Scout House 85th anniversary milestone for member groups

The Preston Scout House Band Inc. 85th anniversary free Community Open House on June 24 will celebrate not just the Band’s activities and legacy, but also highlight the history of the five member groups included in the Scout House family over the past 30 years.

The year 2023 marks:
*the 85th anniversary of the original band’s founding in 1938;
*the 30th anniversary of the formation of the colour guard and heritage drill team, which kicked off the start of alumni activities in 1993;
*the 25th anniversary of the alumni band which began rehearsals in the fall of 1998;
*the 20th year since Silver Leaves Brass ensemble began performing in 2003;
*the 10th year since the Cadets added brass instruments to the drum line formed a year earlier to become a drum and bugle corps;
*the 9th year since Magic winter guard began rehearsals to set the stage for a remarkable run of five consecutive championships.

The Open House, at Preston Royal Canadian Legion Branch 126, 334 Westminster Drive North on Saturday, June 24 from 1 to 7 pm, will include comprehensive video and slide show productions along with extensive displays of memorabilia, contest and travel highlights throughout the organization’s 85 years of community activity.

The Open House will also offer a wide array of posters, pictures, programs, championship flags, opportunities for socializing, presentation of youth music scholarships and long service pins to current Scout House members, souvenir anniversary buttons and a wide selection of Scout House collectibles to take home. There will be a cash bar and outdoor barbecue.

Besides 2023 being its 85th anniversary, Scout House is also celebrating another community milestone: the 50th anniversary of the City of Cambridge. The city was formed when Galt, Preston, Hespeler, and the Village of Blair were amalgamated in January 1973.

The first special event of the Scout House anniversary year took place in early March at Preston Legion, with Scout House Band donating brass instruments to be used by youth in Jamaica. A week after the Open House on June 24, Silver Leaves Brass will participate in Preston’s annual Canada Day parade, one of several appearances in major festival parades throughout the summer and fall.

The internationally famous Preston Scout House Band began as an innovative new activity for members of the 1st Preston Scout Troop under the direction of local pharmacist and scoutmaster Wilf Blum. First rehearsals with instruments purchased through donations by local business leaders took place in the fall of 1938. By the mid-1950s, Scout House Band had grown to become one of the most successful and popular drum and bugle corps in North America.

Preston Scout House Band, Inc. is a non-profit corporation with registered charity status able to issue tax receipts to donors, incorporated under the Corporations Act of the Province of Ontario on November 29, 1956.

For more information about Preston Scout House Band Inc. activities, contact telephone (519) 653-3376, email PSHBAND [dot] INC [at] outlook [dot] com