SAW THE PICTURE OF THE 1964 NORWOOD PARK BICYCLE DERBY PARADE.

THIS REMINDED ME OF THE MANY LOCAL APPEARANCES OF THE CORPS ....

. THE ANNUAL MEMORIAL DAY PARADE
. THE BICYCLE DERBY PARADE
. CHRISTMAS PARADES

WHAT OTHER MEMORIES DO YOU HAVE?

What did you do in the Corps? drummer: later: Quartermaster, assistant drum instructor

What years were you a Corps member? 1958- 63

As I recollect the Christmas parade was in Edison Park and I recollect marching in 4th of July Parades in Edison Park in both the Cadets and Imperials.

What did you do in the Corps? Baritone

What years were you a Corps member? 1959 thru 1961 Cadets 1962 thru 1966 Imperials

John, yes the Christmas "parade" was in Edison Park. I remember one year it was SO cold that we only appeared by playing in a service bay of the Edison Park Sinclair gas station!

4th of July was ALWAYS a busy day for the corps!

The Norwood Memorial Day parade was a favorite though. We marched through Norwood Park (up Raven Ave), across then RR tracks and through the "old" part of town. The parade went to the cemetery of Higgins Road .. where we did a flag raising ceremony and played "Taps".

What did you do in the Corps? drummer: later: Quartermaster, assistant drum instructor

What years were you a Corps member? 1958- 63

I'm with John on this one. I would much rather practice than march a parade UNLESS it was the Nationals parade, a parade through Disney World or the Orange Bowl Parade that I did with a couple of bands. Great parades were special, but too few in number. I marched so many parades that I really got to dislike them unless they were special. By special, I DO NOT mean the Milwaukee Schlitz Circus parade. I marched that parade in 1971 with Kilts and was almost overcome by the length of the parade, the heat, the stench from the animals we marched behind as well as all the schlitz from those animals we got all over our shoes and spats. We left a mountain of spats in Milwaukee that day. Nobody wanted to touch them. The most distressing part was marching behind elephants and horses.....then trying to dodge their droppings. Not my idea of a good time.

I will say that the VFW parade in New York was a blast though. All the stoned hippies marching along side us was really bizarre. We met our share of street people also.

What did you do in the Corps? Brass Instructor, Corps Manager

Also have to remember that the corps made a little money when performing in most of the parades (at least expenses were covered). Also, if the contest had a parade marching in the parade was part of the deal.

Like most, I liked those shows where a parade wasn't involved--the Friday night shows like the midwest Dream.

What did you do in the Corps? Baritone

What years were you a Corps member? 1959 thru 1961 Cadets 1962 thru 1966 Imperials

It's interesting, that even with the Corps no longer based in Norwood Park, we still did a parade there. As I remember it, Bob commented about Rockford on another thread, I think we passed every house in the community. At least I'm grateful that Norwood is smaller than Rockford. Some of those smaller community parades were good recruiting tools and even paid our debt to sponsors and forpractice facilities.

What years were you a Corps member? A Corps manager 76-79

Sorry Bob, I just want to add that though I agree most parades "sucked", there was an upside in that the monies made for some them was more than that earned from shows.
They were a necessary evil in a monetary sense, even to the point of helping pay percussion instructioners salaries. Cou I figure were even, your turn.

What years were you a Corps member? A Corps manager 76-79

Yep, contests were great and the main goal, but parades paid the bills. I can't count how many I marched through the years. I just remember marching 30 of them one summer with the Kilts because we were having financial difficulties. We ended the season out of debt and with enough money to refit the horn line and drum line with new equipment.

We marched our share of parades with Imperials. Didn't Henry Majewski have some contact with the city of Chicago and get us into quite a few Chicago parades? I remember that St. Patricks day parade that Jim referred to. It was always cold and very windy.

What did you do in the Corps? Brass Instructor, Corps Manager

I must say.. I hate parades... except.... Rhode Island july 4th... what a beautiful parade route.. long though.. and hot

Jerry, he did have connections with the city acquired over the years and the St. Patricks Day parade was sponsored by some union he obtained. In 1974, Lynn Hauscheer was the manager, the Cadets marched the Polish Day parade with a minor problem. It seems Henry put the Polish flag upside down, which was vociferiously pointed out by the spectators. I am not sure Lynn ever forgave him.

What years were you a Corps member? A Corps manager 76-79

Jim,

That's what I remember. Sometimes that information sits stored in the back of our memory until someone on here mentions something that triggers the memory. Thanks for confirming it. I know we booked those parades for Scarlet Knights back in the mid 70s with Henry also.

My recollections of Henry are that he was a good man that was dedicated to the corps and it's members. I remember one of the girls from the guard telling me at a Royal Air rehearsal that Henry would pay her dues and sometimes even pick her and other members up and provide transportation so they could get to rehearsals or performances. That is a meaningful reference to the man's heart and character. The corps may have had shortages in money and at times people, but the people that were active ALWAYS had good, kind hearts and were loyal to the corps and it's most important purpose as a youth activity. Henry should be remembered for that his heart and his acts of kindness in sponsoring members who otherwise would not have been able to afford to be in the corps.

What did you do in the Corps? Brass Instructor, Corps Manager