What years were you involved with the Crusaders (taught, marched, admin staff, support staff, fan)?

Baritone 1980 - 84; Drum Major 85 - 86

For 10+ years I worked in the mental heath field along the South Shore and Medfield State Hospital.  For the past 10 years I have worked for Thomson Reuters as a senior researcher as well as a training specialist.

How did you get involved with the corps?

Rich McDonald was a snare drummer in the Crusaders and we were both in the Quincy High School band.  One day he came up to me out of the blue and asked what I was doing that coming Sunday.  I told him nothing.  He said that's great and there would be a car picking me up outside of my house at 8am that Sunday.  When they showed up I asked where we were going. I was told that we were going to a Crusaders open house so I got in thinking we were going on a road trip to a Holy Cross football game.  We got to the open house and it turned out that the Crusaders were a drum corps.  I didn't have a clue what a drum corps was.  I had no intention of joining, but they showed up at my house every Friday so I kept getting in the car.

What are your fondest memories?

1983 we had a major member drop off due to the 1982 financial problems.  The only in-state baritones were Steven Dolley and myself.  Jack Nigro was a sax player in my high school band and he joined and learned to play bari so we had that 3rd voice.  The 3 of us were it all winter long.  Just before the season Jeff McVehil from Colorado and Ray Cook from Virginia came back.  I was proud that the 5 of us stuck it out and got to march onto that field in Allentown.

What are you favorite BAC traditions?

In the early 80's Sullivan stadium ( the stadium prior to Gillette Stadium) used to give us the place one Sunday in May to practice.  At lunch break the 4 Quincy boys would put on the Quincy high school band overlays ( a big plastic chest/back cover with a big "Q" on it) and these giant black furred hats . We would march into the stadium with our street beat and then march directly down the 50 yard line playing the Quincy High School fight song  We would get pelted with food or whatever someone had lying around

Who do you keep in touch with?

I married Shelly Goranson whom marched in the color guard.  I see Chris "Bug" Berg all the time.  Joe Bananas called me 5 years ago.  He asked me "how many horns we got"?

What is your favorite Crusader show of all time?

I really liked seeing the corps in 1987.  It was the 1st time I had ever seen the Crusaders in a show without being in them.  I realized after seeing that show that the Crsaders would be around for a long time.