It’s hard to believe, but we are already at our first UIL Marching Contest week this week! Saturday at 5:30pm The Spirit of OHS performs at the UIL Region Marching Contest as they seek their 16^th Consecutive Superior Rating at Marching Contest, and a chance to advance to the UIL Area Marching Contest the following weekend! We appreciate all of their hard work through these weeks, and especially with our guest clinician on Saturday!

This week as you know is also Homecoming for Odem HS, so we’re going to have to adjust our schedules some to allow for the parade and ‘Burning of the O’ that will take place on Thursday night. In order to do so we will be practicing this Tuesday evening. That night will also be the monthly band booster meeting to be held at the HS at 7pm (Most likely in the ‘Jazz Room’ across the hall from the main band hall). 

We will accept trip deposits that night to be sent on the TMF Tours and Travel. Remember you may submit your payments online directly to them for a fee. We should have information on Trip Insurance for the trip that night as well. That evening we will also have sign-ups for first choices on volunteering for Saturday, October 30^th when we host the UIL 2A Area Marching Contest. I estimate we need about fifty adults, in addition to all of the students, to make sure we give all of the bands a great experience! 

We have more information on each day’s itinerary below. Please help us ensure we get students to practices and events this week! We only have these two weeks to prepare for Area and their attempt to return to the UIL State Marching Contest! Every rehearsal counts from here until the 23^rd! 

Homecoming Parade/Burning of the ‘O’

Students should arrive at the Band Hall by 6:30pm so that we may line up for the parade. The parade begins at 7:15pm, and will conclude in the HS Parking Lot. Students will then move to the Tennis Courts for Burning of the ‘O’ which will begin at 7:45pm. We should complete the evening by about 8:30pm for students to be picked up.

Homecoming Game vs. Monte Alto

Due to the Homecoming Ceremony we will need to take students over to the game early this time. Students need to be at the HS Band Hall by 5pm for the game. A Pep Rally will be held at 2:45pm at Owl Stadium as well. When half-time concludes we will load up the majority of our equipment for Saturday. Students should be ready to be picked up around 10:15pm this evening.

2:45pm – Pep Rally
5:00pm – Students Report to Band Hall
6:45pm – Homecoming Ceremony
7:30pm – Game Begins
~10:15pm – Students Picked Up

UIL Region Marching Contest

Saturday begins our run with our official UIL Marching Contests! Students need to arrive at the Game Field by 10:30am for our warm-up/walkthrough! We will have a chance for Seniors to give their traditional speeches, load up the rest of our instruments/equipment, and eat lunch. At the contest we need at least the number of parent/student helpers we have had the past couple of contests. Realistically we could use a few more to help with taking equipment onto the field and off. We also need some help with getting tarps laid out so students can quickly find theirs and line up in the endzone before we perform. If you can help Friday night we can use that as an evening to show everyone what to do.

For Spectators to the UIL Region Marching Contest admission is $5/Person (Children Under 5 are Free). We recommend spectators arrive early to the stadium to find seats as no entrance is allowed to the stands while bands are performing. We hope that you will help us turn the stands ‘blue and gold’ on this day and help cheer on and support our students. Applause helps the students to perform so much better! Please note that umbrellas must be closed in the stands during performances, and noisemakers such as air horns, cowbells, etc. are prohibited by UIL. Balloons are also not allowed at UIL events. The full schedule of performances at the Beeville site may be found here: https://www.uilmusicregion14.org/uploads/1/0/0/8/100843358/schedule_beeville_zone_2a-3a-4a_2021_final.pdf

For students this is a mandatory graded event!

10:30am Warm-up/Walkthrough/Senior Speeches 
12:00pm Load Truck/Trailer
12:30pm Lunch
1:30pm Bibbers/Uniform Check
2:15pm Board Buses/Depart
3:15pm Arrive at Stadium
4:45pm Warm-Up Begins
5:15pm Leave Warm-Up Area
5:25pm Enter Field
5:30pm Perform
6:30pm Announcement of 3A Ratings
7:00pm Depart Beeville
8:00pm Students Picked Up after Unloading Truck

This Week’s Schedule:

Day:	Event:	Time:
Monday:	Evening Marching Rehearsal (Guest Clinician)	6:30pm-8:30pm
Tuesday:	Evening Marching Rehearsal Owl Band Booster Meeting	6:30pm-8:30pm7:00pm
Wednesday:	After School Marching Rehearsal	4:00pm-6:00pm
Thursday:	Homecoming Parade and Burning of the ‘O’ 6:30pm Students at Band Hall 7:15pm Parade Begins 7:45pm Burning of the ‘O’ 8:30pm Students picked up/Band Hall Closed
Friday:	Odem vs. Monte Alto (Homecoming) 2:45pm Pep Rally 5:00pm Students at Band Hall 6:45pm Ceremony Begins7:30pm Game Begins10:00pm Game Ends ~10:30pm Students Picked Up
Saturday:	UIL Region Marching Contest10:30am Warm-up/Walkthrough/Senior Speeches  12:00pm Load Truck/Trailer 12:30pm Lunch 1:30pm Bibbers/Uniform Check 2:15pm Board Buses/Depart 3:15pm Arrive at Stadium 4:45pm Warm-Up Begins 5:15pm Leave Warm-Up Area 5:25pm Enter Field 5:30pm Perform 6:30pm Announcement of Ratings 7:00pm Depart Beeville 8:00pm Students Picked Up after Unloading Truck

 

Upcoming Events:

Day:	Event:	Time:
October 14th	Homecoming Parade and Burning of the O	7:15pm
October 15th	Odem vs. Monte Alto (Homecoming)	7:30pm
October 16th	UIL Region Marching Contest (Beeville)	5:30pm Perform
October 22nd	Odem vs. Skidmore (Skidmore)	7:30pm
October 23rd	UIL Area Marching Contest (Beeville)	TBD
October 29th	Senior Band Night (Odem vs. Hebbronville)	6:40pm
October 30th	Host UIL 2A Area E Marching Contest at Owl Stadium	11am-7pm

Thank you for your help and support of these amazing students! Please contact us if you have any questions!