1970 Brookhaven Crusaders - future Crossmen and former Fawns.

[Martybucs]

In 1965 Brookhaven competed at the National Association Championship, in Chester, PA on September 18.

In 1966 the Nat. Assn Championship was held September 17.

In 1967 they competed at a show in Reading on September 24.

In 1969 Brookhaven was at a show in East Lansdale, PA on September 20.

In 1970 they competed in Philadelphia on September 19.

Those are the latest dates I find for Brookhaven.

The American Legion Nationals were held in October in both 1960 and 1962, and there were two separate contests held on October 21, 1962. One was the Greater New York Championship (they often held their title shows in October) and there was one in Kearney, NJ that same date.

Thanks for checking on that stuff. I remember freezing my butt off at retreat waiting for scores more than once; more likely after Labor Day.

See, MikeD, yet another thing DCI killed, the Sept., Oct. or Indian Summer shows. :P

[Martybucs]

I got some comments about the video quality so I tried to improve it. I changed from avi. to mpv.4 format. It is better. Although I lost all my views on the site and I better relink.

The link at the beginning also goes to this improved video.

Edited June 27, 2007 by Martybucs

[Martybucs]

This is something I thought about. I mentioned the horns were piston/slide and the toms are two bass drums bolted together. I remember we wanted the whole hornline to be on valve and rotor and chrome plated. The piston/slide were gold lacquer. We had a budget meeting and the new horns would've pushed the yearly budget past the $14,000.00 mark!! We just got new sopranos one year and baris the next.

[Martybucs]

From Cozy's Corpsdom Feb. 2007:

Blue Rock Victorious at Baltimore’

Thus read the banner headline of Drum Corps News, Oct. 21, 1970 (my yellowed subscription, 35 cents, which I ripped twice while reading). With “John Wilson” in the byline, Wilson wrote: “…with the Rocks were the (Eastern States) Circuit-leading Brookhaven Crusaders, Hamilton White Knights, Belvederes, York White Roses and Shadettes.”

We were 6 points behind Blue Rock in that show. I remember it because we beat their hornline and that drove them nuts.

Edited June 27, 2007 by Martybucs

[MikeD]

Vicki Drummond was one of the absolute finest drum majors on the field during the 1970s!!

Oh yes, I agree. The black uni...riding boots...and long dark hair nearly to her waist! Ah!!!! :P

She had a wonderful "DM voice" as well...lower and more resonant than most of the guy DM's.

[MikeD]

See, MikeD, yet another thing DCI killed, the Sept., Oct. or Indian Summer shows. :P

By my era, we only went into very early Sept...NJ States in Wildwood and the Boonton Harmony corps show were the two after VFW's I remember. We were a "swiss cheese drill" by then, as many members were off in college.

[Malibu]

I just meant Media Fawns, Brookhaven Crusaders, Keystone, and the Hornets were all from Delaware County.

Robby and Charlotte lived in West Chester and that's basically where the xmen office was (in their house). When they announced us, they said "West Chester," sometimes they even said Philadelphia, guess it depended on the show. I don't think Boeing parking lot had a post office box for us. Crossmen also had a warehouse in West Chester for the Corps where we held Bingo and practices from 1981-????

Yes, we practiced in Newtown Square, which is about 5 miles down the street from West Chester, also practiced at Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne, PA and Sun Center in the Winter, and Boeing in Ridley Township in the Spring and Summer.

So basically, we were from the Delaware VALLEY.

Sometimes the members in the corps would take bets on where we would be announced from.....it seemed to change from night to night. Either, "From....West Chester, PA, Delaware County, PA or Philadelphia, PA.....the CROSSMEN!" :P

It was all good because we practiced all over the place especially during the winter months. Once spring came and most people who were out of state moved in, we started practicing at Boeing near Ridley Park.

[uncle z]

I think that DCI Hall of Famers Jim Prime and Donny Van Doren marched in the Chessmen back then.

I have a '76 US Open program that shows that Jim and Chris Prime were Chessman horn/drum instructors and Don Van Doren was corps director.

[Martybucs]

I remember Jim Prime marched a parade with Brookhaven, maybe 1968 or 1969, he was good and picked the music up right away and we were jealous because he was using his Chessmen horn which was chrome plated and had a rotor and we were using piston/slide gold lacquer bugles. At the end of the very hot parade he went off to the side and to our horror just tossed his horn on the grass and fell down beside it cursing our wool uniforms.

Also, I checked and a total of 18 Crusaders ended up with Crossmen. When you think of all the corps that were in just Delaware County it's amazing that only Archie is the lone drum corps presence in the county.

[Jimbalaya]

Hay Marty........what county is Wayn, PA in? I thought it was Delaware. It's not Chester, but might be Montgomery.

If Wayne IS in Delaware Co., then there are two corps, soon to be three, from DelCo

Jimbalaya

I remember Jim Prime marched a parade with Brookhaven, maybe 1968 or 1969, he was good and picked the music up right away and we were jealous because he was using his Chessmen horn which was chrome plated and had a rotor and we were using piston/slide gold lacquer bugles. At the end of the very hot parade he went off to the side and to our horror just tossed his horn on the grass and fell down beside it cursing our wool uniforms.

Also, I checked and a total of 18 Crusaders ended up with Crossmen. When you think of all the corps that were in just Delaware County it's amazing that only Archie is the lone drum corps presence in the county.