oldargonne

The Argonne Rebels were a mixed corps through out most of its 30 year history. In the early 70's, they relied on talented female members. Only the color guard was all male.

Just got back from the Argonne reunion at Denver DCI. I saw lots of folks that played in that 73 corps. Do you wonder how I voted? By the way, there was a DVD for sale at the reunion of that show at a half-time performance of a Chiefs game after the season was over. Not great quality, but it has most of New, Malaga and Stars and Stripes. To bad video tape was a few years in the future. Ken Mac

They may be at the Argonne reunion in Denver at DCI. Look for the hats and t-shirts with "Argonne" on them. I will be there too.

I don't know anyone who was there that wouldn't paint that house or do whatever if asked by the Opies.

Sounds a little like the Sky Ryders "appeared" in the 80's. They have a long tradition in Kansas and in national competition that goes back well before 1960. They won the Kansas Legion title several times during those years and represented Kansas at nationals more than once. I still have some records from the "Starlight Drum-o-rama" (their home show). The competition that the Sky Ryders gave us in the early 60's helped to keep Argonne focused on improvement. For a while we passed them up, but they sure outlasted us.

I know you guys don't know me. I have not posted here before tonight. But, I read the forums a lot and I really enjoy everyone's ideas about what drum corps was and is. I thought I would respond to the question about early DCI (the Combine and the first two years of DCI) leading to the end of many of the great old drum corps shows across the country. Sometimes, we forget that DCI, especially in the first few years, was the corps. There was not something separate from the corp member management. Decisions about scheduling were made by the board made up of the corps managers. I was at some of those meetings. Sometimes it was the timing of the major independent shows with prelims and finals, sometimes it was the lack of cooperation with some basic DCI requests (like reducing required parades prior to the shows), sometimes it was uncooperative show managers, sometimes it was set dates that didn't fit the travel schedules and sometimes it was the money that led to the lack of DCI participation. I don't know if that turned out good or bad, but touring drum corps survived when it definitely would not have without DCI. By the way, my favorate show was the Casper Drums Along the Rockys. Even when the wind was blowing at 40 from the south.

We had two or three 14 year olds in 73 when we expanded the hornline to 60. There might have been some cows, too. Since our recruiting base consisted of Great Bend, Ellenwood, Hoisington, Elsworth, Bison and a few other small Kansas towns, we never had more to choose from than what we needed. I don't think we ever had auditions.

During our first tours in the early to mid 60s, we stayed at Elkhorn, WI out at the fair grounds. The people were friendly and horses would be out on the track in the early mornings. Really a nice place.