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Band Exchange Trip to Germany Honoring Bob Jacobs by Glenn William Guten tag: It is still so surreal to me that I'm in Germany -
absolutely amazing! Already this trip has verified two of my
foundational beliefs - music is trans-generational and trans-cultural.
The gentlemen in the photo, Bob Jacobs,came to wish us "bon voyage"
yesterday (at least I think it was yesterday.) Mr. Jacobs founded this
exchange, and shared his passion and joy with the students about this
venture as we boarded our comfy yellow limousines outsideof DGN. Bob
Jacobs confirmed for me that music transcends generations. My current
interactions with our host and other German music teachers verifies my
belief that music transcends cultures. Our passion for and belief in
what music does for the human condition is already a unifying elements
in our interactions. What a blessing.
Parents, your children were amazing during the travel process - they continue to make us all proud! Tschus,
Glenn Williams The formation of the first band exchange program by Bob Jacobs I had learned about a band exchange from a school district in Kansas City. The assistant mayor, Heinz Steidle from Gietigheim-Bissingen, a small town in southern Germany was interested in bringing their young musicians to Chicago to see the skyscrapers and the big city. The Downers Grove Evening Kiwanis Club sponsored the first three visits beginning in 1985. Alan Roselieb, band leader for the Downers Grove South High School, helped in providing buses, concert facilities and sound system. The students come to Downers Grove every other year and Kiwanis has helped in having families of our band and orchestra students in hosting as many as 75 to 90 students plus adult chaperones. The exchanged students would give several performances and also play along with our band and orchestra students. This international exchange was highlighted in the Kiwanis International Magazine. Caig Roselieb, instructor at South High School, added the variou instrumental arrangements to a special march called the Aviation Cadet March, composed by my grandfather in 1944 upon my acceptance into the Army Aircorps Cadet program. This march was played for the first time in 2007 in my honor by the combined bands of Germany and Downers Grove at the Downers Grove North High School Concert. Bob Jacobs, June 2007 Bob Jacobs Recognized as an Outstanding Citizen by District 58 On Monday, September 11th at 7:00 p.m. the District 58 Board of Education will hold its regular monthly meeting at the Longfellow Center, 1435 Prairie, Downers Grove. The District 58 Legislative Committee and Board of Education will be recognizing Robert "Bob" Jacobs at this meeting. Bob has served on the Legislative Committee for 13 years and has been dedicated to our children, our district, and our community. As a current committee member, you may have either served with Bob in past years or gotten to know him for a brief instance. We are hoping a respectable representation of Legislative Committee members will be able to attend this Board meeting and help recognize an outstanding citizen who gave of himself time after time for the benefit of children. Please mark this date on your calendar. After formal recognition by the Board, a reception/ recess with coffee and cake will be scheduled. District 58 Legislative Committee September 1, 2006 Relay for Life by Bob Jacobs Dear Kiwanis Friends The experience of being invited to march in the first lap of the Relay for Life on the eve of May 20th was incredible. As many of you know, Relay For Life is an annual Fund raiser staged by the American Cancer Society. To participate as a survivor was indeed an honor as well as a very emotional event for me personally. I happened to be the oldest of the group at age 80 - and walking side by side with a little girl only eight years old (and with a big broad smile on her face) certainly added to the emotions of the evening - both spiritually and real-life. Maya Hall is her name. She came all the way from Peoria to participate in the Relay for Life. Maya suffers from a rare tumor malignancy, but fortunately has been under control thru a prescribed chemo treatment this past year. A periodic scan will keep physicians alert to her condition. Let's remember Maya in our prayers. Here's a salute to Gretchen Sauer - and of course her army of South High School Key Clubbers, teachers, and secretaries Thirty teams were organized with over 300 participants - walking and jogging the South High track beginning at 7:00 PM that evening and continuing on until 7:00 AM the next morning. Is it any wonder that the proceeds from pledges and donors reached close to $50,000?? Our heartiest congratulations to all these wonderful people who participated and supported this wonderful event. Our DG Kiwanis Club was one of the chief supporters as well - and it was great to be able to say hello to many of our Kiwanis friends. - helping out at such a meaningful fund raiser event. Having one of our families there to partake in the delicious buffet - organized by Gretchen and her kids - was a special treat as well. Bob Jacobs May 20, 2006 Dist. 99, Downers North musical groups travel to Europe Published: 6/17/05, Suburban Life Newspaper Student musicians representing the Downers Grove North High School Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble, and the District 99 Symphonic Orchestra left June 12 for a two-week tour of Europe. The students, staff members and chaperons are participating in the fourth trip for District 99 to Gietigheim-Bissingen, Germany, in a musical exchange program. Nearly 100 musicians will perform a variety of concerts during the trip, including three in Germany and a chamber strings performance in Salzburg, Austria. The remainder of the trip will include visits to communities in France, Switzerland and Italy. The musical exchange program was developed as a partnership between the Downers Grove Kiwanis Club and the Bietigheim-Bissingen Music School. Kiwanis Club member Bob Jacobs of Downers Grove and Al Roselieb, then director of South High School's band, were instrumental in founding the exchange. Since that time, the village of Downers Grove and the Community High School District 99 school board have continued to develop the program, which includes a semiannual hosting of German music students by District 99 families. Traveling with the musicians as a guest artist is Ron Modell, retired professor of music at Northern Illinois University. Modell will perform trumpet concertos with the band and orchestra, as well as solos with the jazz ensemble. District 99 music faculty member Anne Brance will conduct the Symphonic Orchestra, and Brayer Teague, fine arts department chairman from North High School, and faculty member William Miller will conduct the wind and jazz ensembles. |
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