sailor

The one and only "Boom Boom" (Wally) ......THE most photographed person in drum corps history!!!

I seriously hope that the Fat Lady will be singing in the Midwest come tomorrow night..... BUT.....As the son of a member of the last Midwestern corps to win a Senior Championship..... Prelims is just another 13 minutes......Finals is THE 13 minutes! Keep it coming MBI and Kilties!

I always thought it was "Mr. Rat ########"

Hmmm.....I recall GBV doing Les Mis in costumes as well

~Comes out of the woodwork to make a reply since it was MY phone conversation that started the $%*& so blame and hate me....I'm used to it ...lol~ The ORIGINAL post stemmed from a phone conversation betwixt Nanci and Ron and I when they called me to talk about the DVD's from DCA and, as per usual, EVERYONE took it their own way. Hmmm....Guess that's why they call it a "forum". Our conversation eventually turned to what the activity does to hide "dirt"....And I'm not talking about keeping your uniform clean. (I'm 3rd generation and I have seldom heard/seen a marching member who took pride in looking like an "unmade bed") We talked about a lot of the changes that have happened.....The new drills....methods of marching....etc..... BUT.....We focused on the changes in uniforms....Mainly....Stripes....Shoes and Spats etc. and how the "new" concept of "visual" has forced the activity to shed some of its roots and adopt different concepts of a "uniform" in order to stay competitive. We also talked about how alike so many "new" uniforms are in design and their symmetry. IMHO....It appears to ME that the designers (both visual AND uniform) are doing their best to make the lower half of the body on a marching member "disappear". If they succeed....Visual scores go up. 'Nuff said! My whole point (and what led to this post in the first place)....If you are as good as you think you are (and this pertains to ALL marching activities)....Why don't you DARE to prove it? (Maybe....Some day....You will be rewarded for it) And this challenge could be asked of the musical side of the activity. (That mellophone run sounded great! So glad we have amps to hide all the dirt!) I was raised believing that "This thing of ours" was nothing more than a microcosm reflecting real life. From Pride and Respect to Talent and a hard work ethic. Teamwork to Camaraderie. If it still is....Why are we teaching how to "hide" mistakes instead of not making them in the first place? I'm going to go out on a limb.....and rephrase Nanci's original post..... I DARE you to EXPOSE yourselves! Gawd! I love this activity!

Pooh Bear? Are youse out der?

I've yet to see kilts in Stanbury's catalog

Tomato....ToMAHto..... You know what I mean

Biased in a critical way..... One of the best Bari lines ever to grace the senior circuit

1975

Watkins Glen Squires and Guardsmen as well

Ron and Nanci who?

Wouldn't that be a case of reeB? "Goodbye and thanks for the fish!"

Cozy was a walking, talking "color man" for "This thing of ours" called drum corps.

"Lothar" wasn't so much a person you got to know....... You had to "experience" Lothar!!!!

The only reason the NE has been dominant all these years is that senior corps died in the late 50's in all areas other than the Northeast. Skokie died... Harvey Seeds died... Edison Lamplighters died and many more... I don't even know why, but I suspect it was because of the large geographical travel problems once it became impractical to travel by train... Yet in the Northeast, as the expressways grew and even before, travel to shows with 5 to 10 very competitive corps was quite possible... via that notorious overnight Drive on Friday Nights... and we did that with NO bathrooms on the buses... So true (as usual) Tom! When the "great" Sr. Corps of the Midwest started to die out (and, yes....Travel/$$$ was a big key) a lot of the members decided to "pass the torch" on to the Junior circuit. Just look at how many Midwest Jr. Corps took root and blossomed in the 60's. Marching members of Skokie....Harvey....Edison went on to mentor, teach and grow the ever increasing number of Junior corps......And they made their mark! (As a kid I was very spoiled.... I loved going to the Illinois VFW/AL State Championships.....Mini-Nats in my own back yard!) Travel has and always will be a problem for "This Thing of Ours". Just how many Midwest and Eastern corps "broke their bones" trying to be like the Troopers? There are a few corps who can lay the beginning of their demise on trying to "expand the activity" in such endeavors as DATR etc. Yes....It is all an East Coast conspiracy....And it has been so since the first time the Boys of 76 had to travel East. Don't believe me? Just ask my Grandfather and father! (I've heard this argument since I was born!) Sure....I would love to see "parity" in travel.....But it ain't gonna happen folks.... This activity has its roots in two key things...."Bragging rights" and money. Deal with it or go play somewhere else. Do you know how weird it was having a drill instructor (Twice! Guardsmen and Royal Airs) that was your fathers Drum Major?

Horlick, Racine....(The stone walls just echo its drum corps history) Warhawk, Whitewater....('nuff said!) Illinois State Fair...(because it sucked soooo bad!) Dixon, Illinois....(I like that town!) And every little cow pasture/farm field high school in the Midwest How can you be a DCP rookie when you member number is 112??

Telling tales out of school (and may he forgive me for breaching a promise).... I'm fortunate (and proud!) to have a particular member in my Honor Guard....... He calls Florida "home" but his family roots are in Racine..... This member pays the same full dues as any marching member but he does stipulate what he is willing to do for the corps.....Simple things really.... 1) March the 4th of July Parade in Racine 2) Wear his family "plaid" 3) Be allowed to carry the POW/MIA flag This is all he asks for and all that he wants.... The Kilties joyfully grant his simple wishes....... His father was a POW

Nanci....(aka DB)....Thanks for posting this! Hell....I haven't posted on this site since the "Planet" was forming itself from the gases and ashes of RAMD! From my own experience I know that every Honor Guard (and their Sgts/Capts) does their best to present their best. I don't care where the members come from (walk ins.....newbies or, like myself, too crippled to do the field show) we do our best to honor both our corps and our nations. From time to time we slip up and make mistakes.....but never with intent. I've asked Nanci, Tom, Ron, Cozy etc. to backstop me when I have ever had a question on "code"....and they have always come through for me. I'm a Vet and a long time drumcorps vet....The Honor Guard means a lot to me and I try to do my job right....But I do make mistakes...(Aldo....Sorry about the weight of the staff on the Maple Leaf but the original one was too short and I goofed on the replacement!) This past year the Kilties did their best at representing their heritage......While carrying the national colors (Stars and Stripes AND the Maple Leaf) we also carried many of the flags of Scotland...(trying to keep the peace between the clans is about as easy as understanding the seeding rules of DCA) We (I) have also chosen to carry ONE flag to represent our military veterans. The Kilties have members who have represented our armed forces in every conflict from Vietnam to the current Iraq conflict. In our (my) opinion only one flag can represent us all and that is the POW/MIA flag....Nothing else needs to be said. Speaking for every Honor Guard Sgt/Capt....... Forgive our mistakes and minor faux pas.........We know why we are here...... BTW....Scott....You can fire me if you disagree....I have a few more claymores I can toss into the river.

I'm currently in search of a guard silk from the Guardsmen in 1976. This is needed for a special occasion this summer. I'm not a rich man but I will pay for one if no one has any to donate. Michael Kolle Guardsmen 75-77 Kilties 1999- Royal Airs "SCUM" 2002 sailor76@ameritech.net