November 2, 2011

Hello Holy Name:

Well, the 2012 North Jersey Cadet Alumni Association events have begun. The first gathering of the year, organized by chapter administrator Cindi Carozza DeVivo, assisted by George King et al, was held on Thursday, October 27, at the VFW Hall in Garfield. It was a miserable night with pouring rain, but attendance was nonetheless somewhere in the 50-60 range...so not a bad turnout considering the weather challenge. The important thing was not how many were present though, but if the night was well spent. It was!

The big draw of the night was George Hopkins' annual presentation to the alumni present on the 2011 season, the state of the corps, a financial report, what to expect in 2012, and background information on our new entity, Cadets2, background information on newly promoted administrative personnel, Eric Kitchenman (Cadets2) and Patrick Duncan (The Cadets), and finally a detailed explanation of YEA operations, how and why the USSBA high school band circuit factors into the total picture, and the role of The Cadets as the flagship operation for all YEA ventures. Questions were then taken by George from the floor.

Following a detailed power-point presentation on the topics listed above, the alumni present, many of whom had not had the opportunity to view The Cadets' 2011 championship performance at Indianapolis, were shown a video of the show. There were a lot of oohs and aahs from all present, whether they were seeing the show for the first time, or if they had seen it performed before. Either way it takes your breath away, though of course seeing it on a screen cannot compare in any way to seeing it performed live on the field. Congratulations 2011 World Champion Cadets. Once again another edition of The Cadets have done us proud and enriched our history.

The fact that George and staffers Eric Kitchenman and Melissa Barow made the trip driving through pouring rain all the way from Allentown to Garfield was very much appreciated.

Details on all these topics will be announced directly by the corps as they feel the time is appropriate, so keep checking out www.cadets.org and/or The Cadets page on facebook. The information we were given on what to expect in 2012 from both The Cadets and Cadets2 was very exciting.

George also announced that it is tentatively scheduled for The Cadets to perform at Holy Name Church in Garfield on June 10th in honor of the 100th Anniversary of the Church where it all began. On June 9th the corps will most probably once again spend the day and evening at Allendale, NJ. More details will be announced as they are confirmed.

Cindi announced that alumni gatherings will no longer be held on a regular monthly schedule. The next big event will be the Annual Christmas Party on Saturday, December 3, organized by Cindi and the ground-breaking 1969 color guard. After the first of the year irregularly scheduled meetings will be announced by email, and will probably be held at a location other than the VFW (after their renovations the VFW now charge us for the use of their hall), so an alternative site, possibly Barcelonas, will be utilized once again.

Information on the Christmas Party is as follows:

This is a reminder about the Xmas party and getting your checks in. Thank you to all who have already sent their checks. I was very happy when I checked the P.O. box last. Since the cut-off date is November 18th, you really don't have that much time to procrastinate. Treat yourself to an early holiday gift.... a ticket to the Alumni Xmas party!!! What better way to begin your holidays than with your oldest and dearest friends? Spread the word.... invite your friends... reach out and get re-acquainted.... meet new alumni friends as well...forward this email and attachment to anyone you know who many not be on the list..... the more the merrier! Each
year we try to get more and more people so let's make this year the best one ever! Each of you must know a few people that you can think of to reach out to and invite to the party. Do it! Let's celebrate! our Cadet heritage and the joy of the holidays together!!

Hope to see you all on Saturday, Dec. 3rd!!!

Note: This year the party is at the Preakness Hills Country Club in Wayne, NJ where alumni Jim Messina's son is the GM. You know the Cadets are special to this family and our party will surely be a night to remember. We have the same great DJ as last year and a beautiful cocktail hour and dinner. Beer and Wine are included in the price of the ticket ($60.00/pp). There are many local hotels for those of you who wish to spend the night. If you need help finding one just shoot me an email and I will be glad to help.

Any questions please feel free to contact me.

Cindi Carozza DeVivo

FHNSAB...

The Cadets have a new series of very creative film clips directed towards a younger audience that will bring a smile to your face. They are entitled "ALWAYS A CADET," and show fully uniformed Cadets in everyday situations. The message being sent is that once you're a Cadet, you will be a Cadet forever, wherever you are and whatever you might be doing. These clips can be viewed on The Cadets' Facebook page. Three have been released to date, with more forthcoming. Check them out. I do, and they put a smile on my face every time. Try to check them out yourself if you can, and kudos to whomever was responsible for the idea and the execution.

For those of you who have been wondering "what's the big deal with all this USSBA stuff? " here's your opportunity to gain some insight. George Hopkins has issued an appeal for volunteers to assist at the following state championship shows. I had the opportunity to attend the big Yamaha Cup competition at MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands (Giants' Stadium to the rest of us), and was amazed at how creative, sharp-looking, and high-performing these bands have become. Lend a hand for a day, or even just for a couple of hours, and see for yourself. I went with the intention of just spending an hour or so visiting with out-of-state friends who were judging the show, and ending up spending a lot of hours viewing some really high quality entertainment.

URGENT NEED FOR VOLUNTEERS TO HELP AT USSBA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP COMPETITIONS

The USSBA is coming down the homestretch and we need your help to pull off the 10 biggest marching band championships in the nation!

We’re calling on fans of The Cadets, fans of the USSBA and fans of marching music in general to join in the celebration that is the USSBA championships for over 30,000 high school marching band students and their families.
We need bus parkers.
We need barkers.
We need ticket takers.
We need music makers.
We need ticket sellers.
And we may even need a few fortune tellers.

If you’ve got a skill and a passion to make a great experience for everyone — grandmas to grandpas, moms to dads, band directors to students — we’ve got a special role for you. Various shifts are available:

Nov. 5

Noon to midnight, Union, N.J.
10 a.m.–10 p.m., Bridgeport, Conn.
10 a.m.–10 p.m., Sewell, N.J.
11 a.m.–10 p.m., Richmond, Va.
10 a.m.–10 p.m., Old Bridge, N.J.
Noon to 6 p.m., Irving, Texas
3–10 p.m., West Chester, Pa.
11 a.m.–7 p.m., Houston, Texas

November 12 & 13

9 a.m.–10 p.m., Allentown, Pa.
9 a.m.–10 p.m., Annapolis, Md.

Register NOW and you’ll be part of the "one show/one shift/one shirt" giveaway! You'll work one shift at one show and we’ll thank you with an official USSBA or Cadets volunteer sweatshirt — your choice, your size — all we need is YOU!

What do you have to do to be part of all of the fun? Simply fill out this registration form and we’ll get back to you with your assignment and a point of contact for the day of the event.

Good luck and we’ll see you at the championships!

Auditions for the 2012 Cadets will be held the weekend of November 18-20 at a site to be announced. Check www.cadets.org for additional information on registration and audition packets. Philadelphia Airport will be the point of entry for any auditionees flying in.

Auditions for the 2012 Cadets2 will be held Thanksgiving weekend. Check www.cadets.org for additional information.

There are also information sites on the Facebook pages of The Cadets and Cadets 2, as well as special Facebook pages for individual sections, managed by section leaders, where you can interact with returning Cadets and other auditionees. Good luck as you begin your life journey as a Cadet hopeful.

For Holy Name shall always be...

Dave Shaw 50-58