10/21/17 - NSBA in Kearney

The Final Saturday is upon us.  Thank you for being part of the Pit Crew this year.  It has been a great marching season and it has been fun working together.  

Saturday starts at 6:30 pm in the KHS Band room where we need those on the crew who are not working/volunteering to help host the event, to help the Pit move the equipment around the West side of the High School, through the South parking lot and to the South-west corner of the football field area.  We will help the Pit set up the equipment, wagons and sound system in preparation for their performance.  IF you are one of the volunteers helping host the event, when Columbus (the band right before Kearney) has left your area, please join our band and help us get our Pit on and off the field.  You will be able to volunteer for either the afternoon or evening shifts and still be able to help our Band's Pit Crew.


The Band marches in competition at 7:45 pm.  After the competition we will hold the Pit equipment at the South end of the field while we wait for UNK's performance and Awards.  We will send the Pit students to join the Band after their performance to get pictures taken.  After the Awards we will help move the Pit equipment back to the Band room.  The trailer will not be used for the Band at this performance.

After everything is over, if you are available, we would appreciate any help with clean-up.

Thank you all for helping to make this a great marching season for our students.
 
You are appreciated!

Remember to wear BLUE on Saturday.  Let's represent Kearney well.

Full Schedule - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18ZsbbSmn22mWwE6pGG5hm_oBumwABjQHtVLF0dypM74/edit?usp=sharing

9-11 am	Rehearsal at Kearney High School
4:30	The Last Supper at Kenwood Elementary
6:30	Load (in uniform) at Kenwood and depart for KHS (take everything)
6:45	Warm Up Sequence Begins
7:45	Perform at Kearney High School and then photo
8:30	Awards (stay in uniform)
	Clean up!

10/14/17 - Lincoln LPS competition

Thank you to everyone who helped in Grand Island last weekend.  You make Kearney proud.
Great support for our students, our Directors and our Band.

This Saturday is the Lincoln LPS Competition at Seacrest Field at 3:45 pm.
Seacrest Field in Lincoln is at 75th and 'A' streets.  (GPS coordinates:  40.798958,  -96.621382)


We will leave KHS at 11:00 am on Saturday.  This should get us to Seacrest in Lincoln at 1:00 pm.  Look for the blue trailer and the Bearcat buses in the west parking lot.  The Band has an hour and a half to watch other bands before we start getting ready.  We will unload the battery percussion and flag carts, and sousaphones by the buses starting about 2:30 pm.  It would be best if the whole crew gathered by the buses before we went to the field staging area in order to start getting ready.

Then we will move the trailer to the North end of the field to unload the pit equipment.  This is probably around 3:00 pm that we will be down on the North end of the field getting everything unloaded and ready.  There will numerous bands there on the back side of the buildings North of the field, so we will need to be efficient and probably will not have a lot of room to spread out while we get ready.

The Band performs at 3:45 pm.  We will enter the field from the North end, just like we do at UNK.  The Band will enter from the North end with us, just like we did at GI.  Remember that once the Band takes the field after everything has been set up and we have exited the field, even if something falls, we cannot enter the field to assist (it's a penalty point).  It's all up to the students during the performance.  This is also a timed performance.  We have 15 minutes to get on the field, perform the show, and get everything off the field.  So when we are getting off the field, get it all loaded up and get past the goal line quickly.  Once everyone is past the goal line, our time is over and we can resume a 'normal' pace.

After the performance, we will load the pit equipment in to the trailer and then return to the buses in the parking lot for the rest of the equipment.  Awards are at 5:00 pm.  After awards, the Band unloads and puts equipment away, then we load the battery percussion, flags and sousaphones back on the trailer in preparation for travelling back home.  At 5:30 the Band departs for the Mall for supper and at 7:30 we leave for home.  We should arrive home around 9:30 pm and unload the trailer.

Remember to wear blue.  Contact Ed if you have any questions.
Thank you for helping - we're glad you're on the team.

Competition Schedule
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzXdkV9tc-b3QTZNdDRMb1FxT0h6YVF3aGpRNXVVd0prQ01j/view?usp=sharing 

Seacrest Field Campus Map

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzXdkV9tc-b3S3dES1pEYlY4WFB1NHRERjExc1FCeVpZZG84/view?usp=sharing

Instructions

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzXdkV9tc-b3ZjloY3RDLVVTeDg/view?usp=sharing

10/13/17 Football Halftime

Here is the plan for Friday's game.  Remember to wear BLUE.

The Band meets at the UNK Fine Arts building at 5:30 pm.  I will have the Band Trailer on the South side of the Library by 5:30 pm. (this is just East of Fine Arts)  I need a few guys to help unload battery percussion, sousaphones, flags, etc.  Then we move the trailer up to Foster Field.

Right before the game starts, we could use most of the crew that is available to unload the Pit percussion so they can set up and warm up.  Then we can go watch the game up until about 5 minutes left in the first half.  By 5 minutes left in the second quarter we need to have all Pit Crew members at the Band Trailer at the North end of the stadium.  We will prepare to move the Pit equipment out on to the field and then after the show we will move it back to the trailer and load the trailer back up.  When we load the trailer, we need to be preparing it for travelling to Lincoln on Saturday.  I will then move the trailer back to the South side of the Library, East of Fine Arts.

After the game, if you could help make sure all the percussion stands and sousaphone stands come back to the trailer, that would be great.  Then, we need a few guys to help load the battery percussion and sousaphones back on to the trailer once the Band is back to Fine Arts.  Once we're loaded up, we will take the trailer back to the High School.  It does not get unloaded because we are headed for Lincoln on Saturday.

If you are available and want to help load the trailer on Friday afternoon at 2:30, you are welcome to join us.  We have students that help, but if you want to come help you are welcome to come.

If you need to update your entry on the Availability Doodle, please do so ASAP.  This helps us make sure we have enough scheduled help to run the Pit Crew at the Competitions this week for Lincoln and next week for NSBA.  Thank you.

Note that you should be receiving a text reminder from me on Thursday or Friday.  IF you do not receive a text, please let me know so I can get you on my text group list.  This could be important on Saturday because the current forecast in Lincoln is rain and I'll use text to notify the team.

Remember to wear BLUE.  Thank you for being on the team.  Your help is valuable to the Band and it is definitely appreciated.  Every one of you makes a difference for the success of the Pit Crew.  See you on Friday.

First October Weekend

All hands on deck.  We're off and running in October.  We have a few guys missing for GI, so we need everyone available helping to be able to get the job done.  You are appreciated!

The inineraries for the three October competitions are online and updated by Mr. LeFeber.  Click here for all KHS Band itineraries.

On Sunday, 10/8/17 at 4:00 pm we need to paint the two subwoofers and two speakers black.  We will do this by the trailer at KHS.  IF you are available and want to help do this, please contact Ed.  We need about 3 or so people to help with this. 

If you have not completed the Availability Doodle, please click here to enter your times for the three weekends in October.  You can also update your entry as needed.

Thanks for being on the team.  We're glad you're here.  Remember to wear blue. 

Friday 10/6/17 update:
Here is the list of names I have for who is on the crew.  KHS is now requiring I give them a list of names that they admit to the game through the North gate for Pit Crew.  Let me know if you know of any names I've missed.
Ed Uden, Andy Donovan, Tom Maxson, Sam Littrell, Kevin Sorgenfrei, Jeff Stelling, Keith Wentz, Shaun Clark, Eric Hjort, Dean Buse, Brett Haeffner, Travis Kovarik.

NSBA Volunteer signups

If you are able to volunteer October 21st for NSBA:

Parking volunteers - http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0848aaaf2ea3fa7-nsba3

Spectator volunteers - http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0848aaaf2ea3fa7-nsba4

Band support volunteers - http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0848aaaf2ea3fa7-nsba

Specialty volunteers - http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0848aaaf2ea3fa7-nsba2

Concession volunteers - http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0848aaaf2ea3fa7-nsba1

Thank you for your support of the Kearney High School Marching Band.

10/7/17 - Harvest of Harmoney Parade & Competition

Thank you for helping with the GI competition.  Here is the plan.

The Band leaves KHS at 6:45 am.  The trailer will already be loaded from Friday night's game.

We arrive at Conestoga Mall at 7:45 am.  We unload the Battery percussion, Sousaphones and Flags at the mall.  We are usually on the South-East parking lot of Conestoga Mall.  Any Pit Crew members available that can help would be most beneficial.  This preparation time happens quickly and any help is appreciated.  Once the students are in uniform they take their percussion and sousaphones on the bus with them.  We will leave the trailer parked at Conestoga mall during the parade.  We step off for the parade at 9:00am-ish.

After the parade (10:00am-ish), we meet back at Conestoga Mall to load the Battery percussion, Flags and Sousaphones back on to the trailer and then we take a lunch break.

By 1:00 pm we are at a rehearsal at GI Northwest's football field.  We will unload the trailer for this rehearsal and then reload it after the rehearsal.  This is a full unload / rehearsal / reload the trailer, so any/all of the Pit Crew that can be there is beneficial.  By 2:45 the band will change in to uniforms and depart for GISH by 3:15 pm.

By 4:00 pm we arrive at GI Senior High and unload the Battery percussion, flags and sousaphones on the South side of the High School (North of the field).  Then we unload the pit equipment and prepare for our show.  The Band performs on the field at 4:45 pm.  After Awards we load the trailer and return to Kearney.

Back in Kearney we unload the trailer and we are finished. 

If you have any questions, please contact Ed Uden 308-440-0694.

Remember to wear BLUE.  Let's represent Kearney with great class.

6:45	Depart from the west side of Kearney High School
7:45	Arrive at Conestoga Mall and change
8:25	Arrive for parade
9:00 ish	Step off for the parade
After parade	Depart for mall area for lunch
1:00	Rehearsal at Grand Island Northwest HS
2:45	Change into uniforms
3:15	Depart for GISH
4:00	Warm Up Cycle (Playing/Marching/On Deck)
4:45	Perform at GISH
	Awards (change out of uniform)
	Depart for Kearney (supper in route)
9:00 ish	Arrive and unload

10/6/17 Football Halftime

Here is the plan for Friday's game.  Remember to wear BLUE.

The Band meets at the UNK Fine Arts building at 5:30 pm.  I will have the Band Trailer on the South side of the Library by 5:30 pm. (this is just East of Fine Arts)  I need a few guys to help unload battery percussion, sousaphones, flags, etc.  Then we move the trailer up to Foster Field.

Right before the game starts, we could use most of the crew that is available to unload the Pit percussion so they can set up and warm up.  Then we can go watch the game up until about 5 minutes left in the first half.  By 5 minutes left in the second quarter we need to have all Pit Crew members at the Band Trailer at the North end of the stadium.  We will prepare to move the Pit equipment out on to the field and then after the show we will move it back to the trailer and load the trailer back up.  When we load the trailer, we need to be preparing it for travelling to GI on Saturday.  I will then move the trailer back to the South side of the Library, East of Fine Arts.

After the game, if you could help make sure all the percussion stands and sousaphone stands come back to the trailer, that would be great.  Then, we need a few guys to help load the battery percussion and sousaphones back on to the trailer once the Band is back to Fine Arts.  Once we're loaded up, we will take the trailer back to the High School.  It does not get unloaded because we are headed for Grand Island on Saturday morning.

If you are available and want to help load the trailer on Friday afternoon at 2:30, you are welcome to join us.  We have students that help, but if you want to come help you are welcome to come.

If you have not completed the Availability Doodle, please do so ASAP.  If you need to update your entry, please do so.  This helps us make sure we have enough help to run the Pit Crew at the Competitions the next three weeks.  Thank you.

Remember to wear BLUE.  Thank you for being on the team.  See you on Friday.

09/23/07 UNK Band Day & Bearcat Marching Festival


TIME CHANGES:  Due to Weather, we are moving times up earlier.  We need our Pit Crew at the Band Room by 1:15 pm, NOT 3:30pm.  We will warm up music at 1:45, warmup marching at 2:00 and then perform on the field at 2:15 pm.  All bands will move through much quicker in hopes of getting done ahead of the predicted rain. 

 
We are not transporting any equipment from the High School to the UNK Band Day parade, each student is responsible for getting their own instrument to the parade and back, so we just go and enjoy the parade.

The Awards ceremony from the parade starts off the Bearcat Marching Festival at 1:00 pm at the KHS football field with an exhibition by the UNK Pride of the Plains Marching Band.

The trailer will be parked South of the High School building or just West of the South end of the football field.  We will meet at our blue trailer at 3:30 pm to get set up and then move the equipment on the field and then back to the trailer and Band room after our Band's performance.  No extra stuff with this event - nice having a home-field situation.

3:30 pm Meet on Saturday at the Band trailer at the South side of the High School.

Remember to Wear BLUE.

3:45	KHS Band arrives at the KHS Band Room
4:15	Official Warm Up time begins
4:45	Performance at the Bearcat Marching Festival
5:15	Finished

Click here for all KHS Band itineraries.
 
Many of us will be helping work the Bearcat Marching Festival, so we will need all hands on deck to help get our band ready to perform.  Getting stuff out of the trailer and helping the students move equipment from the Band room around the west side of the building down to the trailer in the Pit area would be very helpful.
Those of us helping with the Bearcat Marching Festival will join our Band's pit crew as we move on to the field.  KHS will be the last band to perform, so we will be done working when our Band takes the field.

Any help with tear-down / clean-up after the event is greatly appreciated.

If you are helping with the Bearcat Marching Festival, remember that we have a 'run-through' on Friday evening.  We will be setting up parking barricades and such, so come prepared to get ready for Saturday.  Meet in the Commons (Cafeteria area) by the Teachers' lounge.

Loading the Trailer

Load Equipment in to the trailer in this order:
+Podium Stands (Center then 2 sides - decks to the wall)
+Tympani4 on left, Tympani3 in center, Tympani2 on right, Tympani 1 on shelf
+First Wagon up on 2x6 loft, push it to the left side
+Small-framed marimba up on wagon (large end on wagon first, swing to front)
+put both wagon handle bars under small-framed marimba
+Wooden Bridge set on wagon-to-shelf span, Blue bass drum on Bridge, strap down
+Second Wagon up on 2x2 loft
+Both Speakers go on left wagon behind small-framed marimba
+One SubWoofer up front by tympani, strap in
+Smaller Marimba up on 2nd wagon (right), small end front
+'Red Wheels' Marimba under wagon 1 to left side, solid wheels first, up to podiums
+Both Largest & Large Marimbas under wagons (Largest w/small end front, Large w/wide end front) - roll them in together, carefully to just past load lock at back of wagons
+Put Gong on right Wagon
+Put 2 Sousaphones on wagons (middle) - can load one on front shelf instead
+Roll Pit Equipment Cart in, load lock
+Roll Battery Equipment Cart in, load lock
+Put wagon decks on either side of Equipment carts on top of load locks
     (1st one w/black side out to wall and 2x4 on bottom, 2nd one 2x4 on top & black to cart)
+Roll Equipment Cart w/Flags in, load lock
+Roll Sound System Rack in on back right corner & strap to wall
+Roll Subwoofer2 in on back left corner & strap to wall

Equipment Cart loading:
1) Pit Equipment Cart
     -Top Shelf:  Piano Keyboard, percussion stands
     -Middle Shelf: 2 Sousaphones
     -Bottom Shelf: Percussion Vault, Both Plume Storage Units
2) Battery Equipment Cart
     -Top Shelf:  Battery Harnesses
     -Middle Shelf: 4 Snare Drums cases, 1 Sousaphone
     -Bottom Shelf: 2 Tenor Drum cases, Bass Drum 1 case, Symbal case
3) Guard Equipment Cart (longer cart)
     -Top Shelf:  Color Guard Flag Bags
     -Middle Shelf: 4 Bari-Sax Cases,
     -Bottom Shelf: Bass Drum cases (5,4,3,2)

Notes:  Left is Left as you are facing the front of the trailer.  Right is right (with the door).

09/15/17 Football Game & Halftime

Here is the plan for Friday's game.  It's basically the same as last week.
Remember to wear BLUE.

The Band meets at the UNK Fine Arts building at 5:30 pm.  I will have the Band Trailer on the South side of the UNK CT Ryan Library by 5:25 pm. (this is just East of the Fine Arts building)  I need a few guys to help unload battery percussion and sousaphones.  Then we move the trailer up to Foster Field.  Once we get the trailer to the field, we will unload the percussion stands and sousaphone stands in to the stadium and put up the rope.

Right before the game starts, we could use most of the crew that is available to unload the Pit percussion.  Then we can go watch the game up until about 5 minutes left in the first half.  At about 5 minutes left in the second quarter we need to have all Pit Dads at the Band Trailer at the North end of the stadium.  We will prepare to move the Pit equipment out on to the field and then after the show we will move it back to the trailer and load the trailer back up.  I will then move the trailer back to the South side of the Library, East of Fine Arts.

After the game, if you could help make sure all the percussion and sousaphone stands come back to the trailer, that would be great.  Then, I need a few guys to help load the battery percussion and sousaphones back on to the trailer.  Once we're loaded up, we will take the trailer back to the High School and unload it in to the Band room.

IF you are available at about 3:00 pm or so, any help with loading the trailer at the High School would be greatly appreciated.  I have the Band kids to help and it would go even quicker if we had a couple of Dads to help.  I'm not asking you to leave work, I'm just offering the opportunity if you are available and would be willing to help.

If you have not filled out the availability schedule, please do so soon (click here).  That helps me know if we have enough help for all competitions and games.  We need to be in the mode of preparing for efficiency at competitions, so doing the same job at each game/competition is the goal.  If you know of any other Band Dads who would be willing to help, have them contact me.  You can also send them to this blog ( bearcatpitcrew.blogspot.com ) for information.

Remember to wear BLUE.  Thank you for being on the team -  your help is valuable and it is appreciated.  See you on Friday.

PS:  Here is the 'job list'.
+Podium Right = Kevin
+Podium Center = Ed
+Podium Left = Eric
+Speaker Right = Andy
+Sound Rack = Shaun & Dave
+Speaker Left = Dean
+Wagon Tympani = 
+Wagon Aux Perc. = 
+Largest Marimba = Tom
+Large Marimba = 
I didn't get it all written down Friday.  Let me know if you're on one of the tasks so I can update this.

Help Needed for Bearcat Marching Festival & NSBA Competitions

You may have already heard, but Kearney High Band is hosting both the Bearcat Marching Festival on Sept. 23rd and also NSBA on Oct. 21st.  This is a great opportunity for the KHS Band.  We need everyone's help to make this an excellent competition event for the Bands in our state.  Please contact Ed if you are available to help with directing Pit traffic at the competitions or with directing Bus traffic, selling tickets, etc.  We are asking that volunteers help with both competitions if possible so that we are fully prepared for the larger event (NSBA).  We expect about 10 bands with about 1000 guests at the Bearcat Marching Festival and around 3000 guests/fans and over 25 bands at NSBA from across the state.  Contact Ed Uden or Andy Donovan with questions or to volunteer for this exciting event.

09/08/17 Football Game & Halftime

Here is the plan for Friday's game.  Remember to wear BLUE.

The Band meets at the UNK Fine Arts building at 5:30 pm.  I will have the Band Trailer on the South side of the Library by 5:25 pm. (this is just East of the Fine Arts building)  I need a few guys to help unload battery percussion and sousaphones.  Then we move the trailer up to Foster Field.

Right before the game starts, we could use most of the crew that is available to unload the Pit percussion.  Then we can go watch the game up until about 5 minutes left in the first half.  At about 5 minutes left in the second quarter we need to have all Pit Dads at the Band Trailer at the North end of the stadium.  We will prepare to move the Pit equipment out on to the field and then after the show we will move it back to the trailer and load the trailer back up.  I will then move the trailer back to the South side of the Library, East of Fine Arts.

After the game, if you could help make sure all the percussion and sousaphone stands come back to the trailer, that would be great.  Then, I need a few guys to help load the battery percussion and sousaphones back on to the trailer.  Once we're loaded up, we will take the trailer back to the High School and unload it in to the Band room.

IF you are available at about 3:20 pm, any help with loading the trailer at the High School would be greatly appreciated.  I have the Band kids to help and it would go even quicker if we had a couple of Dads to help.  I'm not asking you to leave work, I'm just offering the opportunity if you are available and would be willing to help.

If you have not filled out the availability schedule, please do so (click here).  That helps me know if we have enough help for all competitions and games.  We need to be in the mode of preparing for efficiency at competitions, so doing the same job at each game/competition is the goal.  If you know of any other Band Dads who would be willing to help, have them contact me.  You can also send them to this blog ( bearcatpitcrew.blogspot.com ) for information.

Remember to wear BLUE.  Thank you for being on the team -  your help is valuable and it is appreciated.  See you on Friday.

08/23/17 Football Game

The season begins.  Thank you for helping on the Pit Crew!

The Band marches halftime at tonight's game.  We need your help at the start of the 2nd quarter at the North end of Foster Field, by the blue Band trailer.  We will help get equipment ready to go on the field, then move it on to the field at the start of halftime and after the Band has performed we move it back off and load it back in to the trailer.  These first weeks are vital because we are establishing what we each need to be doing for Halftime so that when the competitions start, we know the routine and can execute smoothly.  Come join the team, we have a fun time.

We could also use a few people to help at 5:30 pm at UNK Fine Arts to get the percussion battery and sousaphones out.  Look for the blue Band trailer - we will probably be parked on the South side of the Library (East of the Fine Arts building).  Then again AFTER the game at UNK Fine Arts to load the battery and sousaphones back in to the trailer and then unload back at the new High School Band room.  Students do most of this work, but it helps to have some adults around to assist in loading & unloading at UNK.

Your help is needed and it is appreciated!  Thank you!

Remember to wear BLUE.

If you have any questions, call/text Ed Uden 308-440-0694

Availability Poll

Please click this link and complete the Doodle Poll to let us know which performances you are available or not available to help with the Pit Crew.
Thank you for helping - your help is needed and appreciated.

The Schedule:
08/25/17 Football Game - pregame, Halftime, postgame
09/08/17 Football Game - pregame, Halftime, postgame
09/15/17 Football Game - pregame, Halftime, postgame
09/23/17 UNK Band Day Parade & Bearcat Marching Festival
10/06/17 Football Game - pregame, Halftime, postgame
10/07/17 Harvest of Harmoney Parade & Competition (@GISH) in GI
10/13/17 Football Game - pregame, Halftime, postgame
10/14/17 Marching Competition in Lincoln (LPS @ Seacrest)
10/21/17 NSBA Finals Competition in Kearney (@KHS)

Availability Doodle address:  https://doodle.com/poll/g664qmwfxnn6vnvt 

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Welcome to the Fall 2017 Marching Band Pit Crew.  We have another exciting year ahead of us.  Thank you for volunteering to help move the equipment for the Band.  We're glad you're on the team.  If you have any questions pertaining to the Pit Crew, please contact Ed Uden 308-440-0694.
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