Now, here is a group of wonderful ladies which we have really never thanked on the Forum for their help, guidance, friendship and "supervision".

There are so many who served here that I can't even begin to list them all! Maybe some alums can add more names.

Of course, I remember most of all .. Caroline Grana! She was there for so many years .. including when I marched... and after! My wife Ruth was a chaperone too .. before we were married!

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958- 63

I remember mostly Cadet chaperones (not sure ANYONE was watching the 'A' corps sometimes!). Rita Grana (Buddy's wife), my Mom Kathy, Norma Romanelli, Mrs. Burke, and Lynne Hausher, although we worried when she was there, because she was usually collecting items for her year-end expose at the banquet!

What did you do in the Corps? Snare; Drum Major; Drum Instructor/Arranger

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73; 78-79

I honestly don't remember there even being chaperones with the Inmperials (the 'A' corps, as we called it then). My Mom was probably around a little, but mostly working on uniforms (which was a full-time job by that point). I know we never had charperones with the Cavaliers or Spirit - just staff members (many of whom needed chaperones themselves!).

What did you do in the Corps? Snare, Drum Major, Drum Instructor/Arranger

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73; 78-79

I have dug deep into my box of junk and found something useful, the 1973 program book from the banquet. The Chaperones were Ollie Wigman, Mary Cramer, Jean Novak, Kathy Shreffler, Carolina Grana, and Rita Grana.

Donna, thanks for the names! Golly, many of these are familiar to me. Mrs. Wigman, Mrs. Cramer and Mrs. Novak. Caroline Grana! (She was with the corps FOREVER! )

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958- 63

In the mid-60s there was a young woman named Ruth Grutzmacher (think I have the spelling correct). In 1962 she used to follow the corps in her little blue VW beetle. I think she became a chaperone in 1963 or maybe 1964. Of course Ruth's name is now Ruth Borck.

I also think that in my first year or two with the Imperials Mrs Schrieber was one of the chaperones. Her husband was the equipment manager. Her daughter joined the Royal Airs and I believe that's when Mrs Grana took over. Also in maybe 1965 and 1966 Mrs Chiero was also one of the chaperones.

As I recollect the chaperones were primarily to help the girls with equipment, supervise the second bus (girls and younger boys) and maybe deal with some first aid and an occasional uniform repair. The older guys were supervised by the corps managers and instructors who always rode the first bus.

The buses were segregated.

What did you do in the Corps? Baritone

What years were you a Corps member? Cadets 59-61 Imperials 62-66

John, you got Ruth's maiden name correct (not easy!) Yes, she became a chaperone, largely because of her friendship with Caroline Grana.

And, yes, most of the chaperones duties were focused on taking care of the GIRLS and the UNIFORMS. First aid was also a big deal!

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958- 63

Other chaperones were Ann Grana(Renee & Marie's mom) Lill Duber (Ted Duber's mom), & also Marie Dohrn, Bobbie Dorhn's (Walters) mom.

I think that our corps "chaperones" were really more like "Corps Mothers" going with the corps to take care of "their kids".

They were ALL great ladies, great mothers and great examples!

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958- 63

I remember Barb Gorman. Her younger brother was in the corp. She was at almost every practice besides the shows. Her husband was the only person to die on the ground when a jet crashed at O'hara in 78 0r 79.

What did you do in the Corps? Drum Major and Baritone

what about Ma Lurch!!!!

Ma Lurch was incredible, as was Diane Fiduccia in the later 70s. They, and a few others, resurrected the corps from the Cadets after the mid-70s mess that almost saw the corps fold. I've seen them both in recent years, and stay in touch with Diane Fiduccia on a regular basis. They're both doing great!

What did you do in the Corps? Snare; Drum Major; Drum Instructor/Arranger

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73; 78-79

- Ma Lurch
- Mrs. Jacobs
- June Eiden
- Mrs. Bay

What did you do in the Corps? Cymbals, Bass Drum, Tenor

What years were you a Corps member? 1980-1983

73 - 74....

Mr & Mrs. Underwood - Cheryl, Joan & Carol's folks

And what about the girl who was from the Wauconda area (Little Debbie?), her mom was with us a lot.

Penny,
That was Debbie Novak, I saw them at the reunion 3 years ago. They are living in Wisconsin. Jack McNulty would drive Little Debbie to practice most of the time.

MA Lurch
June Eiden

and Mrs. Haleotis (I spelled that wrong)I would have never had the chance to march with out her!

What did you do in the Corps? horn

What years were you a Corps member? 82-84

Wow! What a list of dedicated and loving mothers (and corps friends) who spent time and energy helping the corps members!

I can't help but notice and remember Caroline Grana, who served the corps for over 30 years (the 1940s into the 1970s)! THIRTY YEARS! Holy Cow! That is almost forever! What a wonderful and caring woman she was!

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958- 63

As I read about many of the corps chaperones, I have the need to say something....

Let's not forget my mom. Ma (Diane) Fiduccia. I am honestly not writing this because she is my mother but because she was/is a fantastic 'Ma' to over 100 kids. Through all my teenage years, my mom dedicated herself (along side my dad) to helping the corp. She was in the background, doing everything from sewing, planning, shopping to walking along side us. She always made sure everyone was OK and that we had everything we needed. Both Mom and Dad went outside of the 'drum corps' time to make sure kids were safe, got to practices, got picked up or gave rides home, etc.

I am surely not leaving out the many others who were there past and present. I guess having my mom and dad so dedicated to the corps and seeing their deep love for all the kids was an amazing life lesson for me.

My mom is not only my best GF friend to this day (and always) but the most patient, unselfish, caring women. She, along with others, are what made everything work and always made everyone feel like they had a true mom when they were away from their own.

What did you do in the Corps? Color Guard Rifle

What years were you a Corps member? 1973 to 1979

MOST, but not all, Imperials chaperones were MOTHERS of members. As a result, they tended to treat the job as more than being mere policemen or staff members. It was an extension of their motherhood!

All the corps members suddenly became their children too!

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-63

Other chaperones I remember always helping out were the Fiedlers, Andersons and Fettys.

Was the Feldies (sp?) rather than the Fielders (different corp)

Pete, I think the name you are looking for is the Felde's, Wally and Laura. It was nice to see you yesterday after so many years and hope we can do it again soon. It shows how valuable this sight truely is. Without it, we probably would never have reconnected.

What did you do in the Corps? Cadet manager 1975 Imperial manager 1976-1979

I guess you could throw chaperones into two categories.
1) Chaperones who didn't rock the boat and got along with the kids. But who really didn't demand that the kids toe the line on trips.

2) The other would be chaperones who were strict and not necessarily received as graciously as those who were "not so strict".

There have been a lot of great chaperones listed here, and many who had a really good handle on how to be friendly and kind, yet still keep the troops in line.

Those not listed were the parents who followed the policies to the letter, which of course the members were less enthused with.

After my experiences with drum corps, I had the unenviable task of picking band camp chaperones and tour chaperones. More often than not, knowing full well what the members would try to do on a trip, because I was one of those brats who got away with many stunts, I chose the more focused chaperones. The ones who could assure me that they would indeed follow the policies that I set down for the group without exception. They had to be nice, but strict.

The best example I can think of during my tenure with Imperials was Mrs. Ruchalski "Ma Lurch". She was not only strict, but the members and staff loved her because she was such a kind person. When she would discipline a kid, we all knew, even the kid, that the discipline was necessary and she handled it fairly.

There were many other great examples of chaperones, but the main one that comes to mind is Ma Lurch. When she was chaperoning, I knew I didn't have to worry about the kids getting out of control and into trouble. Thanks Ma!

What did you do in the Corps? Brass Instructor, Corps Manager

Another parent who was a good chaperone but hasn't been mentioned was Manny Kaplan. He had a good heart, loved the kids, had a good way about him in how he handled the members and knew how to make sure the kids didn't get into trouble or out of line. I really appreciated Manny when I was with Imperials.

I don't think we really had too many chaperones in Imperials who I would question their tactics or decisions. I have seen some really shameful examples of poor chaperones in other groups though. But we won't list any of them here.

A good chaperone KNEW how to get the job done well, with a minimum of ruffling of feathers, if you get my drift.

What did you do in the Corps? Brass Instructor, Corps Manager

My experience, in both drum corps and especially as a band director, is that the best chaperones were the ones who simply were there the most and therefore knew the kids the best. As in being a teacher, you realize that not every kid responds to the same kind of discipline, so the better the adults knew the students/members, the better chaperone they made. And in drum corps, more than in band, much of the discipline was handled by the members themselves (DMs, Guard Sergeants, Drum and Horn captains, etc.).

What did you do in the Corps? Snare; Drum Major; Drum Instructor/Arranger

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73; 78-79

Bob, I totally agree that the enforcement of rules was accomplished better by the drum majors and/or the section leaders than by chaperones. In many cases the chaperones were naive as to what was going on around them. They often made the error of judging what, they thought was happening, by comparing it with the behaviour of their own child under similiar circumstances. That could be a tragic error in the sense that in many cases that was comparing apples and oranges, or more likely angels and imps. As an example, on tour while two chaperones were running in circles looking for hidden liquor, they never thought to look in one place, their own off springs room.

Jerry, I think as far as the Imperials were concerned, your two classifications over simplify the job of chaperones. I can think of several chaperones, during that period, who easily bridged the gap between the two. I'll leave Diane out of the equation, since I definitely would be prejudiced, however as an example I would single out Amy McKenna, who was able to discern very quickly who was doing what. There were many others who fit into your categories and a precious few who luckly fell in between.

I think that in general, the chaperones were basically along for the well being of the members and not to be policeman, because on the whole the Corps was extremely self disciplined.

What did you do in the Corps? Cadet manager 1975 Imperial manager 1976-1979

And, don't forget, the chaperones were also the "unofficial nurses" for the corps!

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-63

Dave, you are right on about the nursing, but then they were all everything. I can remember Diane nursing Guardsmen members in 1980 at DCI in Birmingham, because their chaperones seemed clueless as to why they were there. I think it was about that time, I fully realized just how good all the people who chaperoned the Imperials really were. From I've read, I'm sure that applies to their whole history and not just the 70's. I am sure we all thank each and everyone who was asked to do what at times was an unenviable and thankless job. Words seem inadequate in appreciation for what their superb efforts accomplised, but here it is anyway, THANK YOU, one and all!

What did you do in the Corps? Cadet manager 1975 Imperial manager 1976-1979

Sheila,

Make sure you say hello to your father for me. He is a great guy and I enjoyed his friendship when I was with the corps. He and your mom always had some great food in his camper.

Bob,
I know where you are coming from with your statements with regard to chaperones with your band. I think we can safely say that all band directors pick people who are regularly around the group to chaperone, which goes along with what you said. However, I had a lot of parents who were regulars around the band whom I wouldn't choose as chaperones because I didn't think they had the judgement do the job. They just wanted to be their friends and let them have fun. When you take 220 people to Disney/Florida for a week, you better have some really good chaperones, aside from the parents who are just along for the ride. It may be nice to think that the kids are self-disciplined, but as former marching members we know the false hope and reality held there.


Jim,
With all due respect, I really don't think I over-simplified it at all, and I did note and make mention that there were many good chaperones around Imperials who were nice and did bridge the gap between the two. I said so with the following quote from above:

"There have been a lot of great chaperones listed here, and many who had a really good handle on how to be friendly and kind, yet still keep the troops in line."

I think that qualifies the statement above and still is inclusive for really good chaperones, who were with the corps quite often.

We will just have to agree to disagree on the relative importance, duties and/or expectations for chaperones. I felt and still feel that the best chaperones were the parents who were strict, consistent and fair, and it was important to have them always present when there was any kind of corps function or activity. The kids are more likely to self-control when a parent is in the room or within eye or ear shot. Expecting the kids to police the corps is sort of like expecting the inmates to police the asylum. It's a nice idea or goal, but in reality doesn't really draw a clear line of responsibility. I've seen too many drum majors and section leaders 'buy the beer' so to speak.

I know you and others won't agree with that, but kids are kids no matter what title you put on them. Over 40 years within the marching music activity have led me to that conclusion and I never had a band get out of control or in trouble in all the years that I taught public school. I learned my lesson because I had seen or experienced far too many corps and bands that got a little out of control when there were not a lot of good as well as responsible adults and chaperones around.

What did you do in the Corps? Brass Instructor, Corps Manager

Jim,

After reading the above, I can see where my meaning or intentions could be misinterpreted. It wasn't meant to question your judgement or insult you about your opinions with regard to chaperoning. I hope you understand that.

I did find drum and bugle corps to be a great learning environment for when I became a band director. I have no doubt that many of the people around the corps as chaperones during the 70s and even in the 80s were good at what they did and very dedicated. I should have mentioned Diane, as my experiences with her were limited, but I always enjoyed how she was with the kids. She was one of those chaperones that I would have appreciated very much.

When all is said and done, we all have different views on the relative importance and duties of chaperones. In the end, they ALL were extremely important to the everyday running and or functioning of the corps or band. They were the faction in the corps that never did get enough credit for what they did.
Along with you Jim, I would like to continue to thank them for a tough job, well done. Without them our jobs would have been 5 times more difficult to put out competitive and viable organizations.

What did you do in the Corps? Brass Instructor, Corps Manager

Jerry, I think the whole discussion would have been clearer if you had stated a third group which combined both elements. You did, with out numbering it, and I obviously missed it only paying attention to the first two. I do agree to disagree about the value of DM', section leaders, etc., but only so far as it refers to the Imperials of the mid to late 70's. I defer to your more extensive experience when comes to an overall picture. There is no question in my mind that members, such as Bob, George Roberts, and others, were more capable of policing the Corps than the chaperones. I would certainly agree that there were others who would have closed their eyes to any transgressions by their friends. It really comes down to the trust you can place in the person doing the overseeing of discipline. In most instances, as Bob has pointed out previously, the Corps didn't have any major problems and even New Orleans was not the large thing that it has been made to appear on the forum.

What did you do in the Corps? Cadet manager 1975 Imperial manager 1976-1979

Jim,

Good to hear your comments. I do agree with many of them because although I didn't have Bob as a drum major, I did have a really good drum major with Candy Korman. She did a great job in all aspects as did Guard Captain Ginny Gill. I appreciated both of them and their input, as they felt comfortable enough to give me a good overview of how the corps felt about certain things and what might need my attention.

The reality here is that the Imperials were always pretty well behaved overall and really I didn't have to worry much about them, at least most of them. I was just an advocate of having more eyes and ears open and being cautious. It was always better to be safe than sorry.

We understand each other and our views, so no problem here.

What did you do in the Corps? Brass Instructor, Corps Manager

Gosh .. these people were almost "assistant corps managers"!

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-63

Yes, they sorta were.

I always felt that there was a closeness between the Management, staff and members that led to a really relaxed and free exchange of information. They even gave us ideas from time to time to help with the show. We tried to include the older and more experienced members into some of the everyday decision making process. I know I could always go to any number of members and get an honest response or reaction to any question. We were pretty much a family within that group and we all felt comfortable with each other. I really never felt that I couldn't take a members idea if it were good and implement it as best we could. It gave the members more "ownership" in the corps, which enhanced the entire environment around there in which we functioned. We were honest with the members and in turn, they were honest with us.

What did you do in the Corps? Brass Instructor, Corps Manager

While being DM and a staff member had its disadvantages, and sometimes the line was tough to uphold, I also felt there were advantages to it, in that the membership felt comfortable talking to me and I felt comfortable talking to Mr. Fiduccia, so I think the lines of communication may have been more open than in other corps. It was really a feeling of "one for all" in the late 70s, and that created the friendships that we see here on the forum today.

What did you do in the Corps? Snare; Drum Major; Drum Instructor/Arranger

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73; 78-79