Parade World (9-12-62)

By Harvey Berish
Drum Corps News 9-12-62 issue

September has finally arrived and with it cool fall days, time to polish up for the annual circuit and national championship contests.... Best of luck to all corps as we hit the finale of this 1962 season.

The VFW magazine had a most interesting article about Drum Corps competitions entitled .. "It Takes a Lot of Work to Win the Pageant of Drums" and it was written by Bob Wenderski of the Chicago Cavaliers' staff. For those of you able to get a copy of the magazine it is well worth reading and showing to your boosters and parents.

New York still talking of the new state champion Loretto Corps... They put on a beautiful show and sportsmanship was shown by the great Queensmen when they rooted wholeheartedly for the Loretto corps from from the stands, where they stayed after finding out about their disqualification for not appearing in uniform at the state parade the night before. Cries of "Keep the championship in the city" rang out through the stands.... They also gave their Mariannette girls a nice hand... the Mariannettes carried a Queensmen bass drum on the field.... at least part of the Queensmen were represented.

I'm still opening tons of mail from my recent two month's leave from the city ... and believe me, it can pile up on you, especially when you get more than 20 letters almost every day ... Those of you waiting for answers will still have to wait a while.

Thanks to Claire Frey of the St. Helena's Cadets for the nice letters she has been sending me while I was gone .... Claire is Major of the Cadets, having just assumed command from former major Eileen Deitz.

Today's feature is a new all-girl corps that is making rapid strides and is slated to soon hit the field as a full fledged M&M unit ... The corps pictured above is the St. Ignatius All-Girl Cadets Corps. It was started through the efforts of Monsignor George Bitterman and Mr. William Minihan. Thomas Costa, a parishioner of St. Ignatius in Hicksville and former instructor of the Mt. Carmel Cadets, was invited to instruct the group and they were on their way. In April, 1959 the corps received their instruments which were drums and "G" bugles.

The corps has appeared throughout the Long Island area and has taken several trips out of their area, including a three day trip to Rochester, New York for the State Firemen's Convention. . . . This year, appearing with their new piston bugles, the corps has paraded in the New York Puerto Rican Festival Parade and many other Long Island events.

The corps consists of 48 buglers, 16 drummers, and a 12-girl color guard ... They also have a 30-girl novice corps in training . . . May I wish this spanking new corps best of luck in the future. We in New York all look forward to your first competitive M&M appearance ... With your spirit and enthusiasm you are bound to do well soon.

One last note on the "Manhattan" Dream contest being sponsored by the Privateers Drum Corps of Brooklyn in the Bronx . . . It will introduce a host of new corps of the Garden State Circuit to New Yorkers . . . make sure you are on hand at Gaelic Park on September 21 to see this great spectacle. This will be the 4th contest in our area this year and in the same stadium and so don't miss it .... there are many thousands of you who know exactly where Drum Corps stadium is now ... so come down to 241st Street and B'dway for a fine evening of corps entertainment.

'Til next time . . "Drop a line, anytime"