PPBSO focuses on youth development and recruitment; elects new leaders; reports strong financial position

Around 40 members (about 4%) of the Pipers’ & Pipe Band Society of Ontario attended the organization’s online 2025 annual general meeting, where President Malkie Bow reported a healthy financial situation and that membership levels have returned to pre-pandemic levels and are growing.

Central to Bow’s discussion was the essential tenet that the PPBSO focuses on youth teaching programs, whether run by the organization and its branches or in support of initiatives run by member bands.

“The board will support any initiatives by bands that have a youth teaching program, as we feel this is where we can have the most impact with recruiting and developing youth,” Bow said. “Several Ontario bands now have teaching programs specifically for young people.”

He cited several bands that have embraced comprehensive projects for their own future sustainability and growth, and that the PPBSO will do all it can to assist existing and new programs.

The organization elected five members for its board of directors, each to serve a two-year term: John Allen (incumbent), Greg Bowen, Tyler Bridge (incumbent), Brad Davidson (incumbent), and Brian Phillip.

Newcomers to the PPBSO board, recently elected president at branch AGMs, are Rob MacGregor (Toronto branch) and Brittany Wright (Niagara-Hamilton branch).

Bow added that the PPBSO enjoyed “a strong competition season in 2025, with record solo competition numbers, including an increase in the number of younger competitors for the first time in years. We saw a Juvenile band contest at two Highland games – a first for decades – and we intend to build on that.”

“Everything we do must have a youth development component. I think we can all agree that this is crucial for the survival of our organization and our art.” – PPBSO President Malkie Bow

Treasurer John Allen presented the organization’s financials, showing relatively small 2025 revenues compared to expenditures and a strong overall financial picture.

“Our financial position is operationally stable, but we need to increase our funding if we want to accomplish youth development and recruitment initiatives going forward,” Bow stressed. “In that regard, we will be exploring available government and private sector grants.”

The organization said that competition entry fees will remain steady, except for the Professional solo category, which will increase from $12/event to $15.

Among other accomplishments, Music Committee Chair Jim McGillivray discussed the addition of several accredited adjudicators to the PPBSO panel in 2025, each meeting stringent competitive criteria.

Citing cost and a slow interface, McGillivray reported that the organization does not plan to adopt the Competition Suite verbal online band judging system that the Midwest Pipe Band Association has used for the last few years. pipes|drums introduced the concept to the piping and drumming world at large after interviewing John Phillips, Judging Administrator with Drum Corps International in 2022.

Bow concluded, “The board is committed to youth development and recruitment, and that’s our main focus moving forward. Everything we do must have a youth development component. I think we can all agree that this is crucial for the survival of our organization and our art.”