1964 VFW - CLEVELAND, OHIO

Major scores (since the Imperials did not make finals .. only a few scores are shown here)

Junior Prelims (45 corps competed):
1. Kilties 87.60
2. Royal Airs 86.20
3. Boston Crusaders/ St. Kevin’s 85.85
5. Beverly Cardinals 85.75
6. St. Lucy’s Cadets 85.5
7. Cavaliers 84.4
8. Vasella Musketeers (PA) 84.30
9. Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights 83.95
Note: Troopers were 11th, Garfield was 12th, Phantom was 15th, Madison was 19th, Norwood Park was 21st, Black Knights were 26th.

Junior Finals (12 corps):
1. Kilties 85.95
2. Royal Airs 84.475
3. Cavaliers 83.90
4. Boston 82.95
------------------------------------------------------

From Dave Borck:

Gosh. 21st place. What a major disappointment. The corps staff knew that Finals was a long shot, but 21st!? (Of course, 21st out of 45 might be looked on as "pretty good". but not for us) The corps stayed in an area motel.

The corps quartermasters “enjoyed” an (expensive) encounter with the Ohio State Police while driving the rental truck home from C

Our music that year included War March of the Priests (opener) and Beautiful Savior .... sort of a religious year for us? Didn't help with the judges at Nationals!
------------------------------------------------------------------

What did you do in the Corps? percussion

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-63

This is one Nationals I prefer to forget because of the placement. It was the only Nationals I ever watched from the stands until American Legion Nationals in Chicago in 1973 when I was out of drum corps.

I remember the buses had a lot of comments written on the windows with shoe polish as we drove to watch the show. Our motel was in an area about like Norridge and the entertainment was killing flys in our rooms.

I've been to Cleveland twice this year on business. It is still "the mistake by the lake," but not the wasteland the is Detroit. I think the only two things in Cleveland are the Rock and Roll hall of fame (I don't know why it is in Cleveland) and the house used for the movie "Christmas Story" (it has a lamp styled like a woman's leg). They actually have tours of the place.

What did you do in the Corps? Baritone

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

yes, 1964 VFW was a real "bummer" for us.

but it was also a reality check and helped us to improve in 1965!

Dave,

I believe the reality check came earlier that year at the Lane Tech Standstill. We were close to the bottom--below about everybody but maybe the McHenry Viscounts. The next practice we had a new brass instructor and added a few additional experienced sopranos. We'd lost all the strong first sopranos from the late 1950s through 1963. Cleveland (the entire competitive season) could have been a lot worse if changes weren't made earlier. Based on our season prior to 1964 VFW I'd have thought we'd do better than 21st in Cleveland. We wouldn't have made the finals but we'd be in maybe 15th place. The Phantom Regiment (15ht) hadn't come close to us all year.

In retrospect, before going to Cleveland we lost to a corps called the Emerald Cadets in Marion Ohio. Probably should have gone home at that time before spending the time in Cleveland.