The junior drum corps field competition season of 1961 finally came to it's conclusion the second week of October, ( thats right, October.) Here it is, the end of September, in the "Enlightend, Educational & Sophistacated" period of junior drum, and the season has been done with since Mid August. But "they" keep telling us how much BETTER the junior activity has gotten.
24 September 1961 Union City NJ 1. 88.35 St Catherines Queensmen 2. 86.10 Garfield Cadets 3. 84.25 Our Lady of Loretto Knights 4. 84.05 St Vincents Cadets 5. 81.75 Audubon Bon Bons 6. 78.75 Bracken Cavaliers 7. 78.18 Newark Woodsiders 8. 76.25 St Patricks Cadets
September 28 1961 New Britian CT 1. 85.16 Our Lady of Lourdes Cadets 2. 82.52 St Raphaels Buccaneers 3. 79.53 Dumont Police Cadets 4. 79.52 St Catherines Marionettes 5. 78.81 Irwin Kingsmen 6. 58.87 Barringer Walker Cadets
October 1 1961 Waterbury CT 1. 88.75 St Kevins Emerald Knights 2. 86.15 St Catherines Queensmen 3. 86.05 St Marys Cardinals 4. Selden Cadets 5. St Marys Majestic Knights 6. St Rose Scarlet Lancers 7. South Boston Gatesmen 8. Floyd Bennet Golden Eagles 9. Audubon Bon Bons 10. Braintree Warriors
8 October 1961 Jamaica Plain NY Greater New York Circuit Championships 1. 82.33 Our Lady of Lourdes Cadets 2. 80.97 St Raphaels Buccaneers 3. 77.53 Blue Rock 4. 75.26 Dumont Police Cadets 5. 74.76 Irwin Kingsmen 6. 73.35 St Catherines Marionettes 7. 70.31 New Britian Grenidiers 8. 64.86 Smithtown Freelancers 9. 51.51 Barringer Walker Cadets
The contest at Union City NJ on 24 September 1961 was the "Final Finish Line" for the St Vincents Cadets. The corps concluded a run (1942-1962) that saw them win the American Legion National Championship in 1951, 52 & 53. They also won the VFW National Championship in 1946, 47, 48, 50, 51. 52, 53, 55 & 1956.
St Vincents was undefeated in 1951 and 1952 winning the National & State Championships of both Veterans organizations. In the period 1950 to 1954 they lost only two contests.
Their horn instructor,the late Jim Donnelly is recocnized as one of the great inovators in the world of arranging for and teaching music to bugle sections, and is the inventor of the French Horn Bugle. Mickey Petrone, the current President of DCA was the corps director and drill instructor for their entire performing lifespan.
A history of this great corps can be obtained by writing: St Vincents Cadets Alumni Assoc St Vincents DePaul Rectory 979 Ave C Bayonne NJ 07002 Cost: $25.00 inc P&H
Scores & Notes Courtesy: Drum Corps News, Brian Tolzman/DCW & St Vincents Cadets Alumni Assoc.
