Best Corps Director Ever!

[mobrien]

I cannot give it to Don Warren. Although he was the keeper of the Cavie flame - he could have brokered more involvement throughout the activity.

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Don Warren and Jim Jones were the minds behind the Combine, which evolved into DCI a year or so later. They reached out to other corps they thought would be good fits, with unerring good judgement toward building a strong organization made up of corps and for corps. Not sure that anyone else has done as much, and acted as selflessly, for the longer-term growth of the activity.

And his track record as a director with his own corps was pretty good too... B)

Edited May 5, 2005 by mobrien

[susantaylor40]

You and I have spoken about about John away from these boards and in P.M's but for the record, Having met him "back in the day" and seeing him and all the K.W. corps on a regular basis, I'll second your vote!

The man ate,breathed,and slept drum corps! The welfare of "His Kids" was the most important thing to him.

This is a man alot of the people here have probably never heard of, but to anyone who met him embodied the true spirit of drum corps.

He will be sorely missed!!

:angel:

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Oh, the stories that be told about John!!! He was my first corps director, and I don't think that man EVER forgot anyone's name that marched under his tutalage. He got my vote. Love ya J.R.

[tkelly21]

Gail Royer was a great director. Gail was a huge part of my life growing up. He was my band teacher starting in 3rd grade and he allowed me to be a part of Santa Clara from it's birth in 1967. We were his only child and his family. He had vision, talent, great humility, and he always wanted his child to have class, and we grew into a drum corps of extreme class.

Gail always knew that drum corps needed to break free of the heavy-handed, disinterested control of the VFW and the American Legion. The combine was his creation, then came DCI.

As far as directors who took members of their community, gave them goals, direction and influenced their lives to this day, Jim Jones of the Troopers is a giant. The Troopers were the first ones with busses and an equipment truck and sold souveniers. He created the Troopers from a real small pool of kids in Casper and created a drum corps giant. If you speak to any former Trooper who was a member when Jim Jones was the director, you will hear just what a great impact this man had on not only creating a great corps, but he helped create good people.

Edited May 6, 2005 by tkelly21

[LancerLegend]

Love him or hate him, Hopkins won a DCI title in his very first year as corps director. I don't know if that has ever been done before or since.

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I enjoy hating him very much thank you. And a person off the street with no drum corps knowledge could have directed that corps to the title. With that staff and the talent in that corps, please.....you are giving him too much credit for his first title. As for his drum instructing skills - he "over" wrote his drum books and it hurt the line more than helped.

I will give Hoppy enormous credit for keeping the ball rolling since the early 1990's, although I don't agree with some of his ideas for DCI.

[jminton]

I don't know if you would consider him the best corps director ever, there are many director giants through the years, but for accomplishments in a short period of time Jim Mason accomplished alot. He put together the staff to take Star of Indiana to finals their first year out, they remained in finals for the nine years that they were in the Drum Corps scene, and won a DCI Championship. Granted none of this would have been accomplished had it not been for the talented staff and extremely hard work put forth by the staff and members, he is deserving of some credit. I for one would like to say thank you for the opportunity to have been involved with Star of Indiana, but I would also like to say PLEASE bring Star of Indiana back to DCI.

[ossabe]

My vote went to Sy Laurie. Sy was the only Director of the Chicago Royal Airs. Sy was a very successful business man in Chicago owning a string of downtown parking lots. He had a true love for the youth of Chicago's inner city and helped both as a mentor and gave financial assistance where needed. The corps members loved Sy as a father and would take a bullet for him. they paid him back by winning the 1965 VFW nationals, and possibably being the finest corps to ever step onto a field. BTW they were all inner city kids and most never had any formal musical training. God Bless Sy and his memory.

[1975-27thLancer]

Gail, may have personally talked to every kid, in every corp. He cared and remembered things that were discussed years before. A truely great and fun man that engineered a world class organization. He would be my second choice. ( RIP ) I hope that when this bullet train of life that we are all on stops at my stop. That I see Gail when I get off. because I know I will have to be in a good place.

I wish this was one of those vote as many times as you want things. So I could wake up and vote for George every morning. I know the other candidates .. all great leaders and people.

But George, he just did it right, all of it. He really cared for all his kids. 1000's of them. I have never seen a home so open, to so many. He and his family, Patsy and the kids were there all the time for everybody. His examples of Sacrifice, focus, trust, dependabillity, teamwork, discipline, and love, eventually changed this punk kid from Rhode Island. I never felt like I was away from home when I was with George. If you did something wrong you knew about it, if you did something right you knew too. Some of the stuff he had to endure because of this extended family qualifies him for sainthood. George B #1

[Lancerlady]

Alot of people don't know this about George B. and Ma, but they remember every kid who ever marched in that corps, whether it be one year or how many years. I have witnessed this myself, especially being involved with the reunion committee's. Their memory is amazing to watch in action. George B. introduced me to Jerry Seawright when finals were in Orlando last, what was that 03? And anyway, even Mr. Seawright (RIP), looked at me and said, "See, even I can't remember all my kids but this man, God love him can". :)

So, yeah my vote has to go to this man here with my son Ryan...I posted this in another thread but not everybody has had a chance to see it. This was from our recent trip up there a couple of weeks ago.

And people have no idea like Nancy said, how many times they mortgaged their house just so the corps could survive. At least he knew when to "throw in the towel" and go out in style.

And as Eddie said, I was one of those "kids" who had the honor of staying in that home on Cambridge St. in Revere, Mass. They sold that home and now live in a condo and love it! :) The door is still open there too.

Edited November 9, 2006 by Lancerlady

[Fran Haring]

On the DCI/junior side, Gail Royer gets my vote.

On the DCA/all-age side, Jim Costello.

Fran

[apoch003]

Thank heavens you didn't put George Tuthill in there... I would have gone all drag-queen on your butts!