Spartans Strong in Early Exhibition

[kansasDC]

My grandson, who is now twelve, was not as enthusiastic about the guard show and wanted to spend the evening wandering the halls of the vast and circuitous Malden High School in search of the Spartans. I had to keep reeling him in. Good thing for him that in the second half some friends of friends showed up with some kids only a little older who stewarded him around a bit for me. His only real complaint was that the Spartans did not play nearly long enough for him. He pointedly looked at me in the end (with a bit too much attitude), and said, ”So, when can we see them again?” “Ah … maybe the Brockton show,” said I. “if you can remember your manners.” He was so cooperative and helpful the rest of the weekend. Plans are to take the two of them to that first show of the season and my grandson and a car load of his buddies to the Boston Crusaders Home Show in Lawrence. I have not quite talked my daughter into the Spartan Home Show on the long 4th of July weekend, but we’re working on that.

oldguard;

If your grandson is twelve already, why isn't he MARCHING??? :P

FYI: My son started at twelve in Div. III and loved every minute of it. He is now in his third season in DCI and cannot get enough. He has already started complaing that he only gets to march DCI for nine years.

[oldguard]

oldguard;

If your grandson is twelve already, why isn't he MARCHING??? :P

FYI: My son started at twelve in Div. III and loved every minute of it. He is now in his third season in DCI and cannot get enough. He has already started complaing that he only gets to march DCI for nine years.

I know ... his marching time is marching away. :(

This has become a much discussed matter between he and his parents since he saw his first show last summer.

Why did it take so many years to even get him to a show?

(Poor drum corps deprived kid ... I tell you, it is an outrage. )

His Mom, my daughter whom I love and admire, has never shared the family enthusiasm for drum corps. She chose not to march and did not enjoy the many shows which she was apparently forced to attend as a child to see her siblings, who did march. Also, she knew the day I took him to a show, he would very likely start pestering her to join. In this, Mom knew son. His Dad is a good guy but he knows nothing about drum corps. It is long standing joke in the family that my daughter chose him as a husband for just this reason. I have always respected my daughter's right to make her own decisions and to raise her children as she and her husband think best and they are both great parents. So the primary reason he does not march is the lack of parental consent.

The second is the distance he will have to travel to practice. I would help him out here, but I live over two hours away from him and he lives over two hours to the nearest corps and this corps (which is where he says he really, really, really wants to march) does not accept members under age 14. So this is another obstacle that we will have to overcome.

Since last summer, he calls me regularly to ask what "we" can do so he can march. :sos:

I tell him to hang in there, play his trombone, and wait. It is not a good idea if he constantly grumbles and rants at home about this, as it will negatively affect his case.

His parents have more or less decreed that, if he still wants to do so, he may march when he is 16 under the condition that he finish his Eagle Scout project first. He loves scouting; his Dad is one of his scoutmasters and he does want to earn his Eagle. They live in the country and my grandkids are also very active in 4-H.

I think he has plans to try to finish his project early and then storm the walls that are keeping him off the field.

So time will tell.

If he starts marching when he is 16, he will still have six years. Maybe more if we can manage something sooner.

In the meantime, he and I plot what shows we can work into his schedule.

[kansasDC]

I know ... his marching time is marching away. :(

This has become a much discussed matter between he and his parents since he saw his first show last summer.

Why did it take so many years to even get him to a show?

(Poor drum corps deprived kid ... I tell you, it is an outrage. )

His Mom, my daughter whom I love and admire, has never shared the family enthusiasm for drum corps. She chose not to march and did not enjoy the many shows which she was apparently forced to attend as a child to see her siblings, who did march. Also, she knew the day I took him to a show, he would very likely start pestering her to join. In this, Mom knew son. His Dad is a good guy but he knows nothing about drum corps. It is long standing joke in the family that my daughter chose him as a husband for just this reason. I have always respected my daughter's right to make her own decisions and to raise her children as she and her husband think best and they are both great parents. So the primary reason he does not march is the lack of parental consent.

The second is the distance he will have to travel to practice. I would help him out here, but I live over two hours away from him and he lives over two hours to the nearest corps and this corps (which is where he says he really, really, really wants to march) does not accept members under age 14. So this is another obstacle that we will have to overcome.

Since last summer, he calls me regularly to ask what "we" can do so he can march. :sos:

I tell him to hang in there, play his trombone, and wait. It is not a good idea if he constantly grumbles and rants at home about this, as it will negatively affect his case.

His parents have more or less decreed that, if he still wants to do so, he may march when he is 16 under the condition that he finish his Eagle Scout project first. He loves scouting; his Dad is one of his scoutmasters and he does want to earn his Eagle. They live in the country and my grandkids are also very active in 4-H.

I think he has plans to try to finish his project early and then storm the walls that are keeping him off the field.

So time will tell.

If he starts marching when he is 16, he will still have six years. Maybe more if we can manage something sooner.

In the meantime, he and I plot what shows we can work into his schedule.

Glad to hear he still has a chance to march. My son was destined to march. Both his grandfathers marched, his uncle, his aunt, and both his mother and father marched. His Mom was the "short-timer" from my generation, ONLY marching nine years. His Dad was the insane one, marching sixteen years in the same junior corps .

Quick question back on topic: Did Spartans wear any of the uniform for the exhibition? I always thought they have one of the most impressive uniforms in all of drum corps, but the hats really make the whole thing work. Not sure I would like to see them perform without the hats.

[oldguard]

Glad to hear he still has a chance to march.

I do believe his time to march will come. And, hopefully, his sister's and brother's, too. In the end, my daughter will relent and let him do what he really wants to do and, who knows, maybe she will even enjoy the shows when one of her own is out there. The image of her in my mind as a drum corps mom is a very amusing picture :)

My son was destined to march. Both his grandfathers marched, his uncle, his aunt, and both his mother and father marched. His Mom was the "short-timer" from my generation, ONLY marching nine years. His Dad was the insane one, marching sixteen years in the same junior corps

This is what I call a Drum Corps Family. So just how many marching years if you combine everyone?

Quick question back on topic: Did Spartans wear any of the uniform for the exhibition? I always thought they have one of the most impressive uniforms in all of drum corps, but the hats really make the whole thing work. Not sure I would like to see them perform without the hats.

They wore their full, traditional black/red/cream uniform .. and looked as sharp as ever ... but no helmets ... hair off their face and off their collars. I agree that they carry that helmet and high plume off with impressive style, but it was interesting to see those Spartan faces for once. Somehow they still looked just as fierce as ever.

My grandson scrambled down the bleachers with a couple of other kids and followed them out of the gym. My grandaughter and I waited for the guard awards. The Spartan drum major stayed behind with the guard captains. My grandson said the corps stood in silent attention, not making eye contact, in line outside the gym waiting for the drum major and then marched silently away down the hall. They do have presence.

[kansasDC]

This is what I call a Drum Corps Family. So just how many marching years if you combine everyone?

My father-in-law first marched in 1938. Between the six of us, we marched a total of (56) years. But we have been involved in many capacities for alot more years. My folks alone have been directly involved (non-stop) since 1963.

[oldguard]

My father-in-law first marched in 1938. Between the six of us, we marched a total of (56) years. But we have been involved in many capacities for alot more years. My folks alone have been directly involved (non-stop) since 1963.

That is a lot of marching years. What a great "drum corps family" act. :) Nice to see the family tradition is continuing.

Along matters discussed here, I've always thought the Blue Star uniform to be one of those sharp traditional looks. They certainly have a presence all their own. People here in the northeast, I for one, still remember how impressive Blue Stars were waiting in their long silent line going over the bridge to the field in Brockton for that final retreat in '05.

It was so good to see Blue Stars, not only back in Division I last summer, but in semifinals.

To get back to more on topic, Blue Star's success (and Academy's more recent move to Div I) gives credibility to the notion that I have that Division II is consistently filled with corps producing shows with a level of performance on the field that could easily compete in a more open class system.

I'd really like to see a return to a system whereby more of these strong corps might compete in an open quarterfinals. But that, just like anything I say, is just one man's opinion.

[guardmom13]

Our son started with a Div 3 and had a blast. The following year his sister was 12 and we told her that she would attend 3 camps, if she hated it fine but she was going to give it a try. Luckily she fell in love with guard and stayed. After we moved, they changed to a Div 2 Corps. So, this is our son's 7th and final year and our daughter's 6th year with her age out coming in '09.

We've teased our kids that we expect to see grandkids on the field one day. LOLOL It very well could happen!

Our son met his fiance` in the Div 3 Corps they were in together. She then moved on to a Div 1 Corps. Our daughter is now dating someone who marched Div 1 so he understands her leaving this summer.

My husband and I have discussed buying a motor home once he retires so we can travel to competitions and hopefully finals some years. We enjoy this activity and will (hopefully) continue to enjoy it and go to shows long after our kids have aged out.

Guardmom13

Edited April 2, 2007 by guardmom13