Darke County OSU Alumni
Scholarship recipients announced at Spring Gala
OSU Marching Band director speaks 

Turtle Creek alight in scarlet and gray with echios of OH-I-O was the scene of The Ohio State University Alumni of Darke County’s annual Spring Gala.  The naming of their 2013 scholarship recipients and the chance to hear Jon Waters, the new director of the OSU Marching Band were the main attractions for the County’s OSU alums! 

Rhonda Williams, president of the local alumni club, introduced the scholarship recipients as guests settled in after a delicious meal served by the Turtle Creek staff.  The four bright young people graciously accepted the $1,378 scholarships and each gave sketches of  educational goals.  

Receiving the scholarships were Matt Albright, son of Doug and Anne Albright of Arcanum, Megan Carroll, daughter of Patricia Carroll and step father Christopher Sandman of Greenville, Britnee Dunfee, daughter of Doug and Susan Jones of Greenville, and Jordan Henry, son of Bruce and Brenda Henry of Versailles. 

Keynote speaker of the evening, Jon Waters, Director of the OSU Marching Band, held his audience spellbound as he spoke using power point scenes to enhance his presentation.  Jon is only the 9th director since 1951 of the “best damn band in the land”, a  moniker given the band by the late Woody Hayes.  Waters was cut from the band on his first tryout in 1994 but persevered and made the band in 1995.  He is only the second former student member of the band to serve as director. Giving credit where credit is due, he included past local club president and current and long time arranger of the Marching Band’s music, Greenville’s own Ken McCoy, in his comments about the Band’s many highlights.  

Director Waters took guests through the evolution of the band since 1896, showing how much has changed, yet how much has stayed the same.  The first famous “I” dotter for the “Script Ohio”  formation was, in fact, a cornet player but soon changed to a sousaphone player for the sake of visibility.  The band, patterned after the Brittish brass band, is now the largest brass band in the world with 224 members.  The first truly influential arranger for the band was a 1934 graduate of Greenville High School,  Richard “Dick” Heine, the originator of the OSU Marching Band “sound”. Given where credit is due, he included past local club president and current and long time arranger of the Marching Band’s music, Greenville’s own Ken McCoy, in his comments about the Band’s many highlights.  He remarked that “there must be something in the water” around here. 

During his first season as director, Waters presented a show designed by assistant director, Chris Hoch with music arranged by John Brennan, the horse galloping across the playing field from goal post to goal post.  The U Tube view  of which had 20 million hits and made the OSUMB an international celebrity.   

The alums and guests also heard about the Darke County Juniors visit to the OSU campus and the annual OSU Tailgate Blood Drive in November.  Bill Barga encouraged members to come out for the August new student picnic in which seasoned upperclassmen and University representatives share information about campus life.  Dennis Baker mentioned the annual football raffle in August with two tickets to each OSU home game being drawn in August. Later in the fall, Darke County high school counselors will be invited to a luncheon to hear an OSU admissions person outline opportunities and procedures for the coming year. 

A silent auction for the club’s scholarship fund rounded out the evening but not before Ron Puterbaugh gave details of the upcoming Golf Outing to benefit the scholarship fund.