vintage rifle

Trooper Guard , old school, totally black ....the best ever! Kilties: gotta love 127 guys in kilts Phantom all white or all black Current Cavies Bridgemen

Shakos are really uncomfortable. Give me a COWBOY HAT!!!!! :P

Back of the bus, absolutely. We had the last seat on driver's side...it had tons more storage. But the best part was that we sat directly in front of the 8 TRACK PLAYER!!!! :P :P

Warning: Slight rant alert! This point has driven me nuts in the past years. My old corps is constantly hitting up alumni to "sponsor" a current member. My crass and crusty reply: Get a job. Go through? Go through? Geez! I paid for all 7 seasons by working a part-time job all winter. If you want to buy a car....get a job.. work for it. It's the same with corps. If you want to march, get a job and pay for it yourself. It sure makes it more rewarding. How can you work and go to college? I couldn't. Hard decisions: college or corps? I chose college, and after 7 years, (three to go), I never aged out. However, I did get a degree. So, if corps costs $2000, you could surely earn that in 8 or 9 months. Rant over, Thanks for your patience.

Loved the Glassmen....surprised myself on that one. Crown was really entertaining! Hated Garfield (that's Cadets to most of you). Just didn't seem to have a spark....couldn't get into it. Great broadcast.....whole shows please.

We (Troopers) played the Virginian or Battle Hymn

OMG! We heard this All the Time! or Spirit (or fill in with any lowlander corps) will die at finals because they can't hack the altitude. Since when is a fire extinguisher legal equipment? Let's trade rifles with the Kilties for retreat.

Thanks! I was one of them in '78 and '79. We never hit the DM. Really there is plenty of room as long as he doesn't move. Eventually, they get used to it. My list: Bridgemen fall '75 SCV bottledance '79 Rockford File ...And just how did SCV do the thing with the green and white pants ? That was amazing!

I was all set to say something about never seeing the fun and games. But I appreciate that you noticed we NEVER moved. Not your hands, not your eyes, nothing. EVER. That was a great retreat. We could see the fireworks in the reflection from the pressbox. It was almost like actually seeing them. ^OO^

What lightweight flags and rifles? They're much lighter today. You also could never compare 77 Madison with 07 Madison (for example...put whatever corps in you like). The style is so much different, not to mention the judging system was totally different too. It would be cool though....

What....that didn't happen in your corps? :P :P :P

In 77, we put 8 bars of dance into concert. Jim Jones had a fit. He yelled, he swore (and this man could swear like a champ), and was not happy. Would he like today's guards? Judging from his initial reaction, I doubt. it. Why is it that when someone asks a question IN ORDER TO BEGIN A DISCUSSION, there always has to bee some pissant that resorts to personal attacks rather than explaining their point of view? You're on a discussion board. If you do not like people who may disagree, don't log on. Secondly. You folks who are dazzling us with your grasp of logic and argumentation. I have a degree in it too. Please quit trying to show off. You are in error about the falacies more often than not.

No, go back to my earlier post. Booing while a corps is coming on, on, or coming off the field is a no-no. My position is that during retreat, or its equivalent, a boo is for the score, not for the kids or the corps in general. And I have done the show, the hours (and years) of blood, sweat, tears, and bones (rifle, ya know), and No, I would not get offended. I may disagree, but I would not be offended. Let the idiot boo, moo, or Blue.

I see. So since you encountered an idiot with no manners, that means EVERYONE since the dawn of time that has booed is the same species of idiot? Not true. I am not saying it is ok to boo a corps because you do not like the show. I am not saying it is ok to walk up to a kid and boo in their face. It signifies a disagreement with the score, and no, no one is going to go down and argue with the judges. Someone who boos the champions are idiots. Obviously. Those of you who would be on the field and take it as a personal insult are looking for ways to be offended. That drives me nuts. I also will be thrilled to see the others of you who never do anything that might cause the slightest ripple in the universe. Your halos will guide me.

I have been watching old (and not so old) guard shows from WGI on YouTube. Big fun, and lots of memories. BUT...where can I find video or even pics of the California competitions? We quit going to WGI back east in the early 70's. Surely I can find something???? Help!

If someone dislikes a corps, they have 13 minutes to boo them. Stupid way to spend 13 minutes, but everyone has a hobby. In 25+ years of shows, I have never seen this. They may sit and say, "This sucks, that line sucks, the guard stinks, what stupid music," or whatever, but I've never heard booing during a corp's show. At the end, when they are announcing scores, a boo always means the crowd feels that corps should have been scored or placed higher. It has always meant that. Whoever is not aware of that American cultural tradition may be paranoid or just ultra-sensitive. Too too funny! Not only does Drum Corps provide the most positive experince these kids are likely to have in life, they are now to be responisibe for 1500 kids' emotional well-being. How dare anyone hurt the feelings of a college student for crying out loud. Get over it. They boo scores, not kids. Geez!

Aw C'mon people! You're telling me that if a corps dropped 4 places, you wouldn't boo the placement/judges/powers that be? You'ld sit there and take it? IMO, booing is appropriate only for placings. I remember being at retreat (that tell you how long ago I marched?), and we would have a popular show, but scores would be low, or we would drop like a stone at a particular show. A boo from the stands told us the crowd thought we should have placed higher. It didn't dis any other corps. It was support for us. Any kid marching now who thinks that, in the same situation, the crowd must hate them, and then they might, OMG, feel bad. Well stop the presses. Someone feels bad. Whaaaa. Obviously, booing during a show is wrong. Booing a placing is different.

In the 70's, it was sign of honor (and toughness) if you broke your pole in half on a slam. It became so prevelent that we switched to fiberglass in 76 or 77. We snapped those things like spaghetti. I can't imagine wood would have lasted through one rehearsal.

Has to be the 8 minute ovation at the end of our (Troop) '79 prelims show.

Has to be a SCV Aussie, but ONLY if the pin on the side is included. It's just like the Troopers: without the pin, it's just a hat.

Get up, grab a donut (get that sugar, partially hydrogenated oil, and transfats), go have a smoke, wash it down with a full-sugar soda, and you're ready for practice! Hey, it worked for us.

I marched 72-79 in Troopers. There were girls in every section my entire time. The only place I didn't ever see a girl was the snare line. There were plenty of girls in the drumline, just not snares. The guard was of course all girls (black b####es), and we never felt we were "lesser" members. The nickname was very accurate- we were a tough bunch of broads, and the guys knew beter than to pull anything. We never had a female DM, but we had two guard commanders who were on the same level as the DM, and I can think of years that they had more clout and respect than the DM.

Macs (like legends) never die! :D Can't say the same for my dell. <**>

Thanks. We called is Suicide....can't imagine why.

I would be pretty ###### if I had paid money in 2006 to see 1970's drum corps instead of the ridiculously better 2006 edition. I'm so sick of the hypocracy that shows up in thread after thread. I (obviously old) am supposed to fall all over myself in touting the current corps and whatever they want to throw into the show. "It's innovative" is the excuse, reason, justification. Have amplification, singing, dancing, striping, and jumbo-trons for all I care. No matter what kind of good stuff or what kind of crap shows up on the field, everyone is supposed to love it or they are slammed here for being old. I didn't realize that was a crime. At the same time these people are saying " Let us have our time, our shows, our standards, our innovations," they are, in the same breath, saying, "...but whatever you used to do is so rediculously bad that we don't even want to be associated with it. And while you old farts are at it, just come to the shows, clap lots, and shut up." Look - The Beatles are great. Are. Good is good. If it's old or new, quality prevails. There is also great stuff now. Good is good. It's quality. Does all music have to be the same in order for quality to be determined? Obviously not. The same stands for DC. Great in 73 is great. Great in 06 is great. Why the &(^@ do people insist on saying one is better? I especially love the post saying "I'd rather stay home." than see old style. What would happen to the activity if all alumni said the same? Your audience would disappear. Just remember than five years from now, some kid will let you know that your hard work and soul was just so ridiculous they can't force themselves to watch it. Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.