INSIDETHEFORTY Posted June 18, 2011 Author Share Posted June 18, 2011 Friendship between competitors? We just don't hear much about such things in this day and age! Having been a Blue Devil fan for many years, I naturally am curious about the progress of thier West Coast rival, Santa Clara Vanguard! I was at the SCV evening rehearsal on Friday at Rough Rider Stadium in Saginaw, TX. It will be interesting to see how they compare with the other G-8 corps in the competition there tonight! It will also be very interesting to see if there is friendship among these competing corps! Can you illustrate for us any places, circumstances, or times when such friendship has come to the fore since 1999? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjeffeory Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 Friendship between competitors? We just don't hear much about such things in this day and age! Having been a Blue Devil fan for many years, I naturally am curious about the progress of thier West Coast rival, Santa Clara Vanguard! I was at the SCV evening rehearsal on Friday at Rough Rider Stadium in Saginaw, TX. It will be interesting to see how they compare with the other G-8 corps in the competition there tonight! It will also be very interesting to see if there is friendship among these competing corps! Can you illustrate for us any places, circumstances, or times when such friendship has come to the fore since 1999? Would be great to hear some impressions of them, maybe in another thread? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 (edited) One of the best examples I ever saw of the goodness of this activity was in the mid 70's when a fast ascending, new, North Star Drum Corps from Massachusetts was coming back from tour in the midwest and were looking forward to showing their fans in their home state how much they had improved while on the several weeks Tour. The World Open ( big national show back then )show competition would be right in their back yard too. They were pumped. They had been moving up the placement ranks fast while on tour. But while on the travel back, a fire broke out in their equipment truck. Nobody was hurt, but much of their uniforms, instuments were incinerated. It was a horrible fire loss. They arrived at the World Open stadium, and they all got off the busses devastated. They would not perform in the Prelims. They would be spectators. They all would have to watch the others compete from the back stands. It was hard to swallow. They were obviously bummed out. Then, as the story goes, a Corps Director from a small Open Class Corps approached the Corps Director of the World Class Division North Star and said that his Corps would like to offer the North Star their instruments, uniforms to help them out and perform. The North Star Director initially thanked him for the gracious offer but declined. But soon word filtered out to other Open Class and All girl Corps ( who had already competed in their Class Divisions ) and their Directors about the North Star plight and several other Corps Directors approached the North Star Director now enmasse and said that they could arrange the loan of uniforms, instruments, whatever it took, to make sure that the North Star kids would get to perform and compete. They wouldn't take no for an answer either. The Director then gathered his North Star Corps together, told them what would happen, they were thrilled they would get their shot to perform and compete in the Prelims. But they would have to move fast, as time was not on their side as they were scheduled to perform soon. The North Star staff scrambled fast to get the unis donations that came in ( over a dozen Corps made offers to loan equipment, unis ), and get the North Star Corps fitted and ready. Then they rushed to get them into formation to enter the stadium. It was about 12 noon for the Prelims. They came onto the field and they were without a doubt the worst looking Drum Corps to ever enter the field for competition. They had a combo of street clothes, and a mismatch of uniforms like you have never seen and will never see again. They were ugly looking. But they were also handsome and beautiful. The crowd was already on it's feet cheering. The Corps was sky high and pumped. ALL the Corps that had contributed to this moment ( mostly Open Class Corps that had already competed ) were about to go on that field in competition symbolically with the World Class Division North Star Corps. The North Star Corps Prelims performance was awesome. Their best of the year. They made the Finals, and competed that night in the Finals where again they were a big hit with the crowd. The fact that the following year the North Star Corps broke into the DCI top 12 Finals for the first time is a sidebar to this. The REAL story here is the humane and compassionate manner and quick action and response that a few Corps Directors in the Open Class made when they saw another Corps in need, and would not allow that Corps marchers to miss out on a Competition due to an unfortunate, unforseen accident they had no control over. This is an actual true story. This happened in 1976, and it demonstrates the compassion and cameraderie that existed in that moment in time in DCI. Edited June 18, 2011 by BRASSO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INSIDETHEFORTY Posted June 18, 2011 Author Share Posted June 18, 2011 (edited) Thank you very, very much for sharing that North Star / open class corps story with me! I had not known about that incident and the following acts of kindness before today! Such willingness to share and sacrifice for the good of others is extremely rare in today's world. It is my hope that if any corps encounters extreme difficulties that the entire drum corps community would pull together to help that corps through it's time of need! Even those who are near the top need help from those who are near the bottom! A truly humbling experience! The North Star fire story is one of the best drum corps stories I have ever read! Edited June 18, 2011 by INSIDETHEFORTY 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ecamburn Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 (edited) 1992 retreat. Before 92 SCV was a perennial powerhouse, only placing outside the top 6 once since the beginning of DCI. Before 92 Crossmen had never placed in the top 6. In 92 Crossmen were 6th and SCV 7th. At Finals retreat, instead of playing to the stands, SCV turned and played their retreat song to the Crossmen. Crossmen went nuts. Pure class. Edited June 18, 2011 by ecamburn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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