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Successful organizations whether big or small, private or corporate, profit or non-profit, all have one thing in common. The more dedicated the workers/volunteers the more smoothly operations can run. Granted, it’s much easier to have hard working dedicated loyal people when you’re paying them a salary and offering great benefits like health insurance, retirement plans, and maybe even yearly bonuses, but the rewards for volunteering in a non-profit unpaid capacity is deeply satisfying to one’s soul. What better cause to spend your volunteer hours at than for a program that enriches your child in a multitude of ways? The Rodriguez High School Entertainment Unit teaches your child music, yes, all the usual basics of reading music, playing music, performing music, while going further by providing a safe and positive environment to practice key characteristics such as respect, problem solving, and perseverance only to name a few.

The REU is not just another public school music program. Far beyond that. There are the requisite music classes the students attend and are graded upon, but this program offers so much more. Marching Band, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Choir, Front Ensemble, Drumline, Color Guard these are aspects of the program that go above and beyond the basics in a public school. These aspects are outside of the usual curriculum, excluded from district budgeting, therefore they need extra support; monetarily and volunteer wise.

We are grateful for the parents who have helped to make this program into what it is today and for the parents who continue to work hard to keep it going. Though we have many time honored methods that seem to be working in our favor year after year we are always looking for new ways to promote and fundraise for the REU. This blog is in part a plea for parents of students currently in the program to give their support; time, money, talents, suggestions. Any ideas, any donation, any time spent; we need it all. Every bit because small bits add up. Possibly you are thinking volunteering only means working bingo or taking shifts at a competition. Those are in the fore front, surely, but there are as many ways of giving as there are hidden talents among you. Begin to look at all aspects of the REU as an organization and you’ll start seeing that there’s a lot of behind the scenes things that need to be done. Special event planning, web content creating & designing, public relations, are some grit work that go on that require constant attention. These are some of the aspects of volunteering that go on even after a competition season ends. One of you might have an idea we haven’t thought of. Please come to the board meetings and sit in for a while. Listen. Take note. Something might spark for you that we haven’t thought of and this could lead to great things. The more of us working together the easier the load will be all around.

We understand it’s not easy to give your time and money to an extra activity. Our lives are already full with responsibilities and expenses we need to take care of. If you believe that you are giving all you can right now, it’s ok, thank you. Don’t compare your giving capacity to the next parent. Every effort is welcomed and appreciated. However, if you think you can do even a little more than you have been, even the slightest more, please do so. Contact a board member or an instructor or let your student know that you’d like to be more involved. Maybe you just don’t know what it is you can do for us. Let us help you find a way. Do it for the students. Without YOU this program would be much less. Can’t wait to hear from you…