| "The Sudler Shield is an international award recognizing high school and youth marching bands of world class excellence. The Sudler Shield is endowed by Louis and Virginia Sudler and administered by the John Philip Sousa Foundation. The Sudler Shield committee is chaired by former Texas Tech marching band director Keith Bearden and consists of fourteen members. This jury includes university and high school band directors from throughout the United States. Each year the committee meets at the Midwest Band & Orchestra Clinic/Convention in Chicago, Illinois. The jury views video and reviews materials of bands that have been placed in nomination for the award. The 2003 recipients of this prestigious award are Allen High School in Allen, Texas, directed by Mr. Anthony Gibson and Seminole High School in Seminole, Florida, directed by Mr. Daniel Wood. The Sudler Shield award will be presented to these two schools either in the spring or fall of 2004, depending upon the decision of the receiving schools. In 2002, there were three recipients of the Sudler Shield-Yokohama Marching Band of Yokohama, Japan, Kashiwa City HS Marching Band of Kashiwa City, Japan and Kennesaw Mountain HS Marching Band of Kennesaw, Georgia. The Allen High School Band is only the fifth Texas high school band to receive this honor since its inception. The Seminole HS Band is the first Florida HS band to receive this honor." |
