Tuesday Trivia: Reunion Registrations

Here's a quick list of those who have registered so far for our July 19th reunion (updates through 10:45 am ET on May 29th):

• Ray and Joan Chmieleski (whole day)
• Mark (Rocky) Chiocchi (dinner)
• JoAnne Parente (whole day)
• Donna Stratton Ellis (whole day)
• Lillian Stratton (whole day)
• Mike Matelski (whole day)
• Denise Normandia Dune (whole day)
• Danny Dube (whole day)
• Mike Fastuca (whole day)
• Sue Brady (whole day)
• Valerie Fair (whole day)
• Allison Pehlert Knapp (dinner)
• Kim Mega Trimblett (whole day)
• Jim Trimblett (whole day)
• Tom (Mouse) Noel (whole day)
• Chris Karol-Miller (picnic)
• Althea Mazar (whole day)
• Tom Swan (whole day)
• Rene Meyer DeLucia (dinner / possibly earlier)
• Dawn Fair (whole day)
• Mickey Chez (whole day)
• Pete Chez (whole day)
• Denise Lopez (whole day)
• George Lopez (whole day)
• Wayne Fair (whole day)
• Jill Fair Shelley (picnic)
• Debbie Reybert Bartlett (whole day)
• Lorraine Fastuca Ravino (whole day)
• Maureen Fastuca (whole day)

Many of the early registrants have also indicated they're bringing main squeezes, family, and / or friends to part of the day's events at Sewaren Park and Post 471, Iselin.

Have you registered yet? What are you waiting for? Is your name missing from above even though you think you registered?

To register, click here for the Survey Monkey link, or visit the Saints home page at www.saintsdrumcorps.com. Any Saints, family of Saints, and friends of Saints are welcome!

Questions about the reunion? Contact us at saintsreunion@gmail.com.

All for now - corpsdially yours from jo!

Monday MatchUps: Drum Majors

We're back to Monday MatchUps!

This week, we're looking for the following members who served as drum majors over the years:

• Debbie Pajak
• Mona Lisa Fiorentini
• Ginny Boyle
• Jane DePinto
• Edna Tarrant

Any clue how to reach them?

Any other members in particular you're still wondering how to find in time for the reunion?

Drop me a line at joparente.saintsdrumcorps@gmail.com. Thanks!

All for now - corpsdially yours from jo!

Weekend Wonderings: Reunion Registration Time!

It continues to amaze me how we're still all connecting some 41 years after the first night many of us gathered in the OLP Cafeteria to join the parish drum corps ...

The Survey Monkey link for this summer's reunion has barely made it to everyone's e-mail boxes, and we already have a pile of folks (from inside and beyond the Saints greater metropolitan area) who have registered. Some are coming for part of the day, others are spending the whole day with us, and many are bringing family members to at least one of the day's events.

Way cool if you ask me!

We'll be back to the Monday MatchUps, Reunion Edition on May 26th. When you consider how many bus trips and parades we shared together for Memorial Day weekends over the years, it fits somehow.

Miss the Survey Monkey link in the e-mail? Click here to register!

All for now - corpsdially yours from jo!

Two Months and Counting!

Let's start the countdown for the summer reunion!

Today marks the two month mark until the Saints Summer Reunion 2008. In case you missed the e-mail and haven't been out on the home page at www.saintsdrumcorps.com, the festivities are slated for July 19, 2008.

The day will start with a picnic at Sewaren Park and is open to Saints, Saints families, and friends of Saints of all ages. Later in the evening, the adults are invited to gather at Post 471 in Iselin, the home for our mini reunion last November.

You can register for just the picnic, just the dinner, or both (with a $5 discount).

Ready to sign up? Here's the link to the Survey Monkey registration site:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=umLwo2b8Mm6Kbj4YKDi1uw_3d_3d

Hope to see you then!

All for now - corpsdially yours from jo!

Tuesday Trivia: April 29, 2008

Which of the following people celebrating birthdays today were eligible to march with the Saints at its first rehearsal in July 1967?

• Duke Ellington
• Bridget "Barbara" Murphy Baxter McCarthy
• Jackie Bodzas
• Katie Kaufhold

Duke Ellington played a large role in defining our musical style as a corps, but he would have been too old to march in July 1967.

Barbara McCarthy was my mother's mother - my Nana. She, too, would have been too old to march, and if she were still alive, would be celebrating her 97th birthday today.

Katie Kaufhold is the first granddaughter born to my business partner. Her own father, Gerry Jr, wasn't even alive at the time the Saints began.

Any more hints needed?

All for now - corpsdially yours from jo!

Weekend Wonderings: We're Back ... and so is the Reunion!

And then we awakened from a long winter's nap ...

All it took to shake me from my lethargy was to hang out at the Mall with some of you last evening - at any given point, the companions at the end of my journey down 287 (during Friday rush hour, no less!) included Denise Normandia Dube, Jimmy and Barbara Pic, Kathy Ponik Donnelly, Myrna Batista, Billy Meyer, Pete Chez, and Ferd. There were about 20 more of you who were in touch this past week in response to our e-mail blast - be assured that I shared your greetings with everyone present.

We made short work of the basics needed to get this summer's reunion up and running. While Billy graciously agreed to handle PR for the event once some of the final details are confirmed this coming week, I can tell you that we're planning a day-in-the-park and a night-at-the-Post type event for July 19th. Prices will be family-friendly, with a discount offered for those attending both events.

Both events will be catered, so that means (drum roll please!!!) NO SET UP AND CLEAN UP FOR US !!!

In the meantime, keep your eyes open for e-mails, guest book entries, and more stuff here in Scribblings.

Thanks again to Jackie for jumping in during my Scribblings Sabbatical ... anyone else out there who's interested in helping out with Guest Writer Wednesdays, let me know.

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