Hello Everyone,

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome everyone back from Winter break and wish everyone a very happy and healthy 2008.

I want to give an update on several fundraisers that took place right before the holidays. Our Art Auction went very well and the proceeds increased our Scholarship fund by almost $1,800.00. I would like to thank Mary Vetter and her committee for all of their efforts to make this event so successful, and Mike John and his Refreshment Committee for providing such a delectable spread that evening. Our annual Holidays at Hoagland's Nursery was also a wonderful event this year. The weather cooperated and we had a very nice group of students providing holiday music to enhance the tree-selection mood. Thanks to the unit's efforts and John Hoagland's generosity, the unit was presented with a check for $350.00 to go towards the Scholarship fund. Santa and Mrs. Claus even took some time out of their busy schedules to make an appearance and check their "Naughty" and "Nice" lists.

We are all looking forward to our annual unit banquet on Friday, January 18th. This year the banquet will be held at the German American Club instead of Angeloni's, where it has been held for the past several years. The reason the venue has been switched is due to feedback we received from the students from a survey that was distributed back in May 2007. One of the biggest things the students wanted to change about the unit at that time was to switch the location of the banquet back to the German American Club. Our fabulous banquet committee chairpeople got busy and made it happen, so we are all looking forward to another memorable banquet evening.

Mark your calendars also for Thursday January 31 to attend the 16th annual JazzFest from 5:00-11:00pm. JazzFest is the marching unit's primary fundraiser each year and the proceeds go directly to the maintenance, repair and purchase of new instruments and equipment each year. JazzFest is another excellent opportunity for parents and students to fulfill their mandatory volunteer service requirements. It takes a great deal of manpower to put on an event of this magnitude and all help is appreciated. For further information, please check our website at www.nmupa.org or contact our JazzFest chair Terri Maksimow, whose information is also listed on our website.

I would like to emphasize to all junior and senior parents that membership in good standing with NMUPA is one of the requirements for the senior students to qualify for a scholarship at the end of their senior year. Reminder letters have been sent out to all junior and senior parents who have not yet paid their membership for this year. The deadline for receipt of this payment must be postmarked no later then January 31, 2008.

Plans are ongoing for this year's Disney trip scheduled for April 26 – April 30. Please make it a point to regularly check our website and e-mails for important news concerning a mandatory Florida meeting in March, as well as other information regarding this trip.

Please add as one of your New Year's resolutions to get involved with the marching unit and volunteer to help out on one of our numerous very active committees. There is always room for some new faces and fresh ideas, and we will be losing quite a few very active parents from the unit who have graduating seniors and will no longer be a part of the unit. Why not come out and become a part of the marching unit parents association to gain some valuable insights from people who have experienced the unit first hand and would love to share their enthusiasm with parents who will love the unit as much as they do.

The parents and students are the reason the unit is what we are today and will always be:

3 Sections, 1 Unit, 2nd to NONE!

Jay Taylor
President
Nottingham Marching Unit Parents' Association