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Two worthy organizations
received community outreach grants in October. The Fairmont
Senior High School Polar Bear Band Boosters, Inc. received
$5,000 to match $5,000 the group had raised to purchase new
timpani drums.
Based in Fairmont, the Polar
Bear Band is comprised of more than 100 student musicians
who have performed in such venues as Walt Disney World,
Music in the Mountains, the Morgantown Band Spectacular, the
Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City, Universal
Studios, The Orange Blossom Festival and Citrus Bowl Parade
in Orlando, Florida, and the Cherry Blossom Festival in
Washington, D.C, as well as various parades throughout the
state. The Polar Bear Band also hosts an annual fall band
spectacular and performs a halftime show at each football
game.
In addition to marching at
various events, the Polar Bear Concert Band and Symphonic
Band present special programs for the community, host
traditional Christmas and spring concerts, and also
participate in the school's commencement exercises. A jazz
ensemble, percussion ensemble, and steel drum band help
diversify the band’s umbrella of musical styles,
instruments, and musicianship. These groups have performed
in various schools throughout the area and with acclaimed
musicians from several universities.
The new timpani drums will
enable students to gain exposure to professional quality
instruments and replace the ones that had been in use. A.
Shawn Dunn, band director, said, “The drums we have now are
about 40 years old and are in bad shape. They’re really on
their last legs. These new drums will give the kids a chance
to play on new professional quality equipment. A lot of our
kids try out for all-state band and this will further help
them prepare with top quality instruments and, overall, will
make our band sound better. This will really offer a good
experience for the kids.”
The new timpani drums will be
dedicated at either the Christmas or spring band concert in
memory of long-time band booster Tina Kaiser. For more
information about the Fairmont Senior High School Polar Bear
Marching Band, please visit
http://www.polarbearband.org or call band director A.
Shawn Dunn at 304.363.6270.
The West Virginia Association of
Student Councils (WVASC) received a grant for $3,500 to help
fund activities including two sponsored trips to the West
Virginia state legislature, Super Leadership Day, the Summer
Leadership Camp, and the National Association of Student
Councils National Conference.
WVASC is an organization whose
main goal is to unite student councils from West Virginia to
share ideas, learn leadership skills, set goals, and make
lifelong friends. Events held during the year allow students
to network and gain exposure and training in various topics.
The association promotes the development of positive skills
for both students and advisors: leadership, participatory
citizenship, volunteerism, and sound decision-making.
WVASC has a membership of over
80 middle and high schools throughout West Virginia and
elects student officers yearly to govern the association.
The WVASC Executive Board is comprised of student state
officers and Student Council Advisors from throughout the
state. These board members are a very active group that
meets to plan state events and discuss issues that help the
organization run smoothly. There are elected members who
serve on the board, as well as the advisors of the elected
state officers. These board members meet in different parts
of the state throughout the year and attend conferences with
students.
The West Virginia Association of
Student Councils will sponsor State Legislature Days on
Tuesday, February 20, 2007 for senior high students and on
Wednesday, February 21, 2007 for junior/middle school
students. For more information or to contact the West
Virginia Association of Student Councils, please visit
http://www.wvasc.org/index.html or contact Karen
Donathan, executive director, at 304.545.3091.
Each of these worthy
organizations will report on its activities and perhaps reap
many rewards from their efforts with funds provided by the
Mollohan Foundation. These endeavors are true examples of
building a future for all generations. |
