Pacific NW All-Girl Drum Corps - Pacific Northwest Drum Corps.com

Pacific Northwest All-Girl Corps

Since the Civil War, drum corps have been a male dominated militaristic activity. When the American Legion and VFW were formed early in the 20th century, the wives of those belonging to the AL & VFW, while not allowed to march with their husbands, were allowed to form “Auxiliary” drum corps and drill teams at those posts. Sexist by today’s standards, it was the norm at the time.

Drum corps continued to be mostly segregated in this manner until the early-mid 1960’s. For example: The Seattle Thunderbirds went co-ed in 1959, The Shamrocks in 1961, The Flamingos in 1962, and The Columbians in 1966. All of these corps, and more, started life as all-boy corps.

Meanwhile, up north in Canada, the segregation of some male / female drum corps continued into the 1970’s.

While almost all early local drum corps were all-male at inception, there were All-Girl drum corps competing in the Pacific Northwest.

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Canadian Corps

Alberta Girls – Edmonton, Alberta

Junior Drum & Bugle Corps

Established: 1970

Founded by: Bob Nagel

Last Documentation: 1975

Highest DCI Ranking: 1975 All-Girl Prelims, 7th Place

Disbanded: 1977

See Canadian Confusion

Edmonton All-Girl Drum & Bugle Band (D&BB) – Edmonton, Alberta

Junior Drum & Bugle Band – Concert-C instruments

Established: September 1966

Founded by: Bob Nagel

Director:

Bob Nagel (1966 – 1969). In 1970 Mr. Nagel founded the Alberta All-Girl D&BB

Don Harris (1970 – ?)

1975: Changed name to: Edmonton All-Girl Marching Ambassadors

Disbanded: 2000

See Canadian Confusion

Cranbrook HS Girls Bugle Band – Cranbrook, British Columbia

Junior Drum & Bugle Band – Concert-C instruments

Established: 1941

Founder: Charlie “Pop” Price

Director: Joyce Metcalfe (1952 – 1967)

Music Director: Bob Nagel (1961)

Eight-Time winners of the T. Eaton Trophy at the Calgary Stampede band contest.

Last Known Documentation: November 1975 Grey Cup (Football) Parade

Disbanded: End of 1975

Photo: Late 1950s

Red & White Aires – Calgary, Alberta

Junior Drum & Bugle Corps

Established: October 1970

Director: Don Brown (1973)

First Field Show: 1972

Last Documentation: 1973

1974: Went co-ed & changed name to Calgary Cavaliers

Photo: 1973

Vernon Girls Cadet Band – Vernon, BC Canada

Junior Drum & Bugle Corps

AKA: 1955 Vernon Girls Cadet Trumpet Band

1957 Vernon Girls Trumpet Band

Corps Established: Unknown

Earliest Documentation: 1952 Pacific National Exhibition Parade (Vancouver BC, Canada)

Manager / Director: Robert (Bob) Hodgson. AKA: Sgt Maj R.W. Hodgson

Drum Major: 1955 – Phyllis Hodgson

1957: Renamed the Vernon Girls Trumpet Band

Last Documentation: 1967 Torchlight Parade photo

Disbanded: Unknown

Uniforms: 1959 Gold.

Photo: 1959 Seafair Grande Parade (Seattle)

Please note – In Canada they used to call a drum corps a “band”. Confusing? Yes.

The Vernon Girls did march a field show, and did so locally at least twice in 1962.

Washington Corps

Daughters of Spanish-American War Veterans – Seattle, Washington

Junior Drum Corps

Sponsored by: Spanish-American War Veterans, Fortson-Thygesen Camp No. 2

Known years of existence: 1933 – 1938

Photo: 1938

Spokane American Legion Post #9 Auxiliary Corps

SENIOR Drum & Bugle Corps

Known years of existence 1927 – 1940

[More data to follow]

Photo: 1934

Spokane VFW Post #51 Auxiliary Corps – Spokane Washington

SENIOR Drum & Bugle Corps

Known years of existence: 1934

Manager: Unknown

Last Documentation: 1934

Photo: 1934

Daughters of Spanish-American War Veterans – Tacoma, Washington

Junior Drum Corps

Sponsored by: Spanish-American War Veterans, John R. Thompson Camp No.1

Known years of existence: 1933 – 1940

Manager / Director: J. H. Kelly

Photo: 1938

Walla Walla Girls – Walla Walla, Washington

Junior Drum & Bugle Corps

Corps Established: 1934