CONTEST #1 - JUNE 16TH - AJAX
The first contest is a strange thing. Probably one of maybe two times in the entire season when every single member of the corps is worried whether the show can be done well enough to even present, nevermind compete with other corps. For the first year members, it is a strange and wondrous thing. They're scared stiff of performing in front of such a large audience; they don't know what to expect despite all the time the instructors spend telling them what will happen on the field. Then they realize that the older members are tense over the show too, and finally begin to wonder why they actually joined a Drum Corps in the first place.
Nine a.m. at Reininger's was the scene for the long-awaited "morning of the first contest." Three quarters of an hour was spent on a warm-up, in the blazing hot sun, and the remaining time was spent stumbling through the show......"you're kidding, you mean the show is actually finished!?....."
After this interesting achievement, the corps cheerfully headed for Ajax.
A short parade was scheduled before the contest, so upon arriving in Ajax we immediately ate lunch, then changed into uniform in time for the parade at 1:30. As per standard Drum Corps timing, the parade was not "short & sweet", but rather, we stood around for hours waiting for it to start ("...everyone loves a parade.....").
With the parade overwith, our ever-resourceful instructors somehow managed to find a practice field. ....the day was still young, etc.. Remember what happened during the next little while?
McDonald's for supper - the first time.
After such a "good, wholesome, meal" (B.S.) the corps was so full of _________ and _________ that they now _________. And the show was at 7:00.
Two other corps were on before us, and this wait brought some of the "first show jitters" to the surface.
Retreat was rather strange. Some of the rookies almost had a complete freak-out as most of them had not heard what to do during retreat, while the older members, who all enjoy retreat so much, stood at a stage between boredom and sleep.
but when the scores were announced, most everyone was relieved and even found it hard to believe. We had won our first contest with a 37.8.
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Ambassadors 1979 Yearbook ©1979 Dan Brooks and Garry Summers