7th Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps NEW LONDON, CT
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER Volume 1.1
June 2014
7th Regiment marching in the Bunker Hill Parade in Charleston, MA on Sunday, June 15. Photo Credits: Raychael Coombes and Lauramarie Rahusen
7th Regiment Alumni Association
Board President: Vice President: Secretary: Treasurer: Committee Heads: Fundraising: Communications: Social Media: Alumni Relations:
Jamil Jorge Jonathan Miller Christina Nadeau Daniel Topping Rachel Timmons Erick Mancebo Lauramarie Rahusen Bror Okerblom
Email: 7thalumni@gmail.com Send us an email and ask to join our emailing list, ask questions, give feedback, or to get more involved! We send regular emails that include 7RAA news, newsletters, events, volunteering opportunities, and more! For more information, check out www.7thregiment.org! There, you can find recent news and rehearsal schedules, staff biographies, member information, and make donations to the corps. 7th Regiment has a strong social media presence! Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!
Mailing Address: Surfer’s Alumni Association Attn: 7th Alumni P.O. Box 64 New London, CT 06320
Introducing… The 7th Regiment Alumni Association (7RAA) was founded by dedicated 7th alumni this past January as a division of the Surfer’s Alumni Association (SAA). The group was created to include 7th Regiment alumni in the organization of volunteering opportunies, fundraising, social media, and community and alumni events. So far, 7RAA members have created and maintained social media accounts, volunteered for weekend rehearsals and fundraisers, created a new parade banner, purchased new necklaces for corps rookies, and hosted a successful alumni event that brought back members from as far back as 2004!
Our most recent projects include producing this quarterly newsletter, revamping the corps’ website, and a food drive to benefit our local New London community. We currently boast over 20 members and invite 7th Regiment alumni, staff, volunteers, friends and family to join! More information about membership criteria and the annual membership fee can be found by downloading the application from the 7th Regiment website. Just click on “7th Regiment Alumni” under “more links” for more information! It is our goal to eventually gain enough members and experience to become an independent 501(c)(3) non-‐profit organization dedicated to supporting the 7th Regiment.
Presenting their 2014 Production…
The 2014 7th Regiment will be playing the music from the movie Alexander Nevsky (1938), scored by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-‐1953), Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. Titled “Alexander’s Legacy,” the program chronicles the medieval invasion of Russia by German crusaders. The show will explore the burning of the Russian city, the violent Battle on Ice, Procession of the Dead, and Victory. -‐Mark Maguire
2014 Design Team Stephen Lyons Program Coordinator/Visual Designer Mark Maguire Visual Caption Head/Designer Ray Fallon Brass Caption Head Jack Tully Brass Arranger Michael Blancaflor Percussion Caption Head/Front Ensemble Arranger Jeff Bickford Battery Coordinator/Arranger Eric Schrader Color Guard Caption Head
Performance Schedule 2014:
March 23 June 15 June 28 June 29 July 2 July 3 July 4 July 12 July 19 July 20 July 24 July 26 July 29 August 2 August 4 August 5 August 6 August 7 August 8 August 9
Holyoke, MA
Parade
Charleston, MA Jackson, NJ Lawrence, MA
Parade Competition Competition
New Haven, CT Bristol, RI Hingham, MA Duxbury, MA Norwood, MA East Hampton, CT Manchester, NH New London, CT Johnsonburg, PA Paw Paw, MI Troy, MI
Competition Competition Parade Parade Parade Parade Competition Free Show* Competition Competition Competition
Avon Lake, OH Michigan City, IN Michigan City, IN Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis, IN
Competition Open Prelims Open Finals I&E Competition
World Prelims World Semi-‐Finals
Drum Line Battle
Check out the entire Drum Corps International Tour on www.dci.org!
Thanks for the Wheels! 7th Regiment has been steadily growing in members over the last few years, and that means space on the buses and trucks have been becoming more and more cramped! In an effort to increase space, 7th Regiment began a successful campaign over the winter and spring months to raise money to buy a new trailer. Here it is!
7th Regiment Golf Tournament The corps hosted its first annual golf tournament at the Pequot Golf Club in Stonington, CT on May 31, 2014. It was a sunny day filled with friends and family of the 7th Regiment community. In total, the event raised over $2000 for the corps! 7th Regiment will be hosting the golf tournament again, next year, on May 23, 2015. Save the date and get your team together while staying alert for more information. Questions can be emailed to 7thregimentgolf@gmail.com.
7RAA Food Drive: #7for7th*
7th Regiment would like to thank all of our generous donors that helped us raise over $6,500 to purchase this 7’x16’ trailer. We would also like to thank the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, Liberty Bank, and the Frank Loomis Palmer Fund. With all the money raised, the corps was also able to purchase an even bigger trailer for use next year… more to come on that!
To give back to our New London community, 7RAA is hosting a food drive! Bring canned goods and other non-‐perishable food products to weekend rehearsals throughout the summer and the free 7th Regiment Family and Friends show on July 20th, 2014, at the New London High School football field. Your donations will be given to the Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center in New London, CT, one of the three food banks in the state that distributes goods to over 100 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, child care centers, community meal sites, and elderly programs throughout New London county. We suggest bringing seven items for the 7th regiment! Also, consider helping us spread the word by posting flyers in your local markets. Email 7thalumni@gmail.com for more information and flyer pdfs.
Consider Donating to the Corps!
Throwback Photo
Drum corps is a costly activity and 7th Regiment does its best to keep costs low for its members. To make a donation, click on “support/donate” on www.7thregiment.org and donate to the corps, the scholarship fund, the fuel budget, or sponsor a member.
By signing up for IGive or Amazon Smile via “Surfer’s Alumni Association,” a certain percentage of your online purchases will be donated to 7th Regiment. Signing up is free! You can also support the corps by buying corps merchandise, including hats, show shirts, corps shirts and sweatshirts, sweatpants, pins, pens, and more! All profits made from merchandise sales directly benefit the corps.
Interested in Volunteering? 7th Regiment is always looking for volunteers to help with cooking and serving food, driving, sewing uniforms, writing grants, and all the other odd jobs that keep a drum & bugle corps operating daily! If you want to, help email 7thalumni@gmail.com either to ask about what it is you can do for the corps, or to join our emailing list and receive notifications regarding volunteering opportunities.
This photo was taken during the 2009 season, “Excalibur.” That night we had our warm-‐ups, walked to the gates, and were about to set up. Suddenly, the thunder began to rumble and the rain started to fall; the show was cancelled. But, that didn’t stop us! We came to put on a show. Our instructors had set us up in an arc and we performed a standstill run-‐through. We didn’t know what would happen, but as the picture shows we drew in a crowd. Many of the members said it was the best performance of the season. If nothing else it was a wonderful bonding experience. -‐Rachel Timmons, Colorguard
Do you have something to share? If you are a m ember of the 7th Regiment or Surfers community and have something to share, let us know! In future newsletters, we want to include community updates, including engagements, marriages, kids, new jobs, awards, educational opportunities, graduations, big moves, photos, stories, and whatever you might think of! Email 7thalumni@gmail.com.
Alumni Spotlight...
Jeff “Puffy” Langan
me to march. The people also kept me marching. It was so much fun getting to march with them, and I consider them brothers and sisters.
Favorite drum corps memory? It would have to be the first time we made finals back in 2009. It was very close going in, and we had no idea if we would or not. Everyone was just shocked when it happened.
How has drum corps affected other aspects of your life? Drum corps has greatly affected my life. Not only does it teach you music, and how to stay on your toes while backing up, it teaches you life lessons about hard work, dedication, and never giving up on yourself. I apply those things every time I step through the door at work. I don’t think I would be the person I am without drum corps.
Hometown: East Lyme, CT Section: Tenors Years Marched: 2008-‐2010 Eastern Connecticut State University ‘11 B.A. Communications Quinnipiac University M.A. Journalism
Current Occupation? Photographer & Live Truck Operator for Fox Connecticut.
Why did you do drum corps? I did drum corps because I loved the music. I loved running around on a field in the middle of summer, and the thrill I got from a performance. My first drum corps show was Cadets 2003, and it inspired
A Thank You to Carl Burnett Before this first edition of the 7RAA-‐produced newsletter, Carl Burnett, Surfers Drum & Bugle Corps Alumnus SAA member, managed production of the newsletter from 2003 to 2014. I contacted Carl to thank him on behalf of the 7th Regiment for his substantial contribution to our community and to inform him that the 7RAA would be taking on the task. I thank Carl, once again, for providing this brief biography of his drum corps experience, and for offering sound advice for the future of not just this newsletter, but the continuation of our 7th Regiment community. -‐Jamil, 7RAA President * * * Carl Burnett – Past Editor SAA Newsletter It was wonderful news to read Jamil’s email to me announcing that the 7RAA will be doing a quarterly newsletter. I believe that all those who had worked on the SAA Newsletter from 2003 through 2014 are just as happy to hear that the 7th Alumni would take over this important task. Drum Corps (DC) is very interactive at all levels, and to each marching member it is important that they have a source to go back to, to relive their days in the corps. That was one of the goals with the SAA newsletter – to capture history as it was being written. Jamil also asked if I would write a short Bio on my DB activities, so here goes! The catalyst for me joining the Surfers was the Fireman’s parade in New London, where dozens of junior drum corps from around the state were represented. I marched during the 1966 through 1969 seasons as a tenor drummer with the Surfers. Moving to Norwich in 1970, I marched with the Fletcher Raiders and played triple tenors. The culmination of my DC career ended with a 2nd place finish on multi-‐tenors at the National Individual Championships in New Hampshire in the fall of 1970. That was the last time I strapped on a drum – went out on top!
Well nearly… the guy from the Boston Crusaders who placed first was phenomenal! I have followed DC as best I could since moving to Florida in 1978. After attending the SAA reunion in 1999 and hearing talk of starting up a new DC in New London, I volunteered for doing a newsletter. As most alumni, I wanted to give back to the activity that had given me so much – and so many memories and friends that have lasted a lifetime! If there were one thing I could share from my 11 years as editor, it would be to the entire organization. That is, everyone has a story to tell, things to share. Whether an alumni, staff, instructor, volunteer, current marching member, supporter… make the 7RAA Newsletter a first class publication, just like the corps itself. Support your newsletter staff when asked, offer suggestions – they will love you for it. Document what is going on now so that in 30 or 40 years, you will be able to look back and read with pride and a warm feeling in your heart for the greatest activity on earth… Drum & Bugle Corps!