Serving pipers, drummers, and pipe bands in Northern California and Northern Nevada.
Bruce Hitchings returns to Los Gatos for a day long clinic. Lunch is provided during the day and for an additional $20 you can remain for dinner and tunes with the group. More information and contact information is available at the link.
Notice of Workshops,
Northern Branch Annual General Meeting (AGM)
& Northern Branch Awards Dinner
Date: Saturday, January 26, 2019
Time: 4:30pm – 10:00pm (AGM starts at 6:00pm)
Location: Harry’s Hofbrau
1909 El Camino Real
Redwood City, CA 94063
https://www.harryshofbrau.com/location/redwood-city/
Workshops – 4:30 pm
Free to all Northern Branch solo members and rostered members of 2018 Northern Branch bands. Suggested donation of $10 for all other attendees.
Competing Pipers Association President—Glenn Brown
WUSPBA Rep Training—Suzan Karayel
Northern Branch Annual General Meeting (AGM) – 6:00pm
Check in begins at 5:45pm
All 2018 WUSPBA Northern Branch members are invited and encouraged to attend the Northern Branch AGM.
Agenda
Northern Branch 2018 Awards Dinner – 7:00pm
Presentation of awards to the 2018 Northern Branch Champions.
Dinner is on your own from Harry’s Hofbrau https://www.harryshofbrau.com/menus/#daily-menu
During dinner, there will also be a silent auction to support Northern Branch activities for the upcoming year, featuring assorted contributions from Northern Branch members. Please bring your checkbook!
An informal recital will follow the presentation of awards. The 2018 Northern Branch Champions will be invited to perform.
*2018 Branch Champions will receive a personal invitation via email on or before January 11, 2019. Please RSVP by replying to your email invitation.
A few major highlights from this year’s WUSPBA AGM in Denver, Colorado:
1) The Music Board’s Education Committee has started a YouTube channel with informative videos designed to help individuals better navigate WUSPBA. There is educational material for competitors, for adjudicators, and for contest organizers.
2) Advance warning: the cutoff date to register for Pleasanton 2019 will be July 1, 2019. No late entries will be accepted. The 2019 contest will be held August 30 – September 1, 2019.
3) The new Vice President of WUSPBA is Suzan Karayel. Amara Reddick was re-elected Sanction Secretary, and Lezlie Mann was re-elected Solo Registrar.
4) Next year’s AGM will be hosted by the Northern Branch in Sacramento, California.
Summary of the voting outcomes on all of the Bylaw and Contest Rule proposals*:
Bylaw Proposals
BL1 – Branch AGMs – PASSED
BL2 – Juvenile Band Definition – PASSED (as amended)
BL3 – Oustide Association Band Grading – PASSED
BL4 – Late Fee Exemption – PASSED
BL5 – Nonparticipation Rebate – PASSED (as amended)
BL6 – Suspension of Membership – FAILED
BL7 – Unsanctioned Contest Penalty – PASSED
Contest Rule Proposals
CR1 – Light Music and Piobaireachd Grades – PASSED
CR2 – Emergency Bass Drum Substitution – PASSED (as amended)
CR3 – Solo MSR Terminology – PASSED
CR4 – Games Sponsors Local Rules – FAILED
CR5 – Grade 5 and Juvenile Bands Restrictions – FAILED
CR6 – Good Standing and Inclusion – FAILED
CR7 – Eliminate MiniMSR and Add QMM – FAILED
CR8 – Instructor Policy Proposal – FAILED
CR9 – Dual Musicians – PASSED (as amended)
CR10 – Band MSR Clarification – PASSED
CR11 – Arrival at Starting Line – WITHDRAWN
CR12 – Drumming Accompaniment Revision – PASSED
CR13 – Midsection Competition – PASSED (as amended)
*This is an unofficial report. The final language of each proposal and the official vote outcomes will be posted on the WUSPBA website.
Please join the Northern Branch for a special mid-year membership meeting, Saturday, June 9, 2018. This short meeting will take place immediately after closing ceremonies at the Mother Lode Highland Games, and is your chance give feedback and suggestions, and to get involved! Any and all Northern Branch members are welcome to attend.
For details and the agenda, please see the Notice of Mid-Year Membership Meeting.
Order of play for the band contest at the Woodland Celtic Games, April 28 & 29, 2018, inWoodland, CA:
The solo competition schedule for the Northern Branch Solo Contest at Ardenwood Farm, Saturday, April 7, 2018, is available below:
A few major highlights from this year’s WUSPBA AGM in Phoenix, Arizona:
1) The minimum number of pipers for a Grade 4 band has been reduced from six (6) to five (5).
2) Effective 2019, the Grade 4 Mini MSR band competition will be replaced by a special format MSR consisting of four (4) parts each of 2/4 march, strathspey, and reel. For 2018, Grade 4 bands will continue to play the Mini MSR (4-2-2).
3) Effective 2019, the Grade 5 Quick March Medley band competition parameters will be changed to eight (8) parts of marches, regardless of timing. For 2018, the QMM will continue to be based upon the time limit requirement of 2:45 to 4:30.
4) The new President of WUSPBA is Kevin Conquest, the new Executive Secretary is Christina Marshall, and the new Band Registrar is Jeff Mann.
5) Next year’s AGM will be in the Denver, Colorado area.
The WUSPBA Northern Branch AGM will be Saturday, December 9, 2017, at the United Irish Cultural Center in San Francisco.
Any officer nominations or proposed amendments to the Northern Branch bylaws may be submitted to Wes Weber, Northern Branch Secretary, at wesweber@pacbell.net.
There will be a couple of free workshops in the afternoon, before the meeting. Following the meeting, we will have an awards dinner to honor the 2017 Northern Branch Champions.
See the AGM Notice for details!
Any bands or soloists who wish to be upgraded (or downgraded) for the 2018 competition season must submit a regrade application no later than September 17, 2017. Regardless of your competition record, a regrade application is the only way to guarantee that you will be considered for a change of grade next year!
Solo Regrade Application (PDF)
Solo Regrade Application (DOCX)
Band Regrade Application (PDF)
Band Regrade Application (DOCX)
See the Solo and Band Grading Information page on the WUSPBA website for more details.
Due to the extreme temperatures expected this weekend, the WUSPBA rule requiring “head dress” as part of the uniform for competing bands has been waived for Pleasanton this weekend. It will be up to the leadership of each band whether they would like to wear hats or not.
