Hello Lutheran Vanguard Family: parents, friends, relatives, and alumni!

We are so excited to be able to launch another LVW season, full of parades and fun and learning and friendships...and letting our light shine! We will again be participating in some incredible parades this year, and we hope that you can come out to support and enjoy the band this summer.

Just like these incredible kids who put in so much work for the glory of their Savior, you also have an opportunity to let your light shine by volunteering to help make our season a success. It’s easy to sign up, and I promise that it will be a wonderfully rewarding experience for you and will be so greatly appreciated by the kids.

Here are just a couple things to keep in mind when you volunteer:

1. Check back regularly to the LVW website for any minor changes or updates that get posted...we’ll do our best to get the volunteer information right the first time, but it’s a big undertaking and sometimes things need to change last minute.

2. It’s ok to sign up for more than one job on the same day! A good example would be volunteering to help with uniforms on parade day and also helping water the kids during the parade! You could also drive the truck and be an overnight chaperone, or help in the kitchen for both a lunch and a dinner shift. Just make sure to sign up for each slot individually. (By the way, volunteering is more fun if you bring a friend along to help!)

3. We can be flexible with the start and end times for many of the volunteer opportunities. Just let us know what works in your schedule and we’ll make it work on our end!

4. If you have any questions or need clarification on anything, please don’t hesitate to text me at (920) 734-5251 or email me at ackubek@gmail.com

There are so many ways that you can help—whether it’s with your time, talent, or treasure—and we thank and appreciate every one of you for everything that you do to make it possible for us to let our lights shine for another year!

God bless.

Tony Kubek
LVW Head Chaperone

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We're using SignUp.com (the leading online SignUp and reminder tool) to organize our upcoming SignUps.

Here's how it works in 3 easy steps:

1) Click this link to see our SignUp on SignUp.com: https://signup.com/go/JuXyhxh
2) Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like.
3) Sign up! It's Easy - you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.com.

Note: SignUp.com does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact me and I can sign you up manually.

Sign up for 2020 Vanguard Season ( https://signup.com/go/JuXyhxh ) on @SignUpdotcom today!
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Sunday's rehearsal will be held at FVL.   Rehearsal will begin at 1:00.  Please plan on arriving at least 15 to 20 minutes early.  We will conclude all of our activities by 5:00 PM on Sunday afternoon. Please check with your school’s director/LVW coordinator for travel plans to and from the rehearsal.

Please use this link to RSVP for Sunday's rehearsal.

We will be fitting LVW members with our new uniforms this Sunday!  Therefore it is very important that all members attend.  After fitting everyone this week, we will have to determine if more uniforms need to be ordered.  If so, it takes a few months for the manufacturer to produce the uniforms.  We want to make sure we have enough of the right sizes for our first performances in June.

Because we are fitting for new uniforms, we will also need several parents to help with the fittings.  Please consider volunteering for this weekend.  Your help will be GREATLY APPRECIATED!

Many of our students have not yet registered for LVW 2020.  Remember that we want ALL LVW MEMBERS to be registered prior to this Sunday's rehearsal.  The Registration Information can be found on our "Join" page.  Once you have registered, you can begin making payments on your account, and will also be included in important email correspondence.

There will be no LVW meal provided on Sunday, so you may want to pack a brown bag supper for the return trip home. 

Please wear comfortable shorts or sweats for rehearsal. We may have the opportunity for marching/visual rehearsals depending on gym useage at FVL. You will also need a pair of tennis shoes for use on the gym floor.  You may want to bring a water bottle or water jug.

If this is your first rehearsal for 2020, you will be given your music on Sunday.  Please bring your own instrument.  Brass players, remember to bring your own mouthpiece if you are using an LVW brass instrument (Mellophone, Baritone, Tuba).

Check back to this page occasionally. There may be more updates before the rehearsal.

SLHS Bus travel times for LVW Rehearsal Sunday, February 2:

Sunday, February 2

• 9:45 am Depart SLHS
• 10:15 am Arrive at WISCO (84th St entrance), pick up WISCO students
• 10:55 am Arrive at Allenton Park & Ride, pick up KML students
• 11:45 am Arrive at Forest Mall, pick up WLA students  (If needed)
• 12:50 pm Arrive at FVL for rehearsal

Sunday, February 2

• 5:10 pm Depart FVL
• 6:00 pm Arrive at Forest Mall (if needed)
• 7:00 pm Arrive at Allenton Park & Ride
• 7:45 pm Arrive at WISCO
• 8:15 pm Arrive at SLHS

Parents - there will be a Parent Q&A session immediately after opening announcements. If you are a new LVW parent, or would simply like to know more about how things work, this will be a very informative session. Thanks to our crew of experienced parents who will be on hand to answer any questions you may have!

The Opening Announcements will take place in the FVL Auditorium beginning at 1:00.  We will welcome everyone to our 2020 season,  have staff introductions, and give a brief overview of LVW and our upcoming summer.  After that any parents who are interested in the session will head to a nearby classroom.  All questions are fair game!  

The 2020 season officially gets under way on Sunday, January 5. Rehearsal will begin at 1:00 PM.  We will begin in the auditorium for the welcome from the staff, opening announcements, and an overview of the day's activities. We will conclude by 5:00 PM on Sunday afternoon. Please check with your school’s director/LVW coordinator for travel plans to and from the camp.

We will plan on bus transportation beginning at Shoreland, with stops at WISCO, Allenton Park and Ride, and Forest Mall in Fond du lac.  The tentative schedule is listed below.  If things change there will be an update posted on this site.

Camp Location:
Fox Valley Lutheran HS
5300 N Meade Street
​Appleton, WI 54913

We will be running a bus from Shoreland LHS, with stops in Milwaukee, Allenton, and Fond du Lac.  Here is the schedule:
Sunday, January 5

• 9:45 am Depart SLHS
• 10:15 am Arrive at WISCO (84th St entrance), pick up WISCO students
• 10:55 am Arrive at Allenton Park & Ride, pick up KML students
• 11:45 am Arrive at Forest Mall, pick up WLA students  (If needed)
• 12:50 pm Arrive at FVL for rehearsal

Sunday, January 5

• 5:10 pm Depart FVL
• 6:00 pm Arrive at Forest Mall (if needed)
• 7:00 pm Arrive at Allenton Park & Ride
• 7:45 pm Arrive at WISCO
• 8:15 pm Arrive at SLHS

If you will be riding the bus, make sure you indicate on the RSVP form so our driver knows how many students to plan for.

Please RSVP for the camp, even if you are unable to attend January 5 but intend to participate in 2020.  A link to the RSVP is also located on the LVW homepage.

If you have not yet registered for LVW 2020, that's OK.  We want all members to register before the February rehearsal.  Since this day is listed as a "PREVIEW", some may want to give this day a try before actually signing up.  The online registration form and other important information can be found on our JOIN page.
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Here are a few items that you will need to know for the rehearsal:

When you arrive at FVL
Use the FVL Commons as a place to gather, meet old and new members, and drop off your equipment and other gear for the day.

Meals
LVW will provide a pizza supper at the end of the rehearsal before going home.

What to Bring
For marching rehearsals, you will need to have comfortable shorts or sweats. Please don’t wear “jeans” for marching/visual rehearsals. You will also need a pair of tennis shoes for use on the gym floor.

Don’t forget your instrument! If you will be using an LVW instrument (mellophone, baritone, tuba), you will need to bring your own mouthpiece. Reed players, please make sure you have a few working reeds for the day.

You will be given your music and other LVW equipment on Sunday at the beginning of the rehearsal.

Check back to this page occasionally. There may be more updates before the rehearsal.

Please tell your friends about this post, especially if they may be new to LVW.  We want excellent attendance at this camp!

0 CommentsLVW Latest News
James NeujahrHello everyone!  Thanks for visiting the Blog!  I have been a director for LVW since 1987, and Executive Director since 1998.  I am the band director at Fox Valley Lutheran High School in Appleton, WI, a position I have held also since 1998.  Come back often!

We are about to begin our RETURN TO THE STREET 2020 season!  It all gets underway on January 5 when the band has its first rehearsal for the upcoming summer.  MUCH more information will be available on this page prior to that event.

For now, you are able to access our 2020 membership information on our JOIN page.  There you will find lots of information related to eligibility, registration, schedules, cost, and so on.

Parents - we will be looking for Volunteers for the upcoming summer!  You will have the opportunity to serve in many capacities, such as meal cooks and servers, equipment managers, truck drivers, parade/watering crews, overnight chaperons, uniform custodians, and more.  Watch or Volunteer page for more information in the upcoming months.

We thank our Heavenly Father for the blessings He has showered upon LVW since 1978!  Without His help and guidance we would not have been able to accomplish such great things for over 40 years!  Without Him, we would not have been able to LET OUR LIGHT SHINE!  Thanks also to our hundreds of alumni who continue to support LVW, as well as our parents, staff, volunteers, and especially the marching members who make LVW what it is and continues to be - a Christian family quite unlike any other.

Registration will open on November 1.  Until then, if you have any questions about LVW, contact your LVW Member School director, or Executive Director James Neujahr at jneujahr@fvlhs.org.  

To families and friends of Lutheran Vanguard,

Due to recent events and after much discussion, it is with a heavy heart that I announce the LVW 2019 season will be suspended effective immediately.

While there are a number of points that led to this decision, the key factors include:

1) Absence of Executive Director - when I took over as Director of Operations I had a flexible position which I lost in September and could not land a comparable job until now, in Madison.
Due to family, school, and other personal obligations, no LVW member school directors are able to fulfill the Executive Director duties this summer, nor were we able to piece together a few who could share duties. Without an Executive Director who can provide full-time leadership for the substantial duties required to positively influence nearly all aspects of the band, we cannot promise a successful season.

2) With an instructional staff situation similar to last summer, there are certain weeks/weekends where some instructional areas remain unfilled.

Refunds will be issued in the near future. There may be a small withholding due to food and travel expenses already incurred in January and February.

I and the other staff want to extend a huge "Thank You" to Mr. Neujahr for the work he has done behind the scenes to keep things going for many years. He has done more than anyone would ever have expected, and LVW's longevity can only be attributed to his sacrifices and effort. We ask the Lord's blessing on the next chapter in his life!


Last summer, LVW pulled it together; this year the situation is much different. The future of Lutheran Vanguard beyond the 2019 season will need to be evaluated. The member school directors and board of directors will consider what options exist to keep the band a sustainable entity to serve our members and glorify our Lord. God has blessed LVW with over 40 years of musical fellowship and performance ministry, and for that we are most thankful! We have all benefited from our association with LVW, and thank God for those blessings, memories, and opportunities that He has provided.

In Christ,
Brian Braatz
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LVW Board of Directors

LVW Member Directors
James Neujahr
Quinten Petersen
Joel Ungemach
James Groth
Dan Hubert

​​Sunday's rehearsal will be held at FVL.   Rehearsal will begin at 1:00.  Please plan on arriving at least 15 to 20 minutes early.  We will conclude all of our activities by 5:00 PM on Sunday afternoon. Please check with your school’s director/LVW coordinator for travel plans to and from the rehearsal.

Some of our students have not yet registered for LVW 2019.  The Registration Information can be found on our "Join" page.  Once you have registered, you can begin making payments on your account, and will also be included in important email correspondence.

There will be no LVW meal provided on Sunday, so you may want to pack a brown bag supper for the return trip home. 

Please wear comfortable shorts or sweats for rehearsal. We may have the opportunity for marching/visual rehearsals depending on gym useage at FVL. You will also need a pair of tennis shoes for use on the gym floor.  You may want to bring a water bottle or water jug.

If this is your first rehearsal for 2019, you will be given your music on Sunday.  Please bring your own instrument.  Brass players, remember to bring your own mouthpiece if you are using an LVW brass instrument (Mellophone, Baritone, Tuba).

Check back to this page occasionally. There may be more updates before the rehearsal.

SLHS Bus travel times for LVW Rehearsal Sunday, February 10:

9:45 am Depart SLHS 
10:15 am Arrive at WISCO (84th St entrance), pick up WISCO students 
10:55 am Arrive at Allenton Park & Ride, pick up KML students 
12:50 pm Arrive at FVL for rehearsal 

Rehearsal from 1 - 5 PM
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5:10 pm Depart FVL 
7:00 pm Arrive at Allenton Park & Ride 
7:45 pm Arrive at WISCO 
​8:15 pm Arrive at SLHS

The 2019 season officially gets under way during the weekend of January 5-6. Rehearsal will begin at 12:00 PM on Saturday.  We will begin in the auditorium for the welcome from the staff, opening announcements, and an overview of the two-day camp. We will conclude all of our activities by 4:00 PM on Sunday afternoon. Please check with your school’s director/LVW coordinator for travel plans to and from the camp.

​More Camp/Preview information is located HERE.

A Bus Schedule is provided in the post below.

Camp Location:
Fox Valley Lutheran HS
5300 N Meade Street
​Appleton, WI 54913

If you have not yet registered for LVW 2019, please do so BEFORE THE START OF CAMP.  The online registration form will include the Emergency Contact/Medical information, as well as the Release from Liability and Indemnification Agreement.  Therefore it is mandatory that ALL STUDENTS are pre-registered BEFORE attending their first rehearsal.  The online registration form and other important information can be found on our JOIN page.

Here's the schedule (purple indicates the PREVIEW event):

Saturday January 5th
12:00 - 1:00 -  Check-in, meeting in FVL auditorium
1:00 - 3:30 - Sectionals
3:30-4:30 - Visual rehearsal in Gym
4:30 - Break/Snack/Change clothes/Travel to Mt. Olive
5:30 - Church/Travel to FVL
7:00 - 8:00 - Dinner
8:00 - 8:45 - Choir Rehearsal
8:45 - 10:00 - Sectionals
10:00 - Snack/Devotion
11:00 - Lights Out

Sunday January 6th
7:00 - 8:00 - Wake-up/Breakfast
8:00 - 9:30 - Visual rehearsal in Gym
9:30 - 10:30 - Devotion/Choir Rehearsal
10:30 - 12:00 - Sectionals
12:00 - 1:00  Lunch
1:00 - 3:00  Sectionals
3:00 - 4:00 - Show and Tell/meeting/clean-up
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Here are a few items that you will need to know for the camp:

When you arrive at FVL
Girls can take their overnight gear to the large ensemble room.  Girls will be sleeping in the choir room.  Boys can take their gear to the back of the auditorium.  Boys will be sleeping in the new Fine Arts Classroom.  Instrument cases and other equipment can be lined up in the music hallway.  There is a basketball tournament at FVL on Saturday, so we will not be able to leave things in the Commons.

Meals
Saturday supper and evening snack, as well as Sunday breakfast and lunch will be provided by LVW.

You may want to pack a lunch if you are coming from a distance or riding the bus, as we will not be eating supper until after the church service on Saturday night.

Worship Service
We will be attending Saturday evening worship at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Appleton. Casual clothes are acceptable for this worship service.  The service begins at 5:30 PM.

What to Bring
You will need to pack an overnight bag with a change of clothes, overnight gear (Sleeping bag/blanket/pillow/air mattress/etc.), personal items (towel, soap/shampoo, deodorant, etc). We will be sleeping overnight at FVL.

For marching rehearsals, you will need to have comfortable shorts or sweats. Please don’t wear “jeans” for marching/visual rehearsals. You will also need a pair of CLEAN tennis shoes for use on the gym floor.

Don’t forget your instrument! If you will be using an LVW instrument (mellophone, baritone, tuba), you will need to bring your own mouthpiece. Reed players, please make sure you have a few working reeds for the weekend.

You will be given your music and other LVW equipment on Saturday.

Check back to this page occasionally. There may be more updates before the Camp.

Please tell your friends about this post, especially if they may be new to LVW.  We want excellent attendance at this camp!

Just over two weeks until PREVIEW + January Camp - can you feel the excitement?

We WILL be running a bus from Shoreland to FVL that Saturday morning.  It will return Saturday evening for PREVIEW-only students, and another bus returning Sunday evening for students remaining all weekend.  Planned pickup/drop-off spots are Shoreland, Wisconsin Lutheran HS, and the Allenton park 'n' ride.  We CAN stop in Fond du Lac if there is a need - if so please email LVWmarchingband@gmail.com ASAP to make plans.

There is preparatory work still to do to ensure the 2019 season kicks off strong.  Please continue to ready your bodies by exercising, stretching, and finding ways to make your muscles stronger.  Even a 1 pound flute gets heavy after holding it up for several minutes (with excellent posture!) 

Practice your instrument.  Make sure it works correctly so we don't need to spend valuable time doing maintenance.  Make sure your skills are at the top of their game because you will be challenged by our staff and our music as we push toward excellence.

Know someone who might be interested?  Invite them to join you, at least for PREVIEW.  Take it from me, marching band is way better with a friend (not that you won't have 75 new friends from around the state within a few months...)

Make sure you've registered for the season, or at least emailed LVWmarchingband@gmail.com to let us know you'll be there so we can prepare for you.

And remember the more important preparation we're all enjoying this season, the advent of the baby Jesus, God's gracious gift to us and the fulfillment of his ancient promises.  Say a prayer of thanks for the undeserved physical and spiritual blessings we receive every day, and ask God to help you find ways to use those blessings to his glory.  

I can't wait to see you in January.
~Mr. Braatz

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