Eastern United States Piping Band Association (EUSPBA) - Piping and Drumming Competitions

Solo piping competitions are held for Amateurs in Grades V through I and for Professionals in the Open Grade.  All events are sanctioned and conducted under the rules of the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association, the EUSPBA.

Individual drumming competitions at this event are held for snare only. As in the case for pipers, drumming events are sanctioned and conducted by Grade.

Rules, Procedures, and Information

Before the Festival:

1. Competitors must register online – entries close April 19th.  Tickets are printable through Zeffy.
2. Band registration is through Zeffy - 1 ticket will be produced at the time of registration.
3. Additional Band tickets will be sent electronically via email once the Band roster is submitted here: https://forms.gle/neUoUM4WDpoqkTUS6
   • Parking Passes: Every band will be given 3/4 parking passes, if they need it. Please provide the names of the individuals who ABSOLUTELY need to park in the purple area (Pipe and Drumming Resting Area) in the google form above.
4. The schedule, when done, will be posted on the website, which is easily viewed on your phone: https://www.cssm.org/pipes--drums1.html
5. A travel allowance for bands will be paid based on mileage. To receive the travel allowance, bands must compete and participate in all massed bands. An IRS form W-9 must be completed and submitted to Amanda Mitchell at cssmwebmaster@gmail.com
6. All competitors, except for PC, must wear suitable Highland attire.

At the Festival:

1. THERE WILL BE NO DRIVING ON THE GROUNDS BETWEEN 8:30 AM AND 6:30 PM. Everyone who received a purple parking ticket, if you choose to use it, has to be there and parked BEFORE 8:30 AM and you will not be allowed to leave until 6:30 PM.
   • If you will want to leave before 6:30 PM, then park in General Parking - It is VERY CLOSE and it allows you to leave whenever you want.
   • If you show up at the gate at 8:30 AM or later, you will have to park in general parking, regardless if you have a purple parking pass.
   • The festival will have a shuttle service, so a ride is available should you need it.
2. Parking Passes: Every band has been given a certain number of parking passes - that's it. The purple parking area will be monitored, with a checklist of who is allowed to park there. Once your name is crossed off, anyone else who comes into the grounds with that same name on a parking pass will be asked to leave and park in general parking.
3. Check-In: 
   • Individual - Starts at 8:15 AM - We need your name and get your competitor number.
     • You must also check in with the steward ahead of each of your competitions so they can notify you of any changes to the schedule.
   • Band - Starts at 10 AM - A member of your band needs to be present at 10 AM to be briefed on massed band formation and times.
4. Competition: Piping starts at 9 am, drumming approximately 10 AM, and Bands start at 2 PM. Massed bands start at noon and closing ceremonies are at 5 PM. 
5. Awards: 
   • Medals will be awarded in Solo Amateur Piping and Drumming events. 
   • Cash prizes will be awarded in all Professional events.
   • Bands will receive trophies for 1st place plus cash prizes for 1st through 3rd place.
6. EUSPBA rules will apply. Decisions by judges, stewards and the Piping and Drumming Committee are final. The Scottish Games reserves the right to cancel any event for which insufficient entries are received.
   • Each “Games” will have directions posted on their websites and will be included in acknowledgement letters. Competitions are all held on Saturday.
7. Volunteers: If any family and friends will be joining you, wouldn't mind helping, and would enjoy free entry into the festival, please email me directly; Amanda Mitchell at cssmwebmaster@gmail.com with their name, contact information, and which role they are interested in, and what size they want for their volunteer shirts. They will also need to complete and send me back a Hold Harmless Form: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OBp_CbRGkT_9f0f5oYq2sUHsXx3FgYcz/view?usp=sharing
8. . Following responsibilities are:
   • Piping Steward: Only required in the morning (9 AM to 12 PM). They hang out at their assigned piping station, check in competitors, consolidate the score sheets from the judges, make sure they are organized and the judge has filled out everything, and run score sheets from the stations to the registration tent to be recorded. I can make sure they are free to watch a loved one compete.
   • Pipe Band Steward: Afternoon Only (2 PM to 4 PM). They help me communicate, herd, and organize the pipe bands, make sure the bands are marching into the competition circle on time, consolidate the score sheets from the judges, make sure they are organized and the judge has filled out everything, and run score sheets back to the registration tent to be recorded. I can make sure they are free to watch a loved one compete.
   • Registration and Scoring: Morning or Afternoon. They stay at the registration tent, check pipers in, help pipers with directions, the schedule, etc. Scorers will receive the judges' scoresheets from the Stewards, make sure they are organized and the judges have filled out everything, record it in a final EUSPBA sheet, hand out medals when competitors come to collect, keep the event clipboards organized, etc.
   • please have them email me with the attached Hold Harmless form completed and the size of their volunteer shirt. I'll shoot them over a volunteer ticket. 

For more information, contact Amanda Mitchell at cssmwebmaster@gmail.com.