*This is an actual letter I sent my team parents. Use it as a guide to form your ideas.

Dear Dance Team Parents,

I want to welcome you to this crazy world of Dance team. Without YOU our program would not be a reality. Every year I ask myself if I can go through another year of coaching. I know I am in for the long haul. As my responsibilites of parenting and our business have grown I have had to learn to depend on parents for support. I need to spend my limited time on choreography, finding music, and COACHING. For that reason I greatly appreciate any help you can give.
Some years we have had very structured parents groups, other years they have run a little looser. You can decide how strong you want to be. We ALL lead busy lives so please understand that we do not EXPECT your help. We do however NEED the help of anyone who feels they can give even a LITTLE to our organization.
Many years ago, we sat down at my kitchen table and wrote this manual. It has been updated twice. It will serve as a valuable tool to help you-----help the team. Many times people would love to help, but don't know where to start. This should answer your questions. If it doesn't, please feel free to call me.
Important-----keep lots of notes in your manual. We will use them when updating. (Please turn them in to the secretary at the end of the year.)
Thanks in advance for all of your help.
Sincerely,

Cindy Clough
Head Coach
Brainerd Kixters

BOOSTER CLUB OFFICERS
President- Oversees the organization. Makes sure that all comittee chairs receive job descriptions and tracks their progress (or lack of it).
Vice President-Follows in the footsteps of president, this trains him/her in for the next season.
Secretary-Keeps minutes on all parents meetings. Mails copies to those parents not in attendance.
#1 Treasurer-Collects, accounts, deposits, etc. Keeps a ledger on each and every girls fundraising account.
#2 Treasurer-assists. Is always present when money is counted.
Sunshine-Sends happy grams, thank yous, sympathy, get wells, etc.
Historian-Keeps a scrap book of the season. First practice, parades, footballs games, competitions, parties, etc. Puts it all together in a nice scrap book. Saves programs, etc.
Publicity-Works hard tomake our team recoognized in our community. Writes articles, sends pictures to the paper. Helps to get coverage.
Video Chair-Vdieo tapes performances, video shows. Has videos ready to show at practice.
(Send with your duaghter, do not need to attend.0
State Hype Chair-Gets the excitiment going for our state competition. Posters, kick off parties, decorates the bus, parents send off, etc.
Show Chair-oversees our fundraising show. Coordinates ticket sales, lighting comittee, set up, take down, locker room quick changes, guest teams, sound system,
Slide Show Chair-Collects and prepares a slide show for the banquet. Tries to have a few pictures of each girl.
Banquet Chair-Coordinates the annual awards banquet. Tickets, decorations, senior gifts.
Uniform Chair-Helps to coordinate the collection of all uniforms.
Parent sweatshirts/hats-Helps coordinate the ordering of matching parent shirts.
Fundraising Chair: Helps set up an annual meat/pizza/wreath fundraiser.

COMMITTEE CHAIRS: Remember, you do not have to do it all. DELEGATE! INVOLVE OTHER!
EXPENSES: All expenses should be approved by the head coach in advance. All expenses must have a receipt to be reimbersed.
Remember, when making any purchases, we are TAX EXEMPT since we are a school activity. #8003206 DO NOT PAY SALES TAX ON ANY PURCHASES. PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESDIENT
* The president and Vice-President will be in charge of all committees. Committees will report on what is tranispiring and keep the President and Vice-President up to date. The president must update the coaches.
* Any problems, projects, or things that are needed should be asked of them.
* In charge of setting up parents meetings. Name tags and refreshments.
* Act as a floater at events and fill in where needed. Help coaches with anything that needs assistance.
* The Vice-President shall take over for the president when in her absence.
* The Vice-President will be the next President.
It is suggested that the Vice_President be a Junior Parent so they can move in to the role of President the following season.
SECRETARY/NEWSLETTERS
* Keep minutes at all parent meetings.
* Take attendance at all parents meetings.
* Minutes should be typed up and copied off for all dancers. Must be MAILED to all parents who were not in attendance at the parents meetings.
* Type a roster into a computer. (Data base) Should contain parents anmes, home phone, work phone, address, dancers grade, etc.* Copy off above roster for all dancers and their parents.
* Run several sets of mailing labels at one time to be used for periodic mailings.
If the secretary does not have a computer, she may contact Cindy to use one at her office.
Mailings should be done in the BHS office. A form must be filled out for group mailings. (Ask Gina Theissing/school secretary 828-5255)
TREASURERS (2 people working closely together)
* Count all money after events.
* Make the deposits at the school office. Give to the secretary. Phone #___________.
* Be in charge of collecting money for various fundraisers. Should set up a time in the morning, before school for collection to avoid kids carrying money all day in school.
* Keep an accurate resord of all collections and deposits.
* Set up a data base listing each girls account. Should show how much she earned on each event and show expenditures.
* Help with paying of bills after events such as shows, banquets, and events.
Read the sheet on HOW TO MAKE A DEPOSIT. Follow that procedure.
* Chase after girls who drop and owe money.
* Chase after girls who are on the team but have negativie account balances.
HOW TO MAKE A DEPOSIT:
* Two parents should be present when money is counted.
* Deposit should take place as quickly as possible following an event.
* The school likes deposits by 10:00am.
* Checks can be stamped with the team stamp. Total them and wrap with a calculator strip.
* Bills must all be facing the same direction.
Itemize the deposit on the BHS school form provided.
* Turn into secretary in the main office BHS.

HISTORIAN
Compile a scrapbook of newspaper clippings, pictures (get from publicity person), and any memorabilia. This will be given to the coaches at the BANQUET to keep an accurate history of the season. Scrapbook should contain a roster from fall and winter, all programs from various shows and competitions. Try to have pictures of all events through out the year. Can ask parents for copies of pictures.
* Banquet pictures can be included following the banquet. PUBLICITY CHAIR PERSON
* Try to arrange a publicity photo with the paper each season.
* Inform the paper well in advance of upcoming compeitions. Get information from head coach.
* Call home after competitions to inform radio stations of the results. Know the scores of all lines who placed ahead of the Kixters. Be prepared with a statement of how the girls did. (Can ask coaches to quote something.)
* Have an article to the dispatch the Monday morning following the competition by 9:00 am. Try to have pictures to go with this if possible. Will have to develop at one hour photo. Close ups, emotional shots, group shots, whatever.
* Write an article after each dance off duo meet. Have it to the paper the next day. Scores, coaches comments, routine, strengths, weaknesses.
* Can do articles on other events such as shows, fundraisers, and any other activity.
* BANQUET RE-CAP: Be sure to take pictures at the banquet of all award winners. Write an accurate article re-caping all award winners and captains elect.
* All extra photo's should be turned over to the historian.
* SHOW PUBLICITY-responsible for show advance show publicity. This could be a separate persons duty. See shows.
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
BRAINERD DAILY DISPATCH-
Toll Free Dispatch-
WJJY-
KLIZ-
KVBR:
DISPATCH FAX: BANQUET SLIDE SHOW CHAIR:
* Request that all parents turn in slides of events from the entire year.
* It is important that you try to balance the number of slides so it comes out fairly equal.
* Start this project EARLY. You will need to send home requests with the dancers.
* Try to get a golden oldy slid of each senior and a present. That was then, this is now.
* Include slides of parents, coaches, fans, waiting in the hall to go on, sitting in the circles, etc.
* You are responsible for facilitating the slide show at the banquet and the tape that will accompany it.
* Reserve the slide projector from BHS A.V. Department. Call _________
Limit slide show to about 12 minutes. Flip through the slides at about a rate of 4 beats each. Your daughter should help with this project. Try not to have repetitive slides. Try to cover all dancers. Balance JV and Varsity.
* Can ask historian or publicty person for copies of their pictures.
VIDEO CHAIR PERSON
* Assign someone to video tape all performances.
* The dance team has a camera and case. This can be checked out for all competitins and home performances.
* List the order/date of each performance on the outside of the case.
* Send the video tape to practice with your duaghter on the day following the performance. She should then bring it back home.
* Have coach make copies of the tape periodically.
* * All pep-fests and local performances are put on a master tape.
* Shows and competitions should be put on separate tapes.
* Get the tapes from the head coach.UNIFORM COORDINATOR
1. Send a letter to all senior members an d all those who dropped from the program. Include the date, time and place of collection. Also include a list of what they should be turning in. Indicate that uniforms must be dry-cleaned by the time they are turned in. (This means they need adequate turn around time.)
2. The collection should be done at the BHS high school lounge. Have your daughter and several of her friends on hand to help organize the cupboard.
3. It is VERY important that all girls participate in thiis on that day as it saves SO MUCH TIME in the long run. We have to take all of the various storage containers out of the cupboard to put things in there proper place. If kids forget and do this after the fact, it involves lots of extra work.
4. Call al of the girls the night before to REMIND THEM. Put an announcement in the school announcement the day before as an extra reminder.
5. Chase after those who forget to come. We can have their grades /diploma's held.
6. Keep an accurate list of who did not turn in, who lost stuff, etc.
BANQUET CHAIRPERSON
* Arrange a place to hold banquet. Usually the school. (Check with CIndy. She may have done it.)
* Check on costs.
* Will need to print a letter with a return tear off portion and a dealine date. Call those who do not respond as we usually have 100% participation and they probably just forgot. We do not want to exclude anyone. Expect some add ons.
* Payment should be in advance.
* Must have reserved tickets.
* IMPORTANT: Add on about $2.00 per ticket above the cost quoted for the meal. This extra money will be used for gifts and decorations.
* If you order the meal from BHS rather than a caterer, they provide tableclothes, etc.
* Assign 2 people to decorations. Typical decorations include, helium balloons, scrapbooks, trophies (get from principal), each girls photo from the dispatch put in some type of display. We have had them in hearts, stars, ballet slippers, or even caricatures (little dancer bodies with big heads).
* If you need servers do a note up and have CIndy pass out to 9th graders.
* Need parents to arrive early to set tables and help with decorations.
* Contact the slide show chair to make sure allis in order.
* Assign a clean up committee.
* Remind publicity person to do an article for the paper.
* Senior gift, coaches gift. ANNUAL FUNDRAISER
Since 1987 we have been selling frozen meat/pizza. We added wreaths in about 6 years ago. This is by far our best fundraiser.
We have ordered meat from Harkers and most recenlty QUALITY MEAT AND SEAFOOD out of West Fargo.
P.O.337
West Fargo, ND 58078
800-959-4250
* Get a sample order form from Cindy.
* Call Quality Meats for a quote on this years prices. Stick with the same products we did last year unless we had a problem. We generally do one sale in the fall. Order sheets can go out in late August and can be sold until October 20th or so.
* Delivery should be the Monday before Thanksgiving.
* You may wish to pass out the forms at a kick off parents meeting in August. Coordinate with CIndy.
* Consider doing more publiciity. Flyers around town, radio talk show, article in paper, etc. Free types of advertising.
* Arrange a team of parent helpers to unload the truck. We usually do it at the south doors of BHS.
* IMPORTANT: The truck should arrive early to allow you and designated parents to count and inventory all product. Report descrepancies to driver.
* We have a system for counting out the products to each girl by color coded slips. These are already done, and we save them from year to year. * When handing out the product to the girls, we have found it works best to have one person per product. (More on wreaths.)
* You will need an accounting table. One person will tell what people owe, they submitt a check at that time to the collection person. Once they have submitted the check they get their colored slips. They present these to each station. Checks payable to BHS Kixters.
* Keep good records.
* Treasurers should be given all checks to add up and deposit. Treasurers need to also be given a copy of all girls profits for their records. * Those who do wreaths need to wear work gloves and dress warm.
* INFORM AND REMIND DANCERS OF THE DELIVERY: Make sure they understand it is mandatory that all dancers show up or have a representative show up to pick up their products. First do a letter. Plus, call all dancers the night before and remind them of the pick up time. Make sure this date is on their calendar.
* Have a meeting the day of the delivery with all of your helpers. Explain the system and their duties. It will go great. TELL THEM TO TAKE THEIR TIME FOR ACCURACY'S SAKE. People tend to get pushy so expect that. STATE COMPETITION "HYPE" CHAIRPERSON
SNACKS: Some years we have had a parent take the Febrauary calendar and have the girls take turns bringing snacks to practice. It is GREAT but don't get carried away. (No full course meals, we need to be able to move.) Ideas: cold juice, popsicles, bananas, fruit, cookies, bars, etc. If it is morning pracice it can be rolls or bagels and milk/juice.
POSTERS: Arrange a committee to make some posters to hang around school to get the dancers pumped up.
RESERVE A ROOM at the state hotel for a post state party. We have done pizza and or sandwiches, veggies and chips. The year we did sandwiches they divided up who brought what. The years we did pizza, a call was made to the hotel for a bid on pizza and cake or we broght it in from local bakery and dominoes. It depends on the hotel. Most do not allow you to bring it in. Expect alumni to drop in.
Sometimes they have decorated. Not necessary. If you do, save the decorations for the banquet. (Idea: Bring some of the posters and just hang those.)
GIFT FOR GIRLS: In order to make the girls feel special the parents have traditionally done some type of gift. It is usually silk flowers with an enclosed card written from mom and dad. SOmeone always needs to spearhead this and make sure all girls get a card. Flowers have been ordered the last through years through Jenny Thesings mom. Last year they did goody bags of treats and gizmo's. These were passed out as we loaded the bus.
BLOCK ROOMS FOR PARENTS: Some years a parent coordinates a block of parents rooms.
WELCOME HOME PARTY: If the dancers place in the top 3, we have a welcome home celebration. Call AD at _________ to arrange this. If you can not reach him, call principal at ___________.
If we win STATE, call Holiday Inn so they will put a welcome home wish on the sign. __________ Call fire department for escort. Have parents line up at Holiday in to HONK as we enter town. (Just thinking positive!)