What Did You Put Up With?

[MikeD]

The real old dinos recall inspections.

If you were lucky, the temperature was under 85 and no bugs when these starting line inspections took place before you performed in competition.

When we were waiting to enter the Cotton Bowl in Dallas for VFW prelims in 71, after inspection, I overheard two of the guys guarding the gate talking about the heat...one was telling the other it was 130 degrees on the field.

If not, you'd be in uniform on a starting line where an inspection judge would slowly go up the line and look at each marcher to check for such things as threads on the uniform, feet not at a 45 degree angle, bugle not positioned straight at attention, bugle not spotlessly clean, white bucks not shiny and polished, shako not on straight, fingers on bugle not properly aligned,drum not on properly, rifle or flag issues, and dozens of other requirements. A tenth would be deducted for each infraction, and it was not unusual for Corps to have anywhere between 2 tenths to 2 points taken off for infractions before one performed and this could mean placement difference in competition.

They did have an 'out' for "wear and tear" on the uniforms, however, that we in Garfield used quite extensively, since a lot of our WOOL unis were quite old. In 1971 the one I wore was new in 1961, for instance.

Of course, that did not apply to man of the things you mentioned above, just the basic uniforms.

At the same nats I noted above, Dallas 1971, we had rehearsed at a private school in Miami for a week prior to Nats (we played a Dolphin/49'er summer ex game on the way to Dallas), and Don Angelica was with the horn line (he had come along mid-season). Imagine our surprise when we got to Dallas and the inspection judge was...Don Angelica.

[lindap]

When we were waiting to enter the Cotton Bowl in Dallas for VFW prelims in 71, after inspection, I overheard two of the guys guarding the gate talking about the heat...one was telling the other it was 130 degrees on the field.

They did have an 'out' for "wear and tear" on the uniforms, however, that we in Garfield used quite extensively, since a lot of our WOOL unis were quite old. In 1971 the one I wore was new in 1961, for instance.

Of course, that did not apply to man of the things you mentioned above, just the basic uniforms.

At the same nats I noted above, Dallas 1971, we had rehearsed at a private school in Miami for a week prior to Nats (we played a Dolphin/49'er summer ex game on the way to Dallas), and Don Angelica was with the horn line (he had come along mid-season). Imagine our surprise when we got to Dallas and the inspection judge was...Don Angelica.

My brother marched in Del with his lined wool tunic in summer. Heavy uniform. In 71 I was wearing a short skirt with a silky blouse, didn't look as good as him but I was cool :)

When I was DM, I used to know the judges on a first name basis, some where our instructors in 71 lol I hope there's a segregation of duties these days to ensure integrity :D

[BRASSO]

They did have an 'out' for "wear and tear" on the uniforms, however, that we in Garfield used quite extensively, since a lot of our WOOL unis were quite old. In 1971 the one I wore was new in 1961, for instance.

Of course, that did not apply to man of the things you mentioned above, just the basic uniforms.

We were going through inspections once and the inspection judge saw that a marcher had his shako on not quite straight.. it was crooked on his head. The inspection judge said to the DM " this marcher has his shako on crooked and I'm afraid I 'm going to deduct a tenth ". Thinking quickly, the young DM turned to the inspection judge and blurted out in a fast manner : " Sir, this marcher has a congenital cerebellum malformation since birth that prevents the shako from going on straight " ( or some such nonsense ). The judge looked at the DM, then slowly looked back at the marcher, then looked back at the DM and paused... didn't say anything.. but then moved on without marking a tenth off on his inspection pad board. When the Inspection Judge finished the inspection, as customary, both the judge and DM saluted one another which ends the inspection. The DM then called the Corps to parade rest. The section where the marcher with the crooked shako were, all began to bust out laughing. The DM smiled as well. However, the DM then looked over to his right, and the Inspection judge saw that he had been had, and was not too happy. About few weeks later, the Corps was in another show, had inspection, and guess what ? Here comes the same inspection judge. He proceeds down the line and the 2nd person in was a girl in the color guard and the inspection judge says to the DM : " this guard marcher has her sabre positioned incorrectly, and I'm afraid I'm going to take off a tenth here... and just as the DM was about to open his mouth the inspection judge says " and if I was you, I wouldn't say a single word ". The DM didn't.... (haha !) Years later, the DM and the Inspection Judge went to a reunion and the DM brought up the episode to see if the judge remembered it and the judge says he actually did remember the crooked hat excuse, knew it was probably bogus, but thought that if the judge was wrong, it really would be unfair to the "disabled" marcher.He says he brought it up with other judges at the time as it was a novel one and what would they do in a similar situation. The DM then said he was only trying to save his Corps a precious tenth. The judge and the DM both chuckled in agreement with that, and he was just great and laughed at the " creativity ".... and also how he put me in my place the next inspection.... haha ! I was the DM. The Judge was Jack Whelan. Great all around guy. He's in the Massachusetts Drum Corps Hall of Fame.

Edited May 15, 2012 by BRASSO

[MikeD]

We were going through inspections once and the inspection judge saw that a marcher had his shako on not quite straight.. it was crooked on his head. The inspection judge said to the DM " this marcher has his shako on crooked and I'm afraid I 'm going to deduct a tenth ". Thinking quickly, the young DM turned to the inspection judge and blurted out in a fast manner : " Sir, this marcher has a congenital cerebellum malformation since birth that prevents the shako from going on straight " ( or some such nonsense ). The judge looked at the DM, then slowly looked back at the marcher, then looked back at the DM and paused... didn't say anything.. but then moved on without marking a tenth off on his inspection pad board. When the Inspection Judge finished the inspection, as customary, both the judge and DM saluted one another which ends the inspection. The DM then called the Corps to parade rest. The section where the marcher with the crooked shako were, all began to bust out laughing. The DM smiled as well. However, the DM then looked over to his right, and the Inspection judge saw that he had been had, and was not too happy. About few weeks later, the Corps was in another show, had inspection, and guess what ? Here comes the same inspection judge. He proceeds down the line and the 2nd person in was a girl in the color guard and the inspection judge says to the DM : " this guard marcher has her sabre positioned incorrectly, and I'm afraid I'm going to take off a tenth here... and just as the DM was about to open his mouth the inspection judge says " and if I was you, I wouldn't say a single word ". The DM didn't.... (haha !) Years later, the DM and the Inspection Judge went to a reunion and the DM brought up the episode to see if the judge remembered it and the judge says he actually did remember the crooked hat excuse, knew it was probably bogus, but thought that if the judge was wrong, it really would be unfair to the "disabled" marcher.He says he brought it up with other judges at the time as it was a novel one and what would they do in a similar situation. The DM then said he was only trying to save his Corps a precious tenth. The judge and the DM both chuckled in agreement with that, and he was just great and laughed at the " creativity ".... and also how he put me in my place the next inspection.... haha ! I was the DM. The Judge was Jack Whelan. Great all around guy. He's in the Massachusetts Drum Corps Hall of Fame.

You deserved to save the tenth just for quick and creative thinking!

[CuriousMe]

McDonald's and Burger King made a mint off of drum corps in the 70's. Along came this idea to provide food for the corps and have parents cook all three meals. What is with THAT???

In my day we ate hamburgers for breakfast, lunch and dinner and we LOVED it!!! Darn kids don't know what drum corps is all about! Now they have nutritionist, professional chef, trainer, exercise guru, psychologist...what has happened to our activity???

LOL

Actually, it's more like 4 meals and a snack a day