What is the cost to march in the Reading Buccaneers?

$1,200 for the season. There are some ancillary costs as well, such as shoes, under garments, gloves, and food.

What does my dues pay for?

The answer is operating costs. Those costs which most effect directly affect you as members are the following:
- Music rights
- Facility Rentals
- Uniforms / Costumes
- Instructional Staff Salaries
- Instruments and instrument repairs
- Transportation to and from shows
- Some meals

FYI – all officers of the corps (the administration) are on a volunteer basis. No administrative personnel are paid.

What happens if I can’t afford it, but I want to march?

We want people who want to be here. If you are one of those people and you are going to have trouble meeting the financial obligation, we will work with you. Your part of the deal is communication and honesty. You need to inform us of your situation and that you will have trouble meeting your obligation. Tell us what you can do, and we will do our best to help you.

Who should I talk to about this?

Primarily, the Treasurer, Danielle Marone. If you would rather to talk with someone you know better on the admin team, then talk to them and they will take your information and provide it to Danielle or introduce you to her.

How does the corps help a member who is struggling to meet their financial obligations?

We have various means of trying to help you. We have alumni who annually offer to provide financial assistance to members. Our administrative team and some of our instructional team help. We have forms you can give to your family to ask them to help you and the alumni offers scholarships during the season that you can apply for. Also, as part of our new DEI initiatives, we are likely to announce some new ways to make sure EVERYONE can be a part of the Buccaneers. Last year, considering all these methods, we raised over $9,000 of assistance to help members pay their dues.

How much does the corps make from dues?

$1,200 x 128 (assuming a full corps) = $153,600.00

WOW – that is a lot of money. So, what is the corps operating budget?

The corps budget is approximately $320,000. So, dues only cover about 48% of the corps expenses. We raise the rest through donations, fund-raisers, performance fees, instrument sales etc.