PGHPercussion Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 I am shocked that no one has mentioned the most obvious choice and top of the poll - 1975 Sharpsburg Cadets. I mean, come on! Here's alittle #### ant class A corps that loses most of it's winter membership due to bad management and has to merge with an even lessor corps 140 miles away just to field 22 brass! THEN! All the instructors quit in June and some of the marching members (yours truely) gets tapped to finish writing and teaching drill and music? THEN, after 4 shows the entire drill is scrapped and we learn a new one! Someone put a bullet in their (our) collective heads. What is most startling is, even after all this crap happened, we didn't lose any additional members. Just goes to show you, there ain't JACK to do in Western Pennsylvania in the summer! (and you thought I was going to say something profound - PLEASE!) And they regrouped to field again,what have you done except complain! Egos killed drumcorps here, more than bad management. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocketman Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 (edited) And they regrouped to field again,what have you done except complain! Egos killed drumcorps here, more than bad management. Umm, complain? I stated all the issues the corps went through, any one of which could have spelled the end. There was no "regroup" after '75, if that's what you're talking about. I disagree that "egos" kill more corps than bad management mainly because it was egos IN MANAGEMENT, that brought the corps to it's knees. What did I do? I was one of the loyal idiots that toughed it out instead of going to another corps. I helped get that corps on the field, so yeah, considering all the BS the kids went through, it might have been better had someone put us out of our misery. A little history lesson might just be in order. Edited December 21, 2008 by Rocketman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 (edited) I am shocked that no one has mentioned the most obvious choice and top of the poll - 1975 Sharpsburg Cadets. I mean, come on! Here's alittle #### ant class A corps that loses most of it's winter membership due to bad management and has to merge with an even lessor corps 140 miles away just to field 22 brass! Who the heck did you merge with???? s/ Guy who didn't discover Western PA until he went away to college in '77.... and didn't hear of the Cadets until a few years ago.... Did find out about Ebensburg Cambria Cadets in '77 because a guy on my dorm floor was a sop player there. PS - My first corps had about 18 horns, 7 drummers few flags and never got out of the practice room at the local legion. Kept going over the same page of the same song, then would grumble how to get more members. Corps put out of it's circle je... err misery when we merged with another corps that was reforming and needed warm bodies to make the field. Edited December 21, 2008 by JimF-3rdBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHall Posted December 21, 2008 Author Share Posted December 21, 2008 Wow guys! I never would have put Sharpsburg there. I mean, Western PA had some decent corps, not great but decent. Cambria Cadets, Sharpsburg, Derry Patriots, 84th Bucktail, Mavericks, etc. They weren't going to set the world on fire but hey, at least there was competition and to include all us lowly upstate NY corps too. Don't byotch about what happened 30+ years ago! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnZ Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Wow guys! I never would have put Sharpsburg there. I mean, Western PA had some decent corps, not great but decent. Cambria Cadets, Sharpsburg, Derry Patriots, 84th Bucktail, Mavericks, etc. They weren't going to set the world on fire but hey, at least there was competition and to include all us lowly upstate NY corps too.Don't byotch about what happened 30+ years ago! none of us 'back then' knew any better - we had little to no chance of making it through any prelims, winning shows, or making 'top 12', yet we went out every weekend - back when we had multiple competitions to choose from within driving distance every week - gave it our best and had the times of our lives doing it. Even the diminutive Thunderherd deserved their time on the field - and people still stood and cheered for them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunbrass22 Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 I marched in the Hyde park/Poughkeepsie, ny Vagabonds from 72 to 74, and our top score at prelims was a 53, we only had 22 horns and 10 in the drum line and about 12 in the guard. BUt we performed our show with pride and had a great time. EVan if we never won a contest. in 75 i marched with the Kincston Indians and we won almost every show in class b. and finished 3rd at the world open, in that same year our management decided to put us in open class at the us.s. open , we score a 84 at the world open and droped to a 73 in the u.s. open and did not come close to making finals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff danchik Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Umm, complain? I stated all the issues the corps went through, any one of which could have spelled the end. There was no "regroup" after '75, if that's what you're talking about. I disagree that "egos" kill more corps than bad management mainly because it was egos IN MANAGEMENT, that brought the corps to it's knees. What did I do? I was one of the loyal idiots that toughed it out instead of going to another corps. I helped get that corps on the field, so yeah, considering all the BS the kids went through, it might have been better had someone put us out of our misery.A little history lesson might just be in order. I don't know, seems like some decent corps back then, around here. But ofcourse I just marched with one those goups and all they did was make finals and in the top 25 for how long, maybe 7-8 years.Another group up north seemed to be pretty good too I guess. As to egos I watched first hand the best leave other corps to go to 'the' better corps and gutted their former corps chances of getting better. At the time it seemed great we were getting all those better players, until the others started to fold.The percussion08 guy has started one corps,was a director at the Rockets, has tought percussion for 30 years around here, and still working with the activity here.That's the history lesson from some of us here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff danchik Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Wow guys! I never would have put Sharpsburg there. I mean, Western PA had some decent corps, not great but decent. Cambria Cadets, Sharpsburg, Derry Patriots, 84th Bucktail, Mavericks, etc. They weren't going to set the world on fire but hey, at least there was competition and to include all us lowly upstate NY corps too.Don't byotch about what happened 30+ years ago! Uh hum!! cough cough, one decent corps Royal Crusaders Sorry just an alum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff danchik Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 none of us 'back then' knew any better - we had little to no chance of making it through any prelims, winning shows, or making 'top 12', yet we went out every weekend - back when we had multiple competitions to choose from within driving distance every week - gave it our best and had the times of our lives doing it. Even the diminutive Thunderherd deserved their time on the field - and people still stood and cheered for them! My neighbor marched Herd, he's now the Parks Director in Pittsburgh.Jay McPherson marched Herd too! There was quite a number of corps in the mid 70's big and small,Sr and All Girl, we just can't get people anymore to work together.What a shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocketman Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 Who the heck did you merge with????s/ Guy who didn't discover Western PA until he went away to college in '77.... and didn't hear of the Cadets until a few years ago.... Did find out about Ebensburg Cambria Cadets in '77 because a guy on my dorm floor was a sop player there. PS - My first corps had about 18 horns, 7 drummers few flags and never got out of the practice room at the local legion. Kept going over the same page of the same song, then would grumble how to get more members. Corps put out of it's circle je... err misery when we merged with another corps that was reforming and needed warm bodies to make the field. You mean to tell me you never heard of the Sharpsville Blue Sabres? I'm Stunned! Well, join the club. I had never heard of them either until we were told about the merger. Like I said, after '74, (28 brass), we were pulling 40+ brass during the winter rehearsals and 20+ in both guard and percussion. But the bottom dropped out in the late spring for reasons that were never really known by the corps members that stayed. In spite of all the staff quitting and merging with a corps 140 miles away, we went from a first show score and last place on July 3rd of 32.90 (Latrobe, PA) to a 6th place score (out of 10) on July 13th score of 48.90 (North Tonawanda, NY). Definately the highlight of our season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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