A letter from the President
of the SCBDA, Martin Dickey.

Other Letters

August 19, 2008

"Welcome Back - Fall 2008" 

Dear Directors,

I hope all of you have had a very relaxing summer and are ready for a successful year with your band program.  WELCOME to our new teachers and WELCOME BACK to those of you returning.  I want to welcome you to the South Carolina Band Directors Association and all of the exciting opportunities we offer instrumentalists in our state.

I encourage you to get involved with the South Carolina Band Directors Association at our annual fall meeting on Saturday, September 6 at Ridgeview High School.  This day is an opportunity to meet your colleagues and learn a great deal about our association.  We use this meeting day to discuss the coming events for the 2008-2009 school year, share ideas, plan and discuss committee events, and share ideas within our association.  Communication with colleagues, administrators, parents, and students is one of the most important aspects of our profession and this is an important day for you to get information to communicate.

Committee meetings begin at 10:30 AM and if you are not on a committee you are welcome to visit any meeting and begin to find a place to serve.  At 1:00 PM, we will have a new director meeting.  This is a great opportunity for all first year directors or directors in their first year in South Carolina to find out important information and find a mentor that will help guide you through your first year.  At 2:00 PM, the general meeting will begin and the committee chairmen will present their fall reports.  After the general meeting, the marching committee will have the drawing for the performance order of our marching festival.

You must be a member of MENC to participate in SCBDA.  If you need to join MENC, you may do so at the South Carolina Music Educators Association website, www.scmea.net.  If you have not already done so, please go to the SCBDA website, www.bandlink.org, and enter your school information.  Then submit your MENC number to Michael Foxworth, MFoxworth@horrycountyschools.net, so your account can be set up to access all sections of bandlink.  Bandlink is our official website and source for information, dates, rules, procedures, etc. so make sure you visit it often.

I welcome your suggestions and I encourage you to be an active participant in the SCBDA.  You and your students will benefit from your involvement and it is essential to our profession that we all know what is going on in instrumental music education. I look forward to working with each of you to make the SCBDA a positive force in providing superior educational opportunities for instrumental music education in South Carolina.

See you on Saturday, September 6, 2008 at Ridgeview High School.

Sincerely,

Martin Dickey
SCBDA President