Summer FUNction: Register!

Hello Sisters of the NCD,

This is a very exciting time to be the VPSP for the district.  Summer FUNction is less than a month away, which means that your chance to register for a fun-filled weekend is drawing to a close!  Here's some information about FUNction that may help you make an informed decision to attend or not:

Where: Dune Lake Campground in Coloma, MI

When: Friday, June 21st-Sunday, June 23rd (you don't have to stay the whole time)

Why: SO many activities with the Brothers and Sisters!

Here is where to register:

http://www.kkytbsncd.org/function.html

Registration Deadline: THIS Saturday, June 1st

The total cost for registration is $25 to cover campground sites and food.  You will be fed the entire weekend.  More details will be given out once the date draws closer.  All the information you need should be on the link above, and if not you may always ask me anything.

I'm very passionate about FUNction not only because I'm putting it together, but also because it's the only time during the year we can come together as a district and just have a fun weekend.  Sure Blocks and Leadership and Conventions are fun, but there's also quite a bit of work to be done at these events as well.  FUNction is different because it is purely social and is a great opportunity to meet some new friends and establish the strongest sense brother and sisterhood we can.  Please consider coming, you would make my day!

In The Bond,

Zach

Ideas Please!

Sisters,

I want to take a moment and let you all know about the wonderful world of Dallas. I go to The University of Akron, majoring in Communications. I am currently working two jobs, at Chipotle and Chick-fil-a (What a couple, right??). I don’t do too much outside of school and work anymore and I cannot wait for my TBS adventures this Summer!

With that being said, I would like to thank you all for electing me for VPM this year. It is such an honor and the faith that you have all put in me in incredible and I promise to do my best and help maintain the greatness that is the NCD!

I just want to let everyone know what is happening in the world of VPM right now. I haven’t been too crafty getting started on any big projects yet. (I mean, hey, I need a couple days to recoup!) But I have been trying to talk to many people and have been answering all the questions that have been thrown my way.

I do have some questions for you and would like for you to get in contact with me with some answers! What do you guys want to see at MER this year? I have heard a few small ideas from some people however I would like to hear more. It is about you guys and I want to present relevant information that you guys can use. 

MLITB

Dallas :) 

Summer

Dear Sisters of the NCD -

Here at Illinois State, this past week was that dreaded time of year that can either make you feel better about yourself or make you cry... finals. However, now that those are over, it is summer!

Not only is summer a time of freedom, but it is also a time of preparation and excitement. In other words... the district councils of TBS and KKPsi have a lot planned! We have a time to meet, there is Summer FUNction, and, of course, NATIONAL CONVENTION!

Now, there are all of these wonderful opportunities during the summer, but I want you to know that your council is using this time effectively. We are having monthly Skype meetings, as well as frequent e-mails. Our goal is to be as prepared for every event and activity by the end of summer. This means that we can do more for YOU! We all want to have a successful year, which means that not only are we prepared, but YOU are prepared.

The council will frequently be communicating with you over the listserv, Facebook page, NCD website, and personal e-mails. What does this constant communication do for you? Well, it allows you to be informed, plan, and collaborate with others about the event or information given.

So, here is some information that could prove very important!

June first is a magical date this year! This is the date that the Chapter Summary Report is due over the online system, the MEPs are due to Trudy, and registration and payment is due for Summer FUNction... Make sure you are staying on top of these things! It is extremely important that they are submitted on time. Remember, the CSR and MEPs need to be completed and submitted on time in order to be eligible for Counselor's Cup!

Before I go, I want to say one more thing. Have a fantastic summer with whatever you are doing. Do things with your friends that will produce great memories. No matter what time of your life you are in, you can always make time for fun!

Cannot wait to see many of you this summer! :)

MLITB,

Anthony

As One Year Ends, Another Begins

Hello Sisters!

            This is the first blog post from the 2013-14 District Council! Woo!!

            If I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you yet, allow me to tell you a little about myself: my name is Zach Marentay and I am a sophomore studying Sports Management at the University of Michigan.  I am a clarinet player in the Michigan Marching Band and Men’s Basketball Band, and this past year I served as the Corresponding Secretary for the Lambda Chapter of Tau Beta Sigma.  I also work as a tour guide for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, so I give tours of our lovely campus to prospective freshmen interested in coming to Michigan.  You all may remember me as the guy Skyping everyone at NCD from Atlanta as I’m finally recovering from sleep deprivation through our basketball team’s run to the Final Four.  With that being said, I’m so thankful you’ve all put your confidence in me as the new Vice President of Special Projects, and I promise to serve you and collegiate bands across the district to the best of my ability.

            I wanted to use this first blog post to alert sisters around the district that while we finished this academic year with a very successful Convention, preparation for next year starts NOW!  It’s been wonderful to see all of the newly installed chapter officers through the NCD listserve, and I’d like to offer my personal congratulations to all of the newly elected officers!  Don’t forget to also update this information via the Chapter Personnel Update online, so that info is all set to go.

            Now we may be talking about preparing for next year, but who says it has to be all work and business?  Want to take a break and relax, all while having some FUN with your sisters from around the district?  Then consider coming to the 2013 Summer FUNction!  This year, FUNction will be held from June 21-23^rd at Dune Lake Campground in Coloma, MI, and sisters are welcome to join us for all or just a part of what looks to be a great weekend.  The campground is full of fun activities such as volleyball, beaches, mini-golf, a game room, ping-pong, and get this-you can even bring your pets!  Only $3/night to bring a furry friend of your own to join us for a weekend of fun.  FUNction will only cost a total of $25 this year to cover campground sites and food, and registration will be open very soon, so be on the lookout for that.  If you’d like any more info, you can visit the official Facebook event page, or contact me directly and I’ll answer any questions you have.

            I hope you all are excited for the things to come!  I know the council is super stoked for everything we have planned this year, and have already started preparing for a great year!  Best of luck with finals, and have a great summer!

Much Love In The Bond,

Zach Marentay

The Love of the Bond

Sisters,

I cannot believe that Convention is so close! It seems like only yesterday that I was elected to serve as the Vice President for Membership for our wonderful district, and I could not be happier that I was given the chance to do so.

As we come closer and closer to the end of my term, I start to reflect back on my experience as a District Officer. I think back to the Summer Council Meeting, MER, my communication with people in different chapters, planning for Blocks, etc, and the one thing that is a consistent theme in each of these memories is the love I have received from my sisters, and the support I have received from the Bond.

These are the very reasons why I wanted to serve as a District Officer! From the beginning Tau Beta Sigma has surprised me. When I came to college, I was the person who was vehemently against rushing a fraternity (or sorority). In my head, I saw the stereotypical "Animal House" organizations that partied all night and didn't care about doing well in school. All of this changed when I was approached by the wonderful sisters and brothers of the Zeta Alpha chapter of TBS. It was during band camp, and the hard work these individuals put into the band program was apparent. They were the first people at a rehearsal and they were the ones who cleaned up after we were done. Honestly, they were an inspiration to me as a freshman because they made me strive to become a leader in the bands at ISU.

I attended two rush events, and knew that this was the place I was meant to be. The atmosphere was that of a loving family, and that is what I needed most: a family while I was away from home. These wonderful people became much more than that. They became my best friends, the people I went to for everything. They made me feel welcome in a world that I had never experienced before, and I am eternally grateful for that.

The most amazing thing that I discovered when I was rushing, was that it was through this love for each other, this Bond, that they served the bands. TBS had taken a common passion and made it into something so much more. The Bond helped them serve and as I began to understand it more, it helped me serve.

Trust me there is a point to my rambling. There is more to be taken out of this blog other than Anthony is a giant sap! It is easy for us to forget what we are about. We can get so stuck in the rhythm of "business" that we forget why we do what we do. We love the music and bands with everything that we have! We have decided to serve the bands because of this passion.

Do not forget this passion! Do not forget the Bond! It is true that our purpose is to serve the bands. This should be held above everything else within the Sorority. However, the Bond and our passion for the bands help us to serve and to grow closer to the people around us. When appropriately applied to the Sorority, these two aspects inspire us to do so much more than we could ever dream of. I know that they were what inspired me to serve the bands back in the Fall of 2010.

So, as we get closer to our wonderful Convention, remember what TBS is, but most of all, remember why TBS is what it is. It may change your perspective and make things a little brighter.

We come together one and all, with music in our hearts.
In TBS we serve the bands and always do our part.
We're TBS and friends to all and we care what we do.
So, sing out loud and we'll be heard. To you we will be true.

I love you all and look forward to seeing you at Convention!

MLITB,

Anthony

The NCDIB Experience

Happy Sunday Evening Sisters!

The NCDIB at Convention 2012

Have you thought about participating in the North Central District Intercollegiate Band?? Well, you should! The NCDIB is the only of its kind in all of the districts of Tau Beta Sigma, so it is an experience you shouldn’t pass up! This year our guest conductor is Dr. Alicia Neal, from Eastern Illinois University. More information, including the application, can be found at: http://www.kkytbsncd.org/ncdib.html.

This experience can be a great resume booster, especially for music majors. It also highlights one of the 8 & 5: A mutual interest in the art of music, in its performance, and in the aesthetic qualities it can project to others. College Bands is what we are all about. We serve the bands, and the NCDIB is another way to do just that. You get to meet many other sisters and brothers, and share in an experience you will be sure not to forget!

Below are some personal accounts of past sisters who have participated in the NCDIB. I hope you find their stories interesting and will inspire you to join them in participating in the North Central District Intercollegiate Band.

Mackenzie playing Oboe

Mackenzie Ziegler- Epsilon at Butler University

I attended my first convention just last year and I really wanted to make the best of it, so I decided to join the NCDIB. This was honestly one of the best decisions I have ever made and I would sincerely recommend any sister to join the NCDIB. I was able to meet so many new people from all over the district and I still keep in touch with many of them today. Not only did I meet new brothers and sisters, but I was able to work with a new conductor and gain so much knowledge from him.

During the weekend we rehearsed here and there, but we were still able to attend everything else during convention. The flexibility of the schedule was so great and I didn't feel left out of anything during the convention. After hours of rehearsing, the NCDIB performs a concert open for everyone to see and it is a great feeling when your chapter cheers you on for all the hard work you had put into learning the music so quickly. I plan on applying again this year and I would be extremely pleased to see many more join this year so that they can experience all the fun that it has to offer!

MLITB,
Mackenzie Ziegler

Rebecca and Ashley

Rebecca Wagner- Alpha Delta at Ohio University

Hello NCD!!

Something that people overlook when coming to Convention is performing with the North Central District Intercollegiate Band! The main idea that brought all of us into Tau Beta Sigma was the “mutual interest in the Art of Music in its performance and in the aesthetic qualities it can project to others.”  So why not take part in the NCDIB?

This past year, I took part in this wonderful experience by performing with sisters and brothers from our wonderful district.  What you may not know is that we are the only district to have an Intercollegiate Band, which is quite the accomplishment.  This shows how dedicated we are to our purpose as an organization.  It was an amazing experience to get to know other brothers and sisters in the NCD and to perform beautiful music together.  We started rehearsing on Friday morning of convention weekend with Dr. John Madden from Michigan State University (a plus for music majors: it’s really a great experience to be a part of different ensembles with conductors from other universities!). We rehearsed throughout the day on Friday and Saturday and performed Saturday night before Banquet.  It wasn’t too time consuming; we still got to attend workshops and have meals with my sisters and I still got to be part of the Membership committee. 

We played a wide variety of pieces such as:

A Slavic Farewell by Vasilij Ivanovitj Agapkin, arranged by John R. Gourgeois

Carmina Burana by Carl Orff

Metroplex by Robert Sheldon

Loch Lomond for Concert Band by Frank Ticheli

American Barndance by Richard L. Saucedo

El Relicario by Jose Padilla, arranged by Robert Longfield

It was a really great educational and musical experience and it was very enjoyable to play with many talented musicians within our district.  The concert was amazing! At the end we received a really beautiful certificate for taking part in the North Central District Intercollegiate Band!

What startled me the most, however, is when we started talking about what chapters and organizations made up this great ensemble.  A majority of the ensemble was comprised of members of Kappa Kappa Psi and a small number of the band were sisters.  When I looked around and saw the small number of hands raised for being sisters of the North Central District, I couldn’t help but feel that sisters weren’t told of how great of an experience this could be.  There’s definitely nothing like making beautiful music with sisters in the Bond.  So why not try something different this district convention?  It is really a rewarding experience and you can still take part in many of the convention activities to bond with more of your sisters.  Let’s not forget that music is what brought everyone into Tau Beta Sigma and will influence your life even after your Active days are over!

MLITB,

Rebecca Wagner

Vice President of Membership at Alpha Delta

So! Moral of the story? Apply for the NCDIB! You'll have a great time, still get to enjoy convention and learn from a great guest conductor!

MLITB,

Carrie Lund

Awards! Awards! Awards!

Greetings, NCD!

Well, the *Magic Date* has come and passed... And I am SO PUMPED for the number of submissions for SPAM, OSPA, and Student Conductors!! There are definitely more than last year, which was my goal for you all. So congratulations!! I am so happy for you all!!

Don't forget that the deadline for National Scholarships is March 1st... which is Friday!! Like, of this week!! As in, 5 days from now. So apply!! Last year, scholarships went un-awarded because NO ONE APPLIED. No on applied for FREE MONEY. Blows my mind. So please, apply! That money is there for you to have and use toward your education. And believe me, as someone who now has to start paying back student loans... you want ALL the scholarship money you can get! :-)

Don't forget about the awards that are due at Opening Gavel of Separate Session at Convention... Sisterhood of the Traveling Suitcase (SOTS), Sister Soda Sipper, and Shutterbug. Refer to this year's awards packet for more details, or as always, feel free to call, text, email or Facebook me with any questions.

I have to say, I was VERY impressed with the turnout of last week's North Block. I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting really excited for West Block next weekend! I hope to see you all there!!

MLITB,

Elise