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fhe Arkansas City (Kan.) Daily Traveler, F riday, September 5, 1969 Page 7“MARCH 84 BLOCKS A DAY? WHY THAT'S SEVEN MILES!” Right. It's also the length ofthe Rose Bowl Parade in which the illustrious band from Arkansas City High School is going to march Jan. I, 1970. And besides all that practicing, the band is also trying to raise enough money to finance the trip. Although other means of transportation can be facilitated, the band is striving to fly by jet andmake it a three-day trip. If they don't fly, they will have to add three or four or maybe seven days to the trip. Although buses and trains aren’t all that bad, the band feels that since only four high school bands in the entire country are invited to play in the Rose Bowl Parade, they should go first class. And they are willing to work for it. (Staff Photo)Most members of the Arkansas City High School Band (Ta-da) think it's a lot of fun to march in the Arkalalah parade, and even more fun to march at the State Fair at Hutchinson, but everyone agrees that marching in (hold your breath) Rose Bowl Parade at Pasadena, Calif., this coming New Year’s Day is just about the wildest thing imaginable.Especially since only four high school bands are invited to participate in the parade, which just happens to be the “greatest, biggest, and most expensive parade in the world” according to Jerry Cross, the band instructor.The steering committee for the band trip met recently to plan the three-day excursion, which incidentally will cost between $27,000 and $30,000.Although the amount sounds a bit steep (perhaps a whole lot steep), that’s what it costs to fly 134 band members to California and board them a few days—certainly not bored.The band will travel to Wichita early on the morning of Dec. 30 by way of school bus and will leave Wichita via TWA jet at 6 a. m. They will arrive at the Los Angeles airport at 8:27 a.m. and go straight toDisneyland.It is hoped to be at Disneyland by 10 a.m. and the band will play for about 10 minutes, after which time the members will be free to roamaround until 10:30 p.m. (which really won’t be free).After spending the whole day at Disneyland, the band will bunk down at about 11:30 p.m. in a dorm at the University of California at Los Angeles where the other high school AND college band will also just happen to be staying.If anybody sleeps at all that night, they’ll have to be up early for practice at 8 a.m., then at 10 a.m. it’s off to Marineland. After sightseeing and more practicing, if the band isn’t too tired, the band will goSo, when you see the band marching lively by (would you believe dragging slowly by), remember, if they don’t raise the needed funds, they might be going to California by bus, which really isn't so bad exceptOf course, if they don’t make enough to go by bus, there’s always the train.“But,” Cross stressed, “I’m sure we can raise the money to go first class.”Because that’s theto a New Year’s Eve party for jf8 a 36-hour trip, non-stop, all the bands in the parade, (not too boring).Arkansas City does thingswayThe only drawback to the party is having to be up AM) awake at 5 a.m. Jan. 1. 1’he band will leave for Pasadena at 6:30 a.m. and should arrive at 8 a.m. The parade lasts from 9:30 to 12:30 a.m. and is about seven miles long.The band is scheduled to leave Los Angeles at 6:35 p.m. and arrive at Wichita at 11:30 p.m. The school buses will bring the band back to Arkansas City, but the time of arrival is unknown due to such things as snow, sleet, and other highway hazards.The band is “going hard” according to Cross until Dec. 30.“We're trying to get complete community-wide support, and it’s going to take an awful lot of work,” henoted.The fund raising is starting with work committees who will plan various (and numerous)activities to raise the needed amount.“We don’t want the parents to have to fork over a lot offor this,” Crossmoneyremarked, “sogoing to have to hustle.we reIfreallyAnd besides trying to raiseall that money, the band is going to, quote, march 84 blocks a day, unquote.Approved pants-manship for themost fashionabledresser... you!$24.00$50.00
Newspaper Details
Arkansas City Traveler
Arkansas City, Kansas, US
Fri, Sep 05, 1969
Page 8
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 31 Jan 2020
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