TRWEA Manual
Three Rivers Winter Ensemble Association
Policies and Procedures
     
Section 1   This Association will be compromised of units who perform in contests sanctioned by the Three Rivers Winter Ensemble Association. Voting privileges will be restricted to those units who participated in five (5) shows and the Championship show in the previous season. Each unit will have one designated voting member. Voting privileges will be forfeited if a unit fails to pay its current membership fee.
     
Section 2   The membership fee will be $150.00. This entitles a unit to participate in any and all shows, including the Championship show, during a given year. A membership fee deadline will be set at the annual summer meeting.
     
Section 3   Any non-member unit may participate in one (1) Three Rivers Winter Ensemble Association contest free of charge. Any unit participating in a Three Rivers Winter Ensemble Association contest must adhere to the rules governing the Three Rivers Winter Ensemble Association units.
     
Section 4   In order to COMPETE in the Three Rivers Winter Ensemble Association Championship, the following requirements must be fulfilled:
  1. Units must appear at least one time in the first three (3) scheduled events of the season.
  2. Units must participate in a total of five (5) shows prior to the Championship show.

Units who do not fulfill their requirements, may perform in EXHIBITION at the Championship show.

     
Section 5   Any unit may withdraw from a contest two (2) weeks prior to the show, without incurring a penalty. If a unit does not participate in a show to which it has made a commitment, a penalty of $50.00 will be assessed and the unit will not be eligible to perform in any future shows until the penalty has been paid. Of the penalty fee paid, $25.00 will be given to the sponsoring unit and $25.00 will be donated to the Peter J. Spadaro Scholarship Fund. The Contest Coordinator and the Sponsoring Unit must be notified, in writing, to make the withdrawal official. All assessments will be approved and enforced by the Management Committee.
     
Section 6   A Management Committee comprised of five members will be elected from the membership. The function of this committee will be to set a direction for the local winter ensemble activity and act as a liaison between the units and the contracted judges association. This committee may only make recommendations to the membership. The membership will vote on all matters.

So that there is a sense of continuity from year to year, members will serve for a two-year term. In the first year’s election (June 1995), three (3) members will be elected for a two-year term and two (2) members will be elected for a one-year term. Members of this committee must be from units who have qualified as voting members. A committee member from a unit who has lost its voting privilege must resign. Members may succeed themselves.

Anyone interested in participating on the committee will present to the membership:

  1. A resume listing all pertinent information regarding committee participation.
  2. A statement of intent indicating why they wish to serve on the committee.
     
Section 7   In order for a unit’s members to be eligible for the Peter J. Spadaro Scholarship, that unit must participate in the Three Rivers Winter Ensemble Association preview show, four additional shows and the Championship show. The Scholarship is funded, in large part, by the preview show.
     
Section 8   We will adhere to the W.G.I. four-tiered class system. A unit must conform to W.G.I. accepted descriptions.

Example: A unit cannot compete in World Class if in fact it does not fit that description.

     
Section 9   Units must declare their competitive class by December 31st of the calendar year preceding the winter season. After the Preview show, a unit may change their class by notifying the management committee, in writing, by the first Monday after the Preview show.

Any question concerning a unit’s classification must be submitted, in writing, to the Management Committee. If the Management Committee feels that the request is justified and warrants further investigation, the issue will be submitted to the contracted judges’ association’s Executive Director, the Visual Coordinator and three other judge representatives chosen by the Executive Director.

     
Section 10   Beginning with the 2003 season, these competitive classifications will be established in addition to the normal W.G.I. classifications.
  1. Baton Unit – junior and senior
  2. Mixed equipment Unit – junior and senior

This will provide a competitive arena for more simplistically structured programs. The guidelines for these classes are as follows:

  1. Five people minimum/30 people maximum
  2. Minimum time: 2 minutes/Maximum time: 4 minutes
  3. Each performer can only perform in one category
     
Section 11  

Beginning with the 1996 contest schedule, a priority system will be established for the sponsorship of shows. One point will be assigned for every year and every show the unit has sponsored; the unit with the highest rating will be allowed the first option.

Level A
Voting privilege member – previous year show sponsor.
Order of choice will be determined by:

  • Number of years having a show
  • Number of years in the Three Rivers Winter Ensemble Association

Level B
Voting privilege member – never having sponsored a show.
Order of choice will be determined by:

  • Number of years having a show
  • Number of years in the Three Rivers Winter Ensemble Association

Level C
Non-Voting privilege member.
Order of choice will be determined by:

  • Number of years having a show
  • Number of years in the Three Rivers Winter Ensemble Association

The show schedule for the upcoming season will be selected and finalized at the annual June Organizational Meeting.

Unit point totals are cumulative. A unit may for inactive for one (1) year and still retain all points. After that, one (1) point per year will be deducted from the unit’s total number of points.
     
Section 12   A contest guideline booklet will be distributed to all contest sponsors. All aspects of show sponsorship and site requirements will be outlined. Adherence to these guidelines will be mandatory. Failure to comply could mean loss of show sponsorship the following year. E.M.S. personnel must be present at all Three Rivers Winter Ensemble Association events. A show sponsor retains the right to have an individual present to inspect ALL equipment prior to a unit entering the floor. If any piece of equipment is found unacceptable, the show sponsor can refuse the unit from using unacceptable equipment. The show sponsor will make every effort to provide the proper materials to make the equipment acceptable.
     
Section 13   Solo format
  1. $20.00 per entry – entitles entrant/s to two (2) contests and the Championship contest. Additional contests may be entered only if time slots are available and at an entry fee of $5.00 per contest. Preference will be given to performers who have yet to complete their two (2) shows.
  2. Time limit: minimum – 1 ½ minutes; maximum 2 ½ minutes - THIS TIME LIMIT WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED AND THE AUDIO TAPE WILL BE STOPPED AT THE END OF THE MAXIMUM TIME LIMIT.
  3. Solo performances will begin at the first competitive show.
  4. The Director of the unit must submit all entries. Directors should use discretion in determining solo participants.
  5. All entries will be handled by mail with the postmark determining the contest in which the soloist will perform. The order of appearance of soloists will parallel that of their unit’s contest schedule for that evening’s contest.
  6. All solo performance times will be published at least one (1) week prior to the show. This schedule will be strictly enforced and will not be adjusted.
  7. Should a performer need to withdraw from a particular contest, they will be rescheduled only if there are available time slots at future contests.
  8. A performer need only perform once during the season to become eligible for the Championship contest.
  9. The championship contest for solo performers will be held at the contest one (1) week prior to the Championship show.
  10. Solo champions will perform in exhibition at the Championship show.
     
Section 14   The Management Committee will determine the order of appearance within each classification, by means of a drawing system, for each scheduled show. If a unit changes classification after the Preview show, as outlined in Section #9, a redraw will be done for the remaining scheduled shows for both classes affected. If a unit changes classification during the course of the season, that unit will appear first in their class. If a unit’s classification is changed after being reviewed by the contracted judges association, a redraw will be done for the remaining scheduled shows for both classes affected.
     
Section 15   Whenever there is only one (1) unit competing in any classification at the Championship
Show, the Three Rivers Winter Ensemble Association will not provide medals for the members of that unit. The unit will have the option of purchasing medals, if they so desire.
     
Section 16   Penalties will be enforced beginning with the third scheduled show of the season.
     
Section 17   A video taping area will be designated at all contests. A video taping pass will be issued to each unit upon checking in at a contest. Only individuals with this pass will be permitted in the video area to video tape their unit’s performance only.

If a unit does not want their unit video taped by anyone outside of the designated vide taping area, it is the unit’s responsibility to ensure such an announcement is made.

     
Section 18   Soloist performers will use the designated warm-up area. Absolutely no one will be permitted on the contest floor prior to the start of a contest as well as at intermission.

Absolutely no one will enter a show site prior to the “doors open” time provided by the show sponsor, unless authorized by that sponsor.
     
Section 19   Any problems or questions not covered by this manual or the W.G.I. Contest Manual will be referred to the Three Rivers Winter Ensemble Association Management Committee.
© 2003-2012 TRWEA. All rights reserved.