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“In 1972, the Scout’s show recreated some of the most memorable events that shaped “Old Glory’s” destiny. They also featured various historical flags of our country.
The Scouts failed to make finals at the first DCI Championship, placing 14th in the preliminary competition.” …
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“In 1937, a group of Madison businessmen watch a performance of the Racine Scouts at the University of Wisconsin Stock Pavilion. Impressed by the possibilities of a top-notch, entertaining youth activity, they decided Madison should have a scout drum and bugle corps as well. The men, led by E.J. Hess, organized the Madison Scout Drum and Bugle Corps and held its first rehearsal on February 8, 1938.” …
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“During the 1960s, many reserve force units in Canada had musical support elements or bands and, in many cases, these took the form of trumpet bands. These were, in fact, drum and bugle corps, because they used bugles.
In the case of the regimental band in Kingston, it too took this form and was part of the local militia infantry regiment known as The Princess of Wales’ Own Regiment, known in the city as the PWOR.” …
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“The Guardsmen were founded in 1961 by a local VFW Post in Mt. Prospect, Illinois. Following in the steps of many young corps of the era, the goal of the organization was to provide a youth activity that promoted music, good citizenship and proper moral character.” …
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“One evening in 1954, while sitting home studying my baritone parts, I jumped up from my chair to turn the radio up loud. What I heard was Les Paul and Mary Ford playing, “The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise”. I grabbed my phone and called Ray Nichols.
“Ray!”, I said, “I have a terrific idea! How about a new name for the corps?” …
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“Although ‘The Big Blue’ has frequently been described as having been “the greatest corps of all time”, for its members, the Royal Airs experience was always one of belonging and participating in something that was much larger than the contributions of its individual members, something that was far greater than the sum total of its parts.” …
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“In the fall of 1980, drum corps in the Eastern United States was in a decline. A mere five years before, there were a number of junior and senior corps in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts. By 1980, there were fewer and even fewer would be active by 1985.
Regardless, and against all odds, an organizational meeting was held on November 8, 1980 at the Keyport American Legion. Approximately 15 people attended, plus staff and administration.
The Bushwackers were born.” …
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“Star, as it was simply known to fans, would never have come to be had it not been for Carl Cook, son of Bill and Gayle Cook of Bloomington, Illinois. The Cooks had started up a company that grew to be a major supplier of coronary catheters for angioplasty procedures.
In 1979, Carl wanted to watch the DCI Championship Finals on PBS. His father had never seen drum corps until that fateful night from Birmingham, Alabama. The broadcast hooked them both on the activity.”
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“The predominately Japanese Seattle Buddhist Scouts was a church-sponsored, scout-affiliated unit mostly content to represent its community by performing at parades and civic events.” …
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“In the beginning it was always going to be the Blue Stars Drum & Bugle Corps. Whether it was the vision of Frank Van Voorhis’ mind, the brainstorming discussions around Dave Dummer’s kitchen table or the vanguard flag of their early color guard parade entries, the was never any question: there was going to be the Blue Stars” …