GREENVILLE — The Versailles Music Boosters and various community members confronted the Versailles Village Council Wednesday to inquire about their right to escorted celebrations.
In the past, the Versailles Fire Department had given teams who received a State Championship a siren filled escort through town showcasing their accomplishment. This escort was reserved for all teams including the Marching Band, but the policy put into place regarding the escorts had been rewritten to exclude all of the music department.
President of the Music Boosters Todd Rauh spoke on behalf of the group, and said they would like the council to reconsider the policy and add back music.
“We would like you to reconsider the policy,” Rauh said. “Other communities honor their bands by doing more, but we are just looking at when the band gets a Superior at State.”
A Superior rating at State is the highest award a band can receive at the end of their competition season. Not every band qualifies to go to state, and not every band will receive the honor of a Superior rating. Rauh said it is the “pinnacle of their career.”
He said they understood the policies were changed due to liability issues, and the council drew the line because they did not want the trucks out for every little victory, but the Boosters are only asking the music department to get recognition for their contest season if they win a Superior rating at State.
Since 2000 the band has appeared in the State Finals 16 times. In those 16 appearances, they have only received a superior twice. Rauh advised the council, the utilization of the firetrucks is low and few; therefore, liability would be low because it isn’t an easy achievement. They feel it is notable to honor the victory of getting the highest rating possible when it is achieved.
The kids work hard and put in ample hours: “60 to 70 hours for the Amplified Show Choir and over 340 hours for the Marching Band.” Rauh said, “It is a lot of time, and I think these kids deserve to be recognized for that.”
A female citizen chimed in saying “I would just like to say for those that have kids in sports and they get that recognition, to Todd’s (Rauh) point it does. Why should those band and choir students be considered any less, or why shouldn’t…
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