Catholic Drum Corps

[Andyroo]

I drove past Most Precious Blood School in Hyde Park with my 15 year old yesterday and was trying to explain the origins of the Crusaders. (of course the little smart ### said, "I thought they were from Florida!") but I explained the CYO and Dominic Bianculli and the Halcyon days of the activity here in Boston long before I came up here.

Every day I turn off of Morrissey Blvd onto Dominic Bianculli Blvd at UMass Boston I think about the St. William's Band, and the antecendents of what we have today. It feels like a history lesson, but it shouldn't be forgotten, lest our kids think that Al Gore, or worse yet, George Hopkins invented drum corps.

Dominic Bianculli was truly a mover and shaker. He was, I believe, the Adjutant General of the Mass. National Guard, among his many other state government positions.

It was his influence that got us (St. Mary's Cardinals) into a large field house at Ft. Devens during the winter of '57/'58. It was there that Mickey Petrone announced that we'd be competing in the Dream the next season.

Just as important, I heard that it was his influence that allowed the Hyde Park Crusaders, their first season after leaving the Most Precious Blood parish, to obtain uniforms from West Point - light gray cadet jacket, white pants with no stripe, and a deep red cummerbund - probably the '55 or '56 season.