SFWGA

Legal Stuff
Here's all the legal stuff you're just dying to know about and we are obliged to tell you: This website design and pretty much everything in it is copyrighted sometime between 2008 and 2011 by the South Florida Winter Guard Association Inc. That means you can't download any photos and put them on your Facebook page, even if you really really like them. It also means you can't download any of our forms and call them your own without first getting our permission. But we are happy to share with other Color Guard circuits, so just ask. Also, you can't video record any of our contests and post them on YouTube or any other site, anytime, ever. And yes, that does pertain to you, not just everyone else, so please let Mom, Dad, and Grandmom know. We have really good reasons for this, but not enough space to list them all here. If you like what you see on this website, let us know. If you don't like what you see, email our webmaster, as it is most likely his fault. By the way, did we mention that this is an all volunteer deal? Photographers, graphic designers, and webmasters don't get paid a dime, so they don't handle complaints very well. Hope you enjoy your visit to our site, and come back often. We're open late!

Accuracy
We strive to provide information that is up to date and accurate. But, we're human and that means we will make mistakes. Due to the nature of this dynamic environment, some inevitable delays may occur between information changes and their respective posting on this website. The SFWGA assumes no liability for delays in posting information or typographical errors.

Contest Schedules
Contest performance times are posted as a courtesy to instructors, staff, parents, and performers. Exact performance times may fluctuate, up to and including the day of the contest. Weather, electrical outages, technical problems, delays in arrival by performing units, and other factors, may further affect actual performance times. Final performance times are always at the discretion of the Contest Director at the time of the event. It just a plain good idea to show up at least an hour before your favorite unit performs. Chances are, you won't miss them and you'll get to see some other really cool units perform as well.

"My Team"
The "My Team" pages on this website are intended as a publicity instrument for the performing units, and to recognize the hard work of the performers and staff. Information is provided by the unit Directors, who have sole discretion over the posting of Show Titles, intructor names, and student officer names. Not all units post the same types of information. We try our best to post performance photographs of each unit before the season ends. And we may sometimes change the photographs throughout the season. Every photograph we post is chosen because of the quality of the photograph, not who's in it. Nothing personal if we swap one out midseason. If you have a photo that you took and would like to submit for consideration, email it to webmaster@sfwga.org.

Privacy Policy
The SFWGA does not release personal information about staff, instructors, student officers, or student performers, that has not been specifically disclosed by the performing units as part of their introductory announcements or website information page. The SFWGA does not post the names of student performers by their photographs. Sometimes the world can be no-so-nice, and there is no reason to tell strangers who you are and what you look like. Your friends and family will recognize you, so no one else really matters. Parents and Guardians may request the exclusion of a student's name from contest announcements and website information by sending an email to operations@sfwga.org.

Filming and Recording Performances
The SFWGA is committed to compliance with US Copyright laws. All of the music that is played or performed at our contests is through written agreements with the music publishers and their licensing agencies. These agreements specifically prohibit the recording of any performance, including amateur filming by parents, spectators, or students. We respect the rights of the composers and publishers and do not permit video recording devices inside the contest area. Our student performers work hard to learn and perform their shows. Placing a spectator-filmed video on a social networking site like YouTube or Facebook poses the serious risk of having that unit's music license revoked, effectively ending their season. Please respect our student performers as well as the music copyright owners and do not video record any performance at a contest.

Photography at Contests
Take all the still photos you want. Just make sure the flash is turned off. Let's say that again, because it's very important: be absolutely sure that the flash is turned off. Here's why: those flashes of light are very distracting to others, including the judges. But most of all, distracting to the performers. It takes a lot of focus and concentration where there is a sabre spinning above your head, and that sudden bright flash of light could cause a very bad ending and a trip to the hospital. Not to mention that the distance from bleachers to the performance floor is greater than what most flashes can handle, so the photo won't come out anyway.

Advertising
The SFWGA sells advertising space on this website, and allows its contracted partners to sell advertising in media licensed by the SFWGA, such as Contest Program Books, Yearbooks, and Championship Video productions. The SFWGA also permits Contest Hosts to sell or assign vendor booths to both SFWGA member units as well as professional vendors. The appearance of an advertisement in one of these media formats, or a vendor booth at a contest, should not be construed as an endorsement by the SFWGA of that particular entity or the products and services they provide. The SFWGA does not permit performing units to display advertisements or commercial affiliations as part of their performances, or place advertising banners/signs inside the contest area (gymnasium) at any time. Product logos that appear on musical instruments as part of their manufacturing design, and sponsors or patrons of the Contest Host, are excepted.