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Please!
Send money! Now! Eek! Hurry!
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<Listen
to our current financial anthem while reading.>
<Consider
a PAVERSTONE!>
< Our
current FINANCIAL PATRONS OF MUSIC AT BREITUNG TOWNSHIP
SCHOOLS >
< How
to Donate >
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With very few
exceptions, rural and small-town school districts
traditionally fund music and the other fine-arts
departments in their academic curricula with only a
fraction of the largesse and enthusiasm they show
towards, for instance, their extracurricular
sports. Sigh. Wrong or wrong, that's
the way it is.
Although Breitung
Township School District may be, generally speaking, remote, isolated, and unaware of music's vast size, reach, and wealth,
the students of the district shouldn't be deprived of
the endless, desirable opportunities available
regionally, nationally, and internationally. Even
locally for those who choose to make it so. It's a
shrinking world. To take advantage of these
opportunities, to compete, and to secure its share of the enormous number
of terrific jobs within one of the world's largest and
most varied industries, the school district needs to
provide a complete, first-class academic and vocational
program for its music students, and the funding to run
such a program.
Alas. It never
does. Perhaps it never will. Maybe it
can't. For one reason
or another, such districts seldom grasp the
long reach, high value, and the sheer practical benefit
of investing in music and the arts. Year in and
year out, they seriously overlook and underestimate what
they can provide for their students and the district as
a whole, and how both -- as well as the other programs
in the district, extracurricular as well as academic -- can
profit richly as a result.
Therefore, we turn,
hat in hand, to the general public and the music
supporters within it for as much moola as we can gather
to make up the difference between what the budget
provides and what the program needs. Which is
considerable. But just because the district
doesn't provide it doesn't mean that the kids don't need
it. Or that they should go without and not have the
opportunities of other students thoughout the country
and, increasingly, the world.
What do we need money for, specifically? Sheet music.
Instruments. Books. Other physical learning
tools. Discs and tapes. Sound equipment --
amplification, recording, playback.
Performances. Field trips. Workshops and
seminars. Festivals. Guest artists.
Wardrobe, uniforms, and other clothing.
Lessons. Learning and performance camps.
Community outreach and experience. Tech hardware,
tech software. Promotion. Parades.
Vocational and educational guidance and
assistance. Top-notch, experienced faculty.
Et cetera, et cetera, et al.
Make checks and money
orders payable to Kingsford Music
Boosters. This is the method we recommend most highly. The
most money goes to the cause and the least amount goes
to money handlers. Mail
them to PO Box 14, Iron Mountain, MI 49801-0014 --
that's the postal address of this website,
KingsfordMusic.org. Or give it directly to one of
the music teachers, Mrs. Hogan or Mr. Sherk, or to one
of the <Boosters>.
Make sure you make your donation payble to the Kingsford MUSIC Boosters.
Or donate via <PayPal>.
It's simple, safe, and secure, and gives you more
options -- if you care to use your credit cards there, for
example. Convenient, too, if you like to pay
online. When asked for recipient's email, use <paypal@imeplace.com>
(this site's underwriter and manager).
That'll get it to us. PayPal takes a maximum of
2.9% plus 30¢ for each transaction. If any
mailing and handling are necessary on this end, that's
usually about another $1.00. Otherwise,
everything donated goes into the music boosters' kitty
for direct aid toward the effectiveness and improvement
of the BTS music department, and the enrichment and
advancement of its students.
We've discontinued
direct online donations by credit card for the time
being, not least because of what we believe are
unreasonably large handling fees. The money
handlers get a larger percentage of your donation, the
students a smaller one. Nevertheless, if the
convenience to you is worth the trade-off, <email
us> to arrange to donate directly by
credit card.
Meanwhile, thanks
a whole lot, a big bunch, and a substantial amount for your
support.
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