GRAPE BOWL CLASSIC

GRAND MARSHAL FOR 2011

The Grand Marshal for the 2011 Grape Bowl Classic Band Review is MR. BOB GROSS

The 34^th annual Grape Bowl Classic Committee is pleased to announce this year’s Grand Marshal, Bob Gross.

The Lodi-Tokay Band Review was Bob’s idea during the time that he was the band director at Lodi High School.  Helen always helped Bob with the band and the auxiliary groups and was very much involved in the planning and in setting up the band review steering committee.  Bob and Helen stayed on the committee after Bob left Lodi High School.  They served together on the band review committee along with many of the original committee members for seven years.

Bob Gross retired from the Lodi Unified School District in 2000.  He had served for 35 years as a music teacher, a vice principal, principal and coordinator of instrumental music.  His wife Helen retired in 2002 from the Linden Unified School District.  She had taught elementary school in Lodi before teaching elementary school in Linden.

Bob Gross recently retired as the music director of the Lodi Community Band after five years.  He served on the Board of Directors of the Lodi Community Concert Association, a Lay Leader and active member of the First United Methodist Church, Past President of the Lodi Sunrise Rotary Club, and the Board of Directors of the Salvation Army.  Bob is a Knight Templar in the Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem.  Bob served for 38 years in the United States Army Reserve.  He retired in 2004 as the Commander/Bandmaster of the 91^st Division Band.

Now, in addition to these other accomplishments, Bob was inducted on October 26^th of this year into the Lodi Boys & Girls Club Lodi Community Hall of Fame, which recognizes and honors local residents who have made major contributions in their fields, and/or to the community. It is indeed an honor to have Bob and Helen Gross return to the Grape Bowl Classic as this year’s Grand Marshal.