Service is the highest priority for our chapter, and in the past year we introduced several new projects to better serve our band program. We track these hours using an hours system, where time is counted instead of points. This policy to encourage our sisters to consistently participate in our service projects throughout the entire semester! We do still utilize the points system in regards to social events. These points could come from attending themed chapter events, membership candidate events, sisterhood and social events. In the first year under this new policy, our sisters recorded over 1,800 service hours to our band and our community, and the policy was widely considered a success in our chapter.

 

Our service to the bands starts in June when sisters work in the summer band camps that our band program hosts at the university. Some sisters help out as camp counselors and others work in the band library preparing music and paperwork for the campers. In addition, we perform summer service with the intent of preparing for registration and auditions for the AUMB. After registration the fist week of August, we work with the graduate teaching assistants to clean, organize, and repair, and distribute our iconic navy and orange uniforms.

​

Fall

​

In August, our marching band season officially kicks off with band camp. Although we serve in all aspects of marching band, our major service to the band is our work with uniforms. During band camp registration for both returning and auditioning members, we work tables, size and sell shoes, and distribute flip books, gloves, and pages. After audition results, we fit all of our new members into marching uniforms throughout the next week. After distribution, the uniforms must be inspected to insure our sizing looks perfect! During this inspection day, we pass out the band shoes ordered by band members and we assist our band director and our graduate teaching assistants with switching out uniform parts to get the perfect fit for each member.

 

Throughout the band season, our work with uniforms continues through plumes, repairs, and gloves. Each week before a football game, our sisters count the plumes out into bins and set the bins out for game day rehearsal. It is necessary to move the plumes into bins to consolidate and get them into Jordan Hare Stadium with the most effieciency. During the game, we distribute plumes to the band before we march into the stadium, collect the plumes after pregame, redistribute them before halftime, collect them again after halftime, and count them before the end of the game to ensure none went missing. Finally, our sisters make sure the plumes arrive back at the band field after the game ends!

 

For repairs and mending, we set up a mending table each week in the facility provided for our band on game days. Sisters work this mending table along with one of our graduate teaching assistants, and band members come to us with any problems they had with their uniforms. We see everything from a missing button on a jacket to a hundred band members all missing raincoat string, and our job is to make a working fix to the uniform to get it through the football game.

 

We also sell gloves throughout the season as a service to the band. Over the summer, we buy pristine, white gloves for the band. Most members of the band own a pair for practice and game day. With the side of our band, that's a lot of gloves! The stock we buy and inventory in the summer, then goes to be sold during the season. Gloves are sold at a table before and after band practice twice a week, and we also sell gloves before and after every game day rehearsal and at the mending table each game day to ensure our members always have an available pair of gloves.

​

​Spring 

 

In the spring semester, much of our service is focused on helping the community outside of our band program; however, we remain involved in all service needed for our band! In the month of January, we collect all of the marching band uniforms and separate all of the individual pieces. This is a massive undertaking as all 380 members of our band turn in their uniforms over the course of two evenings, and it is our responsibility to take them back, take note of any needed repairs, and then organize all of the pieces and get each part put away properly. We also assist the Graduate Teaching Assistant in charge of uniforms in getting all of the uniform parts inventoried during the offseason. We also hold several service events with the sole purpose of cleaning days to keep our uniforms in great shape.

 

Beyond our work with uniforms in the spring, we also assist with all aspects of the middle school and high school honor bands that the Auburn Music Department hosts. We have many sisters work the registration tables for both events and serve as runners for the auditions, and, throughout each weekend, we have many sisters set up and organize for rehearsals and guide people to the various locations. We also help usher local concerts in the spring semester and set up chairs for rehearsals each week. Finally, we assist with the local All-State auditions in registration and running. 

 

Our sisters remain incredibly active throughout the year in our service projects, and we are so proud of the work we accomplished this year!