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BOARD MEMBERS

President   Jack LaSelva
Jack’s father, Pat LaSelva, started the Valiant’s from Hyde Park Massachusetts back in the 60s. The Valiants were the Crusaders’ feeder corps. Jack played soprano with the Valiants from 61 to 64. He moved up to the Crusaders as a 1st Soprano and marched with them from 65 to 71. He tells everyone that his time with the junior corps were the best years of his life.
In 91 Jack heard that some of the old Crusaders were forming a Senior Corps and dropped in to see what was going on. He never left. He’s been our Drum Major since the beginning and was elected President in 2002. In 2010 Jack was nominated and inducted into the Massachusetts Drum Corps and Music Educators Hall of Fame.
“It’s an honor to be a part of such a great group of people. I pass on the same traditions that were passed on to me and passed on to all members after me. A QUITTER NEVER WINS and A WINNER NEVER QUITS   Tradition of Excellence!!!  This Senior Corps is made of Giants and we will never die. Be part of the Crusader Senior Corps family you will be glad you did”
Jack is our head cheerleader, booking agent, uniform designer and master of ceremonies (among other duties) and pulls it all off with grace. We’re lucky to have him at the helm.

 
Vice President   Arthur Kellerman
Art Kellerman’s initiation into drum corps began in 1960 when he joined the newly formed Peabody Musketeers, a corps that was organized from the remnants of the disbanded Peabody Clippers. He marched in the Musketeers through the 1963 season, where they had some success competing in the Eastern Mass. and Yankee Circuits. In 1965, he competed with the Majestic Knights of Charlestown and then with the Lt. Norman Prince “Princemen” Senior Corps in 1966. He thought his drum corps days were over forever as he became an active father and youth coach.
While a school teacher, Art bought a second hand trumpet, took a few lessons, and decided to join the kids’ band at the elementary school in which he worked. The students and parents got a kick out of seeing this “mustachioed” sixth grader sitting in at the concerts. Eventually, he improved enough to perform with the Red Man’s Band of Wakefield, and the Rawhides Band of Peabody.
When the Crusaders Senior Corps started up in 1991, he got the bug again, and soon became a proud member of the Crusader family.
Art contributes his writing skills as a staff writer for both Drum Corps World and Masters of the Marching Arts.

Treasurer   Jim Gillett
Secretary   Nancy Swiniarski
Drum Line Rep   Mike Reed
Color Guard Rep   Nancy Doyle
Nancy marched with the Sacred Heart Joanettes (drill team) of Weymouth from 1961 - 1967. During her 7 years of marching, she was the captain in 1966 (Prep B CYO Champs) and 1967. Nancy's next drum corps experience was as a drum corps Mom. Her daughter marched with the St. Francis Sancians of Weymouth from 1978 - 1987. Nancy's son marched with the Sancians as well as the Boston Crusaders (1986).
Nancy joined the Crusader Senior Corps in 1997 and has been captain of the color guard since 2005. She served on the board as Secretary of the corps from 2006 - 2008.  This is Nancy's second time representing the color guard as a board member.
"I am proud to be marching with this drum corps - GREAT FRIENDS, GOOD TIMES AND LASTING MEMORIES."  

Horn Line Rep   Bill Finnigan
Horn Line Rep   Bill Richards
Bill joined the Imperials of Pembroke in 1965, when my neighbor, Bill McSharry, started the Corps.  He played first soprano for Paul Monte, the corps' first horn instructor, who wanted him to play baritone because of his size.   After Paul, the Imperials were taught by Ed Colbert, Jim Wedge, and Eric Rosen.   Billy's father (Art Richards) became the manager of the Corps.   Bill marched with Pembroke from 1965 to 1975. Today, Bill plays with our lead soprano section.

Horn Line Rep   Matt Warner

INSTRUCTORS

Percussion   Al (Cisco) Colleameno

    Frank Grelle
Frank has been a percussion instructor with the Boston Crusaders Senior Drum and Bugle Corps since 2004. He was inducted into the Massachusetts Drum Corps Hall of Fame in 1998 after forty seven years of involvement with the activity.
Frank began teaching corps percussion sections in 1970. He has taught numerous drum corps including the Lt Norman Prince, Immaculate Conception Reveries, Spartans, Valley Airs, Fitchburg Kingsmen and the Boston Crusaders Jr Drum Bugle Corps. He has also taught high school bands from Danvers, Beverly, Andover, Reading, Malden, Melrose, Methuen, North Reading and Plymouth. He led many of these high school percussion ensembles to gold medal status in the New England Scholastic Band Association (NESBA).

  Joe Lyons
Joe marched with the Annunciators 1956 - 1958 , Holy Trinity Cadets 1959 - 1961, I.C. Reveries 1963, Thunderbirds 1962, Lt. Norman Prince 1964 He worked as percussion arranger and instructor for Sir Thomas Moore 1961, Everett Statesmen 1963 - 1966, St. Vincent Jay Jays 1964 - 1966, Union Bregade 1967, Debonair's, I. C. Reveries 1963 - 1976, New Bedford Whalers 1966 - 1967 and St. Williams 1969 - 1970 Joe was also a member of the Bay State Judges Association for several years in the early 70s.


Color Guard Lanette Vaillancourt
Lanette marched with the Misslettes (drill team)of Winthrop during the 1968-1969 seasons and the Missles (drum corp) (flag)of Winthrop during 1969 and 1970. On July 4, 1994 she was at a parade in Wakefield and happened to see The Crusader Senior Corp Marching down the street and thought "man, I would love to be able to do that again." Lanette joined the Senior Corps as a member of the color guard in 1995. She assumed the role of colorguard captain in 2004. She took over the reigns as colorguard instructor in 2005. "I am still amazed at the feeling I get when marching down the streets in a parade or marching down the middle of a football field during a show."

Brass   Rick Connor
Rick attended Sacred Heart High School in East Cambridge, Northeastern University, Berklee School of Music and Boston University. He studied privately with John Coffey, trumpet George Cohen and Ray Santisi, piano and Dr. Hugo Norden, counterpoint, etc.
Rick has earned more championship credits with more corps than anyone else in the history of Massachusetts drum corps. He started teaching with the Holy Trinity White Eagles in 1961 and the Annunciators in 1962. The White Eagles won the class B championship in 1967. The Annunciators had perhaps the greatest class B season of all time in 1964 losing only one contest and winning the Eastern Mass. and CYO championships. He has taught St. Mary’s Cardinals, St. John’s of Winthrop, St. George of Springfield, and St. Anthony’s of Allston, the 21st Lancers of Norwood, the Joanettes of Leominster, I.C. Salem Rockettes & Comets of Salem, Fitchburg Kingsmen, Blue Angels Chuting Stars, Regal Crownsmen of Acushnet, RI, St. Theresa’s Band of West Roxbury, St. William’s Band of Savin Hill, Majestic Knights Alumni Corps, Pine Tree Warriors of Lewiston, ME, the Legends of Drum Corps and the North Star where he had the highlight of his career with a CYO National victory in 1967. He continued teaching until 1987 and then started again in 1990 with the Valley Airs Alumni Corps until 2007 when they disbanded. He also taught numerous other corps and bands over the years, far too many to mention here.
Rick started judging in 1967 and was the caption chairman of all bugle and band captions for eight years. He has judged for CYO, Eastern Mass., Mayflower, and nationally for DCI and DCA including the DCA finals in multiple years.
In 2007 Rick stepped in as music director of the Crusader Senior Corp of Boston.

  Allen Bourgeois
Allen and his with Cathy (Martin) both marched with the St. Mary's Annunicators drum and bugle corps of Cambridge, MA back in the 60s. He has toured the US and Canada as a professional musician, was a long time member of the "Banned in Boston" show group and is a founding member of the "BayColonyBrass" classical brass ensenble. He still plays trombone professionally with the Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Orchestra.
Allen has judged both High School Band and Drum Corps competitions for DCI, DCE, Eastern Mass, MICA, NESBA and MBDA. He has also taught a number of drum corps including The Boston Crusaders, Watertown Cadets, Winchester Queensman, Chelmsford Buccaneers, Waltham Phoenix, Nashua Spartans, Princemen Alumni, Bostonians and Haverhill Esprit de Corps Alumni.

Drill   John Gaffney