About Color Guard / Winter Guard

Welcome To

The LHS Crimson Regiment Color Guard & Winter Guard

Hello Members & Families: We are SO excited to have you!

First of all, let me introduce myself. I am Erin Horner, VP of Guard. To the kids I am known as the Guard Mom. In 2022, my daughter Lilly joined as an 8th grader, so 3 seasons ago already. I honestly didn’t know what to expect. There was A LOT of information in the beginning and I felt really overwhelmed. From band camp to BOA to football games to competitions to volunteering to fundraising to chaperoning to hair/makeup to food crew, the list went on. I felt like there was so much to learn. You’re NOT ALONE!!! Every parent and member has been a rookie! Everyone is willing to help, so please don’t hesitate to ask a veteran. I’m hoping this letter is full of information that is helpful to you for our upcoming season & beyond. If you have any additional questions that I haven’t covered please reach out to me. If I don’t know the answer, I will get it for you.

Secondly, your member has joined an AMAZING band/guard FAMILY. They will make not only unforgettable memories but solid friendships. They learn dedication, teamwork, responsibility, and respect, all while having so much FUN! Will there be times that they are exhausted? YES, but at the end of it all, they will be counting down the days until the next show reveal so they can do it all over again! The Crimson Regiment organization has been a blessing, not only to our daughter, but to our whole family. I hope you will find it the same for you.

Did you feel the phenomenal energy of Show Reveal?

Well this is just the beginning of a wonderful season, full of life changing experiences for your child and family. The more you’re able to attend practices, competitions, etc. to support your student, the more you’ll enjoy it. The band will travel to 5 competitions this marching season, with the optional Disney trip in March (if you’re not signed up yet, ask Mr. Freesen – there is still room!). In other years, we regularly travel out of state to the Bands of America (BOA) competitions. If you are able to attend BOA, please DO. It is thrilling to see other bands perform that we don’t see in Colorado, all while supporting your member. FYI: They love you being there, even if they say they don’t. 🙂 They will remember for years to come, your support and dedication.

Staying informed and connected:

The band has a lot going on! To stay on top of things, watch each Sunday night for Mr. Freesen to post the Monday Sheet, which is a detailed list of everything happening for the upcoming week. You should receive this in your email and also through the Band App, which is another good source of information, especially on competition and event days. Make sure you are part of the Parent/Guardian Information Chat (on the main LHS bands page) and also the Bewilderness Parent Chat (on the color guard page). The main parent/guardian chat is for outgoing information from the staff and lead volunteers; if you have questions, please post them in the guard parent chat! Finally, for long-range planning, there is a Google calendar linked at https://lovelandband.org/ with rehearsals and events planned through the end of the season. You can also find signups for volunteer needs at that link.

Next, there have been a few things over the past couple years that came to the parents as a surprise. There are a few additional costs to be expected (which aren’t included in your band fees). The biggest I believe is that there will be makeup requirements.

Makeup requirements (required, mostly one time but small changes each season)

Your member’s first season will be the most costly but when you have all the basics, the following seasons will potentially only be eye/lip color changes. I want you to be aware of the needs now so that you will be ready for our first competition this fall. This will help spread the cost out over time.

For these items listed below there is NO BRAND requirement, however, we need them to be the correct skin tone for your member.

Primer

Foundation

1 pack of Fake lashes – try to reuse them

Concealer

Mascara/black

Contour/bronzer

Eyeliner/black

Any color blush

Setting powder (optional) but helps makeup last longer

Highlighter

Makeup removing wipes

As the season progresses, we will get the eye/lip colors from the coach! I am hoping to buy these in bulk and then distribute them to each member once I receive the payment. This is easier than parents running around and trying to purchase them on their own as each store only has so many and they run out quickly, especially when we need at least 29 of each color.

Gloves & shoes (required, each season)

The other things they will need to purchase through the band are gloves and shoes. My daughter has used her shoes for 2 years now, which she will use again, unless there is a color change, but I would plan on new shoes and gloves every year just to be safe. A close estimate for both the gloves and shoes are $45 for both.

Warm ups (required, one time)

This is the SECOND season warm ups are mandatory! As we all know, in Colorado, once the sun goes down, the temperature plummets FAST! At competitions, it will go from being scorching HOT with the sun out to shivering COLD once the sun sets! WHO KNEW, we would change from shorts and a t-shirt during the day to jeans, sweatshirts, coats, blankets, and sometimes boots at night. As the season goes on, it gets colder and colder, think of our guard members during marching season. They had been wearing thin unitards, think of how cold they must be for hours at a time.

First and foremost, we want our members to be warmer every fall season. To this end, we are requiring that parents purchase a set of warmups. They not only will be warm but they will also be showing off their Loveland Color Guard pride. These warmups will be used for both marching and winter seasons if your member chooses to do both. Also, my goal is that they can use them for many years/seasons to come. The warmups will be ordered from MI Sports and for the set it will be a cost of approximately $105 per member. This cost includes the warmup jacket, with full embroidery on the back/their first name embroidered on the front, and the warmup pants. They have given us a great deal and have been amazing to work with. The warmups look so beautiful and I am excited for your member to show them off. I will send out an order link around the time of band camp in late July, in order for them to be here for our first show.

Flag bag (optional, one time)

Also, if you want a fun flag bag that has their name on it, Amazon has great ones. Again, this bag is totally optional but if you get one, please get it in black to match everyone else’s. On Amazon it is Sportswaves Color Guard Flag Bag-78 inch bag in black. It is $50, the link will be provided in the band app.

This sounds expensive! There are so many ways to help pay your band/guard fees down! One way is by getting involved!!! Last season, our family paid ALL of our band/guard fees by fundraising or grant fundraising (volunteering for events that you get a kickback for your time). Please be aware that only certain events help you pay down your fees, not all volunteering counts as a credit. Working Wednesday night bingo and the fireworks tent are the biggest grant fundraisers. Not only do these opportunities save you money, but you get to know so many amazing people. The best part is getting to know the kids your kid is hanging out with. This is one of my favorite parts of being a guard mom. Your kids are awesome!!!!

What is Winter Guard???

Well, it is the Guard performing without the band but it is just as fabulous and entertaining. The choreography will include a lot of dancing, all while spinning a flag, rifle, or saber, OH MY! This season runs from January through April. There will be additional information to follow as the winter season gets closer. We will be needing chaperones, prop crew helpers, and snacks to be provided on competition days. I will be scheduling a parent meeting for Winter Guard in the future.

Finally, I’m SO excited for the 25/26 Marching Band Color Guard and Winter Guard seasons! Please, please don’t be shy! I am looking forward to getting to know some new faces and meeting all the new members.

I really hope that you have found this letter very informative, but again, please reach out to me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Erin

CRIMSON REGIMENT PROUD

HoFNoS “Hearts on Fire, Nerves of Steal”

Erin Horner-VP Guard-Guard Mom 970-290-2608 Elincol@yahoo.com
Alyssa Gibbons- Lauren’s Mom 970-231-4093 alyssa.gibbons@gmail.com