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dc oldtimer

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Posts posted by dc oldtimer

  1. I certainly know about a dozen or so people who have either not seen or very much limited the amount of drum corps they see due to all the changes over the years. Mostly due to the addition of dance, props and theatrics. Now granted, these are hard corps old timers who believe in "drum corps the way it was meant to be" but, I am only answering the OP's question.

  2. Up until about the early 2000's we left the stands after the last score is announced, headed to the car and drank a few "cokes" :shutup: until 1:00 am in the parking lot. Then headed to headquarters for a few more :blink: Woke up around 11:45am on Sunday to check out by 12:00.

    Since 2000, my home team has won a few championships so this process has been delayed at least until I hear the first encore song. The last two years I have been a responsible dad of a 2 year old and left the stands after scores are announced to get the little one to bed.

  3. Agreed. I marched with them in '74 and it was all I could do to concentrate on my own drill and not wander, just plain unfair sometimes!!

    When I first started marching I had heard about the "hotpants" they wore. Then before a show, a Blue Star color guard member and I walked passed each other in the hallway of the school we were at. That was the first time I saw what everyone was talking about up close. All I can say is "YOWSA!!!!!". Sorry to say I didn't try to talk to her. I was a tall skinny shy 16 year old at that time. I didn't know what to do. :blink: I am proud to say that later I was taught well by my elder Cavalier brothers as to what to do in those situations. It served me well later on in life :blink:

  4. On a related, but different topic. My wife and I have frequently discussed taking a couple/few weeks off during the summer and touring with a corps to volunteer in the food truck...is that pretty much how it works...?

    Yes. EVERY corps will take any help. Thanks for thinking about it. Do it. It's hard work but you and your wife will not regret it.

  5. Wow, as an old timer (as my user name states) I am amazed by the menu's that corps have these days. I certainly agree that given what we know now about nutrition and energy levels needed to perform today's shows, it makes sense that the corps of today eat WAY better then we did "back in the day". When I first marched, we had no food truck. Our lunches and dinners were eaten at the local McD's and Howard Johnsons. We were given a food allowance which was either built into the dues or the tour fee. Later we did have a "chuck wagon" but it really only carried none perishable foods such as cereal, cool-aid and bread. If the food crew (i.e. usually someone from the brass or drum staff) had time they would run to a local grocery store to buy milk, juice and lunch meat. The extent of our lunches usually were bologna, bread and if we were lucky, mustard. Quite honestly I am VERY surprised that more kids didn't pass out during those long hot summer days. Especially since they really didn't have as many water breaks as they do (and should) now.

    When I volunteered for The Cavaliers several years ago, I ate really well. I expected the need to hop in a car and find a local resturant more often but I only did that once..... I CRAVED Mexican, and we were in Texas.... YUM!

  6. Muchachos.... 1975..... after being ratted on by another Corps that withheld that knowledge and until just before the SemiFinals competition that year , and thus this Corps received a " DISQ. " which technically is the lowest score a Corps can receive. This lowest score has been attained by just a few other Corps over the years ( ie, Bridgemen, Crossmen also come to mind that received the lowest score possible.... a " DISQ.)

    I guess I'll rephrase the question;

    Lowest score without being DQ'd?

  7. We've been discussing on the Cavalier Alumni site who holds the lowest score ever recorded. We really are not discussiing it to slam that corps, (although there were a FEW LOL's) we are discussiing it purely from a numbers prospective.

    The one we came up with was in 1981 in Madison 4.20, Los Charros (3.7 in M&M -- .9 in Percussion -- 1.1 in Brass -- 2.6 in GE -- 4.1 in penalties)

    Los Charros was a feeder corps in Illinois to The Vaqueros.

    Again, not looking to make fun, (well, maybe a little) just curious.

  8. Yes, I've been the "keeper of the census" for over 30 years. The figures change from time to time as more information is learned from previous seasons. The 1972 total has been increased to 446. That is the number of North American junior corps that either competed or performed an exhibition on the field during the year.

    The geographic breakdown for 1972:

    NY--64

    MA--49

    NJ--39

    WI--38

    QUE--30

    IL--24

    PA--23

    ONT--23

    CA--20

    CT--20

    To give you a comparison, in 2009 there were 51 North American juniors that appeared on a field.

    The top geographic areas:

    CA--13

    WI--5

    NJ--3

    OH--3

    Interesting list. In regard to Illinois, I am trying to guess who was still around then. Did you include cadet corps? Cavalier, Guardsment, Phantom?

  9. So it seems to me that many corps back in the day marched "over aged" members... I say this tongue in cheek, but still has anyone here ever seen ANY year video of Madison... That corps has got to have THE OLDEST LOOKING MEMBERSHIP EVER!!! Guys with Beards and very little hair left... Soloists! I mean maybe I am wrong but some of these guys look like they are in their late 30's and 40's! :tongue:

    Some of that had to do with the times. Beards, stashes and long hair were in. But corps had different policies regarding hair length depending on their uniform type. For instance the Cavaliers used shakos up until 76. They had strict hair length policies because.... well, have you ever seen a long haired dude with a beard wear a shako? Not pretty. After 76 when we went to the big brim hats, this policy loosened. Even we had guys who grew beards and looked 30. I am sure this is the case with Madison considering the aussies they were known for.

  10. moreno.jpg

    Post-1980 D.C.I.-- Rita Moreno visits with some of her favorite Men in Green following a show in Chicago

    Dave Flynn, Jeff Fiedler, John Anderson, Rich Shepard (aka, Slick), might be me in the background, not sure, not sure, not sure, Wayne Barth, not sure, don't remember, Mike Bockman, Ma Gangler, Chris Hartowitz and Adolph.

    kneeling) Joe Shepard, Tracy Freeman, Rita, Jim Anderson, not sure, red hair kid is from the Nash family.

    The Nash kid had polio and used crutches but he did march in the Cavalier Cadets. The Nash's had several boys who marched in the Cavaliers through the years. I am sure their kids will be marching soon.

    Yes, John and Jim's parents were killed in a car accident on the way to AL. VERY sad. Several Cavaliers, including me, stood guard at their wake.

    Ma was corps nurse and a mother to all Cavaliers during those years. I am sure all corps had such incredible women like Ma.

    Jeff, well, we all know Jeff.

    .. and Adolph is yet again, Corp. Director. He actually looks younger now then he does in this picture :tongue:

  11. Since most (and maybe sometimes all) funding comes from the cities some corps are headquartered, this would be a hard sell. It could be politically not advisable. I sense that Rosemont might have a problem with this considering the amount of $$ they use to support the Cavaliers. I am assuming the same goes for Rockford, Concord, Santa Clara and Allentown just to name a few?

  12. 1976 VFW finals scores:

    Cavaliers 84.85

    Garfield Cadets 84.65

    Bridgemen 82.15

    Muchachos 79.75

    Blue Stars 79.4

    Guardsmen 77.3

    Boston Crusaders 73.95

    Saints 68.4

    Pembroke Imperials 68.0

    Argonauts 66.7

    Long Island Kingsmen 64.2

    North Star 63.1

    I remember standing on the field in finale with Muchachos not too far away. You can hear some interesting comments considering what happened in 75. Then someone got the bright idea to put their busses right next to ours. Let's just say cooler heads prevailed and we left before any major incident happened.

    • Like 1
  13. August 12, 1976 - West Chester, PA

    1. Blue Devils 87.3
    2. Garfield Cadets 80.65
    3. Cavaliers 80.3
    4. Kilts 70.0

    Hmmm. nothing on fromthepressbox and our yearbook doesn't list anything for Westchester. You sure we were there? You sure it was 76?

    It is funny about places you've been when you marched. I don't remember most of the places I've been. You travel, get off the bus, sleep, practice, shower perform and on the the next city. So, I guess we could have been there.

  14. .I saw them a few days before prelims, at West Chester, and the corps was solid, and in fact beat the 5th place Cavaliers.....

    GB

    I'm pretty sure this is not true since I don't remember the Cadets beating us that year. I'll check my Cavalier yearbook.

    What was interesting was one week before DCI we beat the Cadets by .10 for the VFW National Championship. At DCI Prelims, it was more like 8 points. Crazy days.

  15. My wife marched Suncoast and there were rumors at DCI in August that they might try to put together an alumni corps in 2011. Like my wife in 2008 when I marched CAC888, I may be a single parent in the summer of 2011. :tongue:

    I am amazed how many talented judges and instructors came out of this corps considering its short time in the activity (relative to corps like the Cavalier and Cadets).

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