^Michael^

No, it will be the 2005 championship corps. A condition of membership in the 2005 corps was a commitment to march in the 2005 Macy's Parade. The corps members have to be in to begin rehearsals by 2:00pm Tuesday before the parade. There is also a vets only camp on Friday and Saturday after the parade and the 2005 annual banquet is on Sunday. I get to be there because I've been asked to drive a bus for the corps! It'll be my first live and in person Macys Parade! I'm excited! b**bs

The 1980 Garfield Cadets had 27 kids from Mississippi alone (not to mention other imports!).

I was a multi-tenor and then a marching tymp. I dated - then married - a rifle. Second time around, I dated - then married - a flag girl. Now searching for the LAST great love of my life. Can you say "third time's a charm?"

:::: No good deed goes unpunished.

Everyone has a choice, David. No one can make us feel a certain way or react a certain way about anything. We choose how we feel and react. For me, I choose to look past the small things I don't care for and enjoy the things I love about drum corps. For others, they simply make a choice to let the things they don't care for define the whole experience for them and therefore, choose to be chronically unhappy with drum corps as it is today. For me - life's too short. I choose to be happy (it's a lot less stressful!).

Stef, That was my main reason for highlighting this column! I'm not involved with senior corps (nothing against it - just not my thing), but I think the idea that DCI is out to "get" or even marginalize DCA is ridiculous and somewhat paranoid. Kind of sad really.....

In a column on dci.org called "the Ageout Rule" by Emily Tannert, there was a nice plug, in bold face type, for senior (all age) corps near the end of the piece. I feel this is a positive gesture on the part of DCI and look forward to the future column about senior corps as referenced in the quote. Class move DCI! The Ageout Rule at dci.org

Absolutely correct. Steve, you've got a great memory, man!

Steve, it was at the First Alabama Bank meeting facility in downtown Montgomery. And you're right - I was amazed at the crowd in attendance. If I recall - it was almost 400 kids, parents and other interested parties.

One minor correction, Mike. I founded Southwind in Montgomery, AL - not Birmingham.

And you are quite convincing, oh great Boonak, sir! :P

Ditto! (okay - I'm officially pathetic! :sshh:

"Salvation is Created" played by either Cadets or Spirit brass. And add my vote for "Fire of Eternal Glory." I instructed my family several years ago that Fire of Eternal Glory should be played at my funeral (preferably by Phantom's hornline)! :-)

Carl can spit tight streams of water through his front teeth with deadly accuracy. (Is this the kind of backgroud you were looking for?)

Late November

DCP's own Katherine (Brasskitten) toughed it out through excruciating pain and marched baritone with Cadets on a broken foot for the second half of this (2005) season . She's not just another pretty face - she's also tough as nails!

Southwind was inactive from 1983 through 1988 and came back. They also took 1998 off to regroup under the Madison umbrella. It can (and will) be accomplished by the Troopers, too!

Mike, more often than not I agree with your positions. This time I can't. I don't think that something like the display of the colors should be reduced to a situational choice (show theme). I would support the reintroduction of the honor guard to jr corps as a small reinforcement of patriotism to our youth. With me, it's a case of - "some things are just done because they're the right things to do" - more than whether or not it will add entertainment value to the "show". I'm just sayin'....

Of currently active corps: Southwind (okay, I'm a little biased - so sue me! ) :P

Just a thought - but DCI could amend the rules to exempt an honor guard from counting against the 135 limit for those corps that would field a proper honor guard.

Steve, This may be irrelevant, but isn't Spirit also now an official summer ensemble of JSU? I think the relationship is a fantastic model that more corps should explore!

Once again, I agree! I particularly miss the real buckle on the cross sash (rather than the mirror square).

What? Admins are not allowed to call BS when they see it? Admins are people, too. :P

This was never true.

I have to say (even though I'm apparently a Cadets "borg" according to some), I totally agree with Dan! ^OO^