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Guest Column

Band tapped for '08 Thanksgiving stage

By JENNIS THOMAS
Published July 6, 2007

Yes, summer's barely under way, but for just one minute fast forward to Thanksgiving morning.

If your family is anything like mine, you know the drill: Put the turkey in the oven, eat a light breakfast to save room for said turkey, and then gather around to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. What a great way to start the holiday season.

"It sure would be fun to be in the parade sometime, " I've thought over the years. Well, that's exactly what I - and about 600 of my friends - am getting ready to do.

By the way, you're invited!

Who would have guessed? I'm a 40-something living on Davis Islands with a fine job and great family, but through the years I never lost my love of performing in a marching band. My high school and college band days were great fun so when I heard about the chance to do it again, I jumped.

Now entering its 26th season, the Awesome Original St. Petersburg Second Time Arounders Marching Band is a 500-plus-member adult volunteer marching band. For 20 of the past 25 years, I've been the auxiliary/visual coordinator and also, more recently, drum major.

So imagine my reaction after marching in parades and festivals all over the United States and St. Patrick's Day in Dublin, Ireland, when I found out we landed the big kahuna, an invite to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, 2008! Yes, 2008; traveling with more than 600 people takes at least 18 months of planning, you know.

Approximately 500 bands apply each year, and the selection committee chooses 10. Our band is excited, to say the least.

So, I want folks in South Tampa (and all over the Tampa Bay area) to know that we would love to have new members join us for the season and the band trip of a lifetime.

There are no auditions; you just need a little background in band or color guard and a commitment to come to practice and performances.

By the way, there's no typical "rounder." Our youngest members are recent high school graduates; our oldest is 94. For more information, stop by our Web site, www.secondtime arounders.org.

Not the band type? Keep an eye on the TV. You'll see us Thanksgiving Day, 2008. I'll be one of the guys with the big baton, smiling from ear to ear.

Jennis Thomas lives on Davis Islands.

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[Last modified July 5, 2007, 08:12:37]