From the ABA... Harry McAfee, President,Alabama Bandmasters Association Continued Progress!
Progress for the ABA sometimes seems slow but it also appears to be steady. Over the years, we have been somewhat hesitant tomake drastic changes, but then again that has kept us from rushing into situations
that deserve careful
consideration. I thinkwe are blessedwith many progressive and forward thinking members who are ready to meet the challenges of each new generation. I am pleased to announce a few changes that will make our jobs easier and save our Association money. Number one, we will no longer print andmail copies of the ABA Handbook or Directory to each of our members. The Handbook format has been revised for easier use on ourwebsite. Special thanks to Joel Mason, District I, for his assistance with that revision. Secondly, our ABA Directory is also being revised and will be placed on the website in a format that will be user friendly for our various needs. The informationwill be password protected so be sure to keep that confidential. Be assured that theABAExecutive Secretary and leadershipwill always be judicious in keeping our information from being misused. And finally, although the Cumulative List has been on the website for some time, it too is being revised into a format other than the PDF so that you can search or sort in a more convenient way.
Of course, the biggest issue of change we face now is the attempt to solve calendar conflicts and other issues with our State Assessment.
Jim Knight and his
committee have compiled a questionnaire that will give you an opportunity to express your views and needs. You can complete the survey by going to:
http://bama.ua.edu/~chancock/ . Please take time to do this before the end of
ala breve 13
October. During November,Mr. Knight, Dr. CarlHancock, and the committeewill compile the results and use that information to develop the plans that will be presented. We will not be able to vote on this atAMEAbut should have time to discuss it. The committee can then propose legislation that can be voted on at theAll-State Festival inApril. I again urge you to become involved in working with us to develop a systemthatwillmeet the needs of all our band programs. Please remain an active member with the ABA, the association that represents all of the bands in Alabama.
We have a wonderful lineup of
performing bands and clinicians for the AMEA Conference.
I hope you will
attend as many of these as possible. As a teacher, mentor, and advocate, I find that
attendance at good performances and clinics does much to enrich us as professionals in our trade. Attending the Midwest Clinic and the AMEAConferencewill help you become aware of what is possible with your ensembles and will keep your standards high. Middle and high school students are capable of doing some amazing things. You have a difficult job to challenge themand to get themto achieve on that level. Just keepworking hard and I’m sure you will be pleased with the results. Call me if I can help!
Regards, Harry L. McAfee, President
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