September is upon us, and with it comes the start of one of the most exciting parts of our season! Between football games, our first exhibition, our first competition, and preparations for BOA, there is a lot happening with the Band of Fury over the next several weeks.

Please take a few minutes to review the important information, dates, and reminders below.

🎵 Assignments & Pass-Offs

Pass-offs (playing tests) for class assignments and the Marching Band show are posted in Google Classroom and should be completed by the due dates.

• Class students: Pass-offs are graded.
• Guard students: Pass-offs must be completed to perform.
• Students may redo pass-offs if needed. See the class syllabus for redo procedures.

Students and parents should check Backpack regularly for assignments and due dates.

The Band Room is available from 8:15 a.m. until first block for students to complete assignments or receive extra help. The room may occasionally be unavailable, so please plan ahead and avoid waiting until the last minute.

Helping Students Be Successful

• Encourage 5–10 minutes of focused practice each day. Consistent practice builds confidence and skill.
• Please prioritize attendance at all classes and rehearsals and schedule appointments around rehearsals whenever possible.

🚌 Early Dismissal from Competitions

All students are expected to ride the bus back to school after performances to help unload equipment and to participate in team-building time.

Students may be checked out after an event only with Mr. Tillman’s approval at least 24 hours in advance. Please reserve early dismissal for situations when it is necessary, as it creates additional responsibilities for chaperones and staff.

🏈 First Home Football Game

Here are some reminders for our first football game this Friday at Wade Hampton HS vs. Hillcrest HS.

• Students are allowed to stay after school until 5:00 pm call time.
• We will wear Summer Uniforms and will perform our show at Halftime.
• The Band section is for students and staff only—no parents unless chaperoning.
• Students get a 3rd quarter break and must return by the buzzer. Bring money for concessions.
• Clear bag policy is in effect.
• Tickets: ~ $9 | Parking: $5 (If at FIHS there is free parking in the teacher lot)

🏈 Looking Ahead: September 18 vs. Woodmont

• Our 2nd home game is scheduled for Friday, September 18 vs. Woodmont 
• The game location is still TBD and will depend on the status of our home field. Crews are working around the clock—including nights and weekends—to get the field completed and ready for use.
• We’ll share the confirmed location and additional game-day details as soon as they are available.

🎺 Greenville County Band Exhibition

When: Saturday, September 19, 2026

Where: Mauldin High School, 701 E. Butler Rd • Mauldin, S.C. 29662

Attire: Summer Uniform

Admissions Cost: Free and Open to the Public – Bring Money for Concessions

11:00 am – Call Time

11:15 am – Rehearsal at Stadium (if stadium is completed)

2:00 pm – Load Equipment/Change into uniform

3:15 pm – Depart FIHS

3:30 pm – Arrive at MHS

4:00 pm – Watch and cheer on GCHS Bands

6:30 pm – Percussion Depart to get setup

6:55 pm – Depart to Unload Instruments (after Woodmont)

7:10 pm – Depart to Warm-Up C

7:15 pm – Warm-up Area C

7:55 pm – Depart to Gate

8:05 pm – Arrive at Gate

8:15 pm – Performance

8:30 pm – Return to bus/trailer

9:20 pm – Prepare for Mass Band (Side 1 – 25-30)

9:30 pm – Perform America the Beautiful with all Greenville HS Bands

10:00 pm – Depart MHS

10:30 pm – Arrive at FIHS and Unload

11:00 pm – Approximate Dismissal

🏆 2026 Foothills Tournament of Champions

When: Saturday, September 26, 2026

Where: Easley High School – 154 Green Wave Blvd, Easley, SC 29642

Attire: Full Uniform

Admissions Cost: Approx. $10 for spectating adults; $5 for spectating students

10:30 am – Band room opens

10:45 am – Call time

11:00 am – Rehearsal at Band Field (practice attire)

1:15 pm – Load Equipment/Change into summer uniform/Full Uniform Inspection

2:15 pm – Depart FIHS

3:15 pm – Arrive EHS/Change/Unload

4:25 pm – Move to Warm Up

4:30 pm – Warm-up Area C

5:15 pm – Depart to Gate

5:25 pm – Arrive at Gate

5:30 pm – Performance!!

5:30 pm – Return to bus/percussion load/change into Summer Uniform

6:15 pm – Return to Stands and Watch bands/Bring $$ for food

8:00 pm – Return to Seat

9:00 pm – Gold Division Awards

9:30 pm – Depart EHS

10:30 pm – Arrive at FIHS/Unload

11:00 pm – Approximate Dismissal

🙋 Competition Volunteers & Level 2 Reminder

Competition season takes a tremendous amount of support behind the scenes, and we appreciate every parent and family member who gives their time to help make these days possible.

⭐ Most Competition Volunteer Opportunities = 2 Credits

Because competition days require a significantly larger time commitment, competition chaperone & pit crew volunteer opportunities are worth 2 volunteer credits.

These are a great opportunity to earn credits while also getting a behind-the-scenes look at everything that goes into getting the Band of Fury on and off the field.

Are You a Level 2 Volunteer?

Please make sure your volunteer status is current before competition season gets underway. Many of our competition-day volunteer opportunities require Greenville County Schools Level 2 volunteer approval.

Not a Level 2 volunteer yet?

https://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/Parents/main.asp?titleid=volunteers

Need to check your current status?

https://apps.raptortech.com/Volunteer/Login/MzE6Vm9sdW50ZWVyOmVuLVVT

Getting this completed now will help prevent delays when volunteer opportunities become available.

👔 Uniform Update

Competition season is upon us, and our uniforms are coming together!

• Shoes have arrived and will be distributed to students soon.
• Show uniforms are on the way.
• Please review the Band Handbook for any required uniform items that are not provided by the school and make sure your student has everything they need before competition season begins.

We have spent a significant amount of time organizing the uniform room and discovered several shako boxes without student names.

If your student cannot locate their shako box, please email uniforms@bandoffury.com and include:

• Student's name
• Shako size

Thank you for helping us make sure everyone is prepared and looking their best when the Band of Fury takes the field!

🩹 Medical & First Aid Update

As we head into football games, exhibitions, competitions, and longer travel days, we wanted to make sure everyone knows where to get support while we're on the road.

The Band of Fury will travel with:

• A basic first aid kit on each bus
• An additional first aid kit with the Pit Crew

Students who have basic first aid or feminine hygiene needs should find a chaperone or Pit Crew member for assistance.

This will help ensure basic supplies are readily available throughout our travel and competition days.

🏨 BOA Hotel Update – More Parent Rooms Available

There are still 30+ parent rooms available for our BOA trip, and our room blocks will be extended shortly!

Some parents have experienced difficulty booking through the online reservation link when individual blocks fill before additional rooms are released. If the online link shows no availability, parents have successfully refreshed the page to see new availability or reserved rooms by calling directly.

📞 Book by Phone

Hilton Reservations: 1-800-774-1500

Group SRP Code: 91E

Additional online booking availability is also expected to be released within the next 24 hours.

Hotel Information

Ellie Beach Resort Myrtle Beach, Tapestry by Hilton

📍 3200 S Ocean Blvd, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577

🕓 Check-in: 4:00 PM

🕚 Check-out: 11:00 AM

Band of Fury Negotiated Rate: $169/night + tax & reduced fees

Expected total after taxes & fees: $208.20

The standard Saturday night rate is approximately $250/night plus taxes and fees, so we encourage families who plan to travel with us to take advantage of the Band of Fury rate while rooms remain available.

🔗 Parent Online Booking

https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/band-of-fury-2026-october/

Rooms remain first come, first served. If you plan to stay with the band, we recommend reserving your room as soon as possible.

💵 Band Dues Update

As we move further into the marching season, please take a moment to review your Band of Fury dues balance and make sure your account is on track.

Partial Payment Schedule

• May: $75.00
• June: $75.00
• July: $162.50
• August: $162.50
• September: $162.50
• October: $162.50

Where Should Your Account Be?

Use the amounts below to quickly check whether your account is on track with the payment schedule:

✅ End of August

• Paid to Date: $475.00
• Remaining Balance: $325.00

➡️ End of September

• Paid to Date: $637.50
• Remaining Balance: $162.50

If your account shows a balance due higher than the amounts above, you are behind on the scheduled payment plan.

📊 Where We Currently Stand

As a program, we should currently be approximately 59% collected toward our season dues.

We are currently at approximately 42.51% collected.

Every payment matters. Band dues help cover the many expenses required to provide our students with the equipment, instruction, transportation, competition opportunities, and experiences that make the Band of Fury program possible.

If you have questions regarding your account or payment status, please reach out to treasury@bandoffury.com for help.

🐺 An Exciting Season Ahead

The next two months are what all of those summer rehearsals, long evenings, prop builds, volunteer hours, and countless repetitions have been leading toward.

Our students have an incredible season ahead of them, and we cannot thank our Band of Fury families enough for everything you do to support them. Whether you are volunteering, driving, helping with props, cheering from the stands, or simply making sure your student gets where they need to be every day—you are an important part of what makes this program work.

We are excited to see this show continue to grow and to watch our students take the field throughout competition season.

Thank you for being part of The Pack and for everything you do for the Band of Fury!

WHO ARE WE??

BAND OF FURY!!