insince'60

December 24, 2012 SANTA CLARA VANGUARD announce their 2013 production: "Les Miserables" "O HOLY NIGHT" My prayers have now been answered 'Tis the night of a gold medal birth.

If you are going to donate them, I suggest you contact Steve Vickers @ Drum Corps World. He has (or had) a Drum Corps Trivia Exhibition at LOS each year during DCI Championship week. Not sure if he did it more than one year. Since it's one box it would probably be easy to ship it to him. I moved this past May and packed up all 280 of my DCI tee collection into suitcases and boxes. I'm willing to give them to Steve, but don't have the $$$ for shipping !! I also have 90 WGI tees and 50 DCA tees, If anyone is interested, pm or e-mail me. All DCI tees are from '89-11. DCA tees are '64-'06 and WGI tees are '93-'11. Thanks--Norm Reed

If you haven,t already; I would suggest you go to Winterguard@SCVanguasrd.org. SCVwg houses many of their members each year, including some from Japan, Canada and several states. Either Kelly Carter(Guard Manager) or Denise Bonfiglio (Director) can help. E-mail either @ the same e-mail address. You do realize that the first audition is THIS week-end (Sept. 17 & 18) in the San Jose area? Hope your auditioning by Video----GOOD LUCK

I found some VERY interesting facts on the SCVC historical site today. Although founded in 1971, the corps first field compitition was 1989. Parades and field exhibitions until '89. From '89 through 2010, Vanguard "B" AKA SCVC has attended DCI championships ten times. Always making A/A60 or Div II/III or Open class Finals they have placed 5th-3 times/4th-twice/3rd-once/2nd-twice and 1st twice. In 2000 SCVC scored 94.33 at DivII/III finals (FIRST PLACE) at College Park Md. In 2008 SCVC scored 96.825 at Open Class finals (FIRST PLACE) at Bloomington, Ind. Sooooo-what's my point? Glad you asked!!! Both SCVC Championships were won on AUGUST 9th----the same date as finals in 2011!!!! How about that for a little MOJO ??? GO S.C.CADETS-----Bring home one more GOLD for a great organisation in 2011. Oh---and Aug.9,2011 will be my 74th Birthday. Thanks for reading---Norm Reed

"All Good People" did 78,8 (1-29-11)

In '62 Frank Diehl and I put together a routine using "real" Springfield "03's with bayonets (aprox. 10.5 lbs) for The Rochester Grey Knights. In '63 we took that "act" to The Syracuse Brigadiers. We did a lot of rifle exchanges, milatary manual of arms and side high throws. In '64 Frank got married and I became Color Guard Captain. The two guys who replaced us (Jim Roberts and Dick Vassar) carried British Enfields (no bayonets---but still about 10 lbs.) We marched summer and winter guard through the '65 season. The winter guard went undefeated and won the Senior Div. of NY-Can Circuit. In '66 Jim Roberts and I (both of us lived in Rochester) spun those Enfields for The Grey Knight-Crusaders (only through mid July as Jim got married on Aug. 2nd and I tied the knot on Aug 20th) That was the end of my marching career !!! I remember the Hamburg Kingsmen having a terrific rifle line (with Enfields) and Rochester Crusaders had a fabulous four person rifle line (Gary Richardson was in that line). However I don't remember The Toronto Optomists having a rifle line with bayonets!!! Most of the Western New York Senior Corps (from early 60's on) had great color guards with working rifle lines---was great fun BITD trying to outdo each other !!! SUPER MEMORIES-----Norm Reed

Went to a Corps rehersal on July 2,1960 with a friend. Went through drill 3 times ( A Flag section ) and marched my first contest on July 4th with the Rochester Grey Knights. It was their home show ("Tournament Of Drums") I was amazed at how fast the show was over ! I was still in the Marine Corps at the time and was vey proud to be part of the original "Iwo Jima" color presentation. Been "hooked" in one capacity or other ever since !!! Norm Reed

WULFEGANG: I have read this entire thread and have learned much !! You might ease any temptation of "borrowing" your Poca Dots equipment, mascot uniform, etc. by putting the mascot picture and band information onto postcard stock,print a couple hundred, and make them available to the corps as souveniers. (Give this project to one of your band kids that's a whiz on a computer) Should be relatively inexpensive? I visualize some corp member sending a postcard home-- "Hi Mom", Look where we housed last night---In Poca,W.V,home of the famous POCA DOTS band!!" You may need more than a couple hundred!! (The staff will love 'em) Very,Very unique P.S. Why not put the mascots picture on the direction signs you make up for the housing site and let the corps take them with them when they leave? They might use them the rest of the tour !!

I first saw them in 1960 and although they were "The Garfield Cadets" most corp people in the east called them "Holy Name". As time went by the "Garfield" name took over. I still call them "Garfield" There is another corps from the east that I still refer to as MPB and NOBODY knows who I'm talking about !!!

I seem to remember Steve Vickers and staff members of DCNews ran a walk through Drum Corps Museum during DCI Championship week ( a couple different years ?) I think one of them was '92 in Madison. Might want to get Steve involved ? I LOVE volunteering other people !!!

I was there when ----- A rat ran onto the field during our concert number and tried to go up the pant leg of one of our A-flag squad.This was NY AL State Championships ----1964----at Macarthur Stadium in Syracuse N.Y. Corps on the field---The Syracuse Brigadiers. I was Color Guard Captain, standing at parade rest about fifteen feet away from the A-flag squad when I noticed the crowd was not reacting to our concert number---some people were standing up; yelling and pointing toward the A flag squad. Not wanting to turn my head, I brought myself to attention, did a right face and marched toward the squad. Thats when I saw this big black rat sniffing around the feet of one of the rifles. I thought "since I have a sabre in my hand I'll just stab that sucker and we can get on with the show" ( the corps was wailing "Flower Drum Song" as well as they had ever played it ) To my left (and off the field) I saw the Chief Judge, John Laskowski running with a piece of wood in his hand. He had pulled up the 50 yard marker (like a tent stake) and was closing in on the rat. The rat took off but John took one big golf swing and smacked that suker about ten yards !! Mr. Rat---DOA !! Results: Not one of the four man A Flag squad had moved a muscle !!! (and they could have seen the rat coming out from under the stands ) They stood at a rigid attention all through this ordeal. The Color Guard received a perfect 10 score that night and The Brigs won the '64 American Legion State Championships It's been 44 years since that happened and as I typed this it was like it happened an hour ago !!!! Norm Reed

WOW---I had not seen this before---Quite impressive---I'm wondering how that whole thing came together ? Were the performers all local ? Who wrote that drill ?(It was quite involved) How much practice time ? Etc.,Etc.,Etc. Since there were 288 performers involved,there MUST be someone on DCP that has some great stories to tell----even if it was 24 years ago !!!

1989 SCV

James Logan World and Open guards are not going to Dayton this year, however both will be attending the Union City Regional (actualy contest is at C.S.U. East Bay in Hayward, CA) on March 15th. Both Logan guards will also attend the West Power Regional in San Bernardino, CA on March 29 & 30th. Both guards competed this past Sat. 2/16 at the Leigh HS contest in San Jose. Logan Open---67.3 Logan World---82.4 I think it was the first show for both. If you visit James Logan Band and Color Guard web site, there is a lot of information about their trip to China this summer for the 2008 Olympics. Of special interest : Tour fee is $4,600 per person ! Since the Band & Guard march 275+, thats a TON of money! Also, they won't be alone as the Olympic opening ceremonies will have 2008 musicians, guard, dancers, etc. What a fantastic, once in a lifetime experience for those young people ! !