Kansas Shrine Bowl

During the first 10 years (1974-1983) of the Kansas Shrine Bowl High School All-Star games bands for the half-time show were hard to get. All activities had to take place during the summer because of regulations of the KSHSAA and the NCAA. When school was not in session organized high school bands were not available.

Following the 1983 game, Brad Bone, Director of Marching Bands at WSU, suggested to Dave Mize, Executive Director of the Kansas Shrine Bowl, that a state-wide selected band might solve the problem. Through research and study it was discovered that a similar idea had been suggested by Phil Hewitt, Director of Bands at KSU.

With that professional support and the void of half-time entertainment at the Kansas Shrine Bowl game the Kansas Shrine Bowl began putting the Kansas Masonic All-State Marching Band together with the following features:

Don Horttor, Past Potentate of Arab Shrine and a member of the Kansas Shrine Bowl Board of Directors at the time and President of the Kansas Masonic Foundation, provided a method of creating administration structure and entry into the Masonic Lodges of Kansas as potential sponsors.

Herb Cohlmia, a Midian Shriner and the President of the Kansas Shrine Bowl Board of Directors, guaranteed the risk to the Kansas Shrine Bowl by offering to reimburse the Kansas Shrine Bowl for any losses on the band during the first year.

Band students would be selected and sponsored by the Masonic Lodge in their community. The fee ($200 initially and $250.00 now) would be spent approximately half for expenses and half for charity. The camp fees provide each band member with a band shirt, housing, meals (including the gala player’s banquet), transportation at the camp site, insurance, professional music and marching instruction, supervision, and social activities.

The first Masonic All-state Band had 93 participants and was trained and directed by Stan Fink, director of Marching Bands at Kansas State University.

Now, nearly 230 high school band persons assemble each year for the Kansas Masonic All-state Marching Band. They start their band camp on Tuesday prior to the Saturday Kansas Shrine Bowl game. During the camp they practice almost non-stop during their waking hours. When not practicing they have organized social activities and enjoy 3 to 4 meals a day. The band will perform at the KSB Players Banquet (Friday evening before Game Day), will lead and play in the parade Saturday morning, and will play during the televised game with features during the pre-game and half-time ceremonies.
Band students are sponsored by Masonic Lodges in their area, by individuals and by Shrine or other Masonic groups. The band is administered and supervised under the direction of the Kansas Masonic Foundation in Topeka, phone 785-3257-7646.
Thousands of band students have participated in the Kansas Masonic All-state Marching Band since it’s inception in 1986. They have enjoyed the Kansas Shrine Bowl experience and the exposure to professional marching band instruction. The Kansas Masonic All-State Marching Band has been an example and inspiration in other states having sporting events to raise money for Shriners Hospitals for Children.
 

For more information and a look into what happens at Band Camp, click here.