The Switzerland County Marching Pacer band has been participating in several parades and marching events during the fall season, and director Bill Kindle’s band has been faring very well.
The Switzerland County band participated in the Swiss Wine Festival Parade in August; the Brownstown Watermelon Festival Parade and the Versailles Pumpkin Show Parade in September; the Seymour Octoberfest Parade and the Fort Vallonia Days Parade in October.
The band placed first overall at the Seymour parade, while the flag corps earned second place. At Fort Vallonia, both the band and flag corps placed first; and at Brownstown both groups placed second. At Medora, both the band and flag corps placed third.
The band is under the direction of field commander Heather Fussnecker; and the captain of the flag corps is Chrissy Johnson. Lisa Arnoldy is the director of the flag corps.
The band is led at each parade by banner carriers Ashley Watson and Shelby O’Neal; and the horn carrier and horn blower is Brooke Dickerson. Percy Coym and Tessa Coym are the band’s Swiss dancers/
The band prepares parade music and a special drum cadence under the direction of drum captain Anthony Kaczmarek; and the band and flag corps also prepare a field show each year.
This year, the parade music for the band was “Low Rider”; and the field show was “Celebration”.
The band and flag corps began work back in the summer with a series of camps: including one for the entire band; a percussion and flag camp; and a camp for first year members.
Following camp the band and flag corps members participated in practices at least twice a week. The flag corps also attended a special auxiliary camp in Illinois.
At that camp, flag corps member Julia New earned “Most Improved Beginner”; and Tabitha Arnoldy earned “Most Improved Intermediate”. The entire squad earned “Most Improved Overall” honors.
This year’s marching band includes six seniors: Chey Nash, Anthony Kaczmarek, Angela Richards, Chrissy Johnson, Missy Ballard, and Jennifer Foutch.