Reirden Awarded 2015 Audubon Bon Bons Scholarship

After the conclusion of the “We the People” ceremony held on Memorial Day, alumni from the Audubon Bon Bons Drum and Bugle Corps presented trumpet player Shannon Reirden with a scholarship “gift” towards her summer fees.

The Bon Bons were an all-female corps from Audubon, NJ that performed between 1938 and 1977. The founders, Joseph and Florence Bernert formed the corps because they “believed that girls could do anything boys could,” according to alumna Carol Terreri. She explained that few all-girl corps existed during this time so the Bon Bons were often forced to compete against their male counterparts. Despite the unfair circumstances, the Bon Bons rose through the ranks to gain an impressive reputation, often times beating out their male competitors. In 1957, before the creation of DCI when corps would compete in events sponsored by the VFW or American Legion, the Bon Bons placed second next to The Holy Name Cadets. They took home many awards over the years including every all-girl title after its creation in 1968, earning them a reputation as the consistent “national championship all-girl drum and bugle corps.”

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