cordially invited to attend the March membership meeting of the WVU Alumni Band, Inc. The meeting is being held virtually (via Zoom) on Sunday, March 3, 2024, at 7:00PM. This is a member-only event for those that paid their 2024 dues for a "Full Membership." You must RSVP in order to participate. Please click here to register.

    Zoom credentials will be sent to registered members on Saturday, March 2, 2024.  We hope to see you there!

    Sincerely,

    Officers and Board of Directors, WVU Alumni Band Inc., 2023-2024


  • 19 Feb 2024 2:29 PM | Sarah Harper (Administrator)

    The Alumni Band Board of Directors will now be filling two open seats from the candidates that expressed interest earlier this month.

    Jeff Caplinger resigned in November due to moving his family to live overseas. Sean Sawyer resigned from the board on February 13 owing to differences in the vision and operation of the board. We thank both Jeff and Sean for their time and contribution to the board over the past year.

    The Board will share the names of the new Directors once they are vetted and appointed by the board in the coming weeks. Both of these seats are up for re-election in October.

    Sincerely,

    Al


    Al Hall

    President, WVU Alumni Band, Inc. 2023-2024

    AlHall@wvualumniband.org


  • 13 Feb 2024 1:08 PM | Sarah Harper (Administrator)

    Happy February Everyone!

    There are a few announcements about the Michigan "Tribute to Don Wilcox" trip, in July, that I need to pass along to everyone. These announcements are vitally important, and I encourage everyone to read everything!

    FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT - After some lengthy discussions with the Wilcox family, John Hendricks and myself, we must make a one-day date change for the trip. This is being done to accommodate Mr. Wilcox's schedule. This date change is a small one, but we wanted to let everyone know as soon as new arrangements had been confirmed. The trip has shifted by one day and will now be Wednesday July 10-Sunday, July 14. Below is the overview for the trip:

    • Wednesday - July 10 - Rehearsal in Morgantown. For those who need accommodations for a night in Morgantown, we have worked out a special price at the Holiday Inn - University Area. This hotel is behind Ruby Memorial/Stadium area and a short distance to the CAC.
    • Thursday - July 11 - Travel day to Detroit, Michigan. Dinner and OVERNIGHT IN DETROIT
    • Friday - July 12 - Morning tour in Detroit and then travel to Northport, Michigan (lunch included). In the evening, group dinner at the high school, dress rehearsal in the auditorium and then the tribute concert. OVERNIGHT IN TRAVERSE CITY
    • Saturday - July 13 - Fun Day on Mackinac Island. OVERNIGHT IN TRAVERSE CITY
    • Sunday - July 14 - Travel day back to Morgantown (lunch included)

    While we hope everyone who has already registered can accommodate the date shift, those who cannot will receive a full refund.

    SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT - The program has now changed to be just a concert band performance. Almost everyone who registered was interested in performing in both a concert band and marching band. However, our instrumentation and participation numbers are more along the lines of a concert band. We still plan on doing pre-game music, however. We will be playing a pre-game medley for concert band that was arranged by Mr. Wilcox.

    THIRD ANNOUNCEMENT - Several people have shown an interest in meeting us in Northport for the concert. For those of you who would like to do this, I need you to reach out to me via email with your intentions. There IS a cost for this type of participation - $70 per person. This covers a performance shirt, facilities/instrument rentals in Northport and dinner before the dress rehearsal. We are asking everyone to eat dinner together before the concert as we prepare for this special evening. Once you have reached out to me via email, I will send you an invoice for payment. This invoice can be paid online.

    FINAL ANNOUNCEMENT - While we have a nice group registered, we do need more participants. I ask that you consider participating in this event and honoring Mr. Wilcox. Especially needed are woodwinds and concert band percussionists, however, no one will be turned away from this important (and historic) event. Given this, we have extended the registration deadline to March 16, 2024.

    Thank you for your patience and understanding on all of this. Let’s Go Mountaineers!!

    Jeff (‘84-86)

    Jeff Caplinger

    Owner/Operator

    All About Destinations

    allaboutdestinationstravel.com

    allaboutdestinationstravel@gmail.com

    843-793-8505

  • 29 Jan 2024 3:51 PM | Sarah Harper (Administrator)


  • 27 Jan 2024 8:42 PM | Sarah Harper (Administrator)

    To our WVU Band Alumni:

    We are excited to kick-off our 2024 membership year! We have some exciting events you will not want to miss. 

    New for this year

    This year we are offering two membership levels; Pep Band Membership and Full Membership.

    Pep Band Membership is for a member who only wants to play for pep band performances during the year without attending membership meetings, participating in other member only events, such as homecoming, serving on committees, or having voting rights. Pep Band Membership will be $5.00 for the year and you will be required to purchase the official Navy Blue Pep Band T-shirt.

    Full Membership continues to include:

    • participation in membership events, such as homecoming;
    • participation in pep band events;
    • participation in membership meetings, including having voting rights; and
    • committee participation.

    Full Membership dues are $40.00. However, if you pay your dues by March 31st, an early bird discount will apply, and the dues payment will be $30.00. The earlier you pay your dues, the more you can enjoy the events that the Alumni Band has to offer.

    Membership renewal for 2024 will be processed as an "Event" from our website. Starting today, you can go to the website to process your payment. You will find the 2024 membership renewal on the homepage under "Upcoming Events or under the “Membership Payment and Event Registration Portal” tab.

    We rely on membership dues to pay for general operating costs, including but not limited to:

    • storage unit
    • insurance
    • website and database/domain
    • accounting fees
    • office supplies

    As a reminder, any event fees that the Alumni Band takes in for events like Homecoming pay for member related event costs and do not fund our general operating costs.

    We are moving toward a fully electronic payment system for dues and events.  However, if you need to pay by check, please see the mailing address below. If you have any questions while processing your membership, please contact Sarah at Webmaster@wvualumniband.org. If you have questions about your payment, please contact Theresa at TheresaSmith@wvualumniband.org.

    We look forward to a successful year for the WVU Alumni Band and hope to see YOU at our next event!

    Please reach out to any Board Member, Officer, or Committee Member if you have questions or suggestions to make the WVU Alumni Band better! Board Members and Committee Members may be found at our website under the “About Us” tab on the left and clicking “Board of Directors” or “Committees”.

    Sincerely,

    Officers and Board of Directors, WVU Alumni Band, Inc., 2023-2024

    WVU Alumni Band, Inc.

    WVU Alumni Association

    PO Box 4269

    Morgantown, WV 26504

  • 07 Jan 2024 4:24 PM | Sarah Harper (Administrator)

    Hello Everyone! 

    This is the email that everyone has been waiting for. The WVU Alumni Band is happy to announce the 2024 travel/tour schedule.

    • July 2024 - "A Tribute to Don Wilcox" Michigan Tour
    • November 2024 - "Support The Pride at Macy's" NYC Tour

    In July, the alumni band will be traveling to Michigan to honor former director Don Wilcox. The band will perform a concert ("A Tribute to Don Wilcox") in Northport, MI where Mr. Wilcox currently lives. This concert will tentatively feature the Northport Community Band (NCB) as well. Mr. Wilcox was the conductor of the NCB for several years. The tour will be 4 days/3 nights and include a stay in Detroit, a visit to the Henry Ford Museum, a 2-night stay in Traverse City and a full day to explore one of America's favorite tourist destinations... Mackinac Island (ferry ride included). This tour is open to all WVU Bands alumni whether you are a member of the alumni band or not. If you had Mr. Wilcox as a director, this is your chance to give back to a man who shaped many of our lives. If you did not have Mr. Wilcox as a director, this is an opportunity to honor him for setting the standard that the band has enjoyed for the past 53 years! Former director and current alumni band director John Hendricks will be coordinating and conducting the concert. We hope to have a marching band and concert band component to the concert. The marching band portion of the program is open to former marching band members, twirlers and flags/silks/color guard members as well. While the concert band portion is open to all musicians, this band will be playing some of Mr. Wilcox’s favorite concert pieces.  Some of these will be challenging and may not be for everyone. The marching band portion of the program will feature the pre-game music and “Walk Him Up The Stairs/Old Man River”. Literature for the concert band component has yet to be determined.

    Registration for the Michigan tour will open on Monday, January 8, 2024 (link below). The participation limit for this tour is 220. However, after one motorcoach has been filled, additional participants will be put on a waiting list until a second, third and fourth bus (hopefully) can be filled. Our maximum is 4 buses for this tour. We must fill each bus before opening up the next bus to make this tour viable. Spouses are welcome to participate in this tour.

    In November, the alumni band will be traveling to New York City to support the "Pride of West Virginia" in their second Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade performance in 8 years! All About Destinations (group travel company owned by Jeff Caplinger - WVU Band 84-86) will be partnering with Performing Arts Consultants (tour company of The Pride) to make this tour possible. The tour will include:

    • 9/11 Museum and Memorial,
    • Empire State Building,
    • Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island,
    • Broadway musical,
    • Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular (featuring the world-renowned Rockettes),
    • Thanksgiving Dinner, and
    • Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. 

    In addition, there will be lots of time to explore NYC on your own and also do some early Christmas shopping. The venues for this tour were suggested from comments by band alumni on the social Facebook page following Thanksgiving. Registration for this tour is now open. This tour is open to all WVU Bands alumni whether you are a member of the alumni band or not. There is no participation limit for this tour. However, after one motorcoach has been filled, additional participants will be put on a waiting list until a second bus can be filled. Our minimum to make this trip viable is one bus of 50 people. There will be no performance by the alumni band on this tour. Spouses are welcome to participate in this tour.

    Both tours have been designed to keep the cost down so that more band alumni can participate. However, it is difficult to put a price on honoring Mr. Wilcox or supporting the current "Pride" members in a performance-of-a-lifetime. You can participate in one or both of these wonderful opportunities!

    Please share this information on your personal social media pages and spread the word! The WVU Alumni Band is hitting the road in 2024! Hopefully, you can join us. Questions should be addressed to Jeff Caplinger. He can be reached via Facebook Messenger or by email at allaboutdestinationstravel@gmail.com.

    Links for more information:

    Michigan - July 9-13, 2024 - Registration opens on Monday, January 8th.

    A Tribute to Don Wilcox Tour

    Macy's (NYC) - November 27-30, 2024 - Registration for the Macy’s tour is now open.

    Support The Pride at Macy's Tour

    Sincerely,

    Jeff

    Jeff Caplinger

    Owner/Operator, All About Destinations

    PO Box 3005

    Elkins, WV 26241

    allaboutdestinationstravel.com

    allaboutdestinationstravel@gmail.com

    843-793-8505



  • 10 Nov 2023 10:50 PM | Sarah Harper (Administrator)

    Great news! We have started an online fundraising campaign with Lynch Creek Farm. Every time you shop online through our group's fundraising page we receive 15% back from your qualifying purchase. It really is that easy! Check out their brochure for a sampling of their most popular products!

    You can support our efforts via our online storefront at https://www.lynchcreekfundraising.com/f/1640846 OR by visiting www.lynchcreekwreaths.com and entering our Campaign ID #300852 in the “Supporting a Fundraiser” section of the order form.

    If you have any questions, please contact Angelia at AngeliaBarnett@wvualumniband.org.

    The proceeds from this fundraiser support members of The Pride for events such as the band banquet, band picnic, as well as member stipends and items for graduating seniors. 

    Thank you for your support!


  • 08 Nov 2023 4:23 PM | Sarah Harper (Administrator)

    The WVU Alumni Band is rolling out new merchandise for the 2023 holidays!!

    We have new items with our new logos and some Homecoming items that are back by popular demand! Plus, we have a little something for the kids and babies in your lives.

    These items are available to anyone and everyone, and they make great holiday gifts! They include a gold polo, the raincoat and quarter zip, our “Married Into It” shirt, a t-shirt for children, a onesie, the white hat you saw at Homecoming 2023, beanies, a blanket, and a tumbler.

    We are using two different vendors for this warehouse, so make sure to check out all the items! The deadline to place your order is Sunday, November 26, 2023.

    Click here to see items from Vendor #1.

    Click here to see items from Vendor #2. 

    If you have any questions, please contact Scott at ScottMahaney@wvualumniband.org.


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  WVU Alumni Band, Inc.
  WVU Alumni Association

  PO Box 4269

  Morgantown, WV 26504


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