While Toledo High School’s baseball players were winning the state 2B championship last weekend, its band students boarded a bus for whereabouts unknown as part of the 16th annual Rag Tag.
“I enjoyed the constant travel, changing of locations, and surprises of where to next,” said sophomore Emily Tyner. “The new experiences and being able to roam free are what made it for me.”
Although the 27 students enjoyed plenty of freedom during the three-day trip, they did have chaperones — band teacher Kathy Welch, bus driver Kelli Stover, para educator Tina Murphy, Emily’s mother, Susan Tyner, and yours truly.
“We all had a blast!” Susan Tyner said. “At first I was a little anxious about chaperoning so many, but they were the best group of kids — so polite and respectful.”
I’ll admit I questioned my sanity in agreeing to accompany more than two dozen teenagers, especially since no child wants a parent as chaperone. But these kids, dubbed the Toledo Nerd Herd at YNot Have Fun laser tag in Beaverton, treated each other with respect … well, except perhaps when plowing into each other during bubble soccer with bodies above the knees encased in huge plastic bubbles.
“I thought it was amazing!” said Charlie Holmes, a junior. “By far the best out of the three years I went. Bubble soccer was really fun, even though I was sore for a few days.”
Welch, who has taught at Toledo 13 years, inherited the Rag Tag as a reward for students who play in pep band during at least 75 percent of football and basketball games and pass their classes. This year all but seven participated.
Students held fundraisers all year — raffles for Seahawks tickets and Halloween candy baskets, a bingo night, cookie dough sales and staffing by parents in a concession at all home basketball games. Those efforts raised $8,000, Welch said, which covered the hotels, bus driver, paraeducator substitute, fuel, activities and spending money.
“My first year I couldn’t believe I had inherited something so crazy, but we had so much fun,” Welch said. “Every year I worry a bit about it, but it always turns out great.”
None of the students knew the itinerary. First stop Thursday morning was Toledo Elementary for a band performance then Big Al’s in Vancouver for bowling, arcades and lunch, followed by bubble soccer and dinner at Washington Square Mall.
We left Beaverton at 10 a.m. Friday and stopped at the Tillamook Cheese Factory, a Goodwill store, Cannon Beach candy store and outlets in Seaside, where we spent the night. While some saw a movie, others swam in the hotel pool or wandered the beach. The next day brought two laser tag matches followed by shopping at Lloyd Center.
“I liked that we were able to walk around Seaside and have fun and not have to be with the band the whole time,” said Layla Johnston, a freshman. “I also liked how they gave us money every time we stopped.”
As they left the bus, Welch handed each student cash — $5, $10 or $20, depending on the stop.
When the kids travel as the band, Welch said, “all the cliques from school kind of fall away and they can relax and have fun. ... Kids that normally don’t talk at school will hang out for a couple of days away from school.”
I’m not much of a shopper, so Susan Tyner and I found massage chairs at the malls. Our first evening, we added an extra 15 minutes and returned to find everyone leaning against the yellow bus, which they had moved and tried to hide.
What a fun three days, although rather exhausting for this sedentary mom. My Garmin fit bit hit 5 miles the first day, 7 the second, and 5 the third.
“I had a lot of fun at Rag Tag,” said Hanna Tyner, a freshman. “With school almost being out, it is a great way to end the school year!”
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Julie McDonald, a personal historian from Toledo, may be reached at memoirs@chaptersoflife.com.
