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Other corps that Left Us....Anyone Know Why They left Us?


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>>The Finals results were being announced while all this was going on, the announcer, VFW Bands Chairman Tony Schlecta being oblivious to the battle going on right in front of him.<<

Ah ... good old Tony ... hic ... Schlecta ... a prime example of why one shouldn't drink on the job ... he was the VFW's version of the Mayor of Doodyville, Phineas T. Bluster ... especially after his rant in 1971 that there will be no "dancing, prancing, clowning or wearing of costumes ..." or something to that effect ... maybe someone can post his tirade that appeared in DCN ...

:-)

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"Corps Brawls":

I've posted this before, but it can stand a retelling:

1961 VFW Nationals, Finals, Miami Florida. St Mary's Majestic Knights (MA) and St Vincent's Cadets(NJ) got into a brawl ON THE FIELD at Finals Retreat.

The corps had had some bad blood earlier in the season and a fight erupted on the field at VFW Finals retreat.

The Finals results were being announced while all this was going on, the announcer, VFW Bands Chairman Tony Schlecta being oblivious to the battle going on right in front of him.

Hard to imagine anybody messin' with the Big Green Band at VFW's, but by 61 they didn't have the strangle hold on that contest they were accustomed to in the 40's and 50's.

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Now that was some strange judging!!! How can you will M&M Ex and bomb in GE? I just don't think that could happen

I was always impressed by the Charioteers. As I stated here a couple years back....The Charioteers got off to an unusual start on the national scene. They were good enough at 1971 American Legion Nationals prelims that they made the final cut. Only problem was that the new corps didn't bother to learn a full show that year (just the shortened prelims drill). They had to pull out of finals, and were replaced by a lower-placing corps.

They placed an impressive 22nd at the 1972 DCI Championship, beating Phantom Regiment.

Then there was the 1973 U.S. Open, where of the 85 corps that competed in all classes, the Charioteers placed #1 in M & M execution, only to place #50 in M & M GE.

Their high point was probably the 2nd place in the '75 DCI Class 'A' finals.

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There are lots of long replies regarding the demise of drum corps. To say that all or even most disbanded due to finances is not entirely accurate. Finances played a part, but it's not the entire picture.

Churches: most drum corps sponsored by churches were Catholic. Prior to 1975, most Catholic schools were entirely staffed by nuns who were largely unpaid. From the mid seventies on, there were fewer nuns and more lay teachers. Priests in many dioceses prior to the 1970's were barely paid. From 1970 or so on, they were largely responsible for their own bills, had to pay income tax, and make provisions for retirement. There were also fewer of them, so the priest assigned to the drum corps no longer had time. If you are budgeting and have a choice for a to pay school teachers, parish staffs, and priests, none of whom are laughing all the way to the bank, or a drum corps, the school would win. I also say this as someone who is waiting for the $3,000,000 donation to be used at my discretion, $1,000,000 which will renovate and begin endowing the school, $1,000,000 which will endow the Church building, and $1,000,000 which will start the drum corps. I'm not holding my breath! :cool:

Veterans organizations: Vietnam vets did not join many of these organizations until after the kids left home, if they joined at all. Keeping a corps became too much work and when you look at what the American Legion, VFW, etc. do, this is not a criticism.

Shift from urban to suburbs: in cities, people used to congregate. This is less the case in the suburbs. This impacted drum corps.

A bit of, for lack of a better word, complacency by fans. Many smaller corps had rather short runs, and another corps replaced them. In the Boston area we had the Malden Ambassadors that merged with the Heightsmen and I believe Annunjciators to form Royal Marquis, which then disbanded and were replaced by the Spectra/Heightsmen Alliance and the Diplomats that was replaced with East Coast Jazz. We often expected another corps would come along which may be why we now work hard to preserve what remains.

I know finances killed 27th, Bridgemen, Teal Sound, Glassmen, and many others, but changing times also played a factor.

Edited by Tim K
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Veterans organizations: Vietnam vets did not join many of these organizations until after the kids left home, if they joined at all. Keeping a corps became too much work and when you look at what the American Legion, VFW, etc. do, this is not a criticism.

Yep, biggest numbers in VFW/AL was with the WWI and WWII vets. Lot of closed Posts in my area and many that are still around don't have the resources (money and people) that they had before.

Shift from urban to suburbs: in cities, people used to congregate. This is less the case in the suburbs. This impacted drum corps.

Used to belong to a city church that is still open but has few members as compared to the past. Went to a seminar on why things are so bad for city churchs and quite eye opening. Along with decline in the cities, people now have the option to drive somewhere else instead of just walking. And if you can drive why go to a church in a crappy area.... that has no parking...... Lot of other parts to the puzzle but many fit with the decline of drum corps sponsors.

So for both IMO finances do play a role as the above can't afford to support anything like they used to.

Edited by JimF-LowBari
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Isn't it true the members of 27th were told before hand ,that if they didn't make finals that year the corps would fold ? They ended up in 13th place and came back to finals with a big sign saying good-bye to there fans,

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Isn't it true the members of 27th were told before hand ,that if they didn't make finals that year the corps would fold ? They ended up in 13th place and came back to finals with a big sign saying good-bye to there fans,

There were on and off rumors about 27th folding when staff members began leaving in the 1980's, but the rumors were squelched when Avant Guard and Memphis Blues folded and the members of these corps entered 27th's ranks. I think fans believed that if 27th did not make finals a second year in a row it would be the end, but it looked somewhat likely 27th would sneak in finals in 1986 since they had previously placed ahead of Troopers, Star, and VK, but late season bus failures led to a lack of practice time which in turn led to a close, but not high enough score in semi's. It was after semi's they heard they would disband which is why the had the signs for finals. People I knew who marched in 86 who claimed to have been surprised by the news said the bus ride home from finals was like a funeral, outside of the corps people were not surprised though I think we all hoped that this corps which survived all kinds of challenges would survive. Sadly it did not.

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>>The Finals results were being announced while all this was going on, the announcer, VFW Bands Chairman Tony Schlecta being oblivious to the battle going on right in front of him.<<

Ah ... good old Tony ... hic ... Schlecta ... a prime example of why one shouldn't drink on the job ... he was the VFW's version of the Mayor of Doodyville, Phineas T. Bluster ... especially after his rant in 1971 that there will be no "dancing, prancing, clowning or wearing of costumes ..." or something to that effect ... maybe someone can post his tirade that appeared in DCN ...

:-)

Hmmm...I think his ghost is posting here in DCP. :augen51:

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>>The Finals results were being announced while all this was going on, the announcer, VFW Bands Chairman Tony Schlecta being oblivious to the battle going on right in front of him.<<

Ah ... good old Tony ... hic ... Schlecta ... a prime example of why one shouldn't drink on the job ... he was the VFW's version of the Mayor of Doodyville, Phineas T. Bluster ... especially after his rant in 1971 that there will be no "dancing, prancing, clowning or wearing of costumes ..." or something to that effect ... maybe someone can post his tirade that appeared in DCN ...

:-)

In 1970 he also publically said we (Garfield) did not deserve to be at VFW Nats because we created a Peace Sign on the field (to "White Rabbit" that year). However, when we opened up the form and hit the stands, they just exploded with flashbulbs, so I guess the rank and file didn't mind.

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Ah ... good old Tony ... hic ... Schlecta ... a prime example of why one shouldn't drink on the job ... he was the VFW's version of the Mayor of Doodyville, Phineas T. Bluster ... especially after his rant in 1971 that there will be no "dancing, prancing, clowning or wearing of costumes ..." or something to that effect ... maybe someone can post his tirade that appeared in DCN ...

:-)

Are you implying that Tony may have had too much to drink on ocassion? Scandalous!!! Just scandalous!! This is the man who singlehandedly may have been more responsible then any single person for the creation of DCI. I'm so disappointed in you!!

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