2007 Empire Statesmen Open House
The year 2007 is still weeks away on the calendar, but preparation for a new year of activity by Rochester’s Empire Statesmen drum and bugle corps begins with an open house program on November 11 and 12.
Potential new members and all those interested in learning more about Empire Statesmen’s diverse activities are welcome to attend the two-day event, to be held at Our Lady of Mercy High School, 1437 Blossom Road, from noon until 8 p.m. on November 11 and from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. on November 12.
Our Lady of Mercy High School is the largest all-women’s Catholic secondary school in the Rochester, New York area. Established in 1928 by the Sisters of Mercy of Rochester, and accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and the University of the State of New York, Mercy’s goal is to foster spiritual, personal and social growth as well as intellectual development in its students.
Open house visitors will be able to obtain information about all areas of Empire Statesmen activities, so they can match their interest or skills to the organization’s needs.
The Empire Statesmen organization offers opportunities for involvement far beyond participation as a marching member, support staff or committee volunteer in one of North America’s most popular drum and bugle corps. The Statesmen also operate the Empire Cadets youth marching band for area boys and girls as a community outreach program.
In addition, the Empire Statesmen organization is currently undertaking a major capital fund-raising campaign to provide the long-term financial support required to maintain various programs of both the Statesmen and the Empire Cadets.
The Statesmen will be sponsoring the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) world championship tournament on Labor Day weekend for the second year in a row in 2007. Preparation for next year’s event has already started. This year’s weekend events attracted thousands of spectators to individual and ensemble competitions in downtown Rochester, the preliminary contest for more than 20 competing corps at PAETEC Park Stadium, an alumni concert featuring nine top units from the United States and Canada, and the final competition to determine the 2006 DCA champions.
The DCA championships had a major financial impact on Rochester, with spectators and participants from coast to coast filling almost every hotel room in the city and surrounding area during the weekend tournament.
Empire Statesmen finished second to the Reading Buccaneers for the second year in a row at the DCA championships in September. During the 2006 contest season, the Statesmen won five contests and finished second to the Bucs in five other meetings.
Ten of the 43 DCA championships, from 1965 to 2006, have been held in Rochester: four from 1968 to 1971; four from 1973 to 1976; in 1996 and 2006.
The Empire Statesmen drum and bugle corps is a self-supporting independent group that represents the city of Rochester across the United States and Canada and as far abroad as Europe, the Caribbean and South America.
For information about the annual open house, call (585) 266-2232 or visit the Empire Statesmen Web site at: www.statesmen.org
