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COMMONWEALTH vs GEORGE HOPKINS 10-23-19


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  • 2 weeks later...

As I mentioned in another thread, it's not easy to find what presumably were some once well-known details of Cadets' history, particularly now that the corps has split off from YEA. Neither Cadets' new website nor the Wikipedia entry on Cadets included this basic fact: when did George Hopkins become the corps' director? (Someone here who was on staff at the time responded that it was in 1982, and the first season under his leadership was 1983 season.) I certainly don't blame them for not wanting to dwell on certain aspects of their past! But history is owed some attention too, and it ought to be possible to at least find that history somewhere. By chance, I came across some pages on an older version of YEA's website, which was apparently last updated in 2014. Who knows how long that site will last? I haven't checked to see whether it's been saved on the Internet Archive, but for posterity's sake and ease of reference, I'll just post this here:

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George Hopkins

CEO, Youth Education in the Arts, The Cadets

George Hopkins is the Director of The Cadets and CEO and Executive Director of Youth Education in the Arts, a not-for-profit organization with headquarters in Allentown, Pa.

Hopkins began his Cadets history as a Garfield Cadets' percussion instructor in 1979 after one year of teaching social studies in Pennsylvania. After being named corps director in 1982, Hopkins led the Cadets to four world championships from 1983 to 1987 and launched the Cadets Marching Band Cooperative (now USBands) in 1988. Hopkins has since led The Cadets to additional six world titles, the most recent in 2011.

In 1990, he was integral to establishing Youth Education in the Arts (YEA!), an organization committed to supporting the development of young people to magnificent human beings through their participation in the performing arts. More than 70,000 young people across the country are involved in programs supported by YEA! with annual festivals, performances and clinics nationwide.

Since 2005, YEA! has partnered with the Allentown Economic Development Association in the creation of the Musselman Arts Development Center in downtown Allentown. YEA! is now the managing tenant of this urban arts incubator, offering services and support for numerous Lehigh Valley non-profits. Current staffing for YEA! is now twenty-two, with a part time teaching staff of 60+.

George Hopkins is a member of the Drum Corps International Hall of Fame and the Cadets Hall of Fame. He has been a member of the DCI Board of Directors since 1982, the DCI executive committee from 1983 to 1999, and 2005 to the present, the N.J. Music Educators Board of Directors from 2000-2003 and the president of the N.J. Coalition for Music Educators from 2001 to 2003. 

Hopkins holds a BA in secondary education and an MA in non-profit management. He has a daughter, Katie, 26, who holds a BA in dance from Columbia College Chicago, performs with ARCOS Dance nationally and internationally, teaches and choreographs for various high school colorguard programs nationwide, and is a four-year veteran of The Cadets and a fifth-year instructor/choreographer for the corps.

Hopkins loves his Philadelphia Sports Teams, Broadway, the Philly Orchestra, live music concerts, reading, running and learning.

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Edited by N.E. Brigand
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27 minutes ago, N.E. Brigand said:

"Hopkins began his Cadets history as a Garfield Cadets' percussion instructor in 1979 after one year of teaching social studies in Pennsylvania."

What school did Hopkins teach at?

Edited by N.E. Brigand
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Any chance Hoppie will go for a change of venue? Have jury duty coming up and would love the chance to get thrown off the panel.

”does anyone have any preconceived ideas about the defendant... yes, you puking in the corner, you can leave” 

Edited by JimF-LowBari
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2 hours ago, JimF-LowBari said:

Any chance Hoppie will go for a change of venue? Have jury duty coming up and would love the chance to get thrown off the panel.

”does anyone have any preconceived ideas about the defendant... yes, you puking in the corner, you can leave” 

Venue change happens when it is hard to find an impartial jury.  Back when the DC Sniper case went to trial, they moved venue from Northern VA (Prince Wm. County) to VA Beach because too many people had already formed opinions.

As long as the jury pool is not filled with DCPers they won't have trouble finding an impartial jury.

Edited by IllianaLancerContra
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3 hours ago, N.E. Brigand said:

What school did Hopkins teach at?

This page says Aston Township, PA, which appears to be Sun Valley H.S.

http://www.theholynamecadets.org/history/george_hopkins.htm

 

8 minutes ago, garfield said:

Hopefully one at which they taught their students to not end a sentence that way.

😀

"This is exactly the sort of pedantry up with which I will not put!" --Winston Churchill

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7 minutes ago, hostrauser said:

 

This page says Aston Township, PA, which appears to be Sun Valley H.S.

http://www.theholynamecadets.org/history/george_hopkins.htm

 

"This is exactly the sort of pedantry up with which I will not put!" --Winston Churchill

This is the Churchill quote of which I am most fond. He was referring to the iron-clad rule against ending an English sentence with a preposition, of course, and in what verbal contortions that could result.

The language has deteriorated greatly since the Empire's demise, I fear.

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2 hours ago, garfield said:

Hopefully one at which they taught their students to not end a sentence that way.

😀

“Where’s the party at?”

”Don’t end a sentence with a preposition.”

”Where’s the party at, beyach?”

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2 hours ago, hostrauser said:

 

This page says Aston Township, PA, which appears to be Sun Valley H.S.

http://www.theholynamecadets.org/history/george_hopkins.htm

 

"This is exactly the sort of pedantry up with which I will not put!" --Winston Churchill

That page also says George was band director at Northern Highlands HS (in Bergen County) in 1984. I think Buddy Ajalat was the full-time band director at the school back then. George may have had the stipend position of being the marching band director, an extra-curricular job, like a sports coach. 

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