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Ivy Bands Agreement (April 2011)

1. In order to facilitate communication among the bands, each band will send out to all other bands a list of their newly elected or appointed officers and their phone numbers and e-mail addresses as soon after their elections or appointments as possible, and again when any information on the initial list changes. In addition, the ivy- bandsmgt@panlists.yale.edu will be updated as soon as the information is available. Also, newly elected or appointed officers must be shown this Ivy League Bands Agreement. Contact information for each band and the current Ivy League Bands Conference Agreement will be posted on each group's website in an easily accessible location.

Brown: http://students.brown.edu/band/
Columbia: http://cuband.org Email links are temporarily broken - contact kag2148@columbia.edu
Cornell: http://mb.bigredbands.org/ and http://pepband.bigredbands.org
Dartmouth: http://dcmb.dartmouth.edu
Harvard: http://www.harvardband.org
Princeton: http://www.princeton.edu/~puband/
Penn: http://www.pennband.net/
Yale: http://www.yale.edu/yaleband/ypmb/

The following is a list of the approximate times each band's leadership changes:

Brown: late November
Columbia: late November
Cornell: January
Dartmouth: January
Harvard: late November
Princeton: late November
Penn: January
Yale: late January

2. Each band will inform other bands of intentions to attend University events (sporting or otherwise) at least two weeks in advance during the football season (but preferably at the beginning of the school year) and as soon as scheduled for all other events (at least 1 week for winter sports). If they will need to be housed for a game, they will notify the host band at least two weeks in advance of this date, giving an approximate estimate of numbers as soon as such information is known (no later than one week in advance). The host band will provide a response no later than one weeks in advance of the game. If a visiting band is in need of a practice field, notify the host band at least 2 weeks in advance, and the host band will attempt to secure the requested practice field.

3. Visiting bands are expected to act respectfully towards host bands and institutions. Bands may decline hosting if serious infractions occur, but this must be discussed between the host band and the visiting band before contacting all bands. If hosting is declined for a band, all bands must be notified via the list-serv. If hosting is declined for a serious infraction, hosting must be re-evaluated for the next hosting cycle.

4. The following officers should be contacted when traveling to their respective schools: Brown - Corresponding Secretary; Columbia - Travel Manager; Cornell - Marching Band Head Manager for football, Pep Band Head Manager for other events; Dartmouth - General Manager; Harvard - Drum Major; Princeton - Head Manager; Penn - Travel Manager; Yale - YPMB Manager. These same people should be contacted for information about the host school’s policy regarding the censoring of scripts. If a script needs to be sent in advance, it should be sent to the other school's athletic department by 5 PM the Wednesday before the game.

5. Each band will contact its respective ticket office in the Spring or before football season to attempt to secure adequate and equitable seating for visiting bands at football, hockey, and basketball games for the coming year. The visiting bands will be responsible for procuring those seats, but the host bands will make sure that their ticket offices are expecting these bands. If any problems arise that involves tickets or seating, visiting bands should feel free to ask the assistance of the host band. The host band will find out and inform the visiting band of any ticket limits imposed by the host school's athletic department at least one week in advance.

6. Each band will find out its respective school's policy on playing music during the game (whatever sport) and will communicate that policy to visiting bands at least one week in advance of the game. Bands shall not enter the football field or play music during the performance of another band without prior agreement. Where possible, the host band will help show the visiting band how to use the PA equipment.

7. Representatives of the home band will meet with the visiting band upon arrival to determine the order of playing during breaks and after the game, and an Athletics script will be provided for each band. Time outs will be divided between the bands in an equitable manner agreed upon before the start of the game. Additionally, bands will not play over P.A. announcements, except where permitted.

8. Each band will talk to its respective basketball cheerleaders (if applicable) about sharing time with visiting bands.

9. All bands agree to adhere to the six and one-half minute convention for half-time shows at football games (two and one- half minutes for pre-game). Timing shall start when a member of the band first steps on the field, begins to play, when the band's public address announcer begins to speak, or at a designated time, whichever comes first. Timing shall end when the last member of the band has left the field, stops playing, or when the announcer completes his dialogue, whichever comes last. All bands shall time their own shows both in rehearsal and actual performance.

10. If any bands need extra time for a special band-related celebration or internal celebration, they will let the visiting band know three weeks in advance so that they can write their shows accordingly. If there will be other changes (such as kick- off time delayed due to televising or other non-band activities taking up part of half time) the host band will let the visiting band know as soon as possible, preferably two weeks in advance. If less than 13 minutes playing time is allotted by athletics to the home and visiting bands, the time shall be split evenly between the home and visiting bands; Princeton's athletics department will only allot 12 total minutes. If 13 or more minutes are allotted by athletics, the visiting band shall have no less than the six and one-half minute convention, with more time allotted at the home band’s discretion. If any changes occur on game day, the visiting band will be notified immediately.

11. In the event of an infraction of the Ivy League Bands Conference Agreement, the offended band may notify the other bands of the nature of the infraction (via use of the listserv, if need be).

12. All bands agree to host the Ivy League Bands Conference in the following order: Penn, Yale, Brown, Columbia, Harvard, and Princeton. Dartmouth and Cornell are exempted from the cycle due to how difficult it is to get there. Each host band of the given year will act as a center of communication until the following conference. The host band shall be in contact with other bands of the upcoming Ivy Bands Conference by February 1st of the hosting year. By February 1st, the host band should send out the expected date, as well as a possible alternate date. Other bands must respond within a week stating whether they are available on those dates, or if not, which dates would be preferable. The host band will also calculate the cost of hosting the conference and divide it in eight, and this amount will be paid by each band on the day of the conference.

13. The conference host shall send the revised version of this agreement to all members within 2 weeks after the conference. Each band will contact the host to ratify the agreement. Any school that does not contact the host by May 1st of that year shall be counted as ratifying all changes.