MEMBERSHIP AND ATTENDANCE

WYSO is committed to providing all members with the highest quality musical and educational experience possible and requires a serious commitment from all members and their families. The very nature of the orchestral experience requires that all members are present to rehearse together. By accepting membership in WYSO, you have agreed to fulfill the obligations associated with all rehearsals, performances, tours, and special events. Having chosen to participate in WYSO, you have made WYSO a priority.

PUnCTUALITY
It is very disruptive to have members arriving late, missing orchestra tuning, and crawling over others to be seated. Please arrive 15 MINUTES before your rehearsal’s starting time. At starting time, you should be checked in, in your seat with music ready, warmed up and ready to tune and focus. You are expected to be in place on time after scheduled breaks.

ATTENDANCE POLICY – NEW AND IMPROVED FOR 2007-2008!
The administrative and artistic staff recognize that members may occasionally have other obligations or unexpected conflicts on Saturday mornings. However, they firmly believe it is detrimental to the educational experience of WYSO to have different members missing each week. Whenever possible, avoid consecutive absences. Absences exceeding two rehearsals for the November (Steenbock) concerts, three rehearsals for the March (Winterfest) concerts, and two rehearsals for the May (Bolz) concerts will remove you from playing in that concert. You will still expected to attend all remaining rehearsals. Failure to do so will be grounds for removal from WYSO.

Planned absences should be kept to a minimum to allow for unexpected conflicts. Please work as a family at the beginning of the year to set priorities regarding your extracurricular activities, college visits, school music activities and scheduling required college exams. This is possible with some effort and advance planning. For example, consider waiting to take the ACT or SAT until another concert cycle if you already have too many other conflicts. These tests are scheduled multiple times throughout the year and in different locations. If you have a conflict, conductors request you attend any part of the rehearsal you are able. It is always better to attend some of a rehearsal than none.

EXCESSIVE ABSENCE POLICY
Members who exceed the number of permitted absences for a concert will be dismissed from performing in that concert. It is the absences themselves that are important, not the reasons. A member may be dismissed from membership due to lack of commitment as demonstrated by poor attendance during the year. This policy will be uniformly enforced among the orchestras and instrument sections.

ABSENCE NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE

• The WYSO office carefully tracks absences, tardiness, and early departures from rehearsals to ensure everyone’s safety and to ensure that WYSO’s absence policies are consistently and fairly enforced. It is your responsibility to check in with the attendance taker at EVERY rehearsal! If you do not check in, a parent volunteer will call your home.

• To assist with rehearsal planning for the orchestras and smaller ensembles, members should report planned absences no later than one week before the affected rehearsal. To report a planned absence, complete and submit an absence card. Last-minute absences due to illness or other unexpected conflicts are the only ones that should be called in to the WYSO office.  Please try to call before the rehearsal begins. Each orchestra has an assigned voice mailbox for last-minute attendance messages.

• An absence card should also be used to report planned tardiness and early departure from rehearsals. If you arrive at rehearsal more than 15 minutes late or leave before rehearsal ends, please sign in/out with the parent hall monitor stationed outside the rehearsal rooms.

CONCERT ATTENDANCE
Attendance is required at all WYSO orchestra and ensemble concerts in which you are expected to perform. This includes the in-state tours, which require a full school-day commitment. An absence from a concert without reasonable excuse is probable cause for dismissal from the WYSO program. Inform the office as far in advance as possible if you anticipate a serious conflict with a concert or tour.

MEDICAL LEAVE
Medical leave may be implemented if you have a serious medical problem and submit a signed doctor’s note indicating the problem. Medical leave is determined on a case-by-case basis. If the amount of time needed to recover requires you to miss too many rehearsals for a concert, you will not perform in that concert. The most important thing in this situation is for you to get well.

RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS
Unfortunately, WYSO is unable to accommodate all religious holidays in its scheduling process. If you need to miss a rehearsal or concert for a religious holiday, fill out an attendance card stating this fact. Please make every effort to avoid exceeding the number of permitted absences for a concert cycle.

LEAVE OF ABSENCE
WYSO does not grant leaves of absence for any reason. If you cannot commit to the entire season, please do not join. Medical leave, as outlined above, is the only exception for a prolonged WYSO absence.

WEATHER POLICY
WYSO rarely cancels rehearsals due to bad weather. Any cancellations will be stated on the WYSO voicemail system by 7:00AM. If rehearsal is not cancelled but you decide the drive is too difficult, leave a voicemail message in your orchestra’s mailbox stating your plans. Absences due to bad weather will not be considered a commitment issue, but will count towards your misses for a concert cycle. For weather related absences that result in a student exceeding his/her absence limit for that cycle, the member's complete absence record will be evaluated by the conductor to determine a conclusion. In order to avoid this type of situation, please refrain from using all absences for other reasons.