Bass drum heads are a free canvas for advertising your corps and their accomplishments. Some corps took advantage of this, some did not. Depending on the placement of the wording / graphics, it would seem to be a rather high maintenance area.
Generally speaking, the drum heads used prior to the early-1960s were made from animal skins and temperature / humidity affected their tuning. From the early 60s-on, synthetic (polymer) drum heads have been used.
Do you have a drum head photo to share?? Send us a jpg and we’ll add it to the site.
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Click on photos to enlarge
ca1900 Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) Drum Corps, Oregon
The GAR was a fraternal organization of Union Civil War Veterans,
precursor of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the American Legion.
1928 Tacoma Elks D&BC
Tacoma, Washington
Bremerton has been a naval shipyard since 1891
1931 Moose Drum & Bugle Corps
Tacoma, Washington
1936 Spokane American Legion Auxiliary (women’s) D&BC
[Check out the bugles guys!!]
1939 Pasco Jr Legion D&BC
Pasco, Washington
[Dr. Glen’s Corps]
1939 VFW Post #3053 Jr. D&BC
Steilacoom, Washington
1939 VFW Post #2995 Jr. D&BC
Bellevue, Washington
By 1948 this all-girl corps switched sponsors from Pepsi-Cola to the Knights of Pythias.
They would remain with the Knights until they disbanded ca 1968.
Knights of Pythias bass drum is below.
1941
Walla Walla, Washington
1948 American Legion Post #43 Jr D&BC
1950 Nile Sr. D&BC
Seattle, Washington
1950 Eagles Sr. D&BC, Aerie #26
Walla Walla, Washington
Everett “Old Guard” VFW Sr D&BC, Washington State VFW Champions in 1950 and 1951
Golden Skyliners Jr D&BC [AL Post #3]
Great Falls, Montana
1954 Longview-Kelso Scouts Jr. D&BC
Longview-Kelso, Washington
1955 Baker Scouts Jr. D&BC [Troop 133]
Baker, Oregon
Pasco, Washington
[Later known as The Columbians]
1956 Wenatchee American Legion Post #10 Sr. D&BC
Wenatchee, Washington
ca 1959 Hawthorne Boosters of Portland,
Later known as the Portland Hawks Jr. D&BC
Portland, Oregon
1959 CYO Squires (Shamrocks) Jr. D&BC
Seattle, Washington
ca 1960 Pendleton Sr. D&BC
Pendleton, Oregon
1961 CYO Shamrocks Jr. D&BC
Seattle, Washington
1961 Everett Blue Knights Sr. D&BC [AL Post #6]
Everett, Washington
1961 Pasco Columbians Jr. D&BC [AL Post #34]
Pasco, Washington
1961 Portland Hawks
1962 Great Falls Scouts – Explorer Post 21, Jr. D&BC
Great Falls, Montana
1962 Blue Angels Jr. D&BC [VFW Post #1263]
Renton, Washington
1962 Vernon Girls Jr. D&BC
Vernon British Columbia, Canada
1962-63 LK Corps Jr. D&BC
Longview-Kelso, Washington
1963 Mariners Jr. D&BC
Astoria, Oregon
1964 Everett Blue Knights Sr. D&BC [AL Post #6]
Everett, Washington
1965 West Seattle Amigos
[VFW Post #2713]
1965 Bell-Airs
Seattle, Washington
1965 West Seattle El Toreadors
Washington
[AL Post #160]
1966 Royal Lancers [AL Post #1]
Portland, Oregon
1966 Falcons Jr. D&BC
Athena-Helix-Weston, Oregon
1967 Rangers Jr. D&BC
Pendleton, Oregon
1967 Percussion-Nauts Jr. D&BC
Spokane, Washington
1966 – 1968 Imperial Cadets Jr. D&BC
Portland, Oregon
1960 – 1967 Seattle Thunderbirds Jr. D&BC
ca 1948 – 1968 Knights of Pythias, All-Girl Jr. D&BC
Roseburg, Oregon
[Formerly the Pepsi-Cola Girls]
ca 1968 – 1975
1969 Royal Lancers Jr. D&BC
Portland, Oregon
Golden Skyliners Jr. D&BC [AL Post #3]
Great Falls, Montana
ca1972 Alberta Girls
Alberta, BC Canada
ca 1973 Black Watch D&BC
Auburn, Washington
1970s Edmonton Strutters
Edmonton Alberta, Canada
ca 1973 Bellevue Sentinels
1975 Seattle Cascades
A Story from a Member:
“[In the mid-60s] One of the Hawks’ bass drummers got a little creative with his bass drum. I was at a parade staging area with the Hawks close by and noticed a small line of people taking turns looking inside his bass drum via the small air hole (don’t have the exact term for it). Asked one of the guys what they were looking at, and he said the bass drummer attached a Playboy centerfold inside his drum.”
Long Live The Hawks!
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