Surfer’s
Drum & Bugle Corps Alumni Association Southeastern Connecticut
Volume 2 – Number 1
January 2005
NEW YEAR… NEW GOALS A new year – with new goals! That will be the SAA motto for 2005. For those who don’t know me, I am Lizz (Fritz) Adams, and honored to be your Chairman for the Surfers Alumni Association. Drum Corps has been a part of my life from an early age, and like so many other Alumni, giving back by playing a part in the success of the SAA and the 7 th Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps brings back so many of those special moments, shared by so many, while creating new memories. Since the night of the first Surfer, Sword, & Whalers reunion back in 2000, it has been a whirlwind of activities, and it is sometimes hard to believe how far we’ve all come in such a short time. Now it’s time to use that experience of yesterday, to focus on the needs of the present, so that we ensure a bright and successful future. This is true for both the SAA and the 7th Regiment. So many have come forward to join in the efforts, and yet, so many more will be needed as the 7th Regiment grows in size and stature. As for the SAA, as the membership committee chairperson last year, the goal of 100 alumni members was realized, and thanks go out to all who played a role in making that goal. I believe that the SAA has to be LIZZ ADAMS strong to do the job at hand, and every alumni is welcome to SAA CHAIRMAN participate in activities, to share their time and knowledge – to help build that bright future for the youth of our area! As a new SAA board of directors have been seated for the 2005 season, a big “thank you” goes out to Lee Muller, Robin Brailey, & Roger Nelson for their contributions this past year. Staying on the board is Daisey Johnson, Barb DeLillo, and Jeff Dozier. We welcome new members Tim Ralls, Dawn Davis, and Gary Goode. The upcoming year will present many new challenges, paced by growth of the 7th Regiment, requiring additional financing to support more corps equipment and uniforms, more appearances and competitions, more practices and camps, etc. The SAA has already kicked off several recruiting functions, a 2004 7th Regiment banquet, new fundraising initiatives, and a host of other planned activities and events on the horizon. All alumni knows that success and satisfaction in drum corps comes from hard work, team work, and the vision to be the best that one can be… so I ask, that when the call for participation from the alumni goes out, that you will find the time and the means to be part of this vision - - Happy New Year to All…
Drum Corps – The Only Reality…!
Surfer’s Alumni Association P.O. Box 64 New London, CT 06320 Phone: 860-442-DRUM
Board of Directors Chairman: Lizz Adams eMail: lizz@myeastern.com Vice Chariman: Tim Ralls eMail: rall27@sbcglobal.net Secretary: Daisy Johnson eMail: djohnson34@snet.net Treasurer: Dawn Davis eMail: bldavis@snet.net Fundraising Dir.: Gary Goode eMail: goode1777@hotmail.com Media/Technology: Barb DeLillo eMail: barb.d@snet.net 7th Regiment Director: Jeff Dozier eMail: dozierjd@aol.com Newsletter Editor: Carl Burnett Letters to the Editor eMail: stampbiz@earthlink.net or mail to: P.O. Box 1987 Melbourne, FL 32902 Newsletter Staff: Lizz Adams, Barb DeLillo, & Michele Swain
Visit your Web Site… www.7thregiment.org This site has all the news and activities going on with the Surfer’s Alumni Association and th the 7 Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps. Also, plenty of photos and links to other favorite Drum & Bugle Corps sites. Visit the guest book register and look up old friends – and don’t forget to sign your name!
Editorial…
Winning and Losing . . . Winning and Losing is not an individual feat in drum corps, it is a team effort. In the history of the SAA, there are many championship trophies, with the top win being the 1971 World Open Class B Championship as best described in Tim Ralls Alumni Spotlight article on page 4. But what about losing? How does a corps or the individual members deal with losing? And, what was the SAA’s most dreadful performance? It was in the summer of 1968, a competition at New Bedford, MA. As my memory recalls, I was the lone tenor drummer in the corps that year. We were having a good season in Class B of the Yankee Circuit, and this show was running smooth until one fateful moment. Prior to our exit tune of Red Sails in the Sunset, there was a one beat pause, four beats on the base drum, then a 16-count drum roll leading into our exit fanfare. Problem was, the one beat pause was missed! This threw the whole drum line, and eventually the whole corps out of cadence. Members could be seen double stepping trying to get back in pace all over the competition field. The horns and drums sections were out-of-sequence with each other, as well as the individual members – a spectacle that I have never seen before, or later, by any other drum corps. So, how did this corps react to this loss? We tightened our belts and worked very hard. Were we embarrassed about this performance? Yes, you bet we were, but we did not let that stop us. Later in the season, we placed in the top 10 of the World Open Class B for the first time. Then garnered the Championship Trophy in Class B of the Yankee Circuit – the first of many championship trophies for the corps. Each corps member will take different things from their personal experience marching in a corps. No corps has ever won a championship without hard work and dedication to the cause. As winning can be an important and self fulfilling accomplishment, the way losing is handled is just as important. What a great lesson was learned for all involved during the season of 1968. It showed us that one loss does not define a season. That pride, respect, and teamwork are the characteristics of a winner… in drum corps, or in life. Thanks for letting me share this memory of yesteryear with you all. 2
Recruiting Activities, 2004 Banquet, 2005 Open House… With the books closed on the 7th Regiment’s first competition season, the SAA and 7th’s officers, 7 members, and parents went into high gear to make the 2005 season an even greater success! Recruiting for the upcoming season started with the 7 th Regiment’s presence at 5 different high school band competitions – although it was evident that the best recruiting tool is word-of-mouth by the current 7th members. There was a lot of interest from potential new members, and one new member was recruited from Southington, CT – meaning the word is out on the 7th Regiment! th
The next event held was the SAA sponsored banquet for the 7 th Regiment 2004 members. Attendance was 75-80 at the Elks Club in New London. Several new members were in attendance, as well as parents and guests. As this was not a fundraising activity, the SAA members, parents, guests paid to offset the price of the kids going free. Awards were handed out in four categories after dinner, and then a live DJ provided entertainment - - a good time was enjoyed by all!
Javier Cardoza Most Improved - Brass
Roland Dunham Most Improved - Percussion
Jojo DaCosta Most Improved - Guard
An Open House was held on Nov. 20th at Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School in New London. Dawn Davis (SAA Treasurer) and Birse Timmons (Asst Director of the 7th) led presentations to the parents, explaining 2005 fees, tour, camps, etc. The parents were also presented with the new 7th Regiment Handbook. Dawn and Birse stressed the importance of commitment on both the parents and the member’s part. They also stressed the importance of parent volunteers – a must with a growing organization. The new brass instructor Kelly Watkins and brass tech Edgar Frazelle introduced themselves to both the new and returning members of the horn line.
Erica Dozier Most Determined
It was nice to see so many 2004 members returning and up to 15 new members in attendance. This event was cosponsored by the SAA and the 7th Regiment staff. 3
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Tim Ralls SAA Vice Chairman
No bond is stronger than the one forged by Drum Corps (except for family, of course). In Drum Corps, we shared something special. And it brought us close together. It’s hard to explain. Perhaps it was the countless hours of practicing, marching up and down the field, or repeating the same phrase of music until we all got it right. Maybe it was the miles and miles of bus rides, or marching in those long parades, or sleeping together on gym floors. Perhaps it was the thrill of performing, or the energy we felt as we waited for our score, or the proud feeling we got returning home with a new trophy. Whatever it was, it created a bond, a bond that couldn’t be found elsewhere. Not in sports, not in band, not in clubs, or work, or school.
Drum Corps taught us how to live our lives. We learned many lessons…hard work, commitment, teamwork…the list goes on and on. I learned about commitment from Corps Director, Herb Tiffany. In ’68, at the age of 13, I had been a member of the corps for 3 years, but I also played baseball. That spring, my coach told me I had to choose between Drum Corps or baseball, due to conflicts in the schedules. I chose baseball, probably because I was tired of practicing the horn all winter, or just needed a change. The next weekend, the Surfers had a parade in downtown New London, and I decided to walk alongside the corps (like I was a member). Herb Tiffany spotted me, pulled me off to the side of the street, and explained to me that only members could march with the corps. I’ll never forget that moment, or what it meant. You see, as much as I enjoyed playing baseball, Drum Corps meant much more to me. It just took a little nudge from “Mr. T” to help me realize it. The following week, I hung up the glove and became committed to the Corps. Thanks Herb. We learned about hard work from Bob Daniels, our drill instructor. He always told us, “Anything worth attaining in life is worth working hard for.” Whenever we got tired during practice and we seemed to be going through the motions, his speech would always lead to that same expression, “Anything worth attaining in life is worth working hard for!” What that meant to us then was- we had better pick our feet up. What it would mean later was much more profound. We did work hard. We’ll never forget how hard we worked leading up to the World Open Championships in ’71. All winter…all spring…night after night during the summer. And after placing first in the prelims by a slight one-point margin to the Marquis of Fond-DuLac, Wisconsin, we were yet to see if the hard work really did pay off. Well, we performed the show of our lives in the finals, and became the World Open Class B Champions. We won by more than 5 points. The hard work did indeed pay off, and it was worth it. That was a surreal moment in our lives. It was a feeling that most people never experience in their lifetime, and worth working hard for. Those few examples of the benefits of Drum Corps inspire us veterans to stay involved in the activity. We are able to reflect back and remember the positive effects it had on our lives. We can also look forward to providing a new generation with the same opportunities. With a solid commitment from the members, parents, staff, instructors, and alumni, this new Drum Corps, the 7th Regiment, will grow and prosper. We can again become a world-class Drum Corps if everyone works hard and stays committed. Tim Ralls Bio: Instruments: Instructor: Education: Family: Affiliations:
Marched: 1965-77 French Horn, Mellophone, Soprano (Soloist on all) 1978-79; Horns, Drill (Sword Excalibur) B.S. Civil Engineering; Univ. of Hartford Wife, Diana; 3 Sons, Keith (22), Steven (20), Michael (17) East Hampton Little League for 12 years as League President, Vice-President, Player Agent and Coach. Tri-County Babe Ruth League for 8 years as Coach. Current Drum Corps Position: Vice Chairman, SAA; Transportation Director
4
7th Regiment 2005 Rehearsal and thCamp Schedules (Tentative schedules – subject to change- see 7 Regiment website)
Notices: All meals provided to 7th members at Camps. For rehearsals, members asked to bring a lunch, healthy snack, and something to drink such as water or a sports drink. Check the 7th Regiment website under the top tab “Schedule”, click on link for the list of things 7th members are required to bring to camps and rehearsals, or a link for directions to the Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School in New London where camps and rehearsals take place.
Camp Schedules
Rehearsal Schedules All rehearsals start 10:00 am and end at 4:00 pm.
All camps start on Saturday’s 9:00 am and end on Sunday’s at 3:00 pm.
January 22nd
May 21st
January 8th & 9th
February 5th
May 28th
February 19th & 20th
March 5th
June 4th
April 2nd & 3rd
March 19th
June 11th
April 30th & May 1st
April 16th
June 18th
May 7th
June 25th
Note: SAA members and member parents are always welcome to the rehearsals and camps as volunteers are needed for these activies
May 14th
- - SAA Meeting Schedule - The Surfers Alumni Association meets the 3rd Sunday of each month, and whenever additional meetings are necessary – see Alumni Website for such notices. Meetings are held at the Elks Club in New London. Meetings are open to all Alumni paid members and guests by invitation. All Alumni are urged to attend a few meetings if possible – come share in the fun of Drum Corps!
~~ Memoriam ~~ Alice M. Hedge 5-11-1929 / 11-20-2004
The SAA extends their heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the Hedge family. Alice was one of the early corps mom’s for the Surfers, as drum & bugle corps was a family affair with husband Ed serving as a director, daughter Sharon was the corps major, and son Ed a soprano in the horn line. All our thoughts and prayers are with you.
5
Surfer’s Alumni Association P.O. Box 64 New London, CT 06320
7th Regiment - 2005 Instructors DRILL Drill Arranger: Jeff Weir Visual / Drill Instructor: John Curran
BRASS
PERCUSSION
COLOR GUARD
Music Arranger: Jack Gerster
Caption Head: Rich DeCapio
Caption Head: (open)
Caption Head: Jack Gerster
Percussion Tech: Andy Mastronunzio
Guard Tech: Fawn Hodgdon
Brass Instructor: Kelly Watkins
Percussion Tech: Bob Burt
Guard Tech: (open)
Brass Tech: Edgar Frazelle
Percussion Tech: Jim O’Neil
Show Design Team: Jack Gerster Jim O’Neil Rich DeCapio
V.I.P.’s at the 2004 7th Regiment Banquet…
(l to r) Mrs. Jaye, Principal of Bennie Dover, Peg Curtin (ex Mayor of New London), and Mike Harmon, tour bus driver.
Awards Time…
(l to r) Daisy Johnson and Nikki Kilpatrick presented certificates and trophies.