For the last few years, we procured winter uniform jackets for the band and it made a HUGE improvement in our comfort level at cold events.  This includes Veterans Day, the Tree Arrival parade, the Keizer holiday parade, plus any other winter events we might book.  If you'll be participating in these events (and we hope you will), you'll want to order a jacket if possible.  Besides, they're a LOT of fun (and great band advertising) to wear around town throughout the winter.  

We do have a few loaners available as described below.

As a reminder, these jackets are all CUSTOM-MADE for specific individuals.  Unlike the polo shirts, we DO NOT keep jackets in stock for purchase by band members.  Instead, we place one round of orders each year.  This order is the only opportunity to order a jacket this year.

We realize that the jackets are a more significant investment than the uniform shirts.  To help out, we subsidize just under half the cost of each jacket by using money from the band fund. This year, our vendor has increased pricing (because of tariffs), so your cost for a jacket is $105. This is still a pretty great deal for such a good quality, custom made jacket.

Those of you in the auxiliary units do NOT use these jackets as part of your uniform, but we're happy to order one for you to wear on trips or around town if you like at the same subsidized price.

ORDERS CLOSE AT 11:59 PM ON THURSDAY AUGUST 22, 2019.  It's closer than you think (about 3 weeks), so if you can't be at the next rehearsal to try on a jacket, head out to Settlemier's to get yourself sized and then place your order online.  Full details below.

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TBGO WINTER JACKET INFORMATION

AUXILIARIES (TWIRLERS, DANCER, COLOR GUARD):   Auxiliary units do NOT use these jackets as part of their on-street uniforms.  PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR AUXILIARY CAPTAIN (Patti Waitman-Ingebretsen for twirlers, Pat Christiansen for dancers, Tom McCann or Christine Hammerton for color guard) regarding winter uniforms for your group.  Auxiliaries are still welcome to purchase a jacket if you'd like to have one for trips, to wear around town, etc.

BAND SUPPORT TEAM (national flags, state flags, banners, hydration folks, etc.):  If you are part of the on-street support team, we recommend that you order a jacket for cold-weather use.

TBGO JACKETS
Our jackets are really nice lettermen style jackets custom made by Settlemier's (a local business in NE Portland).   You can find pictures and a description of the jacket on the Uniform page online; go to the Uniform page and scroll ¾ of the way down to the Jacket section or just click the preceding link.  The back of the jacket has the band's logo in a cool retro style.  The front of the jacket has your first name (or nickname) embroidered in script. EACH JACKET IS CUSTOM-MADE FOR A SPECIFIC PERSON, which has several implications:

• Jackets are ordered only ONCE each year.  PLACE YOUR ORDER BY 11:59 PM ON THURSDAY AUGUST 22, 2019.  Once this order goes in, we will not place another order until Summer 2020.
• You need to specify your sizing information and the name you want embroidered when you place an order (more about that below). 
• THE JACKET YOU ORDER IS THE JACKET YOU MUST PURCHASE.  We cannot "exchange for another size" since we do not keep purchasable jackets in stock.                         
  

Your jacket will be tailored for YOU, so in addition to specifying the size you can modify (lengthen or shorten) the sleeves and the body as necessary. 
To order your jacket, we will ask for:

• Overall Size. You can order by chest size and/or by alphabetic size (S, M, L, etc.).
• Sleeve Length. There is a "standard sleeve length" associated with each size (see the Settlemier size chart for details—scroll halfway down the page). You can order the Standard Length, or you can add inches (to lengthen the sleeves) or subtract inches (to shorten the sleeves).  Important Caveat:  Sleeve length is measured from the nape of the neck.
• Body Length. There is a "standard body length" (collar to hem) associated with each size (see the Settlemier size chart for details). You can order the Standard Length, or you can add inches (to lengthen the body) or subtract inches (to shorten the body).
• Name or Nickname to Embroider. List the (one) name you want embroidered on the front of your jacket.

DETERMINING YOUR SIZE: 

1. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND stopping by Settlemier Jackets at 4929 NE Fremont (503-288-9156) to try on some jackets to help you decide your size. Settlemier's will be available for you to try on jackets Monday – Thursday 9:00am-5:00pm.   It's a good idea call them first at 503-288-9156 before heading out there—even if you're going during regular business hours.  If it can be arranged, they might be able to meet you outside of business hours.  Once you're there, you can try on different jackets and have the Settlemier folks determine whether the sleeve length and/or body length need to be modified.  Make a note of  your jacket (chest) size and any necessary sleeve or body modifications since you'll need them for the Survey Monkey order form.  GOING TO SETTLEMIER'S IS THE PREFERRED METHOD FOR DETERMINING YOUR SIZE.  They are experts at sizing you up.
2. A second alternative:  You can find a band member who is about your size and ask to try on his/her jacket.
3. Another alternative:  You can use the size chart on the Settlemier website (settlemiersjackets.com).  Note that the size chart shows standard sleeve and body length for each size, but you can adjust that to your needs (tell us to add or subtract length in the order form).  Important Caveat:  Sleeve length is measured from the nape of the neck.

JACKET PRICING: 
The band is subsidizing a substantial portion of the cost of each jacket, so THE PRICE TO BAND ASSOCIATES FOR EACH JACKET IS $105.

You can pay for your jacket by check, cash, or credit card / PayPal.  If you order a jacket, it MUST be paid for by the time we place the order with Settlemier's shortly after August 22.  If you haven't paid for your jacket by the time the order is placed, we will omit it from the order.

If you choose not to purchase a jacket, we have twelve loaner jackets that can be 'borrowed' for $5 per event to help defray the cost of purchasing and maintaining the extra jackets.  However, we MUCH prefer that you purchase your own jacket if possible to reduce overall hassle.

ORDERING YOUR JACKET: 

PAYING FOR YOUR JACKET: 
After you've placed your order, please pay for your jacket. 

 - To use Paypal, 
                - go to the band's website (www.tbgo.org), 
                - click on Member Info in the upper right hand corner
                - click on Payments
                - scroll down to the Uniform Payments section, where you can add things to your shopping cart.
                - from there, follow the instructions  

 - To pay by check, make your check payable to "TBGO" and then pay Janet Tolopka either in person or via mail to:
                Janet Tolopka
                10321 SW Todd St.
                Portland, OR 97225-6959

 - To pay by cash, you can pay Janet when you see her.

KEY THINGS TO REMEMBER:

1.  Auxiliary units DO NOT use these jackets as an on-street uniform, but auxiliary members may still order a jacket if they'd like one.
2. The On-Street Support Team (flag carriers, banner carriers, water carriers, etc.) DO use these jackets as on-street uniform.
3. Jacket orders must be placed by 11:59 PM on Thursday August 22, 2019.
4. This is the ONLY time uniform jackets will be ordered this year.
5. Recommended method of obtaining your correct size is to stop by Settlemier Jackets at the address given above.
6. Price per jacket is $105, which reflects a substantial subsidy from the band fund.
7. Please pay for your jacket after you place your order via check, cash, or credit card / PayPal.

Based on your enthusiastic feedback following last year's appearance, we've signed the contract to perform at the 2019 Oregon State Fair in Salem.  Now it's time to get our act together!  Dates are Friday August 23 through Monday September 2. This includes two weekends (plus a preceding Friday), a full set of weekdays in between, and finishes up on Labor Day. You can use the link in the red box to sign up for your days at the Fair, or read the details and THEN sign up!

Click Here to SIgn Up for Your Days at the State Fair

 

Performance Information

MODIFICATION: THE EVENING PARADE NOW BEGINS AT 9:10 PM!

As in 2018 we are signed up for two "mini-parades" each day for all 11 days of the Fair, with a third mini-parade on weekends and Labor Day.  Each mini-parade lasts about 30 minutes and includes a parade through the Fairgrounds (roughly 1/2 mile) plus stops along the way for a few standstill tunes.  Mini-parades are currently scheduled for 6:30 pm and 9:10 pm (NEW TIME!) each day, with an early parade at 4:30 pm on weekends and Labor Day.  PARADE TIMES ARE STILL SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Lights are encouraged for the 9:10 parade, which ends with us performing near the closing "fire show" of the Fair each night.

We discovered last year that the "hardest part of the gig" was waiting around between parades, so this year we've ADDED a 30 minute stage show each day except Sundays.  We'll be on the Spirit of Oregon Stage from 7:45-8:15 pm.

I suspect the added stage show will prevent us from playing between bands in the LB Day Amphitheater as we did for two shows last year ... but hey, we'll see what happens!

Summarizing:

• Mondays through Fridays:  Parade at 6:00, show at 7:45, parade at 9:10
• Saturdays, Labor Day:  Parades at 4:30 and 6:00, show at 7:45, parade at 9:10
• Sundays:  Parades at 4:30, 6:00, and 9:10

Call Time

Call time varies depending on whether you have already performed at the Fair. This helps take into account whether you are familiar with the drive, our meeting area, etc:

• On YOUR FIRST DAY AT THE FAIR, call time is 1 HOUR before the first performance of the day. That gives you enough extra time to guess wrong about traffic, park in the wrong place, have a hard time finding the meet-up point, etc, etc.
• On YOUR SECOND AND SUBSEQUENT days, call time is 40 MINUTES before the first performance of the day. Do be aware that traffic each day will vary (even near the Fairgrounds), so don't cut things too close!

Uniform

Informal Uniform: TBGO collared polo shirt, black shorts/belt, white socks/shoes, TBGO cap.

For the evening show (9:10 pm) they would like us to decorate with .

Performances and Music Lists

Beginning from just inside the Red Gate, we will follow a parade route within the Fairgrounds (see Parade Route map below right). The route as shown is approximately 1/2 mile. We will stop periodically for a standstill tune or two. Likely "stop and play" locations are at the Tap House and near the LB Day AmphitheaterAt the 6:00 parade we willl finish by parading through the LB Day Amphitheater concourse at about 6:30.. For the 9:10 parade we'll do 2-3 tunes right behind the Spirit of Oregon Stage since that's the location of the "Fire Finale".

On every day except Sundays, we are playing a 30-minute show at the Spirit of Oregon stage beginning at 7:45 pm. Please be at the stage ready to play no later than 7:30 pm.

If you are staying in Salem during the week:  Please take ALL your music with you to Salem in case we need to switch tunes along the way!

FOR MINI-PARADES	FOR THE 7:45 STANDSTILL SHOW
Music for Parading: (recommend memorizing as much as you can to make your life easier!) Dancing in the Streets Fireball We Like to Party Venus Parade Standstill Music: (for using during parade stops) Band of Gold Confident Happy Jump Shut Up and Dance Uptown Funk Also Bring (for Possible Rehearsal): Total Eclipse of the Heart	Set List: Confident Dancing in the Street Bang Bang One Mint Julep We Like to Party I'm Shipping Up to Boston Band of Gold Shut Up and Dance Fireball Sweet Caroline Jump Uptown Funk

Note that Exposition Center Map is oriented with North toward the upper left. Directions and Parking Click any map or picture to enlarge We will park in the OAK GROVE LOT (directions below and on map at right). Your uniform is your parking pass. If you like, you can print a copy of the 2018 parking pass (black-and-white is fine) just in case you get the stink-eye from the parking attendant. FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS since there are one-way streets around the Fairgrounds that may cause you problems otherwise. From I-5 South, take Exit 258 (North Salem / Fairgrounds / Amphitheater); turn right at end of ramp onto Portland Rd NE. In about 1.9 miles, continue straight ahead as Portland Rd NE becomes Fairgrounds Rd NE. In 800 ft, use left turn lane to turn left onto Woodrow St NE. (Note that Woodrow St is NOT at a traffic light; it's opposite a car lot and comes immediately after a donut shop on your left.) Cross the railroad tracks and continue ahead to T at 17th St NE. Turn left on 17th St NE. On your right, you will see the sign for the Jackman Long Building (also called Oregon State Fair Exposition Center Office). If you need to drop off large gear like drums or a tuba, you can pull in here and drop off gear at the end of the parking lot near the Red Gate, then continue on 17th to the Oak Grove lot. Shortly beyond the Red Gate, you will see a Green Gate on your right (although it's labeled something like Garden, Animals, etc) and directly opposite the Green Gate on your left is a break in the white fence. Turn left here into the Oak Grove parking lot, park your car, and head across the street to the Red Gate. Please PARK SENSIBLY to help maximize the number of vehicles in this lot. Unless you have a large instrument like drums or tuba, please leave your case in the car since our storage space is limited (more on that below). We have parking available for up to 40 vehicles. This should be ample parking for us most days. To make SURE of that, we need to carpool as much as we can (this will also help keep costs to a minimum). There's an open post on the TBGO Tripboard that you can use to seek or offer carpool opportunities via Comments. Entry Enter the Fairgrounds at the Red Gate. The Fair will have a list of all TBGO performers and will check that you are on the list. If you have guests who need to purchase tickets, the box office is in the buildings to the right of the Red Gate (see Exposition Center Map above); they can purchase tickets and enter there. The meet-up area for the band is just inside the Red Gate between the Jackman Long Building on your right and Columbia Hall on your left. Head straight ahead for 20 yards and hang out with the purple shirts. This is where we'lll begin our parades. Storage Space UPDATE: We have the same storage space that we had in 2018. We have a modest amount of locked storage space available in the Jackman Long Building. This space can be used for storage of drum cases and flag/banner tubes and will be available for overnight storage of banners and flags as well as drums and tubas if you will be performing on subsequent days. We can also use this space to drop off instruments immediately after a performance and pick them up just before the next one. This includes smaller instruments as long as we have enough space. Steve has the key to this room but will bestow it on a gatekeeper each day. The room is located on the east side of the Jackman Long Building just around the corner from the accessibility elevator, behind an orange door labeled "Farm and Garden Office". Green Room We do not have a specific place to "hang out" between shows. There are places all around the grounds to hang out (and you're encouraged to use any of them). Other Things to Bring My "Fair experts" suggest that you may want to bring some wet wipes, hand gel, or other way to clean up and avoid ingesting whatever is floating around that you don't want to have with dinner. You may also want to bring a small flashlight to make it easier to return to your car at night. Signup for the Fair Click Here to SIgn Up for Your Days at the State Fair Parking and fair admission are included in our contract, so your only expense is transportation and any food/drink you choose to consume at the Fair.  We will arrange carpool opportunities to help keep costs down (for example, by having people meet at the Park 'n' Ride near Bridgeport Village). Our standard collection of parade and standstill tunes will be just fine, so no additional prep work required on our end.  Auxiliary units and support staff (for flags and banners) are both included and desirable. This is a big commitment for the band, but the rewards are substantial and those who played last year said it was a lot of fun. Besides excellent exposure, the Fair almost doubles our performance income for the year.  We don't necessarily need 60 in the block for every performance, but we DO need to be sure we have 30+ in the block plus auxiliaries, including enough of everything to make a balanced band.  Biggest worries will likely be lead trumpets, lead bones, drum line (same as always!).  There's no upper limit on how many attendees we can have each day, so sign up on as many days as you can.  The more, the merrier! Now we need to nail down your COMMITMENTS so that we can ensure we have a SOLID BAND EVERY DAY. Click Here to SIgn Up for Your Days at the State Fair

In October 2018, TBGO unveiled a long-term travel plan that included travel to Adelaide, Australia for the 2020 National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant. It's now only 15 months away, so it's time for our planning to go into full swing!

We expect to have details available and will begin taking signups and deposits shortly after Labor Day. National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant The National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant is the largest single-day parade in the southern hemisphere, the second biggest in the world (behind the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City), and the largest Christmas Parade in the world. It is officially recognised as a "heritage icon" by the National Trust of Australia and a "state institution" by the Government of South Australia. The pageant takes place in the Adelaide city centre, along a 3.35 km (2 mi) route. In 1896, Mr Edward Waterfield Hayward established the Christmas fantasy world of the 'Magic Cave' to provide a joyful community Christmas experience. Thirty-seven years during the Great Depression in 1933 the first Christmas Pageant was held to escort Father Christmas to the Magic Cave. 200,000 spectators came to watch that first Pageant, which featured eight floats and four bands and ran for around 40 minutes. The event now thrills over 320,000 excited parade-goers and a television audience with 85 sets and 1,700 volunteers, including some 63 floats, 15 bands, 164 clowns, dancing groups, and walking performers, all culminating in the arrival of Father Christmas.
Brief Tour Overview The main tour runs from November 10, 2020 through November 20, 2020. This is an 8 night trip (the other nights are consumed by air travel and crossing the International Date Line), with 3 nights in Adelaide, 2 nights in Melbourne, and 3 nights in Sydney. An optional 9-night New Zealand extension will be available, returning home November 30. The Christmas Pageant takes place on Saturday November 14, 2020. Specifics of sightseeing are still TBD but expect the usual eclectic and exciting collection of "highlights and Tom Higham fun". Other than the Christmas Pageant, performances are TBD. As usual, we will look for good performance opportunities during the tour, including New Zealand if we have enough people taking the extension to form a viable band.
Pricing Pricing for the main tour is expected to run slightly under $4,000 per person double occupancy, airfare included. Single supplement will be available (approx $800 additional). Since international travel always has its own nuances, I don't currently know whether triples and quads will be available. Pricing for the optional New Zealand extension is expected to run an additional $2,200 per person double occupancy. To reduce the total cost of travel for band associates to more affordable levels, we anticipate band funds to partially subsidize travel costs.  Non-performer guests are welcome to join the trip but are responsible for their own expenses (i.e., travel will not be partially subsidized by TBGO). Travel Awards will be available via the Travel Assistance Program (TAP) for this trip; please follow the link to acquaint yourself with how the program operates. Specifics for this trip, including the amount of the Minimum Acceptable Travel Budget, will be announced at a later date. Please note that TAP Awards will not be available for those selecting the New Zealand extension. We also anticipate announcing a substantial Early Booking Discount (EBD) for this
trip. The EBD will be available regardless of whether you are electing the New Zealand extension. We know many of you have been anticipating this trip since it was first announced, so be ready to act and claim your discount! Trip Pricing Poll To help with planning, we've created a poll in which we'll ask you how likely you are to make the Australia trip at various price points from $1,500 to $4,000. We will also ask how likely you are to add the New Zealand extension. This poll will help us determine trip viability, price sensitivity, how much cash we may need from the band fund, how many travelers to plan for, etc. Please respond by August 22 if possible (once we get to the State Fair, I know all this will fly out of your heads!) If you have multiple travelers, please fill in a separate poll for each traveler; this will make it easier to analyze the results. Click Here to Enter Your Info in the Australia Trip Pricing Poll

Major Road Trips

The Board talks with members informally to get travel ideas, and there's no shortage of fun things to do. We've built a long-term travel plan using these criteria:

• Take account of the "recurring themes" we hear when talking to band associates about travel opportunities.
• Target events with "cool factor". If we only get to do one a year, it oughta count!
• Emphasize trips that center around existing events with large, enthusiastic crowds. It's more fun to play for lots of people, and it's a lot easier to draw a crowd when someone else has already done all the work.
• Have a reasonable belief that it's a trip/event we can successfully execute.
• Target locations that are likely to have broad appeal to members as "destinations" - there should be fun, exciting touristy things we can do while we are in the area.
• Try to keep major events 9-15 months apart.
• Work to keep each trip affordable to the best of our ability.
• "Start spreading the news" - work on bringing the band to each major area of the country (and beyond).
• In general, avoid duplicating major trips that we've done previously - we ain't gettin' any younger and there are LOTS of places to go!
• Look beyond one year to put a multi-year plan in place. We think that a roadmap makes it easier for both the band staff and band associates to plan ahead, and it can also act as a recruiting tool.

Regional Trips and Mini-Trips

Besides our annual "big road trip", we make a conscious effort to broaden our reach in regional events. This will certainly include day trips, but we'd also love to add one or two "mini-trips" each year if the band can support it. In general, we'd try to space mini-trips so that they don't fall right on top of a major trip (i.e., we'll try to create "breathing room" between trips as much as we can.) A mini-trip would typically be closer to home, include a 1-2 night hotel stay, and have lower cost. Examples of mini-trips that we've done include the Autumn Leaf Festival in Leavenworth (WA), Wenatchee Appleblossom Festival, Pendleton Round-Up, Medford Pear Blossom Festival, White Rock (BC) Sea Festival, and Rogers Santa Claus Parade (Vancouver, BC).

Active Travel Plan

In October 2018 the TBGO Board unveiled a new multi-year travel plan at the annual TBGO Birthday Party, including both regional and major national/international trips through 2024.

UPDATE:  Based on interest poll results, we have decided that we will NOT travel to Yakima Sunfair in September 2019. We are keeping this event on the list for possible travel in the future.

Click the grid at right for a one-page summary of the plan.
If you are on PC or Mac, click the cover slide at right to launch a self-running slide show with details of the plan and its trips. It may take a bit for the presentation to start running since it's large (48 MB). Once it launches, you can advance through it using mouse, space bar, enter key, arrow keys, etc.
If you are on a phone, tablet, or other such device, click on the PDF version at right. It loses the lovely animations and transitions, but at least you can see all the text!