You're Driving Me Bananas And That's Not Nice

It does not take seven lenghty emails to explain why you are right and we are wrong that the school lost our  $200 deposit for Wallene's band trip to Philadelphia.

The bottom line is find the money order or Wallene does not attend.

Here's the scoop on band mother volunteers:  They are NUTZ. They have entirely too much time on their hands to scribe emails.  They are just not emails that do any good in the long run. [I will say I appreciate their hard work, but c'mon ladies. .  . a little less type A personality goes a LONG way.]

Within a few days of school starting in August we were asked to submit a $200 deposit for Wallene to attend a trip to Chicago.  We arranged with the band director to turn the money in on the morning of 12th of September [the soonest we could afford it- it was 4 days after the deadline] and confirmed she would be attending.

Forward to the week of the 19th/September and we were informed, via email, that the Chicago trip was off due to lack of participation [the trip was very expensive] but they had rescheduled a quick trip to Philadelphia instead.  All we had to do was click the box on the email that informed them that we would transfer, our already paid deposit, to the Philadelphia trip.

While confirming all student balances for the trip we received a plethora of emails.  I inquired as to Wallene's balance and was told she had $58.27 [This is money she made fundraising].  Yes, doesn't look like $200, does it?  On October 5th they informed us that they never received a check, but if we had the check number they would research it.

I sent along an email stating that we had turned it in on Sept. 12th, and included the receipt for the money order. I did ask why we weren't informed back in September, when we transferred the deposit, they didn't let us know that they didn't have it then?  [Bookkeeping at it's finest, but wait. . .it gets better.]

Having already had one child go through the nightmare that is school band [seriously, I love band, but this stuff drives me bat sh*t insane] we know not to write a personal check.  We always send money orders. The reason being is because they have lost our personal checks before.  We have reissued them and then they have found the lost check and cashed both. Instead of refunding the money we have been given a credit. We won't make that mistake again.
 
I received an email this morning informing me that the band mother had found Wallene in school and asked her about the check.  When she found out that the check had been dropped off in the office she chastised  told Wallene that EVERYONE knows that you don't put money anywhere but IN THE SAFE in the band room!!!!!!!

Here's the problem with that - [I mean, besides she took exception with my kid?] Pooldad dropped off the check, in an envelope, completely labelled with what it was for and amount enclosed.  He is not allowed to go back to the band room during school hours. nor will the office ladies pull Wallene from class to come pick up the check so she can put it in the safe herself.  It went into the band director's mailbox, so HE could put it in the safe. [I am pretty sure he is 45 years old.  And competent.]

Evidently, 3 weeks later it hasn't made it.  Sigh.  So, in addition to giving Wallene a hard time about this I received a lovely, long, email lecture about what we did wrong.

Look, woman - your band director has a big itch to take these kids out of town. Anywhere - he HAS TO, he has always been this way.  We accommodated you, signed up for Chicago, paid, re-signed up for Philadelphia [a ridiculous trip at best] and that $200 is valuable to that trip happening.  Don't lecture me on what we did wrong. We did the best we could and were assured it was fine.

The best part?  I received several frantic emails [mass] that were begging for the money, after we had paid, because they HAD to make the appropriate deposits in Chicago and then Philadelphia.  They needed X amount of kids to get the discount and make the trip affordable.

Band mom mentioned, as of today, they had yet to deposit a single check.  So, your rush to get the money, to make the appropriate deposits [in September] and ensure a discount, was because?  :headdesk:

I don't know if I am up for 4 more years of this.

And any Tadpole that understood this?  Here ------> have an internet cookie.

Have a good Friday Tadpoles.  And I hope all of you living upstairs have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow. I am so jealous. And sad. No one invited me. giggle