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1. How do I join the TWHS
Band Boosters? That's easy - just show up! Check the
schedule on the home web page for meeting times and events.
2. How do I become a
Booster Board Chairman? Contact one of the Booster Board chairs
by following the link on the Home Page.
3. Why does the web site
not list email links? Why
do we put an unnecessary space in email addresses or ask you to add the
ending to the address? Because there are programs called 'web
crawlers' that seek out email addresses posted on web pages. The
addresses are then sold to spam advertisers. (The term "spam"
comes from an old Monty Python comedy sketch about a restaurant where
just about the only thing on the menu was Spam. e.g., "We have
Spam and eggs. We have Spam, eggs, and Spam. We have Spam,
Spam, Spam, eggs and Spam.....") For email, 'spam' is the
equivalent of junk mail. But without Postal Service regulations
that apply to regular mail, spam can be obscene, crooked, or malicious.
Recently there has been a rise in the number of "phishing" schemes sent out in spam. In these, the email poses as a
legitimate message from your internet provider or your bank and
tries to trick you into entering your personal information - like
your MasterCard or bank account number. We make it a point not
to post the correct email address to make it more difficult for
these bad guys to steal working addresses for their schemes.
Just remember to remove that unnecessary space before the "@" sign.
4. How often is the web
site updated? There is no regular schedule; the site is
updated as new information becomes available. Generally, there is
an update at least once per week.
5. How do I get pictures
of an event posted on the web site? Send them to
communications @twhsband.com. Remember that not all photos may be
posted. The webmaster reserves the right to limit the size of the
file, the content (if deemed inappropriate), and the number of pictures
of the same event. For example: a blurry 5 Mb photo of an empty
stadium would probably not get posted. (Yes, we have received
photos like that!) We will also sometimes crop photos (e.g., to
remove excess sky) so that the size is more reasonable for downloading,
or enhance the photos slightly (e.g., remove 'red-eye', brighten the
photo, etc.) The photo section is meant to document the terrific
kids we have in band and this wondrous year in their lives. All
photos received will be made available to the Band Historian for that
year, whether posted on the web site or not.
6. What's the best way to
contact the band directors? All of the directors have email
addresses posted on this web site. Follow the link on the
Home Page. The band hall telephone number is
(936) 273-8532, and Mr. Johnson's cell phone number is
(832) 257-1640. Please understand that the directors may be
busy at the time you try to contact them. If that is the case,
leave a message and they will endeavor to get back to you about your
situation. For generic questions about band events, try contacting
the Booster parents involved. (For example: How much water should
my child bring to practice?) You might be surprised how willing we
are to help you find your way.
7. What am I getting into
by volunteering to help with the Boosters? With all the
competitions and events during the year, takes a small army of
volunteers to support this world class band!
Remember that what we are really supporting is our kids! It
won't be long before they are grown and off on their own. This is such
a special time in their lives; a time when they learn the social, ethical,
moral, disciplinary skills that will determine their place in the world.
Your efforts with this very special band go a long way towards imparting
these skills to your child. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to
actively participate in their lives - something that's not easy in the
teenage years! So many of you would be willing to help if asked, but
just can't bring yourself to step forward and volunteer. So let me say
this: Take a deep breath, tell yourself that you are smart
enough, good enough, or whatever motivation you need, and then contact one
of the Booster chairs and volunteer to help! When we work
together, no individual needs to be overwhelmed! We are all parents of
kids about the same age - and have all the same joys and concerns that you
have! We will go out of our way to welcome you and to teach you what
you need to know for the job at hand.
8. I need to build an
order form for the event I'm coordinating. Any suggestions?
The Web Master has decided to post a brief list of lessons
for those who produce order forms for TWHS Band events or
merchandise.
Click
here to see the lessons.
9. The annual fees for the
Band and Colorguard seem like they are very high! It's putting a
strain on my finances. What can I do? - Believe me, the
amount of the annual fees is something the Boosters work VERY hard to
minimize. We want all the kids to be able to participate and we
realize that not everyone can just write that check and not be impacted.
This band is very special. It is one of the top ranked high school
bands in the country. The same is true with the Colorguard and
Winterguard. Contest entry fees, travel expenses, and all of the
equipment and support are costly. But if you ask anyone whose
child has been in TWHS band for more than a year, "Is
is worth it?", the answer will be a resounding, "YES!".
The training, the discipline, the camaraderie, the understanding of
success and what it takes to achieve that level of success are all worth
the price. If coming up with the money is a problem, we have
worked to provide ways to raise the money. First off is the
grocery card program. Several stores in the area will rebate some
percentage of the amount you spend on groceries, and that can be used
toward your annual fee. (Click
here for more on the grocery card program.) We also have a
concessions booth at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. There is
some training involved, but you can earn money by working evening or
weekend events there. (Click
here for more info on the Pavilion.) If you have special
circumstances, please contact Mr. Johnson, the Booster President, or the
Booster Treasurer (accounts receivable) and we will
work with you to get the expense covered.
10. My child (lost, didn't
get, ruined) the order form for (name the event). How can I get a
new form? The web master works hard to try to get all
forms issued posted on the web site. If you need a form, try
looking there. If it happens not to be posted, contact the band
directors (for school forms) or the appropriate booster chairperson (for
event or merchandise forms).
11. The forms are in Adobe
Acrobat format (with a ".pdf" extension on the name). Why do we
use Acrobat and how do I print out the form? Adobe Acrobat
is a software package that takes a document prepared either in Acrobat
or another software package (like Microsoft Word) and makes a copy that
can be viewed or printed using FREE software distributed by Adobe.
To get your free copy, click here
Adobe Acrobat
Reader Download (free) . Besides the fact that everyone can use a
universal, free program to print out the document, Acrobat files are
usually much smaller than their parent files and therefore take less
time to download.
12. I found the form I
need, but when I click on the hyperlink, I just get a blank page (or an
error message) Most of the forms are in Adobe Acrobat.
There can be a couple of reasons that the connection failed.
First, make sure you have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on
your computer (see above). Second, ...well... sometimes it just
doesn't work. Rather than try to describe the technical reasons
for that, let's jump right to the best workaround: Try
right-clicking your mouse on the hyperlink. You should get a small
menu that includes an option "Save target as ...". Select that
option and then save the downloaded file on your computer. Once
the download is complete, you should be able to open that file and
access the form.
13. OK, I did everything it
said to do on the FAQs (or I didn't understand the FAQ), and I'm still
having a problem with something on the web site. What do I do now?
Contact the communications chair (communications @twhsband.com).
Chances are pretty good that we can find an easy solution.
14. What is a hyperlink or
hypertext? That's any text or picture on a web site that
jumps to a new location when you click your mouse on it. Most of
the time hypertext is highlighted in blue. (That's the Microsoft
default color.).
15. How do I repair a
broken tuba? Use a tuba glue.
16. I have some ideas for
FAQs I'd like to see posted. What do I do? Contact
the communications chair (communications @twhsband.com). No matter
how silly you think the question might be, it's probably better than the
tuba joke above.
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