Drum Corps Season is back! My 31st year of following the marching activity! Youth 15-21 years of age have been practicing since the fall and now the competitive season has started. Average corps size is over a hundred balanced with brass, drum line, pit and guard.
Cadets open their 75th anniversary season in Annapolis, MD tonight with a win over Carolina Crown. I am still not sure about that win. Crown's hornline is fantastic and Cadets left open the ending for a classic "Z" pull if I have ever seen it. I believe this will be like last year with Crown surpassing Holy Name Cadets. Carolina Crown is representing Fort Mill, South Carolina well. It is the best sounding horn line I have heard and that is alot of hornlines.
Blue Devils beat Santa Clara Vanguard last night in Clovis, CA but SCV's show was really good. They had the nicest moment at the end on Simple Gifts by Copland. Crowd was on their feet. Too many corps are playing Copland this year though......
Drum Corps International's Fan Network is a neat thing to be able to watch video of shows all across America as they happen now. A long way since I started following the activity in 1978.
Phantom Regiment is below warming up before their debut show. Let's see if they can defend their title this year in Indianapolis @ Lucas Field.....Please pray for the more than 60 drum and bugle corps as they travel this summer and practice doing what they love for crowds all over the country. There are a number of my friends I went to college with kids now that are marching.
Sunday update:
Great Father's Day Weekend. Only thing missing is Fletcher and he is at camp in Gatlinburg with our Student Ministry. Louie Giglio, David Crowder Band and Steven Fee leading worship.
The girl's have been so sweet with their gifts today and we celebrated @ Outback with Patrice. Brynna made me a beautiful stand up card, (she is so creative!) Corley wrote me a beautiful poem, (she has that Humphrey touch with words in print) and Sarah gave me some things she loves which is so sweet.
I took them down to the Creative Discovery Museum on Saturday to see the new Curious George exhibit. Great time. They have someone working the theatre area with the kids till 3pm and he was great. Sarah Beth was in two plays and did well for on the spot acting. It was funny all the parents were having fun watching the kids on stage. Sarah had Brynna paint her face into a cat.
CDM is a great asset to the city and downtown was bustling. We ended the trip @ Ben and Jerry's so that Sarah Beth could have some sorbet. (she has alot of allergies) even saw the Southern Belle go by on the river. Hot Day though. Cold Stone Creamery was so full, we went then to Ben and Jerrry's and hit them before another crowd came in. They were selling some ice cream....
New Ministry
We had a meeting to begin a new BridgeBuilder ministry Saturday morning with some men from Woodland Park that will be focusing on widows, elderly and single moms. Great beginning meeting to pilot four teams. To God Be the glory after much prayer and discussion it has started. We will meet next month and begin to minister on projects. Many thanks to Herb Reese's New Commandment Men's Ministry from his visit back last year @ Iron Sharpens Iron to present this idea and Charles Fricks bringing it the ministry council for review. We will work in our pilot groups this summer and fall and then have Herb Reese in Chattanooga on Saturday, January 23rd to open it to all men of Woodland Park and churches in the Chattanooga area.
Men's Fraternity
Great time being had at work with 14 men going thru Men's Fraternity "Quest for Authenthic Manhood" material. We meet at lunch {bring your own lunch}every two weeks ( time for makeups) and it is going well. Robert Burton and I had asked the Lord to allow us to have some type of meeting at work and He has blessed this. Guys, love the content and teaching from Robert Lewis and two men have mentioned starting this @ their churches with their men this fall. One friend has said that he wants to bring several churches together. Amen. Amen......Thank you Father.
May you have a great week and the Lord bless you. May you take the gifts he has given you and put them to use allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you. The harvest is plentiful and the workers will always be few.......Love God and Love People.
Hank
