Over the summer, my guard director wants me to get our guard together for some bonding time so we can try to reduce the cliques. Because my guard has 16 people in it, I don't have a big enough yard/house to hold a get together at my place. So now I'm trying to think of other things we can do. Any suggestions on what we could do?

My guard has fourteen members. We are always hanging out as one big group even when the season is over. Usually we have movie nights followed with sleepovers at someones house. We also go shopping, go out to dinner, and other fun stuff like that. Lastly, we also love to make guard shirts together wether you are tye-dying them or making cool designs on them it gets the group in guard mode.

I hope your guard can bond.

My guard had thirty members in it last year. We had one huge sleepover and then we had a pool party. You could try just going out to a resturant or something. Make sure you call ahead to get seating though.

I am curious about what things to do also. sleepovers are out of the question though, we have both guys and girls. Instead we have been planning pot luck dinners and such, but what else?

See if some guard moms are willing to be chaperones and have a sleepover in the bandroom or guard room at your school.

TV, DVDs, music, take pictures (make a scrapbook?), and get to know one another.

You could have a car wash. Its bonding time and fundraising time

One way I like to reduce age/experience cliques is pair an older member up with a younger one. Have them practice together, eat together, etc. Switch it up every once in awhile so everyone gets to work with a couple of different people.


Any type of fundraiser you can do together would be great as well. Or see if anyone would be willing to host a cook out at their house.

We used to have pitch in picnics at like a park nearby where we would like play games and stuff which was usually fun and would be a great idea for you since you said your house and yard aren't big enough or if someone else in the guard has a pool have a pool party those are usually fun too. Another idea is-when it gets colder outside and during the actual season-is going out to dinner at a restaurant like others have said. Those are my ideas, anything you would normally do with a group of friends are usually good ways to relax and get to know everyone outside of practice and help the younger members feel like they are welcome and included in everything.