Chicagoland Drum Corps & Winter Guard Reunion

[Michael Boo]

[From a press release]

Chicagoland Drum Corps & Winter Guard Reunion

First Annual All-Time Chicagoland Drum Corps & Winter Guard Reunion

The Chicago metropolitan area—fondly called Chicagoland by Colonel McCormick's Chicago Tribune—has over many decades been the home to countless drum corps and winter color guards. Corps of another era come alive when we look back at history books of our activity and some of the best came from the Chicago area. Did you know that five of the twelve finalist corps at the 1968 VFW Nationals in Detroit were from Chicagoland? Can you name them? Recall the names of many a Mid West color guard, who kept our winters exciting through weekend after weekend before Winter Guard International existed, when the Mid West Circuit Championship in April was considered a national championship for winter “comp” guards.

On Sunday afternoon, July 31, 2005 the memories can be relived, the stories can be retold and the friendly rivalries can be rekindled at the First Annual All-time Chicagoland Drum Corps & Winter Guard Reunion at North Central College in Naperville, IL. This reunion, sponsored by the Cavalier Alumni & Booster Association (CABA), is open to all former Chicagoland Junior and Senior corps and winter guards looking for a place and time to get together with their legacy brothers and sisters. We're even willing to stretch our boundaries if your group was based in the far suburbs or even spent many a weekend in the Chicago metropolitan area competing. The reunion was somewhat spurred by The Cavaliers summer program for 2005 “My Kind of Town” and runs in conjunction with that evening’s Cavalier-sponsored Cavalcade of Brass featuring one of the few summer showdowns between the current leaders of the activity, the Blue Devils and The Cavaliers.

The Cavalier Alumni & Booster Association will play host that afternoon with plenty of space on the beautiful North Central campus for your group to come together. There will be a spacious All-Alumni tent and chairs and tables for your gathering, as well as a cash and carry food concession dedicated to the reunion and an allowance for your organization to purchase group tickets (minimum 20 per group) if your alumni are interested in viewing the well-attended Cavalier-sponsored DCI contest in the evening.

There is no cost for your alumni group to participate in this event. CABA is currently planning one or two short presentations, a special place for your corps and guard memorabilia and surprises for all alumni who attend. CABA only requests that you organize your own alumni and that someone from your organization step forward to let them know of your interest and intent in getting your group together. Ticket orders for the Naperville show have tended to come in rather quickly, so don't delay if you're interested in taking advantage of the group ticket order for the evening show. CABA is excited to work with your group and we are looking forward to hearing from you. For more information and to get your organization's ball rolling, please contact:

events@cavaliers.org

Remember, save the date: Sunday afternoon, July 31, 2005 on the North Central College campus in Naperville, Illinois for the First Annual All-time Chicagoland Drum Corps & Winter Guard Reunion.

No matter how big or small, convince your group to reunite!