News

January 12, 2021

Greetings fellow Alumni Band members!

We hope each of you had a nice holiday season.  Whether you celebrated with family or stayed close to home, we wish each of you the best in 2021.  

Past Events

The 2020 Annual WVU Alumni Band, Inc. meeting was held via Zoom on Tuesday, October 13, 2020.  The following are highlights from the meeting:

1. Dr. Cheldon Williams spoke to the membership about the WVU Marching Band and how things have been going in dealing with the challenges faced with COVID-19 restrictions during football season.

2. The President, Mary Lechliter-King, gave an update about what the board has been working on since the 2019 homecoming event. 

3. The Chairs for Merchandise, Becky Campbell, and Bylaws, Theresa Smith, were announced.

4. Membership voted to approve an increase in membership dues.  The new amount is $35.00.  Anyone paying their dues by March 31, 2021 will only pay $20 with an early bird discount. 

5. 2020-2021 Officers were elected.

President - Mary Lechliter-King

Vice President - Angelia Barnett

Secretary - Hope Poole

Corresponding Secretary - Dave O’Neal

Treasurer - Wanda Hembree

Website/Membership - Sarah Bennett-Harper

Equipment Manager - John Sinsel

Pep Bands - James Burkhamer

Adopt-A-Dot Campaign Updates

We continue to raise funds for the new Alumni Band Practice Facility.  We have currently sold over 185!  Thank you to those who have already participated. Former Pride Assistant Director, David Satterfield, has shared with us his support for this new facility.

Being the Assistant Director of the Mountaineer Marching Band has been one of the true honors and highlights of my career. Each and every year, the Pride of West Virginia touches literally tens of thousands of West Virginians with a visible display of State tradition, pride, and excellence. More importantly, this iconic group provides life-changing experiences for the 300+ members each and every year.

2020 marks the 40th anniversary of new Mountaineer Field ---- Mylan Puskar Stadium. During that time, our athletic facilities, programs, notoriety, and our place in football history has evolved significantly. Sadly, the same cannot be said for the rehearsal facilities of the Mountaineer Marching Band. It is time for a new practice facility and I applaud the efforts of everyone involved in this heroic undertaking.

A new practice facility will assist with recruiting as well as provide a rehearsal space fitting the excellence which continues to be a hallmark of our program. It is well past time for a dedicated, modern, and versatile rehearsal facility for the Pride of West Virginia. I am proud that our institution has seen this need as a priority for investment and support. I hope you join me and consider supporting this effort as well. 

Sincerely,

David Satterfield

Director of Asset Development and Associate Professor of Music

Former WVU Marching Band Assistant Director, 1983-1992

Former WVU Marching Band Percussion Coordinator, 1981-1982

Former WVU Marching Band Percussion Instructor, 1980

For more information about the practice facility or to purchase a dot, please go to https://give.wvu.edu/pridepracticefacility.  For a more economical option, please remember that you can purchase your dot with a monthly payment plan.  

Upcoming Events

Auctions - The WVU Alumni Band, Inc. will be launching a new auction fundraising event at the end of January. More information will be provided in the coming days about the first auction item.

February Membership Meeting - Members are invited to attend our February meeting tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, February 9, 2021.  Registration information will be provided around February 1, 2021.

2021 Membership Dues - Event Payment

Membership renewal for 2021 will be processed as an "Event" from our website.  Starting Friday, January 15, 2021 you will need to go to the website and login to process your payment.  You will find the 2021 Membership renewal under the Event tab or on the homepage under Upcoming Events.  More information will be released on January 15^th about paying dues. 

We rely on membership dues to pay for our website, storage unit, insurance, and office supplies, to name a few. Without your dues, we will not have an organization.  Fees for homecoming only pay for homecoming events and do not fund our general operating costs. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at info@wvualumniband.org.

Stay safe and Let’s Go Mountaineers!

Sincerely,

Officers and Board of Directors, WVU Alumni Band Inc., 2020-2021

September 20, 2020

Greetings fellow Alumni Band members!

Let’s Go Mountaineers!  After months of uncertainty, NCAA football is finally underway and our Mountaineers are off to a great start for the 2020 season.  We hope each of you will try to catch a game by radio or TV throughout the season and sing Country Roads with each victory.

Upcoming Events

Although Homecoming events are cancelled, we will be holding our 2020 Annual WVU Alumni Band, Inc. meeting.  The meeting will be a virtual Zoom meeting on Tuesday, October 13, 2020 at 7:30pm.  This is a member only meeting.  Those members with current paid membership will receive more information about registration for the event.

Adopt-A-Dot Campaign Updates

We continue to raise funds for the new Alumni Band Practice Facility.  We have currently sold over 100 dots!  Thank you to those who have already participated. Former Pride Director, Don Wilcox, has shared with us his support for this new facility.

The project of providing a long-needed all-weather practice facility for the Pride of West Virginia is one that has been dear to my heart for many years.  From our years of practice at the infamous “Mud Bowl” with its ankle-deep puddles, to eventually our paved parking lot by the Coliseum which was the band’s happy home for many years, it has been a long journey of almost 50 years.

The idea of an actual indoor facility [covered pavilion] for the marching band was a dream of mine for almost half a century, and maybe the time has finally come!  I would love to come back for Homecoming and share such a wonderful facility with the band that will always be Number ONE in my heart. 

Let’s get it built! 

Don Wilcox

Retired, Director of Bands Emeritus, West Virginia University

WVU Marching Band Director, 1971 - 1998

For more information about the practice facility or to purchase a dot, please go to https://give.wvu.edu/pridepracticefacility.  For a more economical option, please remember that you can purchase your dot with a monthly payment plan.  

WVU Alumni Association Pride Webinar

If you weren’t able to participate in the WVU Alumni Association live webinar WVU Check In: The Pride of WV, with the new Pride Director, Dr. Cheldon Williams, and Dean of the College of Creative Arts, Keith Jackson, be sure to check out the recording here. Together, they provided an update about the marching band, the new Pride practice facility, and other programs at the College of Creative Arts.

Finally, if you haven't paid your 2020 dues, please do so as soon as you are able. We rely on that money to pay for our website, storage unit, insurance, and startup money for fundraising events, as well as office supplies, to name a few. Without your dues, we will not have an organization.  Fees for homecoming only pay for homecoming events and do not fund our general operating costs. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at info@wvualumniband.org.

Stay safe and Let’s Go Mountaineers!

Sincerely,

Officers and Board of Directors, WVU Alumni Band Inc., 2019-2020

Dear Member:

I hope this finds each of you healthy during this difficult time. I have updates that I would like to share.

It is with great sadness that I announce that the Board of Directors has voted to cancel Homecoming 2020 events. This has been a difficult decision and not one that any of us take lightly.  After many conversations with both Athletics and the band office, it was determined that hosting events this year is not possible. We won’t be able to host a party, be allowed on the field, or have use of the CAC at all. With the current orders in place by the Governor of WV, the parade is also highly unlikely. Also, seating availability at the stadium can’t be confirmed for an organization of our size.

We graciously ask that you consider applying monies that you would have used for Homecoming toward our Adopt-A-Dot campaign. The Pride isn't traveling this season, and the band office has assured us the travel fund is stable. Monetary donations would greatly benefit the new practice facility construction as well. For more information about the practice facility or to purchase a dot, please go to https://give.wvu.edu/pridepracticefacility.

Finally, if you haven't paid your 2020 dues, please do so as soon as you are able. We rely on that money to pay for our website, storage unit, insurance, and startup money for fundraising events, as well as office supplies, to name a few. Without your dues, we will not have an organization.  Fees for homecoming only pay for homecoming events and do not fund our general operating costs. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at president@wvualumniband.org. 

Thank you! Stay safe and see you in 2021! 

Mary Lechliter King
President, 2019-2020 WVU Alumni Band, Inc.
Morgantown, WV 

Adopt-A-Dot

Pride Practice Facility Campaign

The Officers and Board of Directors have announced a new fundraising campaign called "Adopt-A-Dot" in support of the WVU Pride Practice Facility.  Please read the announcement on the homepage to learn how you can participate!  

 Please read the latest news concerning the Pride practice facility and upcoming fundraising opportunities.

Pride Practice Facility_Updates and Fundraising Opportunities_4302020.pdf

Please read the press release at WVU TODAY about the Pride practice facility.

https://wvutoday.wvu.edu/stories/2019/11/11/wvu-seeks-to-build-pride-of-west-virginia-practice-facility

Our 50th Anniversary Homecoming is a story of growth, evolution, diversity, inclusion...and most importantly Magic and Love. Some things NEVER change...and we are ALL uniquely blessed by that extraordinary constant.

The Pregame drill we all know by heart was written by Don Wilcox around 1975 to both accommodate a growing organization and as a gift of love to former students so they would continue to feel a dose of the magic. For over 40 years, the drill has not changed except to “amoeba” the pictures to accommodate larger numbers of returning veterans. Old folks run around with paper charts (GASP) and try to squeeze countless more bodies into the original wVu. It’s getting crowded out there.

Over the years, many folks have mentioned not just the need to tweak the traditional drill to accommodate our growth, but the wish we could somehow be even more integrated with The Pride during pregame. Both the Board of Directors and the Band Office have shared the same vision. For over a year, the BOD brainstormed ideas to make our 50^th Anniversary extra special at pregame.  After many discussions with the Band Office, we were all able to make that dream of performing with The Pride and perform Simple Gifts come true. 

Thanks to Dr. Scott Tobias, who took on the challenge of writing a massive drill for approximately 700 bodies, and Dr. Stephen Lytle, who collaborated with him and took on the challenge of modifying The Pride’s pregamedrill...and has the personal courage to believe we can pull it off and lead this massive effort with a little over an hour of Alumni Band drill setting and no joint rehearsal beforehand.

The Pride and the WVU Alumni Band will field a joint pregame show never seen before.  Friends, I’ve had a chance to see the drill...in motion...on the fancy cell phone app the kids use these days. It’s Brilliant. I’m telling you here and now...THIS IS GOING TO BE GREAT!!!!!

As I’ve grown older these last few years, I’ll admit the thought of the run on and then having the ability to execute the downfield medley has given me pause. I know many of you share those concerns, but Wild Horses Could Not Keep Me Off The Field This Year.  So, my friends please take a second look at the music downloads on our website and make sure you have ALL of the tunes printed.

Contributed by: Ellen Ramey

Happy 50th!! What better way to celebrate our 50th Anniversary than by being together with friends who are now family!! We have come a long way in 50 years.  Here's to our next 50!

We have had a busy year.  We were invited back to march in the Pittsburgh St. Patrick's Day Parade.  Members had a wonderful time and we plan to attend again in the future.

Additionally, we have been working all year long on many projects. Wanda Hembree, Dave O'Neal, and I went to the Alumni Band Symposium in Seattle Washington. We were invited to share our experiences as being a long running alumni band program.  I went with the attitude that we have our stuff together and, look at us, we give The Pride $5,000 each year. Well, let me tell you, I was blown out of the water by what Ohio State, Wisconsin, Texas, Florida, Georgia and others give to their bands. They have budgets that are in the MILLIONS - yes, you read that right. I just couldn't believe it. So, if they can raise that kind to money, so can we!!

We got so many great ideas from all the Universities that attended. Fundraising was a topic of interest for us as The Pride begins its journey to erect a new practice facility.  We received great tips for forming area pep bands to play for hire at parties, tailgates, weddings, birthday parties, and funerals. You name it, we can play it! We will be in need of many people to help coordinate this project as we want to have groups prepared to play all across the country!  More information will be coming out soon about how you can participate.    

We are also in the early stages of planning a WVU Alumni Band, Inc. Gala event.  There will be so many new ways for members to volunteer in support of The Pride while enjoying time with our extended band family.  Watch for email announcements and updates on our website as new events develop (www.wvualumniband.org). 

If you have any other questions, please feel free to email me. I'm looking forward to seeing all of you at Homecoming!! 

Sincerely,

Mary

Mary Lechliter King, President (2018-2019)

WVU Alumni Band, Inc.

president@wvualumniband.org

Greetings and welcome to the 49th WVU Alumni Band, Inc. Homecoming!

We have had a busy year. We participated in the Pittsburgh St. Patrick's Day Parade, WVU Alumni Basketball game and a group went on an International Tour.

We have been invited back to the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Pittsburgh for 2019. If there is something that you would like to participate in, please let us know. We have found that events over the holidays don’t work for our members, so please keep that in mind.

I would like to welcome our new band director, Steven Lytle, to our Pride Family.  I have had the chance to meet him in person. He is very excited to have an alumni band to work with and has some ideas for us.  We are looking forward to working with him more in the future. We will keep you posted on any upcoming projects/ideas.

Registration for 2018 WVU Homecoming events will open Monday September 3^rd.  Please be sure to read the official notice that will be sent out by email announcing registration.

I can't wait to see all of you for our Homecoming Weekend! Safe travels to all, and see you October 5^th & 6^th, 2018!

Mary Lechliter King, President (2017-2018)

WVU 2018 Homecoming weekend will begin Friday October 5th with the annual parade.  Saturday, Oct. 6th the Mountaineers take on the Kansas Jayhawks.  Time to be determined.