Arthur's Blog 2012-01
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Some Odds and Ends
I’ve been reading with interest Despina “Cookie” Fitzpatrick’s mouth watering facebook entries about her various gastronomic delights; both entrees and desserts. On occasion, members of our corps have gotten to taste her cakes and Whoopee Pies. I can’t claim to be at the same culinary level as Des, but I was reminded of an experience I had long ago.
At my school, teachers were requested to organize a fun “exploratory” class for students to select as an elective, and we would teach our “mini-course” on Friday afternoons. My wife had held one of those “home parties” on molding chocolate candies, and I enjoyed it, so I thought a course called “Kellerman’s Kandy Kitchen” would be a good choice. My principal (who never saw eye to eye with me at all) first would not approve of it, but the other teachers convinced her to give it a try. I told her that the class had to be small, and that I would only accept 12 students per session.
The 150 students chose their “electives” by a lottery system. They would each pick a number out of a box. Number 1 got first pick of any course, then 2, until each course got filled to its maximum number of students. After the first 30 students picked, my class of 12 was filled.
So each Friday, the halls of Lynnfield Intermediate School were filled with the sweet aroma of chocolate. Beside solids and pops on sticks, we made peanut butter cups and chocolate covered cherries. Each student went home weekly with a bountiful amount of candy we had made. The other students were jealous, and when it was time to choose new electives, my class of 12 was filled by the time the first 14 students had chosen.
One Friday afternoon, we caught a student from another class red handed pilfering some of our chocolates. I won’t mention his name, but as an adult he went on to create and produce a successful TV program called “The Phantom Gourmet.” As Fats Waller would say, “One never knows; Do one?”
A project I would like to work on for 2012 is to get members to give me information for a “Members Profile” section on the web site. We used to have this section but only a few members gave me info and I neglected to pursue additions. So- this is the info I would like:
Name- Your section in the corps- where you grew up- year you joined the corps- Corps or bands you were in before your joined the Crusaders Seniors- What you brought to us- Favorite corps anecdote if you have one (the funnier, the better) - what you especially like about being in the corps, your interests outside drum corps- anything else you find relevant.
Don’t worry about grammar or form; I’ll write it up into paragraphs. Just give me the info. Board members- I can just use the profiles you have on the board page unless you want to add or change something. After I ask you several times, if you don’t respond, I’ll just make some stuff up about you or include you in an embarrassing JibJab.
On Feb. 2, I’ll be heading south to Venice, Florida for 2 months of (hopefully) warmth and sunshine. I will bring my horn with me to practice our new music and expect to return in April without being too far behind the rest of the sopranos. My goal is to lose some weight so that I can do parades with less physical stress from being so out of shape.
It would be nice to see some new members at our upcoming Open House, but I was thinking, if we could get Gil McDonald and George Kintz back into the line up, it would be the equivalent of the Patriots getting 2 first round draft picks.
Keep Maria Shea in your thoughts and prayers. She has already come a long way, but the road to recovery is still far ahead, and positive thinking can accomplish much. I know she appreciates our support.
