The Good Old Days weren't all that good

[Tim K]

I just stumbled upon this thread and thought it would be interesting. It does seem that “bad” and “good” is subject to opinion. As far as circuits folding, at least in Massachusetts, I’m not sure DCI can be blamed. In Massachusetts, many corps, as well as bands and drill teams, lost sponsorship from organizations due to costs. For many of the CYO units, they were sponsored by parishes that also had schools. I know of one CYO drum corps where the pastor had the decision of whether to keep the school or drum corps. Understandably the school won. There is also one factor that seems to be ignored. At the time that the corps began to dwindle in Massachusetts, funding for public school music programs also dried up. A lack of music education had to hurt. Perhaps DCI could have helped corps come up with creative ways to fundraise and finance a unit, but they would have little sway over taxpayers and local school boards.

This is depressing. I think I’ll go back to reading about kids not having enough to eat while on tour and peeing out of busses.

First off, the "time commitment and expense of participation" in corps like Blue Saints and the all-age corps are no more now than they were 20-30 years ago (obviously adjusting the $$$ for inflataion). So, that excuse does not fly.

Second, explain to me how "DCI drum corps" forced circuits like Garden State, Eastern Mass, CYO, etc. to fold? As far as I know (and I lived with a member Director for many years), all of these are separate organizations that controlled their own destiny. DCI did not have any regulatory power over these other circuits. Yet, virtually all of them folded due to lack of members. So, how is that different than my argument above?

[Navillus WP]

Marching with 27th Lancers in the early 70's were the best years of my life. (And it's been a doozy.)

We had all the crap posted previously. Yeah the clunker buses broke down and we peed in bottles. Yeah, we ate crappy food and stunk. But George Bonfiglio to each one of us on our individual Day One in the organization: It isn't easy being a Lancer. We knew what we were in for.

Generally, the stuff that was B-A-D were actually pretty heavy issues. Some examples:

• On several occasions, our meal orders were not taken in diners because we were a racially-integrated organization. One in Nahunta, GA was particularly tense....
• A few of our corps "rumbles" were with all-white drum corps which -- stranglelyenough -- were from cities that had a substantial racially-diverse populations.
• Before they had a chance to age-out, some of our friends were lost to drug addiction, alcoholism, and the draft.

But above it all. kids came off the streets and learned to play bugles, beat a drum, throw a rifle .... and make a commitment to something bigger than they were alone. City and suburban kids learned to live and laugh and work with people not like themselves or their families.

Edited December 30, 2011 by Navillus WP

[Navillus WP]

I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Edited December 30, 2011 by Navillus WP

[PR_ducky]

Best thing about the good old days?

My membership dues my rookie year at Regiment were $330

Its 10 times that now.

[84BDsop]

Then perhaps you could explain why there is a corps from Minnesota poised to win DCA championships in the very near future? (currently in 2nd place in DCA).....

I;d just like to point out hoe prophetic this post was....from 07 October 2009!!

[HornsUp]

My membership dues my rookie year at Regiment were $330, Its 10 times that now.

My membership dues were $25. That got us a 10-day VFW Nationals/World Open tour, housed in dorms and hotels, eating in cafeterias and restaurants.

[onceuponatime]

The Cadets will be moving on to their 78th year of continuous operation in 2012. They've been fortunate enough to have experienced the "good old days," the more recent past, and modern-era drum corps. During all of those 78 years young men and later young women experienced, and continue to experience, all the life-altering experiences that this historical forum is designed to preserve and celebrate. As an earlier poster suggested, nostalgia for "our time" and "our memories" probably does, at least for some of us, cause us to sometimes overlook the joy of knowing that each Spring a new generation begins to lay the foundation for the memories and nostalgia that they too will look back upon with the feeling of "paradise lost" that all of us who hold our own memories close to our hearts are currently feeling.

The Church of the Most Holy Name in Garfield, where The Cadets began their journey all those years ago, is currently celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the establishment of their parish. The Cadets are scheduled to participate in the closing event of that anniversary celebration in early June of 2012. For The Cadets the past and the present are proudly intertwined, with some alumni dwelling on "what was," while others focus more on what is yet to come. My personal viewpoint is that we all, Cadets and those we had the honor to share the field of competition with, have been uniquely blessed with memories that can never be tarnished. How fortunate that, as an activity, we have our past, our present, and with each Spring, a new future. I will never forget "my time" and "my memories," but I still feel a surge of excitement as I look forward to each new year. For those who cannot make that leap I understand why, but I wish that you too could continue to build new memories to add to those you already have in your hearts.

[GUARDLING]

The Cadets will be moving on to their 78th year of continuous operation in 2012. They've been fortunate enough to have experienced the "good old days," the more recent past, and modern-era drum corps. During all of those 78 years young men and later young women experienced, and continue to experience, all the life-altering experiences that this historical forum is designed to preserve and celebrate. As an earlier poster suggested, nostalgia for "our time" and "our memories" probably does, at least for some of us, cause us to sometimes overlook the joy of knowing that each Spring a new generation begins to lay the foundation for the memories and nostalgia that they too will look back upon with the feeling of "paradise lost" that all of us who hold our own memories close to our hearts are currently feeling.

The Church of the Most Holy Name in Garfield, where The Cadets began their journey all those years ago, is currently celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the establishment of their parish. The Cadets are scheduled to participate in the closing event of that anniversary celebration in early June of 2012. For The Cadets the past and the present are proudly intertwined, with some alumni dwelling on "what was," while others focus more on what is yet to come. My personal viewpoint is that we all, Cadets and those we had the honor to share the field of competition with, have been uniquely blessed with memories that can never be tarnished. How fortunate that, as an activity, we have our past, our present, and with each Spring, a new future. I will never forget "my time" and "my memories," but I still feel a surge of excitement as I look forward to each new year. For those who cannot make that leap I understand why, but I wish that you too could continue to build new memories to add to those you already have in your hearts.

well said !!!!!

FHNSAB

[Puppet]

Marching with 27th Lancers in the early 70's were the best years of my life. (And it's been a doozy.)

Generally, the stuff that was B-A-D were actually pretty heavy issues. Some examples:

• On several occasions, our meal orders were not taken in diners because we were a racially-integrated organization. One in Nahunta, GA was particularly tense....
• A few of our corps "rumbles" were with all-white drum corps which -- strangly enough -- were from cities that had a substantial racially-diverse populations.
• Before they had a chance to age-out, some of our friends were lost to drug addiction, alcoholism, and the draft.

But above it all. kids came off the streets and learned to play bugles, beat a drum, throw a rifle .... and make a commitment to something bigger than they were alone. City and suburban kids learned to live and laugh and work with people not like themselves or their families.

Yep. Jacksonville, FL. Been there, same here. Ugly stuff.

Best thing about the good old days?

My membership dues my rookie year at Regiment were $330

Its 10 times that now.

Please see below.

My membership dues were $25. That got us a 10-day VFW Nationals/World Open tour, housed in dorms and hotels, eating in cafeterias and restaurants.

Ah, $0.00 dues. Hotels and Motels. Most notably the Marco Polo on the Beach in Miami one year ( speaking of the VFW Nationals) And oh yeah! There were no fast food joints so we actually ate FOOD!

The Cadets will be moving on to their 78th year of continuous operation in 2012. They've been fortunate enough to have experienced the "good old days," the more recent past, and modern-era drum corps. During all of those 78 years young men and later young women experienced, and continue to experience, all the life-altering experiences that this historical forum is designed to preserve and celebrate. As an earlier poster suggested, nostalgia for "our time" and "our memories" probably does, at least for some of us, cause us to sometimes overlook the joy of knowing that each Spring a new generation begins to lay the foundation for the memories and nostalgia that they too will look back upon with the feeling of "paradise lost" that all of us who hold our own memories close to our hearts are currently feeling.

The Church of the Most Holy Name in Garfield, where The Cadets began their journey all those years ago, is currently celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the establishment of their parish. The Cadets are scheduled to participate in the closing event of that anniversary celebration in early June of 2012. For The Cadets the past and the present are proudly intertwined, with some alumni dwelling on "what was," while others focus more on what is yet to come. My personal viewpoint is that we all, Cadets and those we had the honor to share the field of competition with, have been uniquely blessed with memories that can never be tarnished. How fortunate that, as an activity, we have our past, our present, and with each Spring, a new future. I will never forget "my time" and "my memories," but I still feel a surge of excitement as I look forward to each new year. For those who cannot make that leap I understand why, but I wish that you too could continue to build new memories to add to those you already have in your hearts.

Wow ... did you ever see those Charlie Brown specials and whenever one of the parents spoke it was like a muted trumpet or something? That's what that stuff above looks like to me. But I'm here to help. The good old days for the Garfield Cadets was hearing Barbara Maroney play those solos like nobody else could. And with all the flowery blah, tradition blah, blah, they still have not given her a berth in their own Hall Of Fame.

Yeah, I'm still upset about the non service in Jacksonville, too. Equally shameful. Just saying.

[DPEmerald]

The good old days for the Garfield Cadets was hearing Barbara Maroney play those solos like nobody else could. :worthy: :worthy: And with all the flowery blah, tradition blah, blah, they still have not given her a berth in their own Hall Of Fame.

The buglers HOF should also put her in. Might wake up the Garfield alumni