Saint Mary's Drum Corps began in 1947 as the St. Mary's Junior Drum & Bugle Corps, and first competed in the 1948 and the 1949 seasons.The Saint Mary's Senior Drum and Bugle Corps were born , and began competing in the 1950 season, and St Mary's Junior Drum and Bugle Corps became the feeder corps. The name of the corps never became "Cardinals" until the '54 season. Prior to that it had been St. Mary's Senior Drum & Bugle Corps, while the corps that subsequently became known as "Crusaders" was simply called St. Mary's Junior Drum & Bugle Corps.
The name Cardinals came from Fr. McNamara, our Spiritual Director, of St Mary's Star of The Sea church in Beverly, who saw the Senior Corps getting dressed for the '54 May Procession in Beverly and said, "They look like a bunch of Cardinals." This was, of course, a reference to the color of the new shirts (combined with his very strong desire to become a Cardinal of the Church at some point). The name stuck. At some point thereafter, the junior corps became the Crusaders.
The Cardinals were born , and began competing in the 1954 season, and the Crusaders stayed as the Cardinals feeder corps. In 1973 the Cardinals teamed up with the Wilmington Crusaders and became the Cardinals of Wilmington, and became a great corps and a powerhouse in the Massachusetts drum corps circuits in 1974. In 1975 the corps team up with the corps from Melrose, The Legion Vanguard and in this year, the corps was called The Melrose Cardinals.The first annual Tournament of Drums, Drum and Bugle Corps competition began in 1951 at Hurd Stadium, Beverly, Massachusetts.
The Cardinals ended competing as a Drum and Bugle Corps in 1975.The Cardinal Alumni Association is extremely strong today, and co-sponsors a yearly drum and bugle corps competition in Beverly.
For information to be a small help in the alumni and the yearly show, please contact:
Frank Raffa Email: president@cardinaldrumandbuglecorps.com
Email: president@cardinaldrumandbuglecorps.comOn May 29th, 2005 Drum Corps paid a farewell to Manning Bowl in Lynn, Massachusetts, the site of hundreds of drum and bugle corps competitions, and the site of many World Open Championships.
Drum corps went to Manning Bowl one last time before it comes tumbling down in a few months. Bobby Pero of the Cardinals Drum and Bugle Corps of Beverly, Massachusetts put on a one man exhibition in front of a packed house of zero .
A former contrabass player, Bobby drove his car in to Manning Bowl, and parked his car on the 50 yard line, and set up a table and a few chairs with drum corps albums and CD’s showing the World Open Logo, and gracefully toasted Manning Bowl with his Martini Glass filled with Poland Springs, and saluted Manning Bowl for welcoming the millions of drum corps fans for the last 67 years.
One must ask, Is this guy crazy ? The answer is a definite no. He is just someone who gratefully appreciates the impact drum corps has had on his life.
Bobby, who took a 3 week crash course in playing soprano, played two final numbers that bounced off those walls of Manning Bowl.
The first number “ I Walk With God “ was played by the Saint Mary’s Crusaders, and the Boston Crusaders during the 1960’s.
So what was the last song ever played at manning Bowl by a Drum and Bugle Corps ?
Bob played a song from the great Saint Mary’s Cardinals Drum Corps that played this song leaving the field in 1964, 1965, and 1966: “ No Other Love “.
It felt a little strange sitting at the 50 yard line in silence thinking about the millions of people who marched over the same spot he was sitting at that moment, then as he played a song on his CD Player played “Off The Line “ of the Casper Troopers from the 1966 World Open at Manning Bowl it brought back hundreds of great memories that began since his first visit to Manning Bowl with the Class B , Saint Mary’s Crusaders competing against class A Corps at the 1966 World Open.
Alumni & Fans.
Please submit an article to be published on the Cardinal website to webmaster@cardinaldrumandbuglecorps.com
Article written in the drum corps magazine " MMA ", Masters of the Marching Arts........ Summer of 2005.... Editor Rick Connor....See Pictures of Manning Bowl Below............
A few highlights of Manning Bowl and the World Open :
1.BUILT IN1938 67 YEARS OLD IN 2005
BUILT IN1938 67 YEARS OLD IN 2005 2.The Address:349 Maple Street, LYNN, MASS
The Address:349 Maple Street, LYNN, MASS3.ROLLING STONES PLAYED HERE IN 1966
ROLLING STONES PLAYED HERE IN 19664.HOLDS 20,000 SEATS plus Standing Room
HOLDS 20,000 SEATS plus Standing Room5.DEMOLITION SUMMER of 2005.
DEMOLITION SUMMER of 2005.6.FIRST WORLD OPEN IN 1963 AT JERSEY STADIUM, JERSEY CITY, N.J., SEPT. 14 & 15, SPONSORED BY RAY SAMORA , OWNER OF DRUM CORPS NEWS AND FLEETWOOD WHO PASSED AWAY TIN 2004
FIRST WORLD OPEN IN 1963 AT JERSEY STADIUM, JERSEY CITY, N.J., SEPT. 14 & 15, SPONSORED BY RAY SAMORA , OWNER OF DRUM CORPS NEWS AND FLEETWOOD WHO PASSED AWAY TIN 20047.SECOND WORLD OPEN IN 1964 JUNIOR FINALS AT BRIDGEPORT, CT, SENIORS AT JC
SECOND WORLD OPEN IN 1964 JUNIOR FINALS AT BRIDGEPORT, CT, SENIORS AT JC8.1965 THIRD WORLD OPEN AT BRIDGEPORT , CONNECTICUT
1965 THIRD WORLD OPEN AT BRIDGEPORT , CONNECTICUT9.1966 FOURTH WORLD OPEN MOVED TO MANNING BOWL
1966 FOURTH WORLD OPEN MOVED TO MANNING BOWL10.1974 PRELIMS IN LYNN, FINALS AT CAWLEY STADIUM, LOWELL, MASS
1974 PRELIMS IN LYNN, FINALS AT CAWLEY STADIUM, LOWELL, MASS11.1975 PRELIMS IN LYNN, FINALS AT EVERETT STADIUM, EVERETT, MASS
1975 PRELIMS IN LYNN, FINALS AT EVERETT STADIUM, EVERETT, MASS12.1976 MOVED BACK TO LYNN, MASS
1976 MOVED BACK TO LYNN, MASS13.LAST WORLD OPEN IN 1982 AT LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS
LAST WORLD OPEN IN 1982 AT LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS14.THE FIRST WORLD OPEN WINNER IN 1963 SENIORS SKYLINERS 87.033 JUNIORS BLESSED SACAMENT GOLDEN KNIGHTS 86.050
THE FIRST WORLD OPEN WINNER IN 1963 SENIORS SKYLINERS 87.033 JUNIORS BLESSED SACAMENT GOLDEN KNIGHTS 86.050 LOWEST SCORE IN WORLD OPEN
15.1972 CLASS B PRELIMSCONTINENTALS OF WEST KEANSBURG, NJ 26.750
1972 CLASS B PRELIMSCONTINENTALS OF WEST KEANSBURG, NJ 26.750 16.1972 CLASS B PRELIMSBLACK KNIGHTS, NH26.800
1972 CLASS B PRELIMSBLACK KNIGHTS, NH26.800 17.1968 PRELIMS CORVETTES29.130
1968 PRELIMS CORVETTES29.13018.HIGHEST SCORE IN WORLD OPEN
HIGHEST SCORE IN WORLD OPEN19.1975 BLUE DEVILS91.050
1975 BLUE DEVILS91.05020.1975 SANTA CLARA 89.050
1975 SANTA CLARA 89.05021.1976 BLUE DEVILS88.750
1976 BLUE DEVILS88.75022.MOST CHAMPIONSHIPS WON
MOST CHAMPIONSHIPS WONSENIORS:
SKYLINERS – 2
JUNIORS:CASPER 3BRIDGEMEN 5 LATE 70’S AND 80’S
CASPER 3BRIDGEMEN 5 LATE 70’S AND 80’STHE CLOSEST TOP 4 CORPS !!!!!
1971 World Open Finals:
1. 27th Lancers87.000
27th Lancers87.0002.Santa Clara Vanguard 86.650
Santa Clara Vanguard 86.6503.Anaheim Kingsmen 86.300
Anaheim Kingsmen 86.3004.Blue Rock 86.050
Blue Rock 86.050These top 4 corps were separated by only “ .950 ” Less than 1 point.
This was certainly by far the closest World Open in History
1.FUNNY NAMES OF DRUM CORPS THAT MARCHED AT THE WORLD OPEN
FUNNY NAMES OF DRUM CORPS THAT MARCHED AT THE WORLD OPENKEESER AFB MARCHING SAINTS
MARCHING SAINTSAMBOY DUKES LAMPLIGHTERS
LAMPLIGHTERSCARVER GAY BLADES 32nd HUSSAR
32nd HUSSARSTATEN ILAND LAWMEN BARONS OF STUBEN
BARONS OF STUBENNEW BTITAIN BONNIES LOS ANGELES CHINESE
LOS ANGELES CHINESEOXFORD EXPLORERS DIGS
DIGSNORWALK HOTSHOTS FULTON GAUCHOS
FULTON GAUCHOSST ROSE OF LIMA LANCERS EPOCH
EPOCHVACATIONLAND SWEETHEARTS ALL GIRLOLS STORMY KNIGHTS
OLS STORMY KNIGHTSPITTSFIELD POM POMS EARLS OF BUCK
EARLS OF BUCKDIRIGO JETS 507 HORNETS
507 HORNETSKILLMEN THE THING
THE THINGCHATELAINES DE LEVAL DOREMUS BLUE DEMONS
DOREMUS BLUE DEMONSVIP’S OLS STORMY KNIGHTS
OLS STORMY KNIGHTSORBITS LUCKIE LADIES
LUCKIE LADIESMONARCHS BLACK WATCH BUX-MONT RAIDERS RESEVOIR RANGERS
BLACK WATCH BUX-MONT RAIDERS RESEVOIR RANGERSTARGETS AVANTE GARDE
AVANTE GARDEHOT SHOTS SWORD EXCALIBUR
SWORD EXCALIBURCORVETTES OFFENSIVE LIONS
OFFENSIVE LIONS2ND DECADE SOUNDS OF CENTRAL NY
SOUNDS OF CENTRAL NYThe Manning Bowl will be missed, and a new " Manning Field " is now in place of the old field
After Bob finished his two songs, took a tour of the stadium that once stood proud, took a ton of pictures and a video, packed up the car, and drove off the field at Manning Bowl one last time, stopped got out of his car to close the gates, and quietly said ‘ Thank you Manning Bowl, Drum Corps will be back !!! )
Written by Bobby Pero & Rick Connors and edited by Rick Connors ( Editor of MMA , Masters of The Marching Arts Drum Corps Magazine, Summer of 2005.
The Front Entrance
Where we enter the field
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Remember The Merger !!!!!
In May of 1973, the Wilmington Crusaders of WIlmington, Massachusetts, gave up their corps name " The Crusaders " and their uniforms, to merge with the Beverly Cardinals.
This was a huge sacrafice and the many great people of the Wilmington Crusaders made to become a part of the Cardinal Family.
What guts these people had and still have to sacrafice to become a great drum and bugle corps, and we were a powerhouse in 1974.
These people, are, and always will be, a " Cardinal " . They sacraficed, worked their butts off, strove for perfection every day just like all the other Cardinal corps before us.
They were fun people to march with and be with all the time, and made marching with The Wilmington Cardinals a ton of fun and combined it with winning.
I, Bobby Pero, will always be grateful and proud to be associted with these people I marched with in 1973 and 1974 for I learned from my friends in Wilmington that sacrafice is a key to success, you can have fun at the same time, work together as a team to be the best you can be.
