Reading Buccaneers Announce Election Of Snook As Corps Director

The Reading Buccaneers Drum & Bugle Corps today announced the election of William Snook as Corps Director for a two-year term. Snook succeeds James C. Gruber, who retired from the helm of the Buccaneers organization after a 19-year tenure that saw him bring the corps back to prominence in the all-age drum corps circuit from the brink of extinction and enjoy a decade of competitive dominance and standard-setting influence in the all-ages activity.

Snook brings a deep and varied resume in pageantry activities to his new role. He marched in the Buccaneers bass drum line for three seasons, in 1984, 1985 and 1990. He began his work on the Buccaneers’ home show, Big Sounds in Motion in the late 1980s and deepened his involvement in the 1990s. He has been a leader on the show committee for over 18 years. Snook returned to the Buccaneers on an even deeper level in 2005 as Quartermaster and truck driver, among a variety of activities. He became Assistant Director in 2012 and now steps into the Director’s role. Snook was inducted into the Buccaneers Hall of Fame in 2009.

Snook’s activities extend well beyond the Buccaneers. He first joined the DCI East Committee in 1986, working the corps gate. For more than 20 years, he has chaired the committee responsible for the marketplace/souvenir area. For more than 25 years, he has served as a music educator for local high school marching bands and indoor ensembles, with a focus on percussion education.

Snook’s dedication to the Buccaneers is a true family affair. He met his wife Amy during the 1984 and 1985 seasons, and they married in 1986. They both share the same passion for the Buccaneers, the members and the drum corps activity and Amy’s contributions to the corps’ success – running two shows, driving trucks and providing administrative support – run as deep as Bill’s. They have two daughters: Elizabeth, who is an active support staff member and show volunteer, and Perri, who has been a member of the Buccaneers’ color guard for four years.

When Snook isn’t busy tending to Buccaneers, business, he is a Client Services/Digital Media Specialist with Vistacom Inc., an audio/video integrator based in Allentown, PA.

Snook begins his new role motivated by the standards set by his predecessor. “I know I have very big shoes to fill, but I look forward to the challenge,” he said. “I look forward to upholding the traditions of class and excellence that have been mainstays of the Reading Buccaneers and doing everything I can provide our members with a world-class experience.”

Plans are underway for the corps’ 2015 season. The Buccaneers’ season will kick off with Membership Day 2015 on Sunday, November 30, 2014, at Twin Valley High School, in Elverson, PA. Registration begins at 11 a.m., with the program starting at Noon.

Founded in 1957, the mission of the Reading Buccaneers Drum & Bugle Corps is to provide men and women of all ages a unique and enriching educational experience in the performing arts in which they develop as individuals and as performers. The Buccaneers were founding members of Drum Corps Associates and won the first-ever DCA World Championships in 1965 and won twelve additional titles since.

For more information, visit www.readingbuccaneers.org