Georgetown Announcements

Saturday June 1st, 2019

Georgetown is only one week away and we have several exciting announcements. We’re always looking for additional Drum Majors to assist us during the games. Having your Drum Major at the games helps with the organization of the massed bands and makes everything run more smoothly. We understand that not all band Drum Majors may be comfortable in a massed bands environment, so we pleased to announce that Drum Major Shannon Brooks will be offering a seminar during the afternoon for all Drum Majors. This is a great opportunity for all the Drum Majors out there to develop their drill skills, discuss strategies, and work commanding both a single band and a wave. This will be the first of several seminars (including at both Cambridge and Fergus). All interested Drum Majors should attend the band meeting at 11:00, and a discussion about the seminar will follow.

We’re also pleased to announce that in conjunction with the Georgetown Highland Games, we’ll be offering a Dress and Deportment prize. This prize is completely separate from the musical competitions throughout the day, and will be awarded to the best band across all grades who demonstrate the best dress and field discipline during massed bands. The winning band will be awarded a cash prize. The full details of the prize and the evaluation criteria will be discussed during the band meeting.

Finally, we have a full list of competitors for our CPA graded contests on Friday night at 7:00. In our Silver Medal qualifier, we have 10 highly skilled competitors playing for a spot in the Silver Medal contests. All are encouraged to come and watch. The full orders of play and location details can be found on our contest page.

See everyone at Georgetown next weekend!

2019 Band Passes

Tuesday May 28th, 2019

Band passes for all games except Maxville are now being sent out. Please consult the list to see if and when passes for your band were mailed out. This list will be updated periodically.
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CPA B Level Silver Medal Qualifier & C Level Contests

Wednesday April 17th, 2019

The Pipers’ & Pipe Band Society of Ontario is pleased to announce the first annual Silver Medal Qualifier contest open to CPA members with a B grading to be held in Georgetown, Ontario (exact location TBD) on Friday, June 7, 2019 at 7:00pm. This qualifier event will provide the winner with entry into the Silver Medal events at both the Argyllshire Gathering and the Northern Meeting in 2020.

In addition to the Silver Medal Qualifier, the PPBSO is also pleased to offer a separate contest for CPA members with a C grading. Any non-registered CPA open level players who are interested in competing can enter the C Grade contest. Preference will be given to C Grade players and then to Open level players based on the date of their registration.

This event will also run in Georgetown, Ontario (exact location TBD) on Friday, June 7, 2019 at 7:00pm. Entry forms for both events can be found at https://ppbso.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/PPBSO-Silver-Medal-Entry-Form.pdf.

The deadline to enter is Friday, May 24, 2019. Entry fee is $30.00. Entries must be submitted to the PPBSO either via email at admin@ppbso.org or via regular mail at:

PPBSO
50 Steeles Avenue East
Milton, ON
L9T 4W9

Please direct any questions to admin@ppbso.org or 905-878-3000. Updates to contest details will be made to the contest page as additional information becomes available.

Announcing the 2019 Competition Season

Sunday March 3rd, 2019

The PPBSO is pleased to announce two additions to our 2019 competition season. Starting in May, solo competitors will have the opportunity to attend one of two branch events to compete for Champion Supreme points – the Kiwanis Festival in London, and the Ottawa Branch Indoor Games in Kemptville. Both of these great events will be held on May 4^th.
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Solo Upgrade Requests

Monday November 26th, 2018

An updated copy of the solo upgrade request form has been posted for members who wish to request an upgrade. The one change we’ve made for this year is that we’re now requesting a video submission from any member requesting an upgrade. Over the past couple of years the Music Committee has found video submissions to be incredibly helpful when they evaluate a request. By including it in the standard request submission, we’re hoping to be able to streamline the process.

The new form can be found at http://ppbso.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/PPBSO-Solo-Grading-Request-Form-2019.pdf.

Band and Solo Upgrades

Saturday November 3rd, 2018

Based on the recommendation of the Music Committee, the Board of Directors has approved the following band and solo upgrades for the 2019 season.
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New Music Committee Chair

Thursday October 4th, 2018

On behalf of both the Board of Directors and the Music Committee, I’m pleased to announce that Lynda Mackay has been appointed as the new Chair of the Music Committee. Lynda has been an active member of our community for decades. She competed in several bands and as a soloist at all levels for almost 30 years (including as the Pipe Major of the former Strathnaver Pipe Band). She has taught both piping and drumming at The College of Piping in Summerside, PEI, and has been an active teacher of piping for almost 25 years. For the past decade Lynda has been a certified PPBSO Judge for both solo piping and bands, and has been an active member of the Music Committee for the past several years.

The Board and the Music Committee are both excited to see Lynda take on this new role.

For more information on the current membership of the Music Committee, please refer to the Music Committee page on the PPBSO website.

Chris Buchanan,
President

Upcoming Branch Contests and Annual General Meetings

Saturday September 29th, 2018

After a busy outdoor summer season, the PPBSO and its branches are moving ahead with a full calendar of events over the fall and the winter. The first event of the off-season starts tonight in Ottawa with the branch AGM and its first knockout contest for 2018/2019. Please check the local branch websites or the PPBSO event calendar (http://ppbso.org/events) for upcoming events and dates.

Please also check the dates and locations for your local branch AGM and the PPBSO AGM, which is on December 8^th in Milton. All members are encouraged to attend in participate in these general meetings, elect Branch and PPBSO officers and Directors, and to make your voice be heard.