July 5th, 2010

Friends;

This morning, our youngest, Nicole, asked:  “Why do we have a parade for the 4th of July? I mean, I know we want to celebrate independence, but why a parade?” 

I answered her question with one of my own, a much more personal one:  “And what will the Carmel Marching Greyhounds bring to today’s event?”

The answer to both questions – Nicole’s and mine – may be summarized in one word:  ‘Spirit’.  There is something about a parade – something in the smiles of our veterans and in the cheers of the crowd…something in the wide eyes of the scouts and the energy of the gymnasts…something in the waves of the politicians and the pride of those driving classic cars…something in the diversity of all that that captures the spirit of our great and independent nation in a way that nothing else can.

And anchoring that spirit – and giving it the character and the promise and the enthusiasm of youth — were the Carmel Marching Greyhounds.  The first year members brought nervous excitement to this, their public debut.  The drum majors showed pride and nobility; the guard offered confidence and grace; the upperclassman demonstrated leadership.   As for the directors and staff, they brought sunscreen and patience; and the parents brought the essentials – the kids, a few chairs, enough water, and never enough money.

It was all so Norman Rockwell-like, so like his paintings that always seemed to capture those special moments in life that bring us together with a sense of family and community; moments when we seem to share common hopes and dreams; moments like those the members of the Carmel Marching Greyhounds helped to set to music.

Nicole has been asking a lot of good questions lately.  Some are best answered in pictures.

Best; Doug Pileri

In this summer’s ‘The Karate Kid’, a young man named Dre (Jaden Smith) leaves Detroit and all of his friends when his widowed mother’s job takes them to China. Alone in a strange land, he’ll find a coach, a teacher, and a friend in Mr Han (Jackie Chan) who will teach him the power, the discipline, and the skill of kung fu and, will, in the end, show him what it means to be a champion. The days will be long, the repetition will be endless, but the results will change his life, his friendships, and his future.

While some will see this as a martial arts action movie, it is much more than that. This is a story about the power of a great teacher, about the growing dedication of a young student; it’s a lesson about the value of repeating actions until they become ingrained, about being willing to struggle and stumble and get up again, about setting goals and learning to be unwilling to settle for less.

In many ways, the season that’s about to begin for the Carmel Marching Greyhounds is about many of the same lessons, the same values. And just as young Dre in ‘The Karate Kid’ has a teacher who makes all the difference – so do our student musicians and dancers. For the next several months, they will be under the guidance of those who are world-class at music composition and marching choreography, at brass arranging and percussion instruction, at visual design, guard and everything that has to do with putting a championship unit on the field.

They will teach their artistry and their crafts to our sons and daughters, but under the care of these gifted instructors, our young students will learn much more. They will learn what it means to become a team, to depend on each other, to find the stamina and the courage and the conviction to keep on keeping on when others would give up. But there also will be fun and new friendships along the way because these instructors know that life requires a sense of balance; there is time to work and there is time to stop and smell the roses.

And so they – and we – are about to embark on another great and grand adventure – a journey of music and marching and motion, of excitement and amazement of what these young women and men can accomplish under the unselfish and uncommon dedication of our staff of professionals.

These are the instructors, the staff, the coaches — and the foundation — for the journey ahead. Our sons and daughters may be the ones standing in the spotlight, but it’s the dedication, the talent, the skill, the experience – and the caring – of these men and women who will make all the difference.

And so we begin…