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What Jr. Corps made drum corps popular?


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"Making Drum Corps "Popular"":

Sounds like one of the numbers from "Wicked"..... Anyway: Junior Drum Corps as a "regional" activity (In the East at any rate)was actually quite "Popular" back in the 1950's and 1960s. The fact that there were SO MANY OF THEM had a lot to do with it. "Weekend" contests usually started in early May and ran through October.

St Vincents Cadets went a long way to "Popularize" drum corps with the inception of the National Dream Contest in the late 1940's. At times it seemed like all of New Jersey was sitting in Roosevelt Stadium.

Folks in the Greater Boston area knew who "Their" particular corps were as the olde CYO Circuit hosted a huge number of them, as well as a Championship that took three days to complete.

In my old hometown drum corps was VERY well known (Again as there were a lot of juniors in the County, as well as the Hurricanes and Stratford Yankees)with huge Annual contests such as the Barnum Festivals "Champions on Parade" that featured the best of the seniors. I well rmember Hedges Stadium and later Central's JFK Field SRO on BOTH SIDES , just packed with fans watching drum corps competitions.

Sad to see almost all of it long gone away.....

Elphaba

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Edited by elphaba01
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Man, a topic like this could go on for almost ever. There's been so many great corps over the years that have had an impact, but like many others I'll go with the Troopers. For better or worse they pretty much initiated the touring model that's in place today, mostly out of necessity - not design. Back then the entire activity was centered almost entirely in the northeast and midwest. Wyoming? Where was that? So they loaded up the trucks and busses and took the show on the road. That was back in the days when corps were still using company fronts and marching with squads doing box pivots. Then the Troopers came along with their trademark sunburst formation and that just blew people away. It was unforgetable.

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Man, a topic like this could go on for almost ever. There's been so many great corps over the years that have had an impact, but like many others I'll go with the Troopers. For better or worse they pretty much initiated the touring model that's in place today, mostly out of necessity - not design. Back then the entire activity was centered almost entirely in the northeast and midwest. Wyoming? Where was that? So they loaded up the trucks and busses and took the show on the road. That was back in the days when corps were still using company fronts and marching with squads doing box pivots. Then the Troopers came along with their trademark sunburst formation and that just blew people away. It was unforgetable.

No disrespect to the Troopers who pioneered touring but the Norwood Park Imperials were early adopters of the sunburst ... from a provious DCP thread:

No need to drag this thread on for another month. I believe we have a winner! Was told this was from 1958. So much for those who preached that Jim Jones originated this drill.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=MQWR34lkNXw

(sorry for some reason the link is not working)

:-)

Edited by ajlisko
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You know, I forgot how long ago this thread was started and whilst reading through a thought struck me: Troopers: when did they really start that touring thing? It had to be 1964. They traveled from Colorado through the Midwest, out to NYC and ended that year in Connecticut for the World Open.

The stopover in New York City was memorable ... why?

Because the World's Fair was happening The World's Fair Championship sponsored by the New York Daily News. The scores:

1 Chicago Royal Airs 85.300

2 Saint Kevin's Emerald Knights 84.600

3 Cavaliers 84.450

4 Racine Kilties 84.350

5 Troopers 82.800

6 St. Joseph's of Batavia 82.300

7 St. Lucy's Cadets 81.950

8 Racine Scouts 80.900

9 Garfield Cadets 78.550

10 Magnificent Yankees 76.950

Suffice to say many, many people from around the World took in that show.

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I remember it vividly. In 1964 the World Open was held in Bridgeport CT. Only the top ten made finals and the Troopers finished 11th at prelims. The show organizers had to bring them back for an exhibition at finals or there would have been rioting in the streets.

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You know, I forgot how long ago this thread was started and whilst reading through a thought struck me: Troopers: when did they really start that touring thing? It had to be 1964. They traveled from Colorado through the Midwest, out to NYC and ended that year in Connecticut for the World Open.

The stopover in New York City was memorable ... why?

Because the World's Fair was happening The World's Fair Championship sponsored by the New York Daily News. The scores:

1 Chicago Royal Airs 85.300

2 Saint Kevin's Emerald Knights 84.600

3 Cavaliers 84.450

4 Racine Kilties 84.350

5 Troopers 82.800

6 St. Joseph's of Batavia 82.300

7 St. Lucy's Cadets 81.950

8 Racine Scouts 80.900

9 Garfield Cadets 78.550

10 Magnificent Yankees 76.950

Suffice to say many, many people from around the World took in that show.

"Worlds Fair Championship":

The August WF Championship was actually a VFW show, run by "None Other" than Tony Schlecta. Yeah, one and the same. The Daily News Show was much earlier in the season amd run with a Prelim and Finals for both seior and junior clases. Blesed Sac won the junior, Hawthorne Caballeros the senior.

The WF contest was actually decided by penalties. St Kevins and the Racine Kilties BOTH had one point penalties that cost them each the title.

The next day, at the Bridgeport World Open Prelims, in a surprising turn of events, the Racine Scouts, Garfield Cadets and St Lucys Cadets (As well as the Madison Scouts) ALL beat St Josephs knocking them into a 14th Place prelim finish.

Talk about point and position swings....

Elphaba

WWW

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Lets add Schaumburg Guardsmen with their commercial for Kentuckey Fried Chicken. Did any other corps do a national commercial before this? Wasn't long after that that they were a top 12 corps.

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"Worlds Fair Championship":

The August WF Championship was actually a VFW show, run by "None Other" than Tony Schlecta. Yeah, one and the same. The Daily News Show was much earlier in the season amd run with a Prelim and Finals for both seior and junior clases. Blesed Sac won the junior, Hawthorne Caballeros the senior.

The WF contest was actually decided by penalties. St Kevins and the Racine Kilties BOTH had one point penalties that cost them each the title.

The next day, at the Bridgeport World Open Prelims, in a surprising turn of events, the Racine Scouts, Garfield Cadets and St Lucys Cadets (As well as the Madison Scouts) ALL beat St Josephs knocking them into a 14th Place prelim finish.

Talk about point and position swings....

Elphaba

WWW

So ... it's not often I get to do this but I've got to quote you verbatim on this because it's just beautiful.

"They had a "Prelim" (Won by Blessed Sacrament, due to a 2 point "Lateness" penalty to the Garfield Cadets), but THE "Record Penalty" went to St Josephs Patron Cadets who were smacked with a whopping 17 POINTS in penalties for being late. :tongue:

Blessed Sacrament went on to win the junior "Finals" (St Lucy's & Garfield were the other "Finalists"), and the Hawthorne Caballeros won the Senior NY Daily News Championship with the Sunrisers and Marksmen rounding out the contest."

And you're right - it was May of 1964 at Flushing Meadow

1 Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights 79.420

2 St. Lucy's Cadets 78.530

3 Garfield Cadets 78.200

4 Hawthorne Muchachos 73.900

5 Holy Family Defenders 72.000

6 Connecticut Royal Lancers 70.570

7 Selden Cadets 69.630

8 Bronx Kingsmen 67.620

9 St. Annes Loyalaires 67.270

10 OLPH Ridgemen 65.000

11 Lindenaires 55.300

12 St. Joseph Patron Cadets 42.020 - minus 17.00! :lookaround:

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I’m not sure they are rifles, they look a bit like flags. For some reason I remember hearing the story about weapons and thought they learned at Lake Placid only flags would be allowed. Of course for me, they’d just be urban legends since I watched from the comfort of home. Some of the former members of 27th who have a great recollection of all things 27th will have to say whether rifles were at Lake Placid or left in the storage truck.

I see rifles

02_13_2006_27ice.jpg

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