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Most Famous Show Ever?


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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.

It was a little more complicated than that.

After the 1966 VFW "Sit-down", the Immaculate Conception Reveries competed the next season (1967) and suffered a degree of black-balling, withdrawn invitations to competitions, inexplicable low caption scores, etc. In addition, a wave of out-of-parish kids joined: some of notable talent, and a few were black. Rising resentment of parish council support for an activity serving increasing proportions of kids from outside the Immaculate Conception Parish service boundaries, and the sub rosa undercurrent that black kids were taking spots from parish kids ....

At the end of the troubled 1967 season, Father Gallager just cut off the Reveries, indicating to Reveries director George Bonfiglio that -- between these issues and the lingering embarassment of the 1966 sit-down -- the Reveries were posing too many divisive issues and controversies for the parish council.

George B responded in accordance of the philosophy that he drilled into each of us who wore The Khaki: "Never quit. Never give in. Never take NO for an answer." He held a meeting in his family room and -- by the end of that evening -- the 27th Lancers were born. No uniform, no drums, no bugles, no guard equipment, no truck, no buses. Just a name and a commitment to be marching a full program by the 1968 season. They borrowed the old West Point uniforms JFK had donated to the Most Precious Blood Crusaders, and older equipment from the Majestic Knights of Charlestown, and marched in the Columbus Day Parade in OCT 1967. (see photo)

27-l671.jpg

Edited by Navillus WP
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I wasn't there then so I did not know for sure. You are right, they competed as the Reveries in 1967. After season ended George B started the 27th Lancers in the fall of 1967.

You can go to 27thlancers.net for lots of great info, photos etc.

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I wasn't there then so I did not know for sure. You are right, they competed as the Reveries in 1967. After season ended George B started the 27th Lancers in the fall of 1967.

You can go to 27thlancers.net for lots of great info, photos etc.

and also made finals that year in Detroit for the VFW!! A great show I might add. That was my what the **** have I gotten myself into show.

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  • 1 month later...

I'm very disappointed about this thread!!!

I read through all 5 pages and didn't see a reference to the most inspiring show and performance ever.

After the tragedy that these kids went trough how could we all forget Spirit 1980!!!

To this day - and I go back to 1967 - the loudest performance I"ve ever heard!! and the most emotional. Jim was proud of his kids.

Actually they were mentioned I believe maybe page 3 or 5 by DCI kid.

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One small note about the 1966 IC Reveries. The name of the drum major who led the corps into Roosevelt Stadium was, and is, Richard "Gus" PROBERT, not Provist. To this day he keeps a Moe Knox 8X10 glossy photo of himself being dressed down at very close range on the sideline by the "true founder" of DCI; the infamous Anton J "Tony " Schlechta. Gus also has the uniform he is wearing in the photo. Tony's face is purple with rage. Gus is wearing a marvelous KMA expression.

I mention dear Tony as the "true founder" of DCI because his treatment of the Reveries became one of the final burrs under the saddle blanket of the nation's junior corps. I believe that this incident led directly to the "Combine", and the UOJC, the immediate precursors of DCI. It also led to the formation of the 27th Lancers. The latter was a marvel, the former, eh... not so much.

This is all just IMO, of course

Edited by reallyoldfrt
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So...

DCI is worse for drum corps because BEFORE DCI...

...it was considered OK for a grown adult to allow the youth in his charge to stage a sit in over competitive results.

...there was an inconsistency in competitive results large enough to warrant a grown man approving these actions.

...when a sponsoring organization was displeased, the answer was to form another corps and march with a snarky sign.

...it was considered OK to mortgage one's home to run a marching band.

Are all these facts correct?

PS. The most famous show is probably old school Madison. Just so you don't operate under the assumption that I am simply "hating." Just restating knowledge gained in this thread!

Edited by DrillmanSop06
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So...

DCI is worse for drum corps because BEFORE DCI...

...it was considered OK for a grown adult to allow the youth in his charge to stage a sit in over competitive results.

...there was an inconsistency in competitive results large enough to warrant a grown man approving these actions.

...when a sponsoring organization was displeased, the answer was to form another corps and march with a snarky sign.

...it was considered OK to mortgage one's home to run a marching band.

Are all these facts correct?

PS. The most famous show is probably old school Madison. Just so you don't operate under the assumption that I am simply "hating." Just restating knowledge gained in this thread!

I marched in a Boston area CYO band in the mid to late 1970's, and the IC Reveries sit down strike was a part of drum corps lore here in Massachusetts. It was controversial. Some thought it was bold and powerful, usually 27th fans, some thought it sent a bad message, often those who marched with 27th's competitors.

I'd like to share what may be an original perspective on the IC Reveries sit down strike leading to the 27th Lancers. Now I can't tell the story from the point of view of a maverick confronting the stodgy VFW rules and an old school pastor. That's the job of former 27th Lancers. While I am a Catholic priest today, I never knew Fr. Gallagher and my guess is he met his maker many years ago, so I can't share his side with any authority. However, I do understand how a Catholic parish that sponsored a drum corps worked, I know many of the priests who were spiritual directors of the drum corps,bands and drill teams, some of them were the founders and I've heard their stories. I have also served in three parishes with connections to the activity.Many corps of the 50's and 60's that attracted the best talent both as members and staff outgrew the parish structure, even in parishes where the pastor and director worked well together. Parishes were wonderful havens for average corps, and above average corps, but as a corps became a major contender, parishes could be too restrictive and people making decisions, may have had great intentions but didn't know all the intricacies of the activity. My guess is that the senior Reveries, who became the original members of the 27th Lancers needed more than what a parish could offer and in time, there would have been a 27th Lancers or the Reveries would have split from the parish, with or without a sit-down strike and perceived poor judging at the VFW Nationals. It wasn't the first time a corps outgrew a parish: Holy name Cadets, became Garfield Cadets, MPB Crusaders became Boston Crusaders, later St. Andrew's Bridgemen became just the Bridgemen .

Drum corps history seems to have vindicated George Bonfiglio if he ever needed vindication, and his dedication to the corps he founded and his vision warrant the praise. Now I'm not sure I would have agreed with putting kids in the middle of a dispute today, but it was 1966. Sit down strikes were common, and as we know from the Civil Rights movement, they often worked. Also, is the thread about the right and wrong of the situation, or whether it was a famous story from a famous show. If people are still talking about it 46 years later, including someone like me who was three years old at thetime, it must have been quite a spectacle.

Edited by Tim K
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I guess we can always count on drillman to twist events to fit his own view of the world. I guess, to some extent we all do that. Mr D is evidently not a fan of George B., or the 27th Lancers. That is his right. I can tell you from personal experience that George B could be a difficult man to work for. But I can also tell you that NO ONE loved his corps, or the activity, more than he did.

Drillman probably isn't familiar with Anton J, or the many, many slights, outright insults, and complete misuses of his unchallenged power with regard to how the VFW Nationals was run. The Reveries were not the first corps to get "jobbed" by Tony. Over the many years of his hegemony there were literally dozens of corps that, quite innocently, got in his way, or somehow threatened some disruption to his Million Dollar Pageant of Drums, as the VFW modestly billed their annual extravaganza.

Ask around, drillman. You'll hear some stories.

George B was just the last, and most visible of the corps directors. And he was the only one with the courage, and the gear, to declare to the world, "F U, you miserable Bas***d! I'm not going to let you get away with shafting my kids and, by the way, the entire drum corps community!"

Having met Tony on a few occasions, I don't think he was quite the evil mastermind that has become his legacy. He didn't give a rats a** about drum corps. He cherished his exalted position within the VFW, which meant that he had to kow tow to the very sleazy internal politics of the VFW. That show made A LOT of money for the VFW. That money came from having the best corps in the country show up every year, at their own expense, and put on the best show. Of the two Nationals, the VFW was, by far, the more prestigious. And Tony was very proud of that. The last thing he needed was for someone to make waves, to have the VFW brass become aware of the slightest problem.

The VFW brass didn't give a rats a** about drum corp either. They enjoyed the money. And they enjoyed the contest. George B and the Reveries certainly got their attention. It was the beginning of the end for the VFW and the corps, and a huge impetus toward the formation of DCI.

For all his many faults, Tony never tried to put any drum corps out of business. He needed them to show up and perform. Other governing bodies may have made it their mission to systematically weed out the weak, the unfit, the unwealthy. But the VFW never did. We may argue motives, tactics, and dream about conspiricies, but we are faced with the incontrovertible fact that drum corps has become, for whatever reason, increasingly marginalized.

So, I'd say that the 1966 VFW finals was THE SINGLE most important event, for better or worse, in the entire history of drum corps.

Tony was not the evil villain. And George B just might have been the most courageous person to ever lead a corps, anywhere.

Again, my conclusion is only my opinion. The events are as they are.

Edited by reallyoldfrt
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I guess we can always count on drillman to twist events to fit his own view of the world. I guess, to some extent we all do that. Mr D is evidently not a fan of George B., or the 27th Lancers. That is his right. I can tell you from personal experience that George B could be a difficult man to work for. But I can also tell you that NO ONE loved his corps, or the activity, more than he did.

Drillman probably isn't familiar with Anton J, or the many, many slights, outright insults, and complete misuses of his unchallenged power with regard to how the VFW Nationals was run. The Reveries were not the first corps to get "jobbed" by Tony. Over the many years of his hegemony there were literally dozens of corps that, quite innocently, got in his way, or somehow threatened some disruption to his Million Dollar Pageant of Drums, as the VFW modestly billed their annual extravaganza.

Ask around, drillman. You'll hear some stories.

George B was just the last, and most visible of the corps directors. And he was the only one with the courage, and the gear, to declare to the world, "F U, you miserable Bas***d! I'm not going to let you get away with shafting my kids and, by the way, the entire drum corps community!"

Having met Tony on a few occasions, I don't think he was quite the evil mastermind that has become his legacy. He didn't give a rats a** about drum corps. He cherished his exalted position within the VFW, which meant that he had to kow tow to the very sleazy internal politics of the VFW. That show made A LOT of money for the VFW. That money came from having the best corps in the country show up every year, at their own expense, and put on the best show. Of the two Nationals, the VFW was, by far, the more prestigious. And Tony was very proud of that. The last thing he needed was for someone to make waves, to have the VFW brass become aware of the slightest problem.

The VFW brass didn't give a rats a** about drum corp either. They enjoyed the money. And they enjoyed the contest. George B and the Reveries certainly got their attention. It was the beginning of the end for the VFW and the corps, and a huge impetus toward the formation of DCI.

For all his many faults, Tony never tried to put any drum corps out of business. He needed them to show up and perform. Other governing bodies may have made it their mission to systematically weed out the weak, the unfit, the unwealthy. But the VFW never did. We may argue motives, tactics, and dream about conspiricies, but we are faced with the incontrovertible fact that drum corps has become, for whatever reason, increasingly marginalized.

So, I'd say that the 1966 VFW finals was THE SINGLE most important event, for better or worse, in the entire history of drum corps.

Tony was not the evil villain. And George B just might have been the most courageous person to ever lead a corps, anywhere.

Again, my conclusion is only my opinion. The events are as they are.

You have some interesting points about a story that may never end. Well said.

Edited by Tim K
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I guess we can always count on drillman to twist events to fit his own view of the world. I guess, to some extent we all do that. Mr D is evidently not a fan of George B., or the 27th Lancers. That is his right. I can tell you from personal experience that George B could be a difficult man to work for. But I can also tell you that NO ONE loved his corps, or the activity, more than he did.

Drillman probably isn't familiar with Anton J, or the many, many slights, outright insults, and complete misuses of his unchallenged power with regard to how the VFW Nationals was run. The Reveries were not the first corps to get "jobbed" by Tony. Over the many years of his hegemony there were literally dozens of corps that, quite innocently, got in his way, or somehow threatened some disruption to his Million Dollar Pageant of Drums, as the VFW modestly billed their annual extravaganza.

Ask around, drillman. You'll hear some stories.

George B was just the last, and most visible of the corps directors. And he was the only one with the courage, and the gear, to declare to the world, "F U, you miserable Bas***d! I'm not going to let you get away with shafting my kids and, by the way, the entire drum corps community!"

Having met Tony on a few occasions, I don't think he was quite the evil mastermind that has become his legacy. He didn't give a rats a** about drum corps. He cherished his exalted position within the VFW, which meant that he had to kow tow to the very sleazy internal politics of the VFW. That show made A LOT of money for the VFW. That money came from having the best corps in the country show up every year, at their own expense, and put on the best show. Of the two Nationals, the VFW was, by far, the more prestigious. And Tony was very proud of that. The last thing he needed was for someone to make waves, to have the VFW brass become aware of the slightest problem.

The VFW brass didn't give a rats a** about drum corp either. They enjoyed the money. And they enjoyed the contest. George B and the Reveries certainly got their attention. It was the beginning of the end for the VFW and the corps, and a huge impetus toward the formation of DCI.

For all his many faults, Tony never tried to put any drum corps out of business. He needed them to show up and perform. Other governing bodies may have made it their mission to systematically weed out the weak, the unfit, the unwealthy. But the VFW never did. We may argue motives, tactics, and dream about conspiricies, but we are faced with the incontrovertible fact that drum corps has become, for whatever reason, increasingly marginalized.

So, I'd say that the 1966 VFW finals was THE SINGLE most important event, for better or worse, in the entire history of drum corps.

Tony was not the evil villain. And George B just might have been the most courageous person to ever lead a corps, anywhere.

Again, my conclusion is only my opinion. The events are as they are.

I marched with 27th from OCT 1969. I knew George B as well as anyone. I was part of the everyday discussion of what had happened at the sit-down, hearing it from the people (adults and youths) who were present at that event.

People who were part of the organization will attest that George ran the corps like a strict father who makes sure that everyone had a stake in operations (in the rise and fall of events, in the planning future events) were kept closely apprised of the "WHAT" was going on as well as the "WHY" information. George used this style to enhance everyone's buy-in.

He told us all the time: "It isn't easy being a Lancer" because he demanded buy-in to his participatory democracy. He was a great listener and would make his decisions around the information and ideas we shared. (You may not agree with his final decision, but you had no doubt that George had listened to you.) He encouraged us to hang out at his house on South Cambridge street. His own children were like our brothers and sisters. (BTW, each of them marched in drum corps, one is still a nationally-recognized instructor.) His wife Patsy was a cross between everyone's aunt, big sister, and mother, depending on the circumstances.

George B did not have a disingenuous bone in his body. He was brutally honest, stunningly (sometimes brutally) candid, and squeaky-clean honorable. His pet peeve was "quibbling" -- playing games with facts and circumstances to make a lie seem like the truth, telling half-lies to avoid responsibility.

He had no time for cheats, back-stabbers, con artists, promise-breakers, and above all, people who took advantage of kids.

That being said, VFW National Championship organizers didn't promote drum corps for the good of either participating organizations or the youths participating. Organizers just wanted to promote a top-notch slate to ensure VFW conventioners made the Championship part of their planning each year, thus increasing the likelihood they would make the VFW National Convention an annual event. The prize money was ridiculously low for the finalists, and non-existent for the rest. Nobody was supposed to receive "appearance money." ALL corps funded everything (food, travel, housing, etc.) to get there and go thru the prelims. (In 1970 each of us paid $375 to cover transpo to Miami & our housing, and were individually responsible for 100% of all our food and beverages, even water at practices.)

To have all "his kids" pony-up all that money to get to the Nationals, and then be (seemingly) capriciously bumped-out -- while the lower-finishing corps leap-frogged over his kids and be allowed into the National Championship Finals because (as George viewed it) they'd quibbled themselves out of an unsportsmanlike penalty -- infuriated George. When AJ Schlecta told George he had zero interest in hearing anything George had to say because the mission of the show organizers was to expeditiously entertain the spectators, not support the kids trying to compete, George formulated his plan for the sit-down, not an unheard-of strategy in the Sixties.

It wasn't about George's ego.

BTW: In the years I knew George, I never knew him to say "F*** You" to/about anyone. He made decisions very deliberatly and for a purpose that we (mostly) understood because he wanted stakeholders to be in-the-know. I cannot recall any decision based upon the desire to use "his kids" to send a message of "Go screw yourself."

Edited by Navillus WP
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