Prepping for the Winter

Booster organizations shift gears at the end of the fall marching season, putting their focus on winter guard and indoor drumline.

- Stacy N. Hackett

Winterguard is like the theater,” says Lynn Manning, president of the Bentonville(Arkansas) High School Band Boosters. “You always have to think of something different to be new and fresh.”

When students transition from marching season to winter guard, so do parents and boosters. “Our board has empowered the winter guard parents to step up and take the roles others have performed during the marching season,” Manning explains, noting positions such as chaperones, uniform coordinators, and meal planners.

BUILDING UP

As Bentonville High School continues to grow its winter guard program, now entering its fifth year, the booster organization works with the color guard director, Brian Dutton, to help him keep the program energized. Recent additions include a new junior high group to feed into the junior varsity and varsity teams already established at Bentonville. “This gets the kids excited about guard before getting to high school,” Manning explains.