ScribeToo Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 You know.. I never have a problem with "need vs want" -- quite honestly, I know how hard these kids work.. and I know they are living a life they chose (on busses, in HS gyms, on the road and without creature comforts).. because of that I don't mind giving them things they "want" -- typically, these kids are well prepared for what they NEED when they leave on tour.. I have yet to have somebody ask me for razor refills or shaving cream.. and I know kids in Cavaliers have a lot of their needs handled by volunteers on tour.. if a kid loses his towel, the cook truck always has extras.. if he tears a sole off his only remaining pair of shoes, somebody can take him to the store to get another pair.. I think of it like, I'm there to provide a little of the "comforts of home" -- so I don't even bother to categorize what's a "want" or a "need" -- if they want something on tour, I consider it a need. Kids like this aren't greedy. They're grateful for what they receive no matter what it is.. and they rarely ever ask for anything out of the ordinary or that's an undue burden on me. Stef Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bevinator Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 Yup everyting is a need in my book to. I also figure these kids are working hard as anything all summer, the least I can do is pick them up what is on the list. I think the best thing I delivered this past weekend was a cold bottle of water to my daughter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGdrummer Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 You know.. I never have a problem with "need vs want" -- quite honestly, I know how hard these kids work.. and I know they are living a life they chose (on busses, in HS gyms, on the road and without creature comforts).. because of that I don't mind giving them things they "want" -- typically, these kids are well prepared for what they NEED when they leave on tour.. I have yet to have somebody ask me for razor refills or shaving cream.. and I know kids in Cavaliers have a lot of their needs handled by volunteers on tour.. if a kid loses his towel, the cook truck always has extras.. if he tears a sole off his only remaining pair of shoes, somebody can take him to the store to get another pair.. I think of it like, I'm there to provide a little of the "comforts of home" -- so I don't even bother to categorize what's a "want" or a "need" -- if they want something on tour, I consider it a need. Kids like this aren't greedy. They're grateful for what they receive no matter what it is.. and they rarely ever ask for anything out of the ordinary or that's an undue burden on me. Stef Very true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audreyoboe Proud SCV Mom Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 And a handwritten card telling her I love her and I'm proud of her and that I haven't converted her bedroom into an exercise room. Ha! Room? He lost his whole house! We're moving before he comes home from tour. He won't have to share a room with a brother, but it's the only home he's ever lived in, so it's still going to be a little hard on him. I could send nothing but Beef Jerky, and my kid and his friends are in heaven. But Red Vines or some equivalent are always a big hit. I'm told Little Debbie's are great, and make the trip pretty well too. He has 2 mail stops left. The next one, I'll send him a new cell phone battery, some cameras and supplies, DCT, socks etc. It's also his birthday box, so I'll find something for that as well. I won't send too much candy, but the last one, for the ride home, I fill a huge box with all kinds of candy and junk foods. Love the Walmart/Target card idea. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SassyMama Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 In my son's last year of marching we came up with a spreadsheet that the Cascade kids's still use as a base for the basic gear for the season. One of the things that we put on there was quarter rolls for laundry, and (2) boxes of dryer sheets. One to use when doing laundry, and the other to be able to stuff into their pillow to freshen it, or throw into some soiled clothes even before being washed as stuff from sweaty teenagers does tend to get rather rank. "Fish and drum corps members both smell bad after three days." Zip lock bags, fresh velcro were big winners as well. Take the time to record your voice onto a CD - put together a batch of new tunes...little personal things that don't cost a lot, but are priceless in their value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky The Wonder Ferret Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 A new pillowcase!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bssop97 Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 (edited) Cigarettes.... Or.... Money for Cigarettes. Yep... I smoked on tour. .... Hey I need a smoke beofre runthough. Cough.. Cough.... I'm ready. Edited July 13, 2006 by bssop97 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommySopranoContra Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 beef jerky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadow_7 Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 When in doubt, send money. Cash if possible. Checks and even money orders are hard to cash at times on tour. Sometimes the souvie booth takes care of cashing checks, but that's not a given. And sometimes ATM cards only work in certain regions, like only on the west coast. So even though your kid may have non-cash money(atm card), they may not have access to it for most of the tour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Divalish16 Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 Stuff I brought for people - Febreeze Chapstick Kleenex Sharpies Duct tape Bungee cords A new towel A magazine or two (Cosmo, Maxim, and Stuff are usually good choices) Tons of candy Gatorade mix and...a printout of a bunch of POSITIVE reviews about their shows and other words of support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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