Springfield, Missouri's Kilted Female Drum and Bugle Corps

[Matthew Siegmann]

I'm new to this site but have been lurking in the shadows for about a month now. About a year ago I found out my great great grandmother was a Keith and it's lead to my embracement of my family's scottish background.

Anyway I'm also a local historian here in Springfield, Mo. and about two months ago I started toying with the idea of trying to revive all of the old female drum and bugle corps that we used to have and tonight I happened to come across this particular post while doing random searches in Google and decided to post my idea in this new thread.

There is a large contingent of Scots in the DFW area, and across Texas in general -- and in June, the Arlington Games are held -- they might be able to do some fundraising in cooperation with the local Scottish societies.

In Springfield, we have all-girl drum & bugle corps that wear Highland attire -- the first contingent, the Central High School Kilties, were formed by a Scottish immigrant, R. Ritchie Robertson, in the 1920's -- over time, all five high schools in Springfield had their own corps:

Parkview HS Lassies (Gordon tartan)
Glendale HS Glengarry Scots (Lindsay)
Kickapoo HS Bonnie Buchanans (Buchanan)
Hillcrest HS Highlanders (Dress Stuart)
Central HS Kilties (Royal Stuart)

Sadly, only the Kilties and Highlanders remain -- the others were disbanded due to lack of interest. The Kilties are the most successful, and even got invited to march in the Lord Mayor of London's New Year's Day parade in 2002 -- our Scottish society dontated funds to help send them.

J. Higgins is usually pretty good to work with bands for kilts and other kit -- that seems to be one of their specialities.

Cheers,

Todd

So my idea is to form a group here in Springfield to help revive the drum and bugle corps at Parkview (disbanded in the late 1990's), Glendale (disbanded in 2001), and Kickapoo (disbanded in the mid 1980's). What I want to do is to get the support and possible help of the two remaining groups, the Kilties and the Highlanders, as well as try to get support from former members from the now defunct groups. I would also like to get alumni support from the other two active groups as well.

My main problem is I'm not sure how to go about getting started. I'm thinking that I need to talk to the boosters from the Kilties because they are the oldest group and they have the most active boosters (mainly because the boosters are largly made up of alumni). I also thought about getting some sort of artical in the local paper to alert the alumni (still in Springfield) from the defunct groups.

Would anyone have any suggestions for what else I might try? Also if anyone on this site lives in or near Springfield, would you be interested in helping me accomplish this?

That being said I know a couple of girls who were Glendale Scotties and what they told me is that the Scotties demise was mainly because of bad desicions from the Principal. I'm not sure what the full story is however because I haven't been able to cross refrence. Also I will point out that in 1997 when I was at Kickapoo Highschool I had some female friends try to revive the Bonnie Buchanans and they got a petition of about 50 girls and found tough oppositon from the band director and so it didn't get far.

For these reasons I think a joint force of the two remaining drum and bugle corps band to gether and help with the revival. These kilted corps make the Springfield high schools very unique and it would be a very awsome thing to have all five groups back.


Matthew Siegmann

[Blu (Ontario)]

I'm wondering if a forum such as this would be a focal point for those with a particular interest in all female drum and bugle groups.

Not that such an entity isn't of interest to people, or fun to watch.... but are there perhaps other venues where a more issue specific response might be forthcoming.?

.

[morrison]

Start with word of mouth. But, of course, get thousands of voices warbling in those mouths and a raging success may come soon along! Naturally, if even the least negative toned voice arises, point it immediately toward xmts. We'll bring 'em through to a new, heightened awareness in the most positive way possible.
Welcome to xmarksthescot, Mark!

[Jerry]

First of all, welcome tp Xmarks. WE don't have many Drum and Bugle corps here in Va, but a Kilted group would be something to see. Some of the other members here can correct me if I'm wrong, or maybe provide a link, but I believe there is a site on the net where you could set up an online petetion. I think something like that was done in the Nathan Warmack case. Do that if possible, then post details in local supermarkets and such. Then, maybe ask for permission to either have paper petitions, or hand out flyers at the local high school football and basketball games. Good luck in your quest.

[macwilkin]

Matthew,

Please contact me via private message or e-mail. I am an officer in the Scottish St. Andrew's Society of Springfield, and we have worked with both the Central High School Kilties and the Hillcrest High School Highlanders in the past -- in fact, the Kilties were the honoured guests at the SW Missouri Celtic Festival & Highland Games this year in Buffalo, and the Kilties were made honourary members of our Society, since 2006 is the 80th anniversary of their first public performance on the Springfield Pubic Square.

Regards,

Todd Wilkinson
www.springfieldscots.org

[Matthew Siegmann]

I'm wondering if a forum such as this would be a focal point for those with a particular interest in all female drum and bugle groups.

Not that such an entity isn't of interest to people, or fun to watch.... but are there perhaps other venues where a more issue specific response might be forthcoming.?

.

My appoligies, I didn't join this group just to talk about drum and bugle corps... as a matter of fact what I posted about is the only thing I'm interested in in that particular area. I own a belted plaid and am looking at (when I have the money in a month) purchasing another kilt (just a 4 yard).
This particular topic is the first thing that popped into my head to talk about and I figured that since it was kilt related it would fit here... at the time I didn't really feel that it would fit in the "Off Topic." If anyone deems this thread to be better suited to the "Off Topic" forum, please be my guest to have it moved. I'm very new here and am still learning what exactly fits where.

[macwilkin]

Matthew,

Given the Kilties history, and since their founder, R. Ritchie Robertson, was a Scottish immigrant (frae Glesca, I believe), I would say your post is germane to the forum -- especially since I've talked about the Kilties and the other Springfield Drum & Bugle Corps before -- and several of the groups had pipers at one time tae boot!

Cheers,

Todd

[morrison]

... ...This particular topic is the first thing that popped into my head to talk about and I figured that since it was kilt related it would fit here... at the time I didn't really feel that it would fit in the "Off Topic." If anyone deems this thread to be better suited to the "Off Topic" forum, please be my guest to have it moved. I'm very new here and am still learning what exactly fits where.

Hmmm? a human, kilt, breathe, life. Yup. Everything's here doctor. It fits. :rolleyes: