1978 - 1979

Director: George F. Kramer

Assistant Coaches: Joseph Murray and Tom Cockley

Officer Body

  • President: Bernie Bohince

  • Vice President: Pete Wagner

  • Secretary: Kathy McGuire

  • Treasurer: Larry Wexler

  • Historian: Jesse Brande

Award Recipients

  • Best Act: Mixed Doubles Balancing - Cindy Metzger and Michael Glazer

  • Best Female Trouper: Judy Brandenburg

  • Best Male Trouper: Bernie Bohince

1978-79 Hard Lessons

Dr. George Kramer and Joseph Murray continued to coach the Troupe and were assisted by Tom Cockley, a new graduate assistant in Physical Education.  Tom would later be made an honorary member of the Troupe in appreciation for his efforts.

A big change for the Troupe this year was the move from the old gym in Cole Field House to a new, state of the art facility in the just completed North Gym.  The facility was one of the best of its kind in the country.

Road show season progressed well, but once again as the spring semester went by, the Troupe was not doing the required work for a Home Show.  

"The tradition of late theme and script development became a critical condition, and Dr. Kramer's seemingly idle threat of canceling Home Show was quickly becoming a likelihood.  On the return from our last road show, he asked us to report to him by Monday with a reason why he should not cancel the show...  Several of us, realizing the urgency  of  the  situation, set up an all-hands meeting for the following morning...  We spent the whole morning discussing the situation and our alternatives.  Panic had set in, however, and rather than handing Dr. Kramer a script that fateful Monday, we handed him an excuse!"

- John Iacangelo 

Dr. Kramer made his final decision.


"The troupers didn't seem to be interested in putting on a Home Show...  The decision... I made as the Director of the Troupe was not to have one because the work was not done, not being done.  And you can't put on a Home Show without extra work, without lighting being done, without your staging being done, without costumes being done, cause that's what the Home Show is based on...  It wasn't any use to try to carry it on with a halfway effort, because that was not our style as Gymkana troupers.  We always prided ourselves on doing the best job we could do.  And if you're not doing it, then it seems to me that you would not want to present something that was not done adequately...  And we just didn't do it." 

- Dr. George Kramer

For years the tradition had been to send the alumni an invitation to the Home Show and two complimentary tickets. This year that would not be the case. For the first time in thirty-three years, the Troupe did not put on a Home Show.

"The story might end here, but after all, this was the University of Maryland Gymkana Troupe.  After accepting the consequences of our inaction, we pulled ourselves together and set up, on our own initiative, several charitable post-season shows within the local Washington area.  Even in the aftermath of what some of us perceived as embarrassment and failure, the Ambassadors of Good Will continued their mission in the tradition of determination, team work, and exemplary individual effort...  In lieu of the experience of putting on what would've been the greatest Home Show ever, the troupers in '79 learned an important and humble lesson in human nature!"

-John Iacangelo

Itinerary

  • Cabin John Junior High School

  • Hagerstown Junior College

  • John Henson Middle School

  • South Western High School

  • Havre De Grace High School

  • Chantilly Secondary School

  • Southern High School

  • Pocomoke High School