Gunkies No More At Spruce Creek High School

Apparently one single person with an opinion can significantly alter how a school in the Volusia County School System operates.

For years, Spruce Creek High School's band program has a tradition (offbeat, different, yes..) of calling new band members (mostly freshmen, but not limited to) "Gunkies".   During their first year in the band, they are made to do several things out of the ordinary (for the rest of the band).

- They're required to wear a nametag during the week-long band camp before school starts, and they are required to get the signatures of all the band captains on that tag (to get each signature, the captain makes you do something - and that captain has to be able to do it as well)

- They're assigned as groups (sections, typically) to bring in "extra instruments" after various practices (such as, the Flute section having to also bring in drum equipment)

- They're treated like, let's say, a plebe in the Naval Academy, or a new recruit in boot camp in the US Armed Forces.

- They're beginning their trek through years of training to become LEADERS.

That just ended thanks to one anonymous person who decided it "wasn't fair" (and in fact called it "harassment"; the term "hazing" also came up during the conversation).   This person elected to be anonymous to "protect their student" from others who may cause problems if it were known who caused this to happen.

I find it appalling that the school decided to bow to the wants of an anonymous, uninformed person who wrote eloquent letters (two of them) threatening the school with retaliatory action if their student did not come home and inform them that "Gunkie" and all related operations had been removed from the band's curriculum.   In truth, it was the band director Mr. Kidd, in an attempt (apparently) to keep it simple and avoid potential escalation, who decided it would be easier to just give in.   I don't like this idea (neither did a large number of those who were vocal about it during tonight's band parent meeting)...   but, what else COULD he do? He is facing someone who is CLAIMING they are going to involve the school board, the county school system, and probably further than that!

Heaven forbid this person ever get involved with the armed forces, or with any organization that grooms leaders, self-thinkers, go-getters or simply well-rounded individuals who have learned the difference between "harassment" and building character, learning how to deal with life, or just plain growing as a human being.

My kids and I have come up with a unique way to "voice" our concern over this. It should be showing up very soon. It should get a lot of laughs and/or nods of agreement based on what we saw tonight.

Hope you're happy, John (or Jane) Doe. You just lessened part of a great 25-plus year tradition of helping build leading, self-aware, human thinkers, all for the sake of stopping your kid from carrying an extra instrument into the band room once in a while...

Stupid.