Reading Buccaneers Announce 2008 Buccaneer Hall Of Fame Inductees
The Reading Buccaneers Drum & Bugle Corps and Buccaneer Alumni Association announced today that Ken Honsberger, Ralph Pace, Jay Landis and Randy Mutter will be inducted into the Buccaneers Hall of Fame at the corps’ annual year-end banquet on Saturday, November 29, 2008.
“We established the Buccaneers Hall of Fame in 1995 as we approached our 40th anniversary,” said Hall of Fame Committee Chairman Gary Koenig, himself inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998. “There are so many people who have dedicated so much of themselves to make the Buccaneers the organization what it is and has been. So many deserve recognition for their service to this organization, but there are a handful whose dedication, talent, passion and work have made an indelible imprint on the Buccaneers and the drum corps activity.”
Ken Honsberger began his career with the Buccaneers in 1969 and 1970 as tenor drummer. He left the corps after the 1970 season for professional reasons and returned in 1974 for a two-year term as business manager. In 1977 and 1978 he was corps President. From 1986-1990 Ken was chairman of the DCI East committee and helped develop the show into one of DCI’s premier events. From 1990-1994 he served as DCI’s director of development and marketing. Ken was also involved in bringing the DCA championships to Allentown. He has been a dedicated and well-respected worker and promoter of both the Buccaneers and the drum corps activity.
When you think about the people who had the biggest impact on the success of the Buccaneers over the years, Ralph Pace certainly comes to mind. Ralph taught a few local junior corps in the 1960s until landing with Blue Rock in 1970, where he started a new era in the visual aspect of drum corps. His unique style, fresh and exciting ideas, and new approach to color guard transformed the Buccaneers when he arrived here a few years later. Ralph enjoyed several stints with the corps through 1983. Over that time the corps won two DCA championships and was one of DCA’s top marching programs. A list of the top junior corps Ralph has impacted is a veritable Who’s Who list. Ralph’s impact on the activity has earned him induction into the Drum Corps International, Massachusetts, New Jersey and the World Drum Corps Halls of Fame.
Jay Landis began his drum corps career as a converted saxophone player playing baritone for the Buxmont Raiders junior corps. In 1975 he followed his band director and corps brass instructor Reds Winzer to the Buccaneers. Jay marched baritone in the Buccaneers for the 1975 and 1976 seasons. He left after he married Yvonne, even then a fixture at the Buccaneers souvenir table, in 1978. Over twenty years later, after his daughter joined the Buccaneers; Jay joined the Alumni Corps as a baritone and then drum major. In 2000 he and Yvonne took over the corps souvenir stand and have turned it into the premier stand in DCA and a critical component of the corps’ fundraising efforts. Jay was elected corps treasurer in 2001 and since then has been a tremendous asset to the corps and executive committee by managing the corps’ finances. He has spent countless hours for the corps doing any number of committee activities while at the same time maintaining a presence with the alumni corps.
One of the most recognized people around the corps since the start of its 2007 50th anniversary celebration has been Captain Drummond Bugleman, portrayed by Randy Mutter. Mutter has been an inspiration to many corps members, old and young. He began his association with the Buccaneers as a hornline member from 1969 to 1977 and again in 1997. He was vice president of the corps in 1976 and also served as membership chairman for a year. Randy has also been an active member of the Buccaneer Alumni Association and Alumni Corps hornline since their inceptions. Randy also currently plays in numerous community bands and Buccaneer-related music ensembles. With his involvement in the corps 50th anniversary celebration and the creation of Captain Drummond Bugleman, Randy created a corps mascot and trademark known to anyone who has been around the Buccaneers family. He continually surrounds himself with, and contributes to, the proud legacy of the Reading Buccaneers.
“The greatest achievements of the Buccaneers are the thousands of men and women who have been part of our extended family over the years as members, volunteers and teachers,” said Buccaneer Alumni Association president Robert Miller. “This is a great opportunity for all of us to say ‘thank-you’ to those whose contributions have shaped our organization and activity.”
“This is an exceptional class of inductees,” said Buccaneers corps director and Hall of Fame member James C. Gruber. “Jay and Randy each have made a lasting difference in the Buccaneers by sharing their passions and talents with the corps for so many years. And Ralph and Ken have made just as significant an impact on the larger drum corps activity as they have the Buccaneers. That’s a true testament to the history and traditions of this great organization. I’m proud to be associated with all four of these great Buccaneers.”
Honsberger, Pace, Landis and Mutter join 66 other members of the Buccaneers Hall of Fame. Each of these individuals has made a lasting impact on the Buccaneers and the drum corps activity:
1995 inductees: Norman DeTemple, Bruce Englehart, LaVern Rohrbach, Roy Miller, Ron Gehris, Edward Johnston, John Flowers, George Parks, Ned Baldinger and Frank Ferraro.
1996: John Ferraro, Willard Marcks, Tony Yaklich, Roland Hoffman and Elmer Winzer.
1997: John Derr, Diane Koenig, Michael Vilardo, Joe Jasinski and Donnie Solinger.
1998: Wilson Goodwin, Glenn Rhine, Bruce Young, Gary Koenig and Jack Wells.
1999: Norm Cimerol, Jim Gruber, Lou Werner, Candy Golding and Robert Weidenhammer.
2000: Thomas Brown, Grant Hill, Earl Price, Mike Doherty and Wayne Kauffman.
2001: Bill Battaglia, Louis Tierno, Fred Windish, Gary Smith and Darrell Weyman.
2002: Victor Brown, Mike Luckenbill, Donald Walls, Rich Koenig and Henry Smith.
2003: Ronald Ferraro, Phil Rabenold, Dan Fitzpatrick and John Rozum.
2004: Tom Bitner, Robert Gruber, Bernard Brown and Howard Nagel.
2005: Lois Tierno, Joel Miller, Randy Kerschner and Curt Rissmiller.
2006: Glen Brumbach, Francis Chupick, Matt Krempasky and Amy Snook.
2007: Ron Fisher, George Price, Carl Bagenstose, Roberta Doherty and Rich Hammond.
2008: Ken Honsberger, Ralph Pace, Jay Landis and Randy Mutter.
On Sunday, November 30, 2008, the Buccaneers will host Membership Day 2009, at Twin Valley High School, Elverson, PA. Registration begins at 11:00. All persons interested in learning more about the Reading Buccaneers and being part of the 2009 corps are invited to attend. Please visit the www.readingbuccaneers.org for more information.
Founded in 1957, the Buccaneers are a non-profit, education-oriented musical organization. The Buccaneers are a charter member of Drum Corps Associates and won the first-ever DCA world championships in 1965. Additional titles followed in 1968, 1979, 1980 and, most recently, in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, all four undefeated championship seasons.
Formed in 1981, the mission of the Buccaneer Alumni Association is to reunite all past members of the Reading Buccaneers Drum & Bugle Corps in camaraderie and fellowship, to engage in the parade drum & bugle corps activity, to encourage the growth of the Reading Buccaneers Drum & Bugle Corps, to maintain the commitment to excellence generally associated with said Corps, and to perpetuate drum & bugle corps in general as an art form and entertainment medium. The Buccaneer Alumni Drum & Bugle Corps was formed in 1987 as a program of the Buccaneer Alumni Association.
The Buccaneers are sponsored in part by Ray A. Master American Legion Post 217, Topton, Pennsylvania
For more information, visit www.readingbuccaneers.org.
