A party! – Mark your diary.
We thought it would be great to start the year with a parent social so all our new and old families can get to know one another. One of our new, year 7 parents, Amy Sonnen has very generously offered to host it at her house.
Details will follow but it will be Friday March 22 from 7pm – All parents welcome.
AGM and usual membership meeting will be Monday March 25 at 7pm at the school.
Help Wanted – the committee “jobs vacant” list
At our last meeting I said I would sent out a list of tasks that we need parents to volunteer for. Some are small, some are one-off and some roles need to be ongoing to replace long-serving committee members. (job-sharers welcome) -Quite a long list but please read through carefully as there is something for everyone!
Contact Celia for any more details on any roles.celiadonovan@optusnet.com.au
Ensembles Parent – one per group
The Ensembles Parent is needed at performances to ensure that everyone is there (crowd control) and to police uniform. This includes putting black gaffa tape on non-compliant shoes (and ankles) as well as delving into spare uniform box as needed.
Trevor Graham has already said YES to being strings parent – thank you Trevor! All other groups need a parent.
Qualifications needed: Happy to boss teenagers around
Communications/Annual Report
It would be great to have someone to help Lidia with program communications. This would involve liaising with Lidia, Murray, Donna Celia etc to coordinate regular communication, promote the programs and get good coverage for what we do both in the school and possibly outside. Specific documents:·
Promoting events to parents (camps, concerts)
Promotional brochures and info to parents
Bits and pieces for website
Occasional press release to Wenty and Southern Couriers
Updates for DP news
Annual report
- QQualifications needed: Keen to be involved ongoing as you need to be across what is going on – needs to attend committee meetings.
MEP HR/Policy/Paperwork
MEP are a significant employer of music conductors
Similarly to IT, MEP have a lot of paperwork relating to employment (letters of employment, job descriptions, tutor handbooks) and paperwork relating to tours and camps (forms etc) that needs to be consolidated in one spot and kept up to date. Again, this would a one off task to create a documentation resource that could be easily accessed and updated by the program’s administrative assistant.
Qualifications needed: You will know if this is you.
“Official Photographer”
Takes pics at our events- David Lew has kindly offered to continue in this role, unless he is out of the country on business – thank you David.
Secretary
This is Trish’s last year as Secretary. A new secretary is needed. The Secretary is part of the Executive and attends all committee meetings (2 x per term ) as well as extra meetings if needed. Takes the minutes and circulates these. Maintains email lists of those persons who need the minutes.
Sends out minutes and agendas before meetings and provides minutes for upload to the websites.
Qualifications needed: helpful if you’ve taken minutes before, but keen persons please apply – Trish is around all of 2013 to do comprehensive hand over.
Assistant Treasurer
Someone to help Nick Fitzsimmons as needed and to be a second signatory on the cheques – this is a small role that would not be time consuming.
Convenor
Current Convenor Celia Donovan is trying to step down and 2013 is definitely my last year as Convenor. The role has been pretty huge but with more parent help, it would not be a massive job. Main tasks are to be a point of contact for decision-making which is three way – involving the school, the Director and the MEP executive (and membership) To set annual goals and ensure these can be funded. To chair the MEP meetings and generally be across all aspects of the program.
Qualifications needed – Music is very important to your child’s education and you have the confidence to make decisions – Celia is around 2013 to do full hand over
The IT Administrator
We have a number of IT systems that were put in place by a very talented parent. They include a free PHP database which is used for both membership and group emails, a wordpress website, Facebook, Twitter a wiki, domain, server and so forth. All work well, and all are understood by the talented parent, and our very capable admin assistant. We would like someone to document the system – including all the passwords and back end workings so it continues to serve the membership well and that the knowledge can be transferred to new people.
Qualifications needed: Understands the preceding paragraph and would like to undertake this task – a one off
Music Library
Copies and logs our sheet music – a task undertaken at the school. A big thanks to Rosey Jones and Maria Kedar for doing this job. Best done by two friends, who have time in the day to work at the school, scanning and printing sheet music. Thanks also Maria for offering to photocopy the concert programs for 2013.
Events/Barbecues/Socials/Concerts
MEP tops ups its income with successful fundraisers. We usually raise at least $10K per year through BBQs at our own two concerts (mid year and end of year) + the primary choirs and primary bands concerts. In addition we raise significant funds catering the annual NSW bands festival at UNSW, now a whole-of –school initiative. All the money goes back into our program to benefit all ensembles. There are many roles, some ongoing and some one off, perhaps a small team of friends is willing to take some of these on.
All of the past fundraisers are substantially documented so no-one would be going into these jobs blind and Celia (who has coordinated all of these for the past three years ) is around in 2013 and 2014 to support handovers.
Barbecue Coordinator – thanks to Brenden for stepping up oin 2012 – the role involves shopping for saussies, ice, drinks and liaising with school re BBQs etc a core team of helpers is ideals to make it all work.
·Volunteers for events – We have a good time at our events and it’s a good way to meet other parents. Parents are asked to help out at least once a year.
Oganise a raffle? We’d love to have a raffle for our mid year concert. If this is your thing please put your hand up.
· Cake stand – at our mid year and end of year concerts, are very popular and successful – if you can coordinate it involves emailing the parent body and being there to coordinate the stand.
·Combined choirs – caters for 400 primary students and friends, Similarly the combined bands – both events need a coordinator. In the past catering has been a sausage sizzle and a soft drink but in 2013 we anticipate making it easier for ourselves by serving pizza.
·Brilliant ideas department – We are actively looking for new ideas to make our own MEP concerts and events better social events.
Events and fundraising people try to come to all committee meetings.
RBSC Music Ensemble Program 