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So ... not quite the Most Famous Shows Ever ... but ... in 1966, at the AL Nats Parade in NYC, the Bpt PAL Cadets (16th Prelims) and Argonne Rebels (24th Prelims) got into a "you play" - "I'll play" scenario while waiting for the parade to start ... the corps lined up opposite of each other on the sidewalks of NY, blasting powerful tunes at each other ... it was truly a drum corps moment to remember ... what was comical was the fans in the street who would turn back and forth, waiting for the next tune to be played ... ya hadda luv it!!!!

:-)

You sure that wasn't VFW Nats in 1966? VFW was at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey. Legion Nats were in Washington, D.C.

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You sure that wasn't VFW Nats in 1966? VFW was at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey. Legion Nats were in Washington, D.C.

You are correct ... VFW ... 1966 ... NYC was the host where the parade was ... show was held at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City ...

:-)

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Most famous show ever? 1966 VFW Nationals : the I.C. Reveries famous "sit-down" at Finals. This changed history, and rattled the VFW powerbrokers.

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The corps placed 14th in the prelims, two positions out of the finals and right behind the Racine Scouts. Both corps had received many tenths in penalties which had kept them out of the finals. But this was pre-Drum Corps International, and politics still played a large role in final results. As the drama unfolded, apparently someone from the Scouts was in tight with one of the show's sponsors and their penalties were waived by VFW Coordinator Tony Schlecta.. Depite the fact that the rules allowed only 12 corps in the Finals, Schlecta ruled the Scouts could compete as a 13th corps. When members of the Reveries staff protested that if the Scouts penalties were going to be overlooked, so should the Reveries (which would move them into 11th place.) Their protests were dismissed by Schlecta. The corps was infuriated. George Bonfiglio and John Shea, along with other members of the support staff decided they were not going to take this lying down. Against the protests of people like horn instructor Jim Wedge who cautioned against any rash behavior fearing long term consequences, the directors instructed drum major Richard "Gus" Provist and color guard captain Sandy McLeevey to march the entire corps up to the metal gate where the corps would enter for finals. In doing so, the Reveries had to get past St. Joe's of Batavia, a finalist corps with a fierce reputation at the time. When St. Joe's drum major Joe Eduardo discovered why the Reveries were pursuing this course of action, he decided to offer the services of his corps and not stand in their way. As the corps reached the large metal entrance gate to the stadium, a voice from inside asked who they were, and when Provist answered "St. Kevin's", a corps that had made finals, the gate went up and the corps marched onto the field and into the drum corps history books. The entire corps sat down on the starting line and refused to leave until they were allowed to perform. After a tense fifteen minute standoff during which police were called to the scene, the VFW coordinator reluctantly allowed the corps to go on but they would not be judged and they would not be counted in the final results. The crowd, which initially seemed hostile began to swing to the corps side after word began to circulate through the stands that the corps was not treated fairly by the VFW Coordinator. They chanted "Let them play let them play!"

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Most famous on DCP Historical Forum would seem to be '75 Muchachos. Not saying best or most influential or anything like that, but most often discussed. Which is a type of fame.

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Most famous show ever? 1966 VFW Nationals : the I.C. Reveries famous "sit-down" at Finals. This changed history, and rattled the VFW powerbrokers.

cfb512aa.jpg

2352143066_b677c67f48_o.jpg

The corps placed 14th in the prelims, two positions out of the finals and right behind the Racine Scouts. Both corps had received many tenths in penalties which had kept them out of the finals. But this was pre-Drum Corps International, and politics still played a large role in final results. As the drama unfolded, apparently someone from the Scouts was in tight with one of the show's sponsors and their penalties were waived by VFW Coordinator Tony Schlecta.. Depite the fact that the rules allowed only 12 corps in the Finals, Schlecta ruled the Scouts could compete as a 13th corps. When members of the Reveries staff protested that if the Scouts penalties were going to be overlooked, so should the Reveries (which would move them into 11th place.) Their protests were dismissed by Schlecta. The corps was infuriated. George Bonfiglio and John Shea, along with other members of the support staff decided they were not going to take this lying down. Against the protests of people like horn instructor Jim Wedge who cautioned against any rash behavior fearing long term consequences, the directors instructed drum major Richard "Gus" Provist and color guard captain Sandy McLeevey to march the entire corps up to the metal gate where the corps would enter for finals. In doing so, the Reveries had to get past St. Joe's of Batavia, a finalist corps with a fierce reputation at the time. When St. Joe's drum major Joe Eduardo discovered why the Reveries were pursuing this course of action, he decided to offer the services of his corps and not stand in their way. As the corps reached the large metal entrance gate to the stadium, a voice from inside asked who they were, and when Provist answered "St. Kevin's", a corps that had made finals, the gate went up and the corps marched onto the field and into the drum corps history books. The entire corps sat down on the starting line and refused to leave until they were allowed to perform. After a tense fifteen minute standoff during which police were called to the scene, the VFW coordinator reluctantly allowed the corps to go on but they would not be judged and they would not be counted in the final results. The crowd, which initially seemed hostile began to swing to the corps side after word began to circulate through the stands that the corps was not treated fairly by the VFW Coordinator. They chanted "Let them play let them play!"

The 1966 Nationals issue was not with the Racine Scouts as an organization , but with Madison Scouts' management and design team's decision.

Madison Scouts took advantage of a loophole in the prelims rules. It stated that execution judging would cease when the first member exited the field, but timing to meet minimum time requirement would continue until the last member exited.

Madison wrote a prelim show wherein one bass drum player left the field two minutes after the starting gun for OTL., causing all execution judging to stop, thus artificially raising their execution scores accordingly. In effect, other units were assessed execution mrks for 4 minutes, Madison for only 2 minutes. Because they seemed apparently well "undertime" as well as consciously and premeditatively breaking the spirit of the timing rule was deliberate unsportsmanlike conduct, they were assessed a 2 point penalty, which put them to 14th place behind the Reveries in 13th - both out of the twelve-corps Finals. The rules said ONLY 12 WILL COMPETE IN FINALS. Madison protested the penalty and argued that they followed the rules to the letter, and were not actually undertime, and did not feel that breaking the spirit of the timing rule constituted deliberate unsportsmanlike conduct.

The VFW show coordinator had little time between Prelims and Finals, and results were posted for fans. So the Tony Schlecta revoked the undertime penalty, which put Madison in the Finals ahead of Racine and the Reveries. But people argued it would be unfair to drop the Racine Scouts from the Finals (dropped from 12th to 13th) after they were told they'd earned 12th spot and had been announced in the Finals. So, Schlecta allowed both to perform, by allowing a 13th Finalist.

The argument from the I.C. Reveries managers (led by George Bonfiglio) was that since the Racine Scouts (originally 12th), and the Madison Scouts (originally 14th), were in the Finals the Reveries (13th) should be, too.

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Just have to add:

Who among us have ever forgotten the chills from the infamous INT performance that night at that show in that city?

INTNightShow.jpg

There has never been anything like it before or since.

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The 1966 Nationals issue was not with the Racine Scouts as an organization , but with Madison Scouts' management and design team's decision.

Madison Scouts took advantage of a loophole in the prelims rules. It stated that execution judging would cease when the first member exited the field, but timing to meet minimum time requirement would continue until the last member exited.

Madison wrote a prelim show wherein one bass drum player left the field two minutes after the starting gun for OTL., causing all execution judging to stop, thus artificially raising their execution scores accordingly. In effect, other units were assessed execution mrks for 4 minutes, Madison for only 2 minutes. Because they seemed apparently well "undertime" as well as consciously and premeditatively breaking the spirit of the timing rule was deliberate unsportsmanlike conduct, they were assessed a 2 point penalty, which put them to 14th place behind the Reveries in 13th - both out of the twelve-corps Finals. The rules said ONLY 12 WILL COMPETE IN FINALS. Madison protested the penalty and argued that they followed the rules to the letter, and were not actually undertime, and did not feel that breaking the spirit of the timing rule constituted deliberate unsportsmanlike conduct.

The VFW show coordinator had little time between Prelims and Finals, and results were posted for fans. So the Tony Schlecta revoked the undertime penalty, which put Madison in the Finals ahead of Racine and the Reveries. But people argued it would be unfair to drop the Racine Scouts from the Finals (dropped from 12th to 13th) after they were told they'd earned 12th spot and had been announced in the Finals. So, Schlecta allowed both to perform, by allowing a 13th Finalist.

The argument from the I.C. Reveries managers (led by George Bonfiglio) was that since the Racine Scouts (originally 12th), and the Madison Scouts (originally 14th), were in the Finals the Reveries (13th) should be, too.

"Only Twelve In Finals":

In 1965 the VFW allowed FIFTEEN corps into Finals. With the incredible number of TRULY talented units in the "66" Prelims, I just wonder "Why" they didn't repeat the "Chicago" night show decision.

A whole lot of grief could have been avoided....

Elphaba

WWW

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"Only Twelve In Finals":

In 1965 the VFW allowed FIFTEEN corps into Finals. With the incredible number of TRULY talented units in the "66" Prelims, I just wonder "Why" they didn't repeat the "Chicago" night show decision.

A whole lot of grief could have been avoided....

Elphaba

WWW

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"Only Twelve In Finals":

In 1965 the VFW allowed FIFTEEN corps into Finals. With the incredible number of TRULY talented units in the "66" Prelims, I just wonder "Why" they didn't repeat the "Chicago" night show decision.

A whole lot of grief could have been avoided....

Elphaba

WWW

Yes but if the Reveries were allowed in the finals. The 27th Lancers may have never been formed. As you know George B only formed them after the IC church did not approve of what happened and was asked to leave I think but not sure. He was such a great guy. Now I'm crying.

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