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"Alumni" Corps...


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I was never able to march when I was growing up because we followed my fathers career.

I watched him turn champions into many corps.

I grew up around these corps and always felt a part of the group.

Now I am making a childhood dream come true.My kids are grown and I have a chance to fulfill those childhood dreams.

Playing my Dads music.

Now, how do you think I would feel, if I was told, Alumni only?

The Yankee Rebels admitted me with reluctance, I admit, seeing as how I never played an horn before, but I proved to them I had it in my blood.

Just recently I traveled out to Chicago and rehearsed with the Royal Airs and did 2 parades with them as well.

The Men of Brass also allowed me to rehearse with them.

I had such a great time playing, my fathers music.

I would have been crushed if I had been turned away.

Lots of people I know in the activity join certain alumni corps just so they can play the music that inspired them, even when it was played by the compatition.

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Lots of people I know in the activity join certain alumni corps just so they can play the music that inspired them, even when it was played by the compatition.

And that, my dear, is what the spirit of drum corps is truly about!

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Sooo.....I guess I'm odd man out here....but to me...and alumni corps ought to be just that. But then you have to decide what you want your alumni corps to do.

Here we go with the almost every Alumni-type corps is different bit again. :P I'll give for the two corps I have been with.

Westshoremen: Started as "wouldn't it be nice to play again" for members of the last decade or so of the corps. Later expanded to all past members... still later expanded to past members and "friends of Westshore" <$1 to Ream>. Corps plays once a year at the Harrisburg Forum show which was started by the corps (aka the "World Tour" :P ).

Lancers: Started as a social group after the competing corps broke up. Then got the idea to play and then opened up membership regardless of past membership or corps experience (before my time so don't know any details). Half tongue in check I call Hanover the "Town Band that happens to be a Drum Corps". :doh: It's a local marching/musical group with mostly local members and does bill itself as "Hanovers Musical Ambassadors". We are also sposored by the same AL Post that sponsored the competing corps so we also represent the AL along with the town on Memorial Day, 4th of July and other events. And to go with Gary, get the feeling Hanover isn't pushing the "Alumni" part of the name like it used to. You may see it on old banners, etc but last new shirts I received did not have "Alumni" on them (will double check when I get home).

Why not just start a corps with a whole new name? There's obviously an interest.

When both groups started it was ex-members only so the "traditional" name continued. Actually before Hanover disbanded around 1984 there were a few years when they did not compete but did only parades and standstills. Sounds like what is being done today.

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Missed sumthin' as to why keep the same name:

For some ex-members it's a source of pride that the "old corps" is still performing. It's not performing the same way or with the same people but it's still going. As an ex-Westshoremen member it felt good that people who never played with the corps cared enough to want to "do Alumni" with us. :)

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My unofficial $0.02:

We are the Kingsmen Alumni Corps because we will have a Kingsmen Jr Corps (and both at the same time)...

Some of our guests are folks who always wanted to be a Kingsman, some want to be on the field again in a big way...but no matter the motivation...after they do the work, they are Kingsmen...

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Hey...just so you know...I'm not totally married to my opinion.... it's just some musings I've had about "alumni" corps.... I've seen some pretty good arguments against my opinion, too. :)

Rock on.

No problems from my end. Think the "Alumni" tag causes at least as much confusion/damage as the "Senior Corps" thingee ever did. <Hades> first time I heard the name "Lancers Alumni" I thought they were ex-members only and no way I could join them. Then the PA announcer gave the age range of corps members and I realized that the younger set were still in diapers the lsat time the corps competed. If I hadn't known when the competing corps disbanded I never would have asked about joining.

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Personally, I really don't care if anyone calls us The Bridgemen Alumni or not. To me, and I think to most of us, we're 'just' The Bridgemen.

Bill- Excellent post (and your original thread starter).

Totally dig your sig, that is cool defined.

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Why not just start a corps with a whole new name? There's obviously an interest.

Because a 'new name' corps rarely succeeds. Park City Pride, which I was involved with at its inception, is an exception to the rule. Originally organized as a 'one time' performance corps, they decided to go the long-term route and have found success along the way in the Alumni arena ... dubbed as 'A Combined Alumni Corps', their members represent about a dozen (or more) CT based Jr. corps of the 60's ... they even have a FL contingent that files up for shows ... the concept from the get-go was to attract as many players as possible to form a large (very large) pool of talent ... I never anticipated that the majority of them would stick around years later ... kudos to them ... they are reliving their youth and loving it ...

Sky's Alumni, which I was also involved with from the get-go always had an open door policy for anyone who wanted to experience playing NY's music ... why? ... because there were so many individuals who, for one reason or another, just couldn't do it earlier in life ... this is now their opportunity to experience playing charts by Hy, Eric and Wes and experiencing first hand that special crowd reaction to Sky's music from an era they can identify with ... even with an open door policy, the first few years were VERY rough ... then things picked up steam in 98 and the current nucleus is a pretty gifted set of players ... an interesting note: Sky's Alumni was originally call 'The Grand Street Boys' - named after one of the Jr. corps that became the Skyliners after WWII ... we struggled through 94 and 95 with about 15 horns and four drums ... got permission from the Garbarina-Mazarokos Post to call ourselves the NY Slyliners Alumni in 96 and grew from there ... it's a long, arduous process ... full of expansions and contractions ... wrought with joy and stress ... we just don't have to worry about competing ... only the performance ...

So ... what's in a name? ... a lot ... what's in an identity? ... a lot ...

If you do get a Renegade Alumni off the ground, I wish you a lot of success ...maybe you could invite the Boston Renegades from the 70's to join your ranks ... how sweet would that be?

Andy

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