The Once Powerful Corps

[KeithHall]

LOL

The Florida/Boston Crusaders? I see their equipment truck when I am on the highway down here from time to time.

So true, so true! But I think the fundamental change was OUT OF STATE RECRUITING!

[ssgt94]

There is, I believe, something to be said for the "out-of-state recruiting effort" that BAC experienced in the late 90s. During that period, a number of veteran BD instructors (who happened to live in South Florida) were hired; there is a rather sizable contingent left over from the days of the Florida Wave and Suncoast Sound. They, in turn, brought a number of talented kids, whom they had raised locally, up to Boston. I'm sure this had a positive effect on the organization. Can't say for certain if this was the reason for their ascension, but it couldn't have hurt.

[TerriTroop]

In regard to the Troopers, it's been a long, hard road. Here are the factors that I think came into play, but before I even go there I have to say that the management of the corps today is LEAPS and bounds better than it was even when we were in top 12 in 1985-86. Fred Morris (Director) and Mike Ottoes (Exec. Dir.) and all who have worked toward the re-emergence of the Troopers should be given a standing O every day!

So, here are the things that I think went wrong:

1. Talent base issues: my understanding, in very general terms, is that "back in the day" (BiTD) corps were mostly local and they learned how to do their jobs via the corps staff, period. There was little in the way of crossover talent from band programs. This put most corps on even playing fields regarding competition. When marching band programs started to take a giant turn upward, corps like the Troopers suffered. (there's also things to say about the changes in judging which impacted design which impacted the need for even more talent base, et.) We see in today's corps world that competitive success comes from better feeder programs - whether that be from band programs or feeder corps, or even both. The solution? IMO, the Troopers need to revive their "B" corps and make it a training ground for local talent. And I'm sure that will be possible once the corps proper is proven stable over time. (I don't know if this is even being discussed, however. It's just my opinion.)

2. Design issues: Well, I love my corps, but the Americana thing is extraordinarily hard to sustain in today's competitive drum corps world. It played great when the audience was built on decades of veterans and their families, but today's audiences are more aligned with modern band programs, and a vast majority of those programs are not Ameri-centric any more. So, I think we need to rethink things a little in this regard and go to new places. It doesn't mean we lose the identity, but forge a new one that can incorporate some of the old with a LOT of new. (I know I'll get flogged for this, but to help alleviate this problem I think we can lose the sunburst and not play any "golden oldies" except for parades and standstills, at least for a year or two or three.)

3. Management: I don't want to say much about this element. The past is past, and no matter how hard it was the Troopers are still here. Everyone who held the reins after the passing of Jim Jones did everything they could to keep things going, and they loved the corps just as much as any fan or alum who did a lot of second guessing during the hardest of years. So, to every director of the post-Jones era, I say THANK YOU because I know you sacrificed a lot to keep the corps alive under very difficult circumstances.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents worth.

Edited July 26, 2008 by TerriTroop

[byline]

Some very good points, Terri. Thanks for posting your perspective on the Troopers, because I know that's one of those corps we all wonder about. But I think your observations are very astute. And yes, it's easy to point fingers at whoever was in management at a given time, but I think you're absolutely right, that people do their best, often under very trying circumstances, to make things work. We don't always make the wisest decisions, but for the most part, anyone in that situation is doing the best s/he can, and we need to remember that before passing judgment.

[DDANN]

"Legends Back On the Field":

My "Picks":

St Vincents Cadets

St Marys Cardinals

Des Plaines Vanguard

Argonne Rebels

DeLaSalle Oaklands

St Catherines Queensmen

Our Lady of Loretto

St Lucys Cadets

Hawthorne Muchachos

Cambridge Caballeros

Blue Rock

Hutchinson Sky Ryders

Quite a few of the "Legends" have been resurected in the forms of Alumni corps such as the Bridgemen, Kingsmen, Scout House, St Kevins, St Josephs of Batavia, Chicago Royal Airs, Selden Cadets, Blessed Sacrament and the Park City Pride, which represents some 17 junior corps that called Bridgeport CT "Home". The Audubon chorus carries on the memory of the great Bon Bons "All Girls" corps.

We miss them all.

Elphaba

WWW

Love your picks!

Why? Well I'm guessing that we must be of a similar age and we both remember fondly the days when drum corps faced two main challenges. How to actually play real "tunes" on a single valve bugle and at the same time entertain the crowd while avoiding "ticks" from the field judges.

Also, I marched in De La Salle from 1955 'til 1963. Del started as a "bugle band" in 1910 and evolved into a "drum corps" in 1958 so I was there for the beginning of the drum corps era. In October we are organizing a giant 50th Anniversary Reunion of all De La Salle / Oakland Crusader alumni and planning to nonour as many of those 1958 "pioneers" as we can locate with a special memento.

As well, years later (even though Del and Scout House had been intense rivals in the late 50s and early 60s) I marched in Preston Scout House Alumni from 2000 until September 2007. I joined Bridgemen Alumni in 2005 and I'm still there. Yes, I marched both for three years. Can't wait for Allentown next weekend. For the third year in a row I promise Bridgemen will "WOW" the crowd.

St. Catherine's Queensmen! Now that was a corps that has been seriously underated or under-appreciated for decades. Billy Hightower? Black Bottom concert? For two or three years in the early 60's these guys and gals were by far the most entertaining drum corps around.

One of the most exciting shows I've ever attended was sponsored by the Queensmen at Randall's Island in 1961 the Saturday night before the National Dream Contest.

Judging was still mostly based on "ticks" so SAC was still marching 27 horns and trying to win by making no (and I do mean NO!) mistakes. They were unbelieveably precise and undefeated for the year. Their main attempt at GE was the introduction of rudimental bass - the first I had ever seen on the field in a competition.

Garfield Cadets had pretty much conceded the "execution captions" to SAC and apparently decided to go for all-out for "GE". So that night they marched 48 horns and still managed to perform with precision. The horn line included about eight contras (if I remember the number right) and this was the first time I had ever seen them in a competition as well.

St. Kevins at this point (again, if I remember correctly) was also undefeated but this was the first time they had competed out of the New England area all season. St. Kevins had been my favourite corps for several years. I loved their music. Slaughter on 19th Avenue? Stars & Stripes? Wonderful stuff. But in my mind the most appealing aspect of the corps was their colour guard. Lovely! So much so that I regularly swore to my friends that I would some day marry a girl (any girl) from Kevin's guard.

This never happened, of course. Partly beecause I lived 500 miles away from Boston, but mostly because a couple of years later a lovely girl from home made me see the error of my ways and forty-one years later it's pretty clear she made the right decision for me. (I'm kidding, sweetheart! I'm kidding!)

I'm sure SAC won that night but I have no memory of who was second or third. And, althogh I don't remember all the other corps who competed that night, I do remember they were all excellent as well. So much so that even today that Saturday night contest is still my all-time favourite drum corps memory. And in terms of actuall drum coprs "shows" it ranks just slightly ahead of the 2000 DCI Finals in Maryland (Boston, Cadets & Cavaliers); the 1989 Finals in Kansas City (SCV, Phantom & VK); and the 1981 DCI Finals in Montreal (Phantom & Bridgemen).

HYPE!!! .....it's a Drum Corps thing!

[lindap]

To DDANN...I read your post...wow...these are my scans...on Del and Opti sites too...happy anniversary...and thank you...it is a Drum Corps thing :)

[lindap]

...and happy 50th anniversary to Toronto Optimists, Seneca Optimists too...register by Aug 1 for the reunion scheduled for September 14, 2008...lots of anniversaries this year :)

[Rocketman]

Bmen

2-7

Freelancers

Royal Crusaders

De La Salle

Oakland Crusaders

Bellville Black Knights

Muchachos

Argonne

Just to name a few!

[elphaba01]

Love your picks!

Why? Well I'm guessing that we must be of a similar age and we both remember fondly the days when drum corps faced two main challenges. How to actually play real "tunes" on a single valve bugle and at the same time entertain the crowd while avoiding "ticks" from the field judges.

Also, I marched in De La Salle from 1955 'til 1963. Del started as a "bugle band" in 1910 and evolved into a "drum corps" in 1958 so I was there for the beginning of the drum corps era. In October we are organizing a giant 50th Anniversary Reunion of all De La Salle / Oakland Crusader alumni and planning to nonour as many of those 1958 "pioneers" as we can locate with a special memento.

As well, years later (even though Del and Scout House had been intense rivals in the late 50s and early 60s) I marched in Preston Scout House Alumni from 2000 until September 2007. I joined Bridgemen Alumni in 2005 and I'm still there. Yes, I marched both for three years. Can't wait for Allentown next weekend. For the third year in a row I promise Bridgemen will "WOW" the crowd.

St. Catherine's Queensmen! Now that was a corps that has been seriously underated or under-appreciated for decades. Billy Hightower? Black Bottom concert? For two or three years in the early 60's these guys and gals were by far the most entertaining drum corps around.

One of the most exciting shows I've ever attended was sponsored by the Queensmen at Randall's Island in 1961 the Saturday night before the National Dream Contest.

Judging was still mostly based on "ticks" so SAC was still marching 27 horns and trying to win by making no (and I do mean NO!) mistakes. They were unbelieveably precise and undefeated for the year. Their main attempt at GE was the introduction of rudimental bass - the first I had ever seen on the field in a competition.

Garfield Cadets had pretty much conceded the "execution captions" to SAC and apparently decided to go for all-out for "GE". So that night they marched 48 horns and still managed to perform with precision. The horn line included about eight contras (if I remember the number right) and this was the first time I had ever seen them in a competition as well.

St. Kevins at this point (again, if I remember correctly) was also undefeated but this was the first time they had competed out of the New England area all season. St. Kevins had been my favourite corps for several years. I loved their music. Slaughter on 19th Avenue? Stars & Stripes? Wonderful stuff. But in my mind the most appealing aspect of the corps was their colour guard. Lovely! So much so that I regularly swore to my friends that I would some day marry a girl (any girl) from Kevin's guard.

This never happened, of course. Partly beecause I lived 500 miles away from Boston, but mostly because a couple of years later a lovely girl from home made me see the error of my ways and forty-one years later it's pretty clear she made the right decision for me. (I'm kidding, sweetheart! I'm kidding!)

I'm sure SAC won that night but I have no memory of who was second or third. And, althogh I don't remember all the other corps who competed that night, I do remember they were all excellent as well. So much so that even today that Saturday night contest is still my all-time favourite drum corps memory. And in terms of actuall drum coprs "shows" it ranks just slightly ahead of the 2000 DCI Finals in Maryland (Boston, Cadets & Cavaliers); the 1989 Finals in Kansas City (SCV, Phantom & VK); and the 1981 DCI Finals in Montreal (Phantom & Bridgemen).

HYPE!!! .....it's a Drum Corps thing!

"Randalls Island":

I remember "Randalls Island" drum corps shows VERY well. The 'Circuit" corps that I marched in compteted there several times in the very early 1960s. St Cathrines corps (There were actually TWO St Cathy's: The all boys 'Queensmen' and the all girls 'Marionettes') hosted an "Open" contest that featured such corps as Blessed Sacrament, Garfield Cadets, St Kevins Emerald Knights, and others, and the "Greater New York Circuit" contest that featured corps such as Blue Rock, Our Lady of Lourdes Cadets, St Raphaels and the Kingsmen. One year, Floyd Bennet competed in the "Circuit" show and turned right around and competed again in the "Open".

The "Open" show that you saw in 1961 was won by Blessed Sacrament. Garfield was second and St Kevins third. They ALL broke "90". Our Lady of Lourdes won the "Circuit" show with St Raphaels in second and Blue Rock third. St Kevins went on to Garfield's contest and upset Blessed Sacrament.

Great memories from the GREATEST era in junior drum corps.

Best of luck to you and "St Andrew's" Alumni.

Elphaba

WWW

[ajedrummer]

"Legends Back On the Field":

My "Picks":

St Vincents Cadets

St Marys Cardinals

Des Plaines Vanguard

Argonne Rebels

DeLaSalle Oaklands

St Catherines Queensmen

Our Lady of Loretto

St Lucys Cadets

Hawthorne Muchachos

Cambridge Caballeros

Blue Rock

Hutchinson Sky Ryders

Quite a few of the "Legends" have been resurected in the forms of Alumni corps such as the Bridgemen, Kingsmen, Scout House, St Kevins, St Josephs of Batavia, Chicago Royal Airs, Selden Cadets, Blessed Sacrament and the Park City Pride, which represents some 17 junior corps that called Bridgeport CT "Home". The Audubon chorus carries on the memory of the great Bon Bons "All Girls" corps.

We miss them all.

Elphaba

WWW

Do I sense some "East Coast Bias"??? (okay - you also have a thing for Kansas)