Request for help from alumnus Dale Westin:

Dale advised that he is helping the local community with a youth marching band, for the poor children in his area. Here is what he said:

“As I stated earlier, I am now the president of the Port Antonio (Jamaica) Eagles Marching Band Parent's Association and devote a lot of my time to getting our band going, having started with only a few borrowed instruments from the Salvation Army.

This is a poor area of Jamaica and even to have a single pair of decent shoes is a great accomplishment for a lot of these children. In the past three years we have run various fundraisers to buy shoes and uniforms. While I can no longer describe the group as "rag-tag" we have a long way to go. We have talked about developing a "Big Brother" type relationship with a top USA based marching group and it occurred to me to check out a website for my old Norwood Park corps. We are in need of almost any type of equipment and would also like to invite any type of assistance , including visits by our "Big Brothers" to help with training. If this is something the alumni would consider, we would sure like to hear from you.

A recent series of donations gave us $10,000 USD for instruments. (I am also hoping for a donation of some used instruments from the USA military bands this year.) The band should now be able to put out some respectable sounds. The marching part comes easy, especially when we inject a little reggae or salsa beat. Until now we have been surviving on a few borrowed instruments from the Salvation Army. (Ex: Two trumpets shared by 10 players).

Through donations we now have shoes to wear and uniforms we have made here with donated material. I am sure you would find our operation a bit basic at best, but our kids take a lot of pride in the band (and themselves). You can see the pride in the strut of the drum major with mace in hand. Although my time with the Norwood Park Drum and Bugle Corps only spanned about four or so years, the experience made a lifelong impact on me that I shall never forget. I will always be indebted to our corps.

Our group numbers about 60 today, with ten of those being Pom Pon girls, fitted out mostly with cheap tambourines. I have enlisted a former choreographer and trainer from a London cabaret to work with them on their routines and I am not sure who is enjoying the experience more; the 68 year old lady who is recapturing a bit of her youth or the girls leaning to kick very high!

Port Antonio is an untouched area of Jamaica located on the north east coast. It is lush, natural and serene and a place any eco freak would delight in. It is virtually crime free and boasts the lowest crime rate in the entire Caribbean.

I am not sure if it is possible or not, but we invite any kind of assistance we can get. This could be in the form of someone coming down to volunteer a week or so as a trainer and I assure you it would not be all work. I am usually able to provide complimentary housing as well.

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If any Imperials alumni will be taking a Caribbean vacation and would like to stop by and help, give Dale a shout. Donations, advice and good wishes are also welcome!

Dale's contact information:

Dale B. Westin
General Manager
Errol Flynn Marina
Box 188 - Ken Wright Drive
Port Antonio, Portland, Jamaica

Tels: 876-715-6044 876-993-3209
Fax: 876-715-6033 Cel: 876-832-4765 Skype: Westin8
email: dwestin@portjam.com
website: www.errolflynnmarina.com

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958 -1963