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Long hair and drum corps


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I don't know much about the hair/facial hair rules of other corps, but just judging by what I see from Crossmen every year, they definitely don't have a "no facial hair" policy. As a matter of fact, that's how I identify a lot of their members when they're not in uniform. Just something about the cleaned beards, with the Crossmen logo and those mean-looking uniforms make it so intimidating, and I'm perfectly ok with that.

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When I marched it was no facial hair, sideburns, or long hair. Hair that was too short was discouraged, as were glasses. I remember hearing once that we should strive to look like young Republicans.

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I don't know much about the hair/facial hair rules of other corps, but just judging by what I see from Crossmen every year, they definitely don't have a "no facial hair" policy. As a matter of fact, that's how I identify a lot of their members when they're not in uniform. Just something about the cleaned beards, with the Crossmen logo and those mean-looking uniforms make it so intimidating, and I'm perfectly ok with that.

it is possible this has varied throughout the years... in the ageout picture I posted in the thread about ageout numbers, a couple of them clearly have substantial facial hair

some here too, on a quick google search:

CROSSMEN+MARCH+IN+111709.jpg

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BD was pretty much anything goes, as I recall. I started out clean-shaven, then mutton-chops up until Family Day, then grew the chin in and had a full beard by finals. Had I not been planning to do some cosplay at WorldCon the month after finals, I would've left it as mutton chops.

Earrings were almost de rigueur for the guys in the corps...I wore one of my mother's horseshoes for good luck at Finals...and it was always a kick to watch the longer-term guys sit and decide which earring to wear for a show (I had one of the last script "Jazz" earrings. I saved it for major shows until I lost it mid tour)

Empire didn't have a hair rule that I can recall, but I was in the USAF at the time, so my hair was short to begin with...the 'stache presented no problem.

Dagenham DID have a no hair rule in place....but John Johnson said I could keep my moustache...probably because I was still active duty USAF at the time. I didn't ask if I could keep it, and if he'd asked me to shave it off, I would have without hesitation. I DO know I was the only Crusader allowed to have facial hair in 86.

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I have glasses and a full beard, and no problems where I am, though they did say it's preferred you keep any facial hair neat/clean.

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I don't recall the guys having any limitations on their hair (mid-70s). Girls hair was not permitted to touch the collar of our blouses. My hair (which was to my butt while I was marching) was required to be braided and secured on top of my head.

We in Garfield had a haircut deadline in my era...no hair over the collar, and certainly no facial hair allowed. Other corps had much looser rules on that, but we did not.

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some of the Xmen have pretty substantial facial hair, wonder if they shaved it all off before tour or something.

Nope, it was anything goes this year for them.

They had a couple clean shaven years in the past I think. When I marched it was you can have anything you want but it has to be cleaned up. No scruff either. You either have something or you don't. And hair had to be up in the aussies. Like you could have a mean beard, but it can't look sloppy. This year, they definitely went all out. I saw them in the lot in West Chester and couldn't help but chuckle. It looks really ###### though from the field. Adds character.

I wouldn't mind if they cleaned it up a little more though in the future. But facial hair is a part of the corps. Crossmen were always the "tough" guys from the East with some character. Cadets are always clean shaven, and they all look exactly the same... even without the uniform on. I can usually tell who is a cadet in the lot, even if they have nothing on them what says cadets...

BD always has some awesome facial hair too.

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And I was always clean shaven, except for sideburns. I keep my hair buzzed too. I could grow a decent beard in a week. But I looked like a creeper. And ST in Texas is not fun with facial hair... I can't play my horn with it anyway.

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Most corps have rules that state all hair must be short enough to be put up into the various head-gear, girls included. Some even require members that do not go for the buzz-cut look to do their hair for when not wearing their headgear, be it shako, helmet, or aussie.

There are West Coast corps too with the no facial hair rule, although for a corps like BD, it seems to be much more relaxed.

Glasses are perfectly fine with every corps. They can't really tell their members to march without them, since it would be a risk for everyone if you can't see. Most members that I know, myself included, switched to contacts because of tour, because it's so much easier to work with contacts than glasses. Plus, there is no way for those transitions lenses to get as dark as good quality polarized sunglasses :thumbup:

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