I could have written a lot of the same. We are hosting the TOB tomorrow (the rain is going to really be detrimental to our ticket sales if it's not cancelled all together- hopefully we can break even.) We are trying out USSBA this year, and that has extended our Season to the Nationals in November. We have a lot of parents who are really upset about the intensity of two nights of practice a week, about every other Friday for a home football game, Saturday morning practices, and now a competition every Saturday for 8 weeks. (And I can tell you there would be irate parents if we were expected to go to away football games.) It doesn't seem as though we get nearly the support and enthusiasm on the East Coast as the Mid-West or Texas region. And going to China would never happen. The past three trips have been Atlanta, Boston, NYC. We might not even go anywhere this year.
We also get zero financial support from the school system other than of course the Band Director's salary as a teacher at the school. Guard coaches, clinicians, busses-which are outrageous, entrance fees, etc, etc, etc all comes out of fees.