Band May Stay at Home as Funds Crisis Threatens Army and Cornell Excursions

The Harvard band will not go to the Cornell football game. It may go to the Army game. It probably will go to Princeton.

Shaky finances have forced the band to skip its first football trip since 1945, manager, Joseph J. Borgatti '45 reported yesterday.

The Princeton trip on November 6 will be made (1) if the band receives from the Harvard Athletic Association a grant of $2000 now under consideration by William J. Bingham '16, and (2) if the band can collect the additional $1200 necessary for the excursion from Alumni pledges now in the mail.

Play for Bed and Board

Army has offered to furnish the band with room and board for the October 16 game, in exchange for several concerts over the weekend. If busses can be procured, Borgatti said the band may be able to go to West Point, but the trip is still uncertain.

Reorganized in 1946, the band started out on firm financial footing, with substantial contributions from Alumni, and income from sale of the Ivy League Album.

Into the Red

In order to meet the $5000 cost of last year's Virginia trip, the band found itself forced to solicit money and to draw on its reserves from the previous year. The close of the 1947 season left the organization drained of virtually all its capital.

Contributions from Alumni have been trickling in this fall, in response to a special plea which was mailed out with ticket applications. Final tally of this amount is not yet available.