After the trip to
Topeka the next event was the American Legion convention convention in Omaha
The Kearney
American Legion Junior drum and bugle corps now numbered 56 with 3
baton-twirlers, and a 4-piece color guard
There were two junior divisions in the contest –
16 and under; and under 20 Since
Kearney included 17 & 18-year olds, they were in the second group
Kearney won over Columbus,
apparently the only two groups in the up to age 20 division.
II. 1937 Contest The Jr. Drum & Bugle Corps did their
usual round of appearances during the summer at the various towns in the
county when they held their celebrations
Then the headed off to the state American Legion
convention in the last week of August
This time there were 6 drum & bugle corps in the
competition – Kearney, Holdrege, Broken Bow, Chadron, Mitchell, and Columbus
The Kearney Junior
Drum and Bugle Corp were champions for the second consecutive year
III. 1938
Contest Roster: Head instructor (Bob Dean); assistant
instructor; 4 color guard members; 4 bass drummers; 26 buglers; 10 snare
drummers; 2 cymbals; and 2 tenor drummers
Pre-contest Program
As in
previous years, there was a fund raising program the week before the
American Legion state convention, which this year was held in Fremont.
Also appearing in
the fund raising program
Holdrege senior drum & bugle corps
Holdrege junior drum & bugle corps
State Industrial School drum & bugle corps
The Kearney American
Legion Jr. Drum & Bugle Corps presented the program they would perform in
Fremont.
The intricate drill maneuvers and playing the bugle and drum numbers was all
done without direction as their drill
master, Bob Dean, stood at attention on the sidelines.
The Contest
Kearney won for the third year in a row.
They now had permanent
possession of the championship plaque. [Wonder whatever happened to it]
In fact, the
Kearney post took most of the honors in the drum and bugle corps
competition.
In the individual drum contest Dallas Donaly of Kearney scored first In the
individual bugle contest Richard Billings of Kearney was second. Return to Kearney Their two buses arrived from Fremont shortly
before 8 pm.
They paraded down Central from the railroad to the monument.
In each block they
performed their intricate drill maneuvers.
Then Bob Dean
resigned as director
He had accepted a teaching position in Wells, Nevada
Dallas Donaly replaced him
Dallas had graduated from high school the previous May
IV. What happened
in 1939? Financial problems – In May
the corps was facing severe financial difficulties and would have it disband
unless the community came to its rescue with a $1000.
By the end of the month over $900 had been raised
At the first July meeting, the drum and bugle corps visited city council
meeting.
This was the Council’s budget adoption meeting.
They voted to provide $600 for the municipal band and $600 for the drum and
bugle corps.
Missing shirts – an equipment check revealed 25 shirts
missing. It was thought former members had kept theirs and were asked to
return them
Practice, practice, practice The corps received
special instruction weekly by a member of the Hastings National Guard and by
a Hastings college
instrumental music instructor to prepare their numbers for the state contest
They were meeting
weekly through June & July for practice
Then they got to practice some more by appearing
in various nearby towns in the first two weeks in August
Calloway Pioneer Days picnic
Gibbon potato festival Shelton
fall festival Elm Creek fall
festival Ravenna
Downtown Kearney practice A new
city hall was being constructed
It was noted that as the corps was giving its concert on the downtown
streets, the carpenters were unconsciously
hammering in time with the drummers
Painting the drum - Friday, August 18,
1939 – The next
night the corps was going to have a parade to advertise the annual
pre-contest exhibition at the college
athletic field
But it was cancelled because the drums were being repaired and the sides
repainted
The contest The
Kearney team came in third, behind Auburn and Holdrege.
The teams were separated by 1.08 points between first and third.
Last year’s director, Bob Dean, said they played just as well as last year
The other two teams were just a shade better
Dallas Donaly was again named champion drummer, Ted McMichael was second in
bugler’s contest