elphaba01
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Oops, where is Horlik?
"Horlick Field":
Racine Wisconsin. It is one of THE most famous venues in drum corps. Alan Karls, retired DCI judge and Racine Scout has actually written a BOOK about it called "Drums Along the Foundry" giving the history of drum corps shows held there going all the way back into the 1950's.
Our cross town rival St Raphael's Buccaneers competed there in the Racine Scouts show in 1962 on their way to VFW Nationals in Minn MN.
Elphaba
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"Brassmen's Penalty":
I "Heard" that the Brassmen's penalty was a timing penalty due to a malfunction with their drill instructors watch.
It was dropping several seconds from each minute, which resulted in the problem and the resulting costly penalty. 
They seemed to recover rather well as they beat several of the WO Finalist's at the next days Danny Thomas Invitational.
Elphaba
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"Name Change Anyone":
Pre DCI: The Alamo Rangers became the Chicago Royal Airs, winners of the 1965 VFW, CYO and American Legion national Championships.
The Sunnyvale Sparks evolved into the Santa Clara Vanguard.
I believe the Blue Devils Drum & Bell Corps turned into the Blue Devils Drum & Bugle Corps.
Elphaba
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"Start at the Bottom:"
Denver's Blue Knights started "Way Down" and worked themselves into a "Top Twelve" finisher. Going "Way Back" Hutchinson KS Skyriders made it into the "Top Twelve" after years of struggle.
Elphaba
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"Competitive Season"
1964 comes to mind. Boston Crusaders won CYO (The inaugural), St Kevins Emerald Knights (In a GREAT late season comeback) won the National Dream, Racine Kilties won VFW, (Talk about an "Upset"), Chicago Royal Airs won the World's Fair Championship, Chicago Cavaliers won the World Open., and Garfield Cadets won the Legion Nationals.
All of the above competed against each other at the VFW Nationals, and several other contests prior to and after the Veterans Championship.
As far as "Knock down drag Nationals prelims" go, 1964, 66 and 1969 were spectacular.
Great memories.
Elphaba
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>>>The one thing those Round Robin shows most definitely did not have was a great pre-show dinner, like the one at the Bucs' Spring Preview this and every year!!!
<<< Those Round Robin shows began in 1973 ... Hawthorne's was at Don Bosco HS ... Hurc's at the Klein in Bpt, ... Sun in Mineola or Massapequa? ... Sky's at the Westchester County Center ... not sure how long they lasted ... maybe 76 or 77? ... the afterglow parties were always better than the shows ... LOL ...
:-)
"Indoor Shows":
Bridgeport CT was the site of several indoor "Standstill" shows way back in the day. I remember St Raphael's show at the Klien in 1964 which was actually a standstll CONTEST that Blessed Sacrament won, and a a big junior-senior show at Notre Dame HS in early 1965 that included almost all the "City' units as well as the Connecticut Yankees.
There were most likely several more.... (Andy?)
With all the junior corps in Fairfield County, there was a bevy of competition color guards, and the parent units usually hosted a contest that would feature a standstill exibition by the corps. Bullard Havens HS was usually the venue for shows held by the PAL Cadets, St Ann's, and St Raphael's.
Elphaba
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"Wonderful Time In Drum Corps":
INDEED!!!!!!!!!! Piling into a car and riding off to Hedges Stadium or Bullard Havens Tech to watch the PAL Cadets, or to the US Naval Reserve at Seaside to watch St Raphael's Buccaneers, over to Stratford to watch the Yankees, or up Route 8 to catch the Connecticut Hurricanes,
A truly 'Wonderful time in Drum Corps'.
Elphaba
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"Back to the Sixties";
St Kevin's Emerald Knights had a GREAT female concert DM in the early 1960's. Her name was Barbara Bergdoll. Her brother "Buzzy" Bergdoll was their great French Horn soloist, and her Dad, Frank "Buddy" Bergdoll was St Kevin's horn instructor and music arranger.
Elphaba
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"New Name":
Thinking of your geographaical location and it's connection to the Civil War-War Between the States, how about "The Stonewall Brigade", after the troops of Confederate general Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson.
The Brigade was renowned for it's marching speed, and was sometimes revered to as "Jackson's Foot Cavalry".
Elphaba
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"Pieces of the Drum Corps Pie":
Welcome to the new normal.
Thank god for Fleetwood, Stetson Richmond, the old PBS broadcasts, and EBay.
Elphaba
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"1964 VFW National":
Thanks so much for the link. Loved the picture of the PAL Cadets at the inspection line!!!!!!!
Elphaba
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Sad day indeed ... I had the privilege of teaching their drumline the 1st year leading up to the inaugural performance at the Barnum in 2004 ... PCP was an idea that was born on a Sept weekend reunion of the Bpt PAL Cadets in 2003 ... the brainchild mainly of Ken Fogerty (RIP), Dave Tichey, and a number of others ... you know how it goes ... "hey ... let's find some horns and drums and get the old gang together and we'll march in the Barnum parade and have a blast along the way ... yeah ... a one time gig to relive our yout ... " ... but ... something different happened this go around ... from the get-go it wasn't envisioned as a "PAL only" effort ... various organizational meetings were held and some top Drum Corps talent was recruited on the admin and instructional side of things ... names like Genero (RIP), Dorritie, Duquette (RIP), Holleran, Mayer, Hylwa, Gallant, Banks (RIP), Findley, Palumbo, Warga, others and yours truly put together a plan and a good base of operations ...
PCP was to march in the 2004 Barnum Festival and play two numbers ... PAL's You'll Never Walk Alone and St. Raphael's Taste of Honey ... two numbers ... one shot ... one and done followed by a BIG party at the show that night ... hmmm ... that didn't last long ...
Once word got out it spread like wildfire ... the first "introduction" meeting was attended by around 50 ... then those 50 called a bunch of old friends ... radio slots and newspaper articles hit the media ... and ... as the farewell announcement stated, the first "signup" session was attended by 200+ people ... AND THEY NEVER LEFT! ... LOL ... there was just about ZERO attrition form day one moving forward ... someone has a list of the corps represented and it is truly mind boggling ...
Anyway ... many people will have a void now on Thursday nights ... and I'll have lost a safe haven to visit every once in a while to share memories and hoist a few ...
It really was a GREAT 12 year run ... let's APPLAUD them on a job well done ...
Andy "PCP's first drum guy" Lisko
"Park City Pride":
"I'll be seeing you, in all the old familiar places".......
It was a great run.
RIP
Elphaba
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They did get creamed ... but also bested the 1964 VFW champs, The Kilties by 3 pts ... then beat the Cavies at the 64 WO Prelims ... and then were blasted in the Finals by 2 pts, but outpointed both the Royal Airs and Kilties ... 64 was definitely "topsy-turvy" at the end of the season ... IMO, the Boston Crusaders took the brunt of the political warfare you speak of in 64 ... they lost only one show (to my Bpt PAL Cadets) going into Nationals (including a very successful Midwest tour) and became an "also ran" at the VFW and WO ...
You are very much correct in citing the ###-for-tat that occurred between the Midwest and East Judges (and instructors) ... made it very tenuous for East corps competing in the MW and the MW corps competing in the East ... very sad what happened amongst the grown-ups ... and they wondered why the kids fought at contests ... heh ...
Hard to believe we're talking about emotions garnered more that 50 years ago ... but ... that's the way it is ...
:-)
Saturday August 15, 1964 Highland Park IL Position Corps Score 1 Cavaliers 84.170 2 Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights 79.280 3 Kilties 76.400 4 Norwood Park Imperials 74.630 5 Toronto Optimists 73.770 6 Racine Explorer Scouts 72.700 7 Vanguard 70.850 8 Marion Cadets 62.930 9 Cedar Rapids Cadets 62.720 10 Madison Scouts 61.620Sunday August 30, 1964 Bridgeport CT World Open Junior Finals STADIUM: Hedges Stadium Position Corps Score 1 Cavaliers 86.250 2 Blessed Sacrament 84.433 3 St. Kevin's 84.383 4 Royal Airs 83.166 5 Boston Crusaders 83.100 6 The Cadets 82.483 7 Kilties 82.450 8 St. Lucy's Cadets 78.583 9 Selden Cadets 76.466 10 Bridgeport PAL 75.183"New York Corps":
Although not a "NYC" corps upstate St Joseph's had a good placement at 1964 VFW Nationals Finals, and then got hammered out of WO Finals by several of the corps they (Racine & Madison Scouts, Troopers, Bridgeport PAL Cadets).
Anyone out there in cyberspace know what happened?
Andy?
Elphaba
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"Merry Christmas":
TO ALL!!!!
And to ALL a good night!!!!!!!!!
Elphaba
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"Maria":
Hawthorne Caballeros in 1990.
Elphaba
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I've often said that if the St. Catherine's Queensmen had gone to the 61 VFW Nats in Miami, they would have been a top-3 corps and could have possibly won ... 62 would have been interesting also if they could have attended the VFW's in MN ... IMO, they were the best NYC Jr. corps ... other NYC notables in the 60's were St. Joe's Patron/Brassmen, Loretto, Bronx/NY Kingsmen, St. Rocco's, Selden ... those were the corps that could scare the bejeezus out of the "guns" at any given show ...
:-)
"St Catherine's Queensmen":
You nailed it. Over the winter of 1960-1961 they learned an almost entirely new program from Joe Genero, and featured baritone legend Billy Hightower in their concerts of "Tin Roof Blues" and "Black Bottom".
They had a stellar season with wins over Garfield Cadets and tied Blessed Sacrament at season's end.
Elphaba
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1969:
Falmouth Flounders and Cotuit Quahogs merged to form Chatham Chowdaheads
Islington Lizards and Viagra Vagabonds merged to form Ereptile Dysfunction
Mergers:
What ever happened to the Boise Potatoes?
Understand they mergeed with the St Sixtus Purple Dragons and became the St Sixtus Purple Potatoes......))
Elphaba
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I remember judging Fantasia III in 80 and 81 ... nice GSC corps ... in CT, the Emerald Bucs in 74 or 75 were a merger of St. Raphael's Bucs and the Emerald Cadets ... I don't remember the Trumbull Cadets merging with the Emerald Cadets ... I thought they morphed into the Bengal Lancers ...
Good stuff ...
:-)
Mergers:
Vauge memories of Dumont Police Cadets and Our Lady of Lourdes Cadets merging with Fairlawn Police Cadets and pieces of several other North Jersey corps for a HUGE enytry at the 1964 World Open.
1964 Cihcago' Spartans were a merger corps of Morton Grove Cougars and the Chi-Angels. I believe it lasted one year and then folded.
Skokie Vanguard benefited from that merger coming unstuck.
Bridgeport CT's two big guns St Raphael's Buccnaeers and PAL Cadets attempted a 1968 late season merger but it failed. (Andy Lisko can give chapter and verse on this one".)
Many more mergers in senior and junior corps. Northern Thunder can no doubt name them all!!!!!!!
Elphaba
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"Yuletide Greetings":
Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to all!!!!!!!!!!
Elphaba
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"F Troop":
Sgt. Major Morgan O'Rourke from "F Troop". (Forrest Tucker).
Elphaba
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"Keith Markey":
Probably at LEAST 20 YEARS ahead of his time. I was lucky enough to be in Bridgeport back in the late 1960's when the USAFA corps did the exhibition at the Barnum, and heard and saw them at several USAFA Academy football games.
Several of our Royal Lancer guys marched with them in the middle 1960's also.
Incredible arrangements, incredible talent.
Elphaba
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"Lucky to Have Drum Corps at All":
Well said (As usual). Although I never had the honor of meeting Mr. Donnelly, or playing any of his music (Our cross town rival St Raphael's Buccaneers did), both Joe Genero and Hy Drietzer who wrote and taught for us in the Royal lancers talked about him often as well as mention Bill Hayes, the Mura's, (One of whom, I understand just died), Frank Bergdoll, , Scotty Chapell, and several others whose names escape me.
Elphaba
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"Interesting?":
VERY INTERESTING!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for sharing!!!!!!!!!!
Elphaba
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"Drum Corps died in 1971!!!!!!"
I stand corrected.
My crystal ball needs some new batteries,..............
Elphaba
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Which 1970's 13th Place Corps...?
in Historical Junior Corps Discussions
Posted
"Pre DCI"
The 1969 VFW Prelims had several non finalists destined for greatness. Madison Scouts (On the way back from a dismal mid sixties), 27th Lancers, as well as Santa Clara.
Going even farther back WAY back in 1962 VFW Prelims saw such "Legends in Waiting" as the Casper Troopers, St Josephs of Batavia, Blue Rock, Skokie Vanguard and the Rockford Phantom Regiment finish out of Finals.
Elphaba
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