Pennsylvania Drum Corps Hall of Fame Update

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It seems like such a short time ago that 10 individuals representing Drum Corps from every corner of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania met at the ABC Brewing Company on Cameron Street in Harrisburg, Pa. with the purpose of forming and establishing an organization that would recognize the accomplishments of those members who have served and still participate in this wonderful activity and who have given so selflessly of their time, sweat, tears and sometimes even their blood. Our objectives were not only to ensure that we were able to recognize these individuals but we also were seeking some way of helping to perpetuate this activity and be able to pass along our legacy to the generations that follow. Thus the three levels of membership.

By giving recognition to those who are relatively new, be they young teenaged members of any one of the various types of Drum Corps, be it Competitive, Parade or Alumni, or those older members who are just discovering our activity and are giving of themselves in any number of ways from playing member, quartermaster, truck or bus driver, “chief/cook/bottle washer”, their contributions are just as valuable as those who manage, direct and/or arrange. At present there are at least 10 members of the Steel City Ambassadors who are of high school age and are so looking forward to being able to be inducted when they have completed their fifth year as members of the Steel City Ambassadors. At the 2008 Induction Ceremonies, which took place the Sunday following the Serenade in Brass extravaganza, one of our newly inducted Associate Members from the Erie Thunderbirds stated on his nomination form,”I feel I should be considered for membership to the Pennsylvania Drum Corps Hall of Fame for my 5 plus years of service to the activity. I have grown as a musician since joining Drum Corps, and have many more years of service to come. I feel that I can continue to represent the activity well and contribute to the future of Drum Corps in the years to come.” These few sentences pretty much sum up the exact reasons why we have established a multiple-tiered system of membership.

From our first class of inductees in 2005, we have grown to our present size of 177 members, including 25 individuals recognized posthumously. This growth has occurred in three short years, a truly gratifying number. We can assure you that the members of both our Organizing Committee and Board of Trustees wish to offer our congratulations to all of the members of the Pennsylvania Drum Corps Hall of Fame as well as our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you for helping to keep our activity alive and healthy, so that our mutual legacy may be passed on into the future.

With such a vibrant and growing organization, the PADCHOF Induction Class of 2009 will see for the first time the possibility of recognizing individuals with a Meritorious Service Award or an Honorary Membership in addition to our traditional three levels of membership. As announced at the 2008 Induction Ceremony, beginning in 2009 we will endeavor to honor up to five individuals annually with a Meritorious Service Award and up to two with our Honorary Membership. As with the other three levels, a Meritorious Service Award or an Honorary Membership may be presented posthumously. Those wishing to place someone’s name in nomination for any level membership can go to our website and download a copy of our nomination form, fill it out with as much pertinent information as you can find, and mail it to the address at the bottom of the form. In order for an individual to be considered and included in a year’s Induction Class, a nomination form must be received by January 31st of that year. The 2009 PADCHOF Induction Ceremony will take place at a Sunday Morning Breakfast following the Serenade in Brass in Harrisburg, Pa.

Based on two earlier successful efforts, the PADCHOF Board of Trustees has decided to establish a yearly raffle to help defray the expenses for future classes of inductees. With this annual fund raiser we are hoping to be able to cover the entire cost of the pins, patches, plaques and any of the other awards that will be presented in the future. Anyone wishing to purchase one or any number of raffle tickets please feel free to contact our Fundraising Committee Chairperson, Ms. Cecily Siegfried whose contact information is listed below. By helping the PADCHOF in this fashion, you will not only assist directly in honoring and recognizing those who have given so generously through their own service but also contribute to the long-term preservation of our beloved activity. Since time is of the essence, the sooner you contact Cecily the surer you are of being able to partake of this year’s raffle. [Send checks to PADCHOF-c/o Cecily Siegfried, 3314 Arlington St, Laureldale, PA 19605. Do not send cash. Write or e-mail her (Cecily5050 [at] aol [dot] com) to request additional tickets.]

The Raffle Ticket is Five Dollars ($5) in cost and it last for the entire month of December. Every time that the number on your raffle ticket matches exactly the 3 digit evening number of the Pennsylvania Lottery, you will win the specified amount of money for that particular day. An added bonus is that if the number on your raffle ticket is either the number before or the number after the Pennsylvania 3 digit Lottery number for that specific day you win automatically win Five Dollars ($5). As you can see there are even more chances to win.

A subsequent note will list the times and locations of upcoming meetings and events, including the 2009 Induction Ceremony. We thank you in advance for your assistance and look forward to seeing you in the very near future.

Posted by on Sunday, November 2nd, 2008. Filed under DCA News.