SR Uber Wootin' Writers Blog #8- Sonja!

Hello, All!


In this day and age, it's easy to find evidence that we are living in a broken world. We see crime in the papers, we hear about how people are losing their jobs, we read about war, hate, and hunger.


But if you look hard enough, we find little glimmers of hope. A few months ago, my archery team had a car wash. While I was working, a man walked by. No car to wash. He didn't want to buy pizza or a soda. He just GAVE us some money for our team. Similar things kept happening. People would give us way too much money, then refuse the change that I brought them. It really stuck me how these people didn't know me. They didn't know my school. They probably didn't have some deep interest in archery. They were just being kind.


Tell everyone about the glimmers of hope in YOUR life. Let's light up the world!

Happy Halloween, everyone! What're you all doing for Halloween?

ANNOUNCEMENT

Ha!  Scared you with that title didn't I?

Just wanted to find out if your schools still have school announcements or not?  I was just at a school last night for a follow up practice and learned that the announcement was never made to all students that we were having a practice because the school has CUT school announcements.  They say that 5 minutes per day to do announcements means kids miss 11 days of school.  First of all, the math is wrong...5 mins per day across 180 days of school (usually) = 15 hours...which is what?  3 days at most of school?  More than that though...goodness...what better way do we have to communicate with each other than verbally?  The teacher sharing this told me that the school is doing announcements via email...which NO ONE is reading (gee, that sounds like my beef with SR and email to newbies who never respond!)...and she said that kids are missing all kinds of deadlines, programs, things they need to do, etc.

At least I had 10 kids come last night (who signed up and read their email from me!)...but we should have had many more...had an announcement been made.

Thoughts on this?

SR Uber Wootin' Writers Blog #7 Dee~

Hello everyone! First blog post from me! :D

Do you guys remember your very first drum practice with SR? Do you remember if you were excited, scared, nervous, all of the above?  When was your first day? I started thinking about this when I was looking at pictures.  It’s mind boggling to look at pictures from four years ago, and then look at recent pictures.  You see how much people have changed, grown up, and become better people.   I think it’s awesome how much someone can change and become a better person when you are in an amazing group like SR. I love when you get new people that join your site, and you get to see them change/grow. At first they are always scared.  They try and look like they are having fun but still scared at the same time. And then pretty soon it’s been a month, then 6 months…, and soon you see them change and have more confidence in their self and start having fun. You get to see them play at their very first show.  I think its awesome being able to watch someone grow in SR.

At the Warren, Ohio Site we have a new member named Vince. He is so funny!  I walk in and he says hi and then asks me 1000 questions about beats, songs, everything.   He went on Sheltered Reality’s website and saw Lauren and Colleen’s picture.   He printed it out and asked me if it was them.  He was excited to find out it was.  He is so thrilled to be in this group and loves every minute of it.  He ALWAYS has a smile on his face and wants to help with anything he can.  He always tells me how he practices a lot.  He told me that he plays on boxes, and how he used to play on phonebooks until he started putting holes in them. :D  He gets beats so fast!  On beat accelerator, he’s on track 6! He is doing an awesome job.  He always says whatever you want to teach me, I’ll do it! Lol.  He seems to really enjoy drumming practices, and I’m happy about that.

Well, this is all I have for now! Super excited for the meeting next weekend!!!!! Woot! :D

STEVE POST; Changes Good and Bad

Actually I really don't have a plan for this blog today, but knew it was time for me to write something!  So, here we go...and who knows where we will end up at the end of it all :)

First of all...the change I want to talk about the most...for our 15th year anniversary year (which I think SHOULD have some special celebrations in it!!) we are going to work up Music Again (Adam again) as the NEW opening song for our shows...goal will be to have it ready by June, 2011, for the busy summer season.  As I said to audiences this summer, some who had seen us for the past 10 years at least, that "this is our 14th year and the opening song is still Cuba Libre" I came to the conclusion that I COULD NOT say this when it was "this is our 28th year and our opening song is still Cuba Libre"...no way that was going to work.  So, it is time to move Cuba Libre to a new "greatest hits section" towards the end of the show, and create something new.  I promise that I will resist making it harder than If I Had You (though I am tempted!)...but we will have to work up some really exciting opening show choreography for it...AND...I promise you all the longest memorized drum solo that will be part of this song (over the 16 measures of guitar solo in the song)...so you can start looking forward to that.  I may have some basic first parts for the last round of practices this year; if not, then for sure in the first set of 2011 practices.  Be ready :)  I am curious though...this is a big change to the show...so vote on the new poll about this and let me know your thoughts.

Second, after a recent crazy interaction with a potential new family at one of our new sites, I have decided that we must get started on the SR book.  I was talking with the Sioux Fall-ians last night about this and they agreed...we must get started on this.  At our upcoming Site Coordinator's meeting, Jordan will be presenting his VERY hard work of this year...putting together all of our press things, from all 14 years, at long last!  This has been something that has been ongoing, and failed at, for many years...mainly because there is so much STUFF about us out there...he has finally organized it all in some great books...and we want to figure out how to turn it into something COOL for everyone to have access to...in some format.  To go along with this, we need to get the book started; Jovanna, are you still up for writing it...or helping write it?  I have some ideas finally how to get started on it, so let me know if you are willing to help...anyone else is welcome to help to...so let me know!  It is time to get down all the stories about up's, down's, and crazies that have helped truly form the NEVER GIVE UP step of SR.  If you are curious about my recent crazy interaction (one of many that happens each month sadly), you will have to wait for the book.  HA!

Third, I am sad to see more and more schools cutting all of the arts programs; music, art, drama, etc.  This seems to be a fast-growing trend, meaning that SR needs to become an outlet for kids who are losing their access to this at school.  We can at least work to meet the musical needs out there.  For those schools not losing them, they have certainly been marginalizing these programs; making kids come at 6am for practice...making it a super-choice between art-oriented classes vs. core-curriculum-oriented classes...which then forces some kids out of the arts area as they work to meet their core needs.  (This of course never happens with sports of any sort) :(   So, you can talk about these changes in your own communities/schools/perspective, as I would be curious to hear about your views on this.

Finally, there seems to be more fear out there economically speaking than at the beginning of the year.  I know it means we are going to have to increase fundraising for scholarships next year, so plan to be talking about this with me at all practices towards the end of this year and beginning of next year, as we are going to pull together nationally and help those who will need extra help to be in SR...because that is what we do...help each other.  We will have to find ways to think more nationally about this...and make sure all our current members are aware that if they are raising money to help a local new member OR a far-away-site new member, they are still meeting SR-goals...because we will never let money preclude someone being in SR...and succeeding at their journey with us...even in times when there IS no money out there...few jobs...and a whole lotta hopeless feeling people...it is up to US to show them that there is still a way...something positive going on...and bring hope to those who need just that.  I will ask you all to be praying on ways to go about this so that we can all pull together when 2011 rolls around.

There...a very long, multi-subject post for you all to enjoy...now to make it pretty colors :)  See you all soon!