Service Awards To Scout House Alumni Members

Preston Scout House Alumni Band, of Cambridge, Ontario, presented long service awards to more than 90 individuals at the end of 2011, honouring participation for five, 10 and 15 years of active membership. The 15-year awards recognize membership in the drill team and colour guard that was active in the 1990s before the alumni band first began to rehearse in the fall of 1998.

The number of members in each category is: 37 with five years of service; 46 with10 years and 10 who have marched with the band and the drill team that preceded it for 15 years.

Fifteen-year members are Gary Tones, Mike Young, Ray Maecker, Dan Heatherington, Ted McCreary, Wayne Johnston, Terry Breen, Roger Craig, Mike O’Callahan and Jim Symons.

Ten-year members are Bruce Aitchison, Bob Barwell, Don Barwell, Tom Barwell, Paul Bauer, Larry Blundell, Terry Boughner, Lee Buckley, Lloyd Carter, Norm Courneyea, Val Courneyea, Kim Current, Henry Dmyterko, Ross Eckensviller, Jim Fraser, Roy Gingerich, Tom Gray, John Haines, Doug Kechnie, Ron Laking, Paul Leppek, Jim Leslie, Christine McKay, George McHugh, Rich Mirco, Jim Mousso, Pat Murphy, Lynne Musselman, Roger Nightingale, Harold Paulitzki, Brian Pugh, Terry Pym, Grant Robertson, Pete Sanderson, Bob Schaus, Elaine Schmidt, Bruce Studiman, Ray Sweeney, Jim Tufts, Joan Tufts, Roger Waller, Tom Weiler, Roy Wilson, Bruce Witmer, Wendy Witmer, Bruce Woodburn.

Five year members are Diane Beauchamp, Ken Becker, Al Bell, Doug Bryant, Linda Carrigan, Eleanor Cherry, George Cherry, Jeff Clark, Mary Cook, Gord Cupskey, Rob DeVos, Ray Hallman, Dave Haynes, John Hendry, John Ives, Kelly Kenny, Susan Lee, Ken Lewis, Dennis Lyttle, Keith McEllistrum, Marlene McEllistrum, Al McEwen, Doug McHaffie, Diane McHutchison, Dave McLean, Pat McMahon, Bob Mosley, Catherine Moyer, Ray Palmer, Norm Pearsel, Jerry Peterson, Bill Robinson, Wayne Ryder, Neal Titford, Bob Weiler, Don Witzel, Dan Young.

The Scout House Alumni drill team had already been active for several years when the band was formed with the intention of presenting a single stage concert at the 1999 Great Alliance of Seniors (GAS) weekend convention in Mississauga, Ontario. The drill team also performed at that convention and has performed at every one since. For the past few years, the Scout House brass ensemble, the Silver Leaves, has also performed at GAS conventions.

The 1999 GAS concert was so well received, resulting instantly in invitations to perform in community events in the Cambridge area, that the Alumni Band continued to march and play in area parades and concerts. Scout House returned to the field for exhibitions in 2002.

Since performing its first concert in Mississauga in 1999, Scout House Alumni Band has performed in more than 360 parades, field shows and concerts in communities across two provinces: Ontario and Quebec, and eight states: Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Florida.

The Scout House winter schedule includes weekly Sunday music rehearsals for the brass ensemble followed by full marching band music practice. The colour guard practices Tuesday evenings. Drill team practice and drum ensemble sessions take place on Thursday evenings. Optional practice sessions are scheduled Wednesday evenings for those who need extra preparation time, help with new music or who just enjoy playing.

The complete Scout House repertoire for 2012 will be in place for the Spring Opening arena show at Preston Memorial Auditorium on April 29. The concert, presented free as a thank you gesture for community support, returns after a year’s absence in 2011 when all the local arenas were booked for a hockey tournament.

Scout House Alumni Band membership for 2012 totals 109 members: two drum majors, 26 in the colour guard, 28 in the percussion section and 53 in the horn line.

For more information about Preston Scout House Alumni Band, contact Activities Director Nancy Weiler at telephone (519) 653-3376, email prestonscouthouseband [dot] adm [at] sympatico [dot] ca or visit the Web site at http://www.scouthouseband.com/.