Happy Holidays 2009

I've been missing, I know -

Scribblings just a tad stale.
But I'm back, on this Wednesday
To share an old tale ...

It's time for what's become our own Saints Classic: Heard a Horn Before Christmas.

Enjoy!

jo

Saints: Heard a Horn Before Christmas
by JoAnne Parente

Heard a horn before Christmas, still asleep in our house.
Then my husband yawned, and puzzled, mumbled to me, “It’s Mouse.”

“Jo, get to the Annex, with no time to spare.
They’re letting us march again, and I know that you care.

“We have lots of horns, and drums with new heads
And flags, rifles, sabres, SO GET OUT OF BED!”

My only reaction was, “Mouse, is this crap?
If you woke me as a joke, I’ll give you a slap!”

“Jo, just listen to all of us making a clatter.
The cops are here now to find out what’s the matter.

“Your uniform’s here - don’t get into a crash -
The cadet blue and gold finished off with a sash.

“It’s not black and orange, you’ll be relieve to know
Since we left that stuff behind long, long ago.

“You really must hurry to see who are here
Saints one and all, our family so dear.

“There’s Rocky, and Bluto, and Mongo, and Pic,
And Peaches, and Pebbles, and Goober, and Mick.

“You realize, of course, there’s too many to name,
But we put the word out, and by hundreds they came.

“We’re playing and twirling and marching so tall
We’ll top all the captions, and walk away with it all.

“What’s slowing us down is the buses need fixin’
Jackie’s going to paint them – 50 gallons he’s mixin’.”

I shook my head slowly, trying to recall
When it was that we aged out, once and for all.

The pain in my head – thought I’d poked out my eye.
To march again at this age? Should I give it a try?

Got down to the Annex after drinking a few
Cups of tea, of course (what, did you think I meant brew?).

Folks were outside, and inside, and up on the roof
Rifles holding their mouths ‘cause each knocked out a tooth!

Each face looked so young, an image to astound.
Was I the only one here who’s age didn’t turn around?

Wait a minute now! The trick must be in the boot!
So I struggled and struggled to stick in my foot.

Someone inside the hall yelled, “Everyone, back!
It’s time to stop practicing – we all have to pack.

“The buses aren’t dry, so we’re taking a ferry.”
I said, “Going on tour – isn’t that a bit scary?”

“Of course it makes sense, Jo, everyone knows
It’s the best way to travel when going to shows.”

My boots didn’t fit, my brain was like jelly
The jacket and skirt didn’t cover my belly.

What gives? All the rest were their same old self
As they each grabbed their shakos from up on the shelf.

Wait! Who was that there, just a bit up ahead?
“Uncle Walter, is that you? I thought you were dead!”

He stood with the drum line, his life’s love and work.
“Watch what you’re saying – they’ll think you’re a jerk!”

“I’m here to help Bucky, George Lopez, and Rose,
And Ralph, Tony, Frank, and ...” Then, I just froze.

What a dream I was having, what a wish I was making.
The time of my life was just there for the taking.

I awoke Christmas Eve, just a bit after seven.
My dream was a gift that came straight from heaven.

We still have great photos and memories too
And we talk with each other ‘til our faces turn blue.

Still, what can I get you, with Christmas tomorrow?
Lots of love, luck, happiness, and no trace of sorrow!

May your gifts include health, wealth, and absence of strife
As the New Year unfolds – wishing you a great life!

Annex gathering, September 2007

With love to you all – corpsdially yours from jo!

Weekend Wonderings: Remembering

There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes.
(Dr. Who)

By now, word has probably reached you about Lorraine Porowski's passing. While I didn't know her as well as many of you, I spent enough time around her to know that she kept it real and reminded us that we were, after all, kids. The nature of what we did in corps was serious stuff - precision beyond belief under the aerobic pressures of marching and social pressures of performing in front of thousands. She provided that escape valve for me and others, leaving us convulsing with laughter beyond repair.

We don't know too much about what Lorraine was up to post-Saints much beyond that she's survived by her mother and had become a mother herself. This not-knowing is true for lots of members of our corps family. While it's unfortunate, it's also a gift - remembering her and others through the lens of who we were back during our days together is a cool thing in so many ways.

Lorraine, thanks for letting me be 19 once again!

All for now - corpsdially yours from jo!

Tuesday Trivia: Pre-Corps, Post-Corps, and all-round Corps

Four members responded to last week's question ... thanks!

Pete Crafts: Pete came to the Saints from the Silver Lancers (Middlesex NJ). Pete made the trek south on 287 to join us along with fellow Lancers Jimmy Pic, Marty Straka, Darlene Stover, Alfie Hankerson, and Lorraine Porowski (Lorraine, we're still looking to connect with you!). While Pete did some roadie stuff with rock bands post-Saints, he didn't march again.

Judy Stewart Sgammato: The Saints was Judy's first corps, but definitely not her last. She headed north to march with the Garfield Cadets and Bushwackers, and eventually served on the Board and as a Business Manager for DCA Corps Carolina Gold. These days, she considers herself a proud Crossmen parent.

Pete Chez: While late with his response, it still is notable. The Saints was also his first drum corps (he claims to only have been 8 years old at the time, yet he carries on like he's older than me these days ... I digress). After 1977, he joined the Marines Corps (yes, Pete, I'll also count it towards marching!). Starting in 1982, he marched with Reading Bucs with both Mickey and Goober (the last time the Chez brothers marched together). He currently plays with Melrose Blackhawks with a bunch of other Saints, and also appears as a guest lead baritone for Brooklyn United, Lambertville Volunteers, and St Lucy's Cadets Alumni Corps.

Jackie Bodzas: Here's his response, intact:

The Saints was my first and last drum corps.
Blue and Gold satin to wool cadet to orange and black polyester. Hmmm.
First day to last, Stout Hearted Men to Send in the Clowns.
First Fords parade to our last gig in Wildwood,
with a gazillion shows in between.
Ludwig to Ludwig.

I could sit here and name first and last instructors / directors.
It sure is a boatload or busload, as the case may be,
of simply fantastic people.

Started out too young and ended up too old.

Thought about Senior corps, kept putting it off:
College / rock band / more college / bluegrass band x6 /
more college / wife / demanding career / 1st kid / new job/
2nd kid / world golf tour (just kidding) /
little league coaching and so it goes ...

Thought about Senior corps, kept putting it off.
If there was a Saints Sr Corps, my heart my have been more in it.
In other words, I would have joined in a second!

And now for Jackie's Trivia questions:

What senior corps did some of our instructors march in,
and for bonus points, what junior corps did they march with?

Click here to respond to this week's Trivia questions ... remember our slogan: Prizes, prizes, we have no prizes!

All for now - corpsdially yours from jo!

Looking Back, Looking Forward

Where does the time go?

Today is our nephew Timmy's 10th birthday ... in thinking about how quickly he and his cousins are growing up, something related to our marching days occurred to me.

Timmy is some six months older than Karen was at our first rehearsal in July 1967.

Timmy is still a kid!

In discussing this with Karen yesterday, she remembers little about being that age: her Twiggy lunch box, a trip we took to California that summer, a couple other things.

While Karen is two years younger than I am, she was by no means the youngest kid in the corps then nor at any other time. I can still remember Goober hanging out at rehearsals while still too young to march - if my math is right, he was all of 7 years old when we started, and many of us thought he should have been allowed to join when Mickey and Peaches did.

There was an awful lot expected of us back in the day, from drills to guard work to music. Add to that keeping track of everything we needed for parades, competitions, and tours - uniforms, snacks, changes of clothes, sleeping bags. I know adults who still don't have the skills we took for granted back then.

How did we learn to do all that and keep track of everything, especially given that none of the original members had ever marched before? After all, most of us were on our own, our parents not with us during our corps time.

Is Timmy old enough to do what we did? We'll never know.

All for now - corpsdially yours from jo!

Weekend Wonderings: The Morning After ...

Man, oh, man, where to begin?

Just some disconnected ramblings for today ...

First, some shout-outs ... the Reunion Committee (what a crew you all are!), Mike the Caterer at Sewaren (not to be confused with Warren) Park, our ever-supportive family at Post 471 (extra thanks for bailing us out on the need for ice at the picnic!), and on a personal note, to Leslie and the staff at Somerset Medical Center for sewing me back together in time to see all of you yesterday.

Sometime over the next couple of days, I'll compile a list of everyone who joined us over the weekend. For now, I just wanted to make sure I had something out here for all of you to read (especially you, Mickey, when you get back to work on Monday!).

Someone asked me last evening what could be done to pay back the Reunion Committee in some way for all the work that was done - if I wasn't clear about it then, I will be now: HELP PLAN THE NEXT ONE.

Finally, a bit on legacy passed down from one generation to the next ... we had the privilege to honor Ray "Mr. C" Chmieleski, Uncle Tony Fastuca, and Alvina "Mrs. Chez" Chesnovitz last evening for their "actions (which) served to foster a corps family which still enjoys, over 40 years later, the days when the Saints came marching in." Among the many lessons they and all the other supporting parents shared, we learned generosity of spirit.

To those of you who kicked in some extra cash to make it possible for others to join us, as well as helping out one of our Saints siblings who lost everything in a fire last week, I am humbled by your actions. You challenge each of us to do more, living out our mantra in being Saints for one another, even 40 years later, because that's what family does ...

Love to you all!

All for now - corpsdially yours from jo!

Thursday Thinkings: What's In a Name?

First, reunion updates are included in the June 3rd posting - after a few quiet days, we've added a couple more folks.

Now, to today's entry ...

Craig "The Clav" Stephens has found us - welcome home Craig!

His e-mails to me, and postings out in the Guest Book (www.saintsdrumcorps.com) by him and others, reminded me yet again how more than a few of us have never lost those names we picked up back in the day.

Some have tried hard to let go of the names from our time marching with the Saints, only to have people say to you that they never knew what your name really was. I still get that, as well, or the reverse ("So, why do they call you JoAnne?").

For as strange as this might sound (or then again, maybe not), I really feel much more like a JoAnne than a Marilyn ... 'nuff said on that!

In the meantime, I hope to compile a list of ALL the nicknames from when we marched in time for the reunion. I'll need your help, though - send your lists to joparente.saintsdrumcorps@gmail.com. Thanks in advance!

All for now - corpsdially yours from jo!

Time Flies, in More Ways than One

Just some quick thoughts on current events ...

I spent a couple of minutes earlier today, at my PC, watching an astronaut doing mechanical work on the outside of the International Space Station while whirling around the world at about a zillion miles an hour (OK, I finally admit it - even though I'm married to a retired science teacher, I never took Physics. The secret is out). Something about the moment brought me back to my teens, and I actually started to laugh out loud.

My mind had wandered back to the day in July 1969 when Neil Armstrong took his first steps on the moon. I can still remember sitting with my sibs (Karen among them) and my parents in the living room of the Big Yellow House in Fords, watching the black and white telecast of poorer quality than is available on most cell phones these days, and breaking out in hives over the excitement of the moment.

That was almost 39 years ago.

I had already been a Saint for two years at that point in my life.

So much has evolved since then from a technology perspective, a cultural perspective, a world perspective.

What hasn't changed is that I still haven't disconnected from that time in my life when I marched side-by-side with all of you.

Can't wait to see you all in July, and not to celebrate the Moon Walk, either.

All for now - corpsdially yours from jo!

Guest Writer Wednesday: Jackie Bodzas on Saints Stuff

Yes, I realize this is being posted on a Tuesday and I've called it Guest Writer Wednesday ... you've all waited long enough for a new posting out here in Saints Scribblings, and I wasn't going to make you wait one minute longer. If Macy's can have their one day sales on Wednesday with a preview day on Tuesday, then so can we.

Enjoy this contribution from Jackie!

All for now - corpsdially yours from jo!

Hello Saints!

I sit here with pen in hand, actually with keypad under fingers as the case may be, ghost writer for Marilyn/Jo (whatever the witness protection plan calls her these days). She has a lot going on, and will be back to us as soon as alien forces release her. Please read on.

To the Instructors, Parents, Friends of, and of course to the Saints I have marched with, I want thank you for being part of what I call a better than decent, bordering on … a wonderful childhood!

I pretty much check in to the Saints website every day; I find comfort in looking at our old pictures: the satin shirts, the cadet and yes even the orange, black and white uniforms. I look forward to current pictures posted (it is always refreshing to see the poor little fishes that Crafts has freed from their homes in the sea), reading the banter in the Guestbook, to see where some of us have gotten ourselves in the Where Are They Now section and other tabs I may happen to plunk down on.

The other day, when killing time waiting for one of my offspring (who was off at a cello gig - far, far from any kind of drum corps practice), I for some reason found myself counting stuff on the Member Roster link. I had a stupendous revelations – only 11 of us marched with the Saints from beginning to end (first parade to the last show). I really thought it was going to be a number closer to 60 or 100 when you look at how close we seem when we gather at our little reunions. In this statistic, I have included Goober (I mean Alan) by default because he was always there, Jo and Althea for becoming staff and staying with us to the end, and Wargo simply because he is Wargo.

You might have been just coming in as I was going out, so I might not remember all of you, or you me. As always there was the little kid / big kid thing going on. For instance, Rocky was just Ragu’s little brother / my little brother if someone outside of the corps even thought of picking on him. But just the same, I have marched with ALL of you – anyone who had the honor of putting on a Saints uniform during our too-short ten years together.

Again, I thank you all for being part of a really better than great experience!

Three thoughts:

• I wouldn’t mind our next reunion being that we just hang out in some park somewhere like we always used to.
• Just where in the world is Peter Boyle anyway …
• My most sincere “Thanks” to Mr. Ray Chmieleski and a whole bunch of his friends for getting us started, and to those who kept us going.

Take care,

Jack Bodzas – Drum Line ‘67-‘77

Weekend Wonderings: Did He Know?

Following All Saints Day on the liturgical calendar is All Souls Day, a time to reflect and remember those we've lost.

With all the Saints stuff going on lately, I've spent some time thinking back on those who had the greatest long-term influence on the skills I developed and the person I've become. Many of them have been mentioned in prior Scribblings entries, so I'm just going to focus on one person today: H. Worth Ake.

As I've probably mentioned before, Mr. Ake was the person who encouraged me to take on the position of the Saints Public Relations Director while I was still just a junior in high school. I remember that the Saints Guard, in particular, was a tad irritated with Drum Corps News over its lack of coverage of our progress in NJA, as well as nary a mention of the rest of the corps. I wrote a letter to Worth and heard back in a flash.

There was no coverage, he said, because the requests for information from the Saints were going unanswered. He asked me to respond to some questions, and the rest is history.

I've been thinking about Worth quite a bit these past couple of weeks. Michael Boo, who does more than a bit of writing these days about corps, requested that church-based corps provide some input for an article he was putting together for DCI.org. The target was for the piece to coincide with All Saints Day.

Church-based corps AND on All Saints Day? It was like Worth was screaming down from heaven at me, and he wouldn't let me rest until I sent in enough information to Mike for us to be included.

The result? DCI.org is publishing a three-part Fanfare series titled The saints come marching in, and we're featured in the November 2nd edition (in case you haven't seen the article yet, click on the title).

Did Worth know way back in the early 1970s what his encouragement would mean? Could he have realized that his patience in working with me really helped to nourish a lifelong love of writing? Someday, I hope to have the answers (as well as to find out what the "H" stood for!).

All for now - corpsdially yours from jo!

All Hallow's Eve

Happy Halloween!

Just a bit of Church history for everyone ... did you know that today, Halloween, actually evolved from a triduum of feasts on the Catholic liturgical calendar? October 31st was marked as the Eve of those Hallowed, followed by All Saints Day (more on that tomorrow), and All Souls Day on November 2nd.

OK, history lesson over!

Given that I was VERY allergic to chocolate as a child, Halloween wasn't among my favorite holidays. As a matter of fact, the only vivid memories I have of the day were marching with all of you in the Carteret Halloween Parade, and going door to door in our uniforms afterwards (remember using our shakos to collect the candy?).

The boundaries between our corps and other lives really blurred for me during my high school and college years, and it's clear it was the same for most of you. If there's any doubt, here's some proof from Gallery 7, page 8 on www.saintsdrumcorps.com:

All for now - "corpse"dially yours from jo!

Weekend Wonderings: Dream Jobs

If you're already making money "doing" corps or something related to the skills you picked up back then, think of this Scribblings entry as some sort of validation if you'd like.

For the rest of us, here are two questions for you: If someone told you at this moment that your ideal job in corps / guard is available to you for the asking, what would it be? Also, do you take it, or keep doing what you're doing right now?

Here are some revisionist criteria to consider, if needed, to help you to dream a bit and decide if working in corps or guard is for you:

• You're physically / mentally healthy enough, and have all the skills needed to do the work.
• If you'd like to do it full-time, you can afford to do the work without pay, or they're paying you more than enough to do it.
• If you're interested in part-time work, the schedule around everything else that you want or need to do will accommodate the gig with no problem.
• Corps and guard culture (for lack of a better term) is exactly what you want it to be - like we remember it from the mid-70s, as it progressed during the 80s, as it is now, etc. (This item was added for those who just don't like what corps and guard have become.)
• The important people in your life are fully supportive of your decision to take the gig.

If I've left something off the list that poses a potential barrier for you, feel free to add it as you consider your career change ...

I haven't thought about this topic in quite awhile. Time spent over the past few weeks has brought me back there, and I find myself wondering. If you're looking for my answer, you'll have to wait a bit - I want to savor the possibilities for just a tad longer before making my decision.

I hope you'll share your dreams with us - feel free to use the Comments area below, the Guest Book on www.saintsdrumcorps.com, or get in touch with me directly at joparente.saintsdrumcorps@gmail.com.

All for now - corpsdially yours from jo!

PS: In case you're wondering, right now there are 47 people registered for the November reunion. About 20% are members who are coming in from outside the greater Jersey metropolitan area. The first wave of people who registered can be found in last week's Tuesday Trivia (scroll down below). An updated list will be posted here as part of the October 16th Tuesday Trivia, so stay tuned!

Weekend Wonderings: Then and Now pt 2

Two weeks ago, I wrote my first Then and Now entry -- it focused a bit on what's is been like to have what we were thirty years ago intersecting with our lives today. With the mini-reunion now a reality, the theme is hitting me hard again.

During my marching years - college in particular - I tried very hard to juggle my corps life with everything else that was going on ... studies, working, family obligations, and very importantly, a long-term personal relationship. Thankfully, the guy in question was understanding and patient beyond what I had experienced with anyone else I had dated. Still, there were sacrifices made and opportunities lost because of my first priority: being on the competitive field and floor with all of you.

At a point after aging out, graduating from Douglass, starting my career, ending the relationship many of you have asked about and beginning one with the man who would be my husband one day, I found myself at a crossroads. Dan Fogelberg says it best in his song Nether Lands ... one road was simple, acceptance of life -- the other road offered sweet peace.

After two years of managing public relations for DCA in the early 1980s, I decided it was time to let corps go and give my personal relationships the full attention they deserved.

Richard is certainly aware of my corps history -- after all, we were dating on and off during my DCA days. Still, he's been sheltered from most of it for virtually our entire relationship -- so much so that if someone with a voice he doesn't recognize calls here and asks for Jo, he thinks it's a wrong number!

These past six months, I find myself trying, and for the most part succeeding, to reintegrate what I call the JoAnne and Marilyn parts of my life (sounds a bit like the movie Sybil when I put it that way!). Little by little, I'm bringing Richard and others up to speed on what is, really, one of the most important parts of my life -- my relationship with all of you.

He's unsure about joining me at the reunion, but I really hope he decides to be with us that evening. He knows me well enough that I'll spend very little time at his side while you're all there ... when the situation reverses itself, he's exactly the same way. Still, I'm confident part of him wants to share in the joy I feel that comes from doing all this Saints stuff again with you.

Hope you all get to meet Richard soon!

All for now --corpsdially yours from jo!