PNW Drum Corps Governing Bodies
Some of the governing bodies listed below existed simultaneously, putting on competing shows and championships.
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Local PNW Governing Bodies
WSDCA – Washington State Drum & Bugle Corps Association 18
Formed in 1928, the Association was created in part to compose a unified set of judging and competition standards for American Legion drum corps. American Legion DC started forming in 1919 right after the Legion was born. By the 1920s there were a fairly consistent 17 – 20 Legion drum corps attending Washington State Legion Conventions.
Founded: 1928 (verification needed)
1929: June 18th, earliest documentation29
1949 – 1965: Jack Avery was a member 22
1958: There are no field contests for junior corps22
1960: There are now nine [Jr.] member corps30
1963: All-American Judges Association used for all contests and to run judges’ clinics
1965: Junior “B” Corps circuit approved 22
1965: There are now 10 Junior corps shows 22
1966: WSDCA Champions: Junior A-Division, Seattle Thunderbirds. B-Division, Portland Royal Lancers. Senior Corps – Everett Blue Knights 35
Folded: Unknown
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NWDCA – Northwest Drum Corps Association
Founded: 1965. An outgrowth of the Washington State D&BC Association
1958: There were no field contests for junior corps22
1965: There are now 10 Junior corps shows 22
1966: NWDCA expanded to include Washington, Oregon, and Western Canada 35
1974: Peak membership was approximately 30 corps. Membership to the NWDCA was open to any corps who wished to join.
Folded: around 1983.
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NWDCA History and Championship List
DCW – Drum Corps West
Founded: December 1973
First show: September 1, 1974
Goal – Standardizing judging practices on the west coast and become established as a local alternative to the NWDCA and the All-American Judging Association. DCW became fully operational on the PNW contest scene on September 1, 1974 and folded after the 1977 season.
Membership in DCW was based on being one of the top ten corps to qualify for their championship finals.
PNW DCW Championships were held in 1974 thru 1977.
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Directories
1975 Western DC Directory (Published in December 1974)
Western Region Directory (ca 1976 – 1977)
National Governing Bodies in the PNW
AADC – All-American Drum & Bugle Corps and Band Association
Founded: 1932
The Washington chapter of this association permeated the PNW drum corps scene from the 1950s thru the 70’s. Locally, All-American is known more as a rule making body and for adjudication, than for sponsoring shows or championships.
Earliest Washington State documentation -1950. See Golden Skyliners history document.
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American Legion (AL) and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
The VFW was founded in 1899.
The American Legion was founded in 1919.
Drum corps are an outgrowth of the military and these two veterans groups have been organizing drum corps activities and running competing shows and national championships since World War I.
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See the “Pre-1960 Corps” link in the header above for AL & VFW corps
DCI – Drum Corps International
Founded: Fall of 1971
Pacific NW drum corps have been participating in DCI contests since the first championships in 1972.
Select the link below for a partial list of corps.