Ya Know Eastern Mass.

[Bossop]

Thanks for the reminder of Hank O'Donnell. He was originally drum major for the I.C. Rockets of Salem before he moved into senior corps. Didn't he ultimately wind up as a state representative or state senator?

The I.C. Rockettes were an all girl corps from Salem, MA, but their feeder corps was the Comets, for both boys and girls. (Maybe there were Rockets before I got into drum corps, but I am not aware.) Jim Centorino played in the Comets. Hank O'Donnell was from Salem and marched in the Clippers (from Peabody/Salem) The Clippers had both a junior and senior corps. When the Clippers disbanded (around 1958), some of the younger members of the senior corps joined the Majestic Knights of Charlestown. This included Hank O'Donnell who became the drum major of the Majestic Knights. Some of the older members of the senior Clippers joined Prince. When O'Donnell aged out of the Majestic Knights, he joined Prince, becoming drum major there. Hank taught, became Superintendant of Schools in Salem, and I think, became Mayor, but my memory could be wrong.

Members of the disbanded junior Clippers became the nucleus of the newly formed Peabody Musketeers. (My first corps) After about a year, some members quit and joined the newly formed Danvers Vets, renamed the Blue Angels. Later, they merged with the Reveries "Blue-veries" and after the Cardinals meged into them, formed North Star.

PHHEEW!!!

[Andyroo]

The I.C. Rockettes were an all girl corps from Salem, MA, but their feeder corps was the Comets, for both boys and girls. (Maybe there were Rockets before I got into drum corps, but I am not aware.) Jim Centorino played in the Comets. Hank O'Donnell was from Salem and marched in the Clippers (from Peabody/Salem) The Clippers had both a junior and senior corps. When the Clippers disbanded (around 1958), some of the younger members of the senior corps joined the Majestic Knights of Charlestown. This included Hank O'Donnell who became the drum major of the Majestic Knights. Some of the older members of the senior Clippers joined Prince. When O'Donnell aged out of the Majestic Knights, he joined Prince, becoming drum major there. Hank taught, became Superintendant of Schools in Salem, and I think, became Mayor, but my memory could be wrong.

Members of the disbanded junior Clippers became the nucleus of the newly formed Peabody Musketeers. (My first corps) After about a year, some members quit and joined the newly formed Danvers Vets, renamed the Blue Angels. Later, they merged with the Reveries "Blue-veries" and after the Cardinals meged into them, formed North Star.

PHHEEW!!!

Just a couple of followups....

There were three corps from I.C. of Salem - the Rockets (boys and girls), the Rockettes (all-Girl) and the Comets (the feeder corps).

I had Centorino's father as a professor in college - terrific guy. But by then - '65 or so - Jim had already moved on to Boston Crusaders.

I must admit to never having heard of the Clippers having a junior corps - at least up through 1961, when I left the area. The Clippers themselves were originally from Salem, but later moved to Peabody for reasons unknown. A couple of us from the Cardinals went over to one of their rehearsals with an eye toward possibly joining. That lasted only one afternoon.

The Peabody Musketeers were originally from St. Adelaide's Church. Toward the end, after they had become the Peabody Musketeers, I did their drill for a year. What a joke! They had no horn instructor, no drum instructor, just me. In their one show that year they placed second out of eighteen (I think) in M&M at the World Open, and dead last in every other caption.

[TennTux]

Why do I see a pattern in your life developing here??????

Things that make you go Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....................................

Twice is a pattern?

63-68 Lynn Continentals was the 1st (out of two) satin blouses I wore.... 69 BAC (red and black Cadet jacket), 70-73 Renegades (red "tuxedo" shirt w/black vest), Hurcs (white and black "Ike Jacket" shirt), Sunrisers (75-79 white satin shirt (#2) with a blue "ascot" - 80 white shirt w/rainbow cross sash and cummerbund - 81 white tunic top w/orange and blue cross sash and cummerbund - 82-85 white "Ike Jacket" shirt w/blue and orange cross sash and cummerbund.

I know, in your days Sun wore the Cadet Jackets..... (what did Selden wear BITD?)

*edited fer spellin'*

Edited January 8, 2010 by TennTux

[gsksun4]

Twice is a pattern?

63-68 Lynn Continentals was the 1st (out of two) satin blouses I wore.... 69 BAC (red and black Cadet jacket), 70-73 Renegades (red "tuxedo" shirt w/black vest), Hurcs (white and black "Ike Jacket" shirt), Sunrisers (75-79 white satin shirt (#2) with a blue "ascot" - 80 white shirt w/rainbow cross sash and cummerbund - 81 white tunic top w/orange and blue cross sash and cummerbund - 82-85 white "Ike Jacket" shirt w/blue and orange cross sash and cummerbund.

I know, in your days Sun wore the Cadet Jackets..... (what did Selden where BITD?)

The pattern I was referring to was the colors. Orange Blue and white.

Sun was indeed the cadet jackets. Still to this day my favorite for Sun over the years. I joined Selden in early 63 and wore the white satin shirt with the black trim and gold sash. I think there were three gold chevrons on the left side of the chest. We switched to cadet jackets in the middle or end of 63. Not sure if this is allowed, but here's a pic from 64. I'm in the sop row behind the drums dead center. Tall skinny kid. http://www.seldencadets.org/FP_Pictures/sc-64teampic.jpg

Here's a good one from Shea Stadium, 1964 with Hy Drietzer and Garfield in the background.

http://www.seldencadets.org/FP_Pictures/Selden_Shea1964.JPG

Edited January 7, 2010 by gsksun4

[TennTux]

The pattern I was referring to was the colors. Orange Blue and white.

Aaaahhhh... In the words of Roseanna Rosannadana, "N e v e r m i n d"... LOL

Sun was indeed the cadet jackets. Still to this day my favorite for Sun over the years.

Mine as well...

I joined Selden in early 63 and wore the white satin shirt with the black trim and gold sash. I think there were three gold chevrons on the left side of the chest. We switched to cadet jackets in the middle or end of 63. Not sure if this is allowed, but here's a pic from 64. I'm in the sop row behind the drums dead center. Tall skinny kid. http://www.seldencadets.org/FP_Pictures/sc-64teampic.jpg

Here's a good one from Shea Stadium, 1964 with Hy Drietzer and Garfield in the background.

http://www.seldencadets.org/FP_Pictures/Selden_Shea1964.JPG

Thanks for posting! Great pics!

[drumz5150]

My Boston Crusaders Senior Corps has had a few former Cardinals and North Star members among us, and our horn instructor, Rick Connor taught North Star for a while. We even played two North Star arrangements the past 2 years. (This Masquerade and Ole') I think too much time has gone by for those members to get into the type of shape it would take to be a modern competitive corps. If they wanted to play, alumni corps or competitive mini-corps would be more suited. Today's senior corps are really "all-age" with lots of teenagers filling the lines. The Manchester Muchachos had thoughts of competing in the past, but I don't know if they have such ambitions presently.

We have 2 former Gatesmen marching with us. I don't know of any recordings of them. I can remember Benny Stafford playing the solo in Stardust. It would be good to hear them again.

As a staff member of the Manchester Muchachos,its not easy getting people to join the drum corps activity in any form around here.Obviously things have changed over the years,and a portion of the lack of interest is the advertisement or promoting of the activity.Its still costly to host a DIV II/Open Class show,and we've been doing that for several years now.We have a good turn out for crowds,but still its been many years since NH has really seen the drum corps activity in any full form.Its also not easy if you dont have many former marching members in your area to talk things up.Also its not easy getting into local schools to PR the corps.Things have definately changed.We up here in NH have been busting our butts over the past few years to change things and its working.We have the best instructional staff the corps has had in years w/experience from corps such as the Boston Crusaders,Spartans(NH),27th Lancers,just to name a few.A few names from the staff are Chris Dufault(Spartans,BAC,27th Lancers) & Joe Taylor(BAC & Spartans)....We have a good base structure and working environment.Its also costly to run things,and not everyone wants to perform in parades :)

We are celebrating our 50th Anniversary this year(2010) and the corps continues to keep growing this year.Last year was a very good year for the corps and this year is even better from talent to music.We have former marching members from the Garfiled Cadets days,27th Lancers,SCV,Spartans,GSG,Fitchburg Kingsmen just to name a few.We have no intension of slowing done either.Anyone interested check out the website. www.muchachos.org

It would be nice to keep the drum corps activity alive in the North East.

[Bossop]

Just a couple of followups....

There were three corps from I.C. of Salem - the Rockets (boys and girls), the Rockettes (all-Girl) and the Comets (the feeder corps).

I had Centorino's father as a professor in college - terrific guy. But by then - '65 or so - Jim had already moved on to Boston Crusaders.

I must admit to never having heard of the Clippers having a junior corps - at least up through 1961, when I left the area. The Clippers themselves were originally from Salem, but later moved to Peabody for reasons unknown. A couple of us from the Cardinals went over to one of their rehearsals with an eye toward possibly joining. That lasted only one afternoon.

The Peabody Musketeers were originally from St. Adelaide's Church. Toward the end, after they had become the Peabody Musketeers, I did their drill for a year. What a joke! They had no horn instructor, no drum instructor, just me. In their one show that year they placed second out of eighteen (I think) in M&M at the World Open, and dead last in every other caption.

I must correct you on a couple of things. I know Jim Centorino was in the Majestic Knights in 1965 because I rode to practice with him every week. I can show you the corps picture with him in it. I'm pretty sure he was in MK in 1966 too, because I believe he played the solo in Now and Forever, the corps' signature song then. (I was in Prince in 1966.)

I was in the Peabody Musketeers from when they began 1959/60 until 1963. Bill Seward ran the corps and taught both horns and M&M. His daughter Charlotte was the drum major. In 1964, Jim "Papa" Lutz taught horns. They went inactive in 1965 (allowing me to get a wanted release to join the Majestic Knights). They weren't associated with St. Adelaides until after that but I never saw them in those days. I have the programs of the shows they hosted during the first 3 or 4 years including the rosters of kids, and also jacket patches; the regular Musketeers one and the St. Adelaides one. When the Musketeers started, the World Open had not even been initiated. The World Open was created by the Drum Corps News/Fleetwood Record people. First there were the records, then Drum Corps News, (I still have issue #1 from their very first year), and then the World Open.

It looks like you and I went to the same college. (Salem State) What years were you there? Maybe we were classmates and didn't know it.

[Andyroo]

I must correct you on a couple of things. I know Jim Centorino was in the Majestic Knights in 1965 because I rode to practice with him every week. I can show you the corps picture with him in it. I'm pretty sure he was in MK in 1966 too, because I believe he played the solo in Now and Forever, the corps' signature song then. (I was in Prince in 1966.)

I was in the Peabody Musketeers from when they began 1959/60 until 1963. Bill Seward ran the corps and taught both horns and M&M. His daughter Charlotte was the drum major. In 1964, Jim "Papa" Lutz taught horns. They went inactive in 1965 (allowing me to get a wanted release to join the Majestic Knights). They weren't associated with St. Adelaides until after that but I never saw them in those days. I have the programs of the shows they hosted during the first 3 or 4 years including the rosters of kids, and also jacket patches; the regular Musketeers one and the St. Adelaides one. When the Musketeers started, the World Open had not even been initiated. The World Open was created by the Drum Corps News/Fleetwood Record people. First there were the records, then Drum Corps News, (I still have issue #1 from their very first year), and then the World Open.

It looks like you and I went to the same college. (Salem State) What years were you there? Maybe we were classmates and didn't know it.

I'm sure you're right about Centorino. I threw out that '65 date without even thinking about it. I think his father and I met later - probably toward my senior year, so '67 or '68 for his having gone to Boston would most likely be more accurate.

I think probably I was referring to the second iteration of the Peabody Musketeers. Bill Seward was still running it, but it was no longer St. Adelaides. Charlotte was still drum major. I knew Jim Lutz, because he and his son came over to the Cardinals as some point (can't remember the year).

I'll root around in my boxes upstairs and see if I can find the reference to the World Open year. It was definately the World Open, and it was definately in Manning Bowl, and the Musketeers definately competed in Class B. I'll see if I can find the year.

And yes, I did go to Salem State. Left the army early to start there in September of '64 and graduated in '68.

Since you were competing at that time, perhaps you remember Duffy's Lights. Duffy Callahan (an old member of Prince) had purchased a diesel generator on a flatbed trailer and we would go around providing temporary lighting for contest fields that had no lights, and relatively few high school fields in Massachusetts had permanent lights at that time. I worked with Duffy for three or four summers doing the lighting while I was in college.

[captcastile]

As has been pointed out earlier, there was an enormous junior corps activity in the eastern Mass/Greater Boston area - with the numbers supporting three distinct circuits (Eastern Mass., Mayflower, and CYO). Unfortunately, however, that began to peter out in the Sixties and early Seventies.

Today, the ages of the folks involved back then would be in the mid-fifties at the very least - hardly conducive to a competitive corps.

I will say, however, that one of the things that's always surprised me was the lack of interest in an alumni corps on the part of the Cardinals/North Star organization. A reunion of that crowd could result in a very impressive alumni corps.

The irony of that is the Cardinals have probably the best Alumni in the state, as far as running local shows, Drum Corps softball tourneys and staying active in the Drum Corps scene here in MA, I've always wondered why they never gave Alumni Corps a shot, or even a reunion Corps.

I wanna say Centerino marched in Boston in 69-71 straight out of Boston College....of course no one is suppossed to know about 71...shh

[TennTux]

I must correct you on a couple of things. I know Jim Centorino was in the Majestic Knights in 1965 because I rode to practice with him every week. I can show you the corps picture with him in it. I'm pretty sure he was in MK in 1966 too, because I believe he played the solo in Now and Forever, the corps' signature song then. (I was in Prince in 1966.)

I was in the Peabody Musketeers from when they began 1959/60 until 1963. Bill Seward ran the corps and taught both horns and M&M. His daughter Charlotte was the drum major. In 1964, Jim "Papa" Lutz taught horns. They went inactive in 1965 (allowing me to get a wanted release to join the Majestic Knights). They weren't associated with St. Adelaides until after that but I never saw them in those days. I have the programs of the shows they hosted during the first 3 or 4 years including the rosters of kids, and also jacket patches; the regular Musketeers one and the St. Adelaides one. When the Musketeers started, the World Open had not even been initiated. The World Open was created by the Drum Corps News/Fleetwood Record people. First there were the records, then Drum Corps News, (I still have issue #1 from their very first year), and then the World Open.

It looks like you and I went to the same college. (Salem State) What years were you there? Maybe we were classmates and didn't know it.

Yep.... (not that you needed anyone to agree...LOL)

Jim Centorino's competitive DC history

Majestic Knights, 1965-1966 Sop Soloist

Boston Crusaders, 1967-1971 Sop Soloist

Matadors, 1974-1982 Sop Soloist

My wife (Donna's maiden name is Coyle) and I would love to see the MK pic(s) if you are able to locate them!

Donna marched in MK from 63-69, through the 69 merger with St Kevin's Emerald Knights. (St Kevin's Majestic Knights)

Jim brought me over in 69 from the Lynn Continentals...