Jeff Becker​​

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Jeff marched in the corps as a tenor drummer from 1970 to 1972. Jeff was president of
the Alumni Corps from 1991 to 1998. The Buccaneer Alumni, was a very strong and
well-run organization. The corps had invitations to go everywhere. We had a line of 8 to
10 snares with full base and tenor and a horn line that many competing corps could
only dream of. In 1995 the corps was in trouble and many Alumni members came out to
keep the Buccaneers alive. That could only happen because of the strength of the
alumni and that strength was on Jeff Becker’s watch. Joel Miller reports, “The day I was
elected as treasure, I called Jeff and told him how bad the corps financial status was.”
We had a Mini Grand Prix to put together in 3 weeks and Jeff was there. Not only was
Jeff there, he got Quaker State Oil to fund the Mini Grand Prix for 2 years and that is the
only money the corps made. That is how the loan was paid, without the Quaker State
sponsorship the Reading Buccaneers was bankrupt.

Jeff then was named finance manager, a task nobody wanted. Jeff was able to generate
enough donations to purchase needed pit equipment. Jeff teamed with Joel Miller,
Treasurer to work out a sustainable budget. From 1999 to 2001 Jeff took the Staff
Coordinator position. During the summer this becomes a full time Job, but Jeff never
took a dime for his time or expenses.

Jeff Becker’s biggest contribution to the Reading Buccaneers could be getting Dan
DeLong onboard as Drum Instructor. Jeff Becker made a deal with Dan that to this day
is hard to believe. We got Dan, Weaver and 4 drum techs and a whole bunch of
drummers that most corps would give any money for and did. It was that move that
gave the Reading Buccaneers a drum championship in 1999, the first in a long time.
Joel Miller reports, “One last thing about Jeff Becker only I and the recipients know until
now. As a treasure I would go and collect the dues each week. Jeff would follow behind
me and ask that member if they had lunch money and Jeff would give them back what
they gave me so they could buy lunch.”

For this dedication and truly the persona of Blue, Jeff Becker deserves your attention to
be included in the Buccaneer Hall of Fame.

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Rich Strang

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Rich’s Drum Corps Career with the Buccaneers began with him marching on the tuba
line in 2009 with the Corps production of “Demons and Angels”, which set a DCA
Record at the time. Following a short hiatus from the activity to spend time with his
family and raising his kids, Rich returned to march again with the Buccaneers, this time
with his daughter. The two of them marched together for the 2016 and 2017
productions, both in the tuba line. Following the 2017 season, Rich shifted his focus to
helping the corps and stepped up into the role of Business Manager handling the
operations/ logistics of the corps (rehearsal facilities, bus transportation, equipment,
etc.) Early in Rich’s time serving as Business manager, he began a conversation with
Jim Coates of Carolina Crown about purchasing new marching tubas into the Corps
inventory to replace the aging dynasty line that the corps had been using. These initial
discussions led to the development of the strategic partnership that has been formed
between Carolina Crown and the Reading Buccaneers beginning in 2019 that has
helped the Buccaneers navigate and thrive in the modern environment of 21st century
drum corps. Following the COVID global pandemic, Rich serving on the executive
committee of the crops helped the corps return to the field and re-establish themselves
in the activity after the 2-year hiatus the crops had halted operations. Following the
2022 season, Rich stepped into the role of Corps Director and went to work setting the
corps up to handle the challenges that lay ahead in the post-COVID world it found itself
in. Rich worked to expand the number of roles within the corps to help handle the
amount of work required to operate a drum corps on the administrative side. This
expansion led to a more sustainable framework for the corps to operate allowing the
corps to grow its presence in the Drum Corps activity and set the corps up to adapt to
the future of the activity. One of these changes it soon came to face was the merging of
DCA into the Drum Corps International organization as the All-Age division. Rich served
not only as the director of the Buccaneers during the Inaugural season of the DCI All-
Age circuit but also as a member of the advisory committee to help aid in the transition
and merging of the two circuits. Rich’s work as director and leading the corps through all
the hurdles and challenges of an unknown circuit and a season of unknowns paid off
resulting in the corps winning championships in 2024 and earning the title of the
Inaugural DCI All-Age champions.

For these efforts, Rich Strang is deserving to be included in the Buccaneer’s Hall of
Fame.​​