Long-time Blue Devil volunteer and Booster Club member Yvonne Moss has been selected by Drum Corps International to be honored as a Volunteer of the Year for 2023. Sponsored by the Friends of DCI, this prestigious award serves to recognize the exceptional efforts of individuals who volunteer their time and energy to drum corps in a significant manner.
Yvonne found her way to the Blue Devils in a rather unique way. As a 6 th grade teacher at a then year-round school, Yvonne had a student who asked to take 2 weeks from classes to march in the Blue Devil C corps. Yvonne not only approved the absences, but she also contributed to the girl’s member fees! After seeing the Blue Devils at a local show that next spring, she asked if she could be a part of the organization, even though she didn’t have kids of her own in the corps. Our Booster Club members gave an enthusiastic “Yes!” and the rest is history.
Her first duty was to house out-of-area members, starting with 2 Canadians. She has since – every year for 30 years now! – hosted from a half a dozen to 15 members from far and wide. With an enthusiasm and energy that can best be described as “relentless”, Yvonne has gone on to tackle a myriad of tasks, from working on Devils Food at camps and tour, to arranging summer mail stops, making airports runs at any time of the day or night, assuring that age-out plaques and flowers are made, worked the Booster Club concession stand at 49ers and Giants games for many years and even made sure that PB&J was available to the members each and every day of move-ins!
Yvonne recently retired from a long career as an elementary school teacher, and though times are ever-changing at the Blue Devils, Yvonne remains always reliable and always here for the young people of Blue Devils. Yvonne joins six other Blue Devil volunteers who have been bestowed this award since its inception in 1988, including Sonja Williams, Terry Maurer, Frank Milina, Mary Cloyd, Sarah Bowling and Jeanne Houck.
DCI will present Yvonne with a plaque during ceremonies at the Drum Corps International World Championships in Indianapolis. Also being honored this year are Rick Woodall of the Boston Crusaders and Tom Freeman of The Cavaliers.