June 2001

Volunteer Profile:  Allan Whitney

    It takes all kinds of people, and personalities to run a World Class organization like Carolina Crown.  People to make critical decisions; people who manage a specific area or project; people to provide valued input on a given subject; people to fix whatever is broken; and people who do all the other things that need to get done without worrying about all of those other people and what it is that they are doing!  This month's Volunteer Profile column highlights a great example of someone who fits into that latter category.

    Allan Whitney has been volunteering for Carolina Crown for 7 years.  You would think that he started yesterday based on how much we all truly know about him.  He's one of those people who goes about their business without ever needing to put himself in the spotlight or talk much about themselves.

    Allan is from Toledo, Ohio where he worked with Ford in the office as a bookkeeper. We think he moved south because most of his family is here. He is currently the bookkeeper at Fourseasons, a construction company that specializes in constructing sunrooms. He did some volunteer work for Glassmen off and on for 20 years before moving to our area.  He looked for a drum corps close by when he moved.  He went to a couple of shows and then all of a sudden showed up at a Crown camp.  He said current President Chip Smith and board member Lisa Camann just put him to work!  "I don't think he's missed a winter camp in the last year or two (we can always depend on Allan to keep up with drinks & trash!), and has also helped selling souvys at winter guard shows, poured beer at Center City Fest, helped with the food truck renovations... whatever the task - he's there to help", remarks Lisa Camann.

    He played in the high school band, but never marched a corps.  He doesn't have any kids in the corps.  He didn't even know anyone at Crown before coming to that first camp.  He just does it because he loves drum corps!  A bowling partner of his many years ago had a daughter marching with a corps and asked him to go to a show.  That was it... he was hooked!


    Support Staff Coordinator Teri Brinson says, "Allan is usually the first one there every weekend and the last to leave.  He has been doing this so long he just jumps in and does it without any direction. He doesn't want accolades; he just enjoys doing the work.  He tours a week every summer, and if we have a show anywhere within 200 miles of him, he shows up and pitches in!"

    So, for the past seven years Allan has gone about his business making the lives of our young people that much better by doing all the little things it takes to run a World Class organization.  All along, constantly giving of himself and never asking for anything in return.


Well, we know you didn't ask for it, but... thanks, Allan!

Madar & Srdar Named DCI Volunteers of the Year


    Carolina Crown President Chip Smith announced at the recent Board of Directors meeting that two members of the Crown family have been selected as 2001 Drum Corps International Volunteers of the Year.  Board members and "Fund-raisers Extraordinaire" Doug Madar and Carol Srdar will receive the award during special ceremonies held during the DCI World Championships this August in Buffalo, NY.

    Each year DCI canvasses the drum corps community for nominees for this very important award.  The Crown Executive Committee submitted Doug's and Carol's names several months ago and was thrilled when we received notification of their selection.  Below is the text of our nomination:


DOUBLE TROUBLE

    Several years ago Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding, Jr. made famous the saying "show me the money!" Before Tom and Cuba got the line, Carol Srdar and Doug Madar were showing Carolina Crown the money through their fund-raising events.

    Working independently most of the time - and in collusion some of the time - they have led fund-raising events that have raised more than $700,000 for Carolina Crown over the past twelve years. They also have developed relationships that allow us to raise funds for some programs just by making a telephone call.

    In the process of their extensive year round efforts, Night BEAT (under the direction of Doug Madar) has become a premier drum corps show and Charlotte event, and the Carolina Crown golf tournament  (organized by Carol Srdar as a committee of one) has become an in-demand event in some high demand times.

    Carolina Crown is pleased that our Volunteer of the Year nominees Carol Srdar and Doug Madar have not just shown us the money, but given so much of their time (and hearts) as well!

Crown Concludes Best Winter Camp Season On Record

    With their special Guard and Brass Only camp at Indianland Middle School on May 18-20, Carolina Crown finished what had to be their best winter camp season of their 12-year history.  The camps were all very productive and attendance was record setting.  The brass line had over 50 members at each camp and over 60 members at all the camps except the last two in May held during the busy college exam/SAT/prom/graduation time period!  Percussion almost always had full attendance and the guard had over 20 returning vets and even more new prospects attend at least one of their two "audition" camps in May.
   

    Besides the great attendance, some other notable recent camp happenings included:

- after receiving our new brass instruments late Friday afternoon of the 5/4-6 camp weekend, the brass line learned a short parade tune and Carolina On My Mind in the new key well enough in one evening to perform them the next morning at the annual Ft. Mill Fest-I-Fun parade.  They also re-learned all the show music for the new key and played the opener with the full percussion line (remember, the front ensemble had to change key too!) at the camp's Sunday's "show and tell".

- speaking of that same weekend, Crown worked with Fort Mill HS Band Director/Crown Board Member Martin Dickey on combining the HS Band and our brass line for the Fest-I-Fun parade.  Crown broke in their new Bb instruments on the band's music during the parade!  The crowd along the parade route was stunned to see and hear the large and great sounding combined group come down the street!  This was another milestone for the Fort Mill/ Carolina Crown Partnership in Education.  Besides the hard work done on this relationship by everyone involved, it would have also not been possible without our decision to move to the new instruments this year!

- besides the great work by the members and faculty at the camps, our dedicated volunteers also again did more great work!  Yet another camp season with large turnouts of volunteers to help cook, measure uniforms, register students, sell souvenirs, make airport and bus terminal runs, and do whatever else Brian Bambauer or Teri Brinson could find to ask of them! And speaking of Brian and Teri, it is without a doubt that their efforts to maintain communication and nurture our volunteers that have been the major reason for our volunteer successes these past two winters.

    Thanks to all who helped make the 2000-2001 camp season such a success.  We hope it carries through to our everyday rehearsals starting June 3rd at Clover HS, onto our 2001 summer tour, and for the many upcoming years of Carolina Crown!

Carolina Summer Clinic

    Carolina Crown will be hosting the third annual Carolina Summer Clinic at Ft. Mill High School on Friday, June 22, 2001. This informative clinic is free to any band director or instructor who wishes to attend. Registration will begin at 3:00 PM in the Fort Mill High School Band Room. The program includes several informative clinic sessions, a complimentary dinner, and a preview performance by Carolina Gold Senior Drum and Bugle Corps and Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps.

3:00 PM        Registration and Social Time

 3:30 PM       “Get Your Pit Out of the Pits!” – Recruiting, Training, and Maintaining a  Great Front Ensemble.  Sandi Sheuerman - University of North Texas, Blast!, Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps. 

 4:00 PM        “Warming-up – The Most Important Part of the Day!” – Warming-Up to Improve Your Band’s Outdoor Sound.  Larry Markiewicz- North Penn High School, Crossmen, The Cadets, Glassmen, Pride of Soka, Syracuse Brigadiers, Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps.

 4:45 PM        Break

 5:00 PM         “The Auxiliary as a Main Ingredient” – The Colorguard as an Integral Part of a Successful Band Program.  Michael Shapiro - Carol High School, Crown Guard, Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps.

 5:30 PM         “Successful Programming Tips and Tricks” – Proven Ways to Approach  Show Programming for Your Band.  Marty McCartt- Tarpon Springs High School, Boston Crusaders, Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps.

 6:15 PM        Dinner – Sponsored by Musicfest Orlando/California

 7:30 PM        “Preview”            Carolina Gold Senior Drum and Bugle Corps and  Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps

    This clinic is FREE and open to all directors and staff interested in the marching pageantry arts. Please RSVP by Friday, June 15, 2001 with your name, address, number attending, and phone number to:

227-A Main St. ♪ Fort Mill, SC 29715 ♪ Phone: 803.547.2270

Fax: 803.547.2295 ♪ Email: Crown@carolinacrown.org

Carolina Crown Preview

    Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps will again be hosting its annual Preview performance at Ft. Mill High School Stadium. This year’s event will be on Friday, June 22 and will begin at 7:30 PM.

    Joining Carolina Crown this year will be Carolina Gold Drum and Bugle Corps from Raleigh, NC.

    Admission is free, but donations of large cans of powdered drink mix (cool-aid, gator-aid, iced-T, etc.) and paper products (paper plates, plastic utensils, napkins, paper cups, etc) are greatly appreciated.

    This year we have added two new events for the Preview Show: Volunteer Five-Year and Ten-year Recognition and Alumni Recognition. These events include a "formal" recognition of our wonderful volunteers who have been with the organization for five or ten years and a mass-recognition of alumni-through-the-years on the field starting with the charter corps in 1990. Both groups will also have a reception tent for socializing before the event.

    All five and ten year volunteers as well as all alumni should have received notification of this event either by email or regular mail. If you should have received an invitation and did not, please notify the office as soon as possible!

TheCrownStore.com is Online!

    Carolina Crown is proud to announce the Grand Opening of TheCrownStore.com.

    TheCrownStore offers a wide range of band, guard, and percussion supplies including (but not limited to) flag pole, fabric, drum heads, mallets, sticks, marching shoes, plumes, podiums, etc.

    After several months of preparation and design, the e-commerce site is now up and running complete with shopping carts and a credit card payment system. Finishing touches are being completed over the next several weeks and a full-blown promotional blitz will begin in mid-June.

I Spy….Carolina Crown Alumni

    "I Spy" will be a monthly feature of CrownBEAT and will include updates on Carolina Crown alumni. If you would like to be included in an upcoming issue please send us your name, years you marched, what section, and your current residence, profession, etc.

Alicia Welch (P98-00) and Clint Knight (P99, DM00) will be married on June 9th in Mobile, AL.

Cecil Adderley (F90-92,95-96) is currently teaching at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Jodi Cook (G90) is now owner of Cook Creative in Rockhill, SC, a graphic design and creative consulting business.

Brian Nozny (P97) is Head Percussion instructor for the University Of Miami’s "Band of the Hour".

Jim Mallard (P92-93) is currently in Graduate School at University of Florida working on his PHD. in Archaeology.

Elliott Scott (P96) is the percussion caption head at "Phantom Knights Drum and Bugle Corps" in England.

Beth Cristenbury (G92) and Jon Kirk (F92) married in December 1999 and live in Concord, NC.

Stephen Turner (B90, DM91) is currently employed at Universal Access Inc. in Chicago, IL as a project manager in Telecommunications.

Eric Garlinghouse (P96) and Lindsay Upton (P97) recently got engaged with the wedding date set for February 2, 2002 at the King Plow Art Gallery in Atlanta, GA.

Aaron Young (B91-92) is a 7-year Navy Veteran and works for the NC Dept of Correction in Marion, NC. He plans to move to the Charlotte area in a few years.

Cory Gasaway (P93) graduated from James Madison University in 1996 and is currently working with Intuit Corporation.

Adena Griffith (G97-99) is working for the capital area humane society animal rescue and is a certified euthanasia tech.

Charlie Benbow (B97) currently a senior at VMI as a History major and is Lance Corporal for the US Marine Corps Reserve.

Calvin Hubbard (B93-95) is a salesman for Destiny Homes and resides in South Carolina.

Charles Long Jr. (B90-93) lives in Charlotte, NC and is currently employed with Little & Associates Architects.

Leigh DeVore (B90, F98) taught elementary and middle school bands in Charlotte for 4 years and has been Band Director at Mount Pleasant High School for the past 3 years.

Shaylah Schultz (now known as Shaylah Miller (P93)) teaches 2nd grade at Sullivan County Schools in Bluff City, TN

Hope You Packed Your Sunscreen!

Loraine Womble, Drum Major


     Well, its here!   The first December camp seems like yesterday and now we are preparing to move-in for the summer.  Over the camps we have accomplished so much like public performances, new horns, drill, and the first full musical run through of our 2001 show.  Going into the push of our season, we have a lot to look forward to and build off of because our camps have ran so well.  We have had amazing attendance, a wonderful attitude, and we were very, very productive all at the same time.   I am so anxious to see what we can achieve when we have close to 70 days together non-stop.  We have close to twenty days at the secluded Clover High School for our training.   So when we come out of this "seclusion" I have no doubt, we will be prepared.  What we accomplish this summer is going to astound all who watch.  All that I ask is that you come to move-in with the attitude of being the best that you can be and retain this attitude until we load the buses on finals night.  So pack your whole life into your regulation size bag and I will see you soon!  

Meet Carolina Crown’s Color Guard Faculty

    Andria Foerch joins Carolina Crown’s color guard faculty this season for the first time. A resident of Tampa, Florida, she has marched with The Company Colour Guard from 995-1999 (Ind A Class Champions in 95, Ind. Open Class Champs in 96, and Ind. World class 97-99) as well as Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps from 1996-2000. Andria, 22, currently attends the University of South Florida and plans to graduate in December with a degree in Humanities. She has taught at Clearwater HS 1998/99 -- to current, Seminole HS 2000—2001, and Tarpon Springs HS 1997/98—1999. Welcome Andria!

    Jane Newkirk returns to the Carolina Crown guard faculty for her second year. A resident of Hollywood, California, she currently works as a server at L.A. Hardrock Café. She has also been taking EMT classes, and takes her state exam on June 6th (Good Luck Jane!). She has marched and taught with numerous other guard programs including Chimeras winter guard 97-99, Crown Guard in 2000, Spirit of Atlanta 95-96, and Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps 97-98. Jane says, " I really enjoy teaching guard, I feel if I can help people see life through a different perspective, than I'm accomplishing my goal."

    Shannon Russell joins the Crown faculty for her third season.  Currently a resident of Orlando, FL, she is a graduate of the University of Florida.  She is a teacher of Mathematics at University High School and has worked with various colorguards and winterguards in the Central Florida area including University High School, Cypress Creek High School and Paradigm Independent Winterguard.  She has marched with Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps and The Company Independent World Winterguard.

    Michael Shapiro returns to Carolina Crown as our guard designer and caption head for his fifth year. Born in Miami, FL, he now reside Dayton, OH. Michael, 30, has taught at numerous other drum and bugle corps including the Cavaliers (1996) and the Crossmen (1994-95). He is also in his sixth year as the guard director at Carroll HS and has directed Carolina Crown’s own Crown Guard for the last two seasons. He has worked with many other winter guard programs including Chimeras and the Company. Michael’s hobbies include reading, painting, and independent films. His future plans include interior and fashion design.