Packing List
by Michael_D
I was fortunate to have been a member for 3 years. The 1st 2 years I was obliged to quit just a few weeks shy of the summer tours due to an illness in my family. In 1971 I came back and was a lead soprano horn player the final year...the only year ST JOES won a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP....THE CANADIAN OPEN in Toronto.
Inbetween I was a member of several other corps. The The Grey Knight Lancers, Statesmen Jr Corps, one summer in the Magnificent Yankees, Phoenix and several seasons with the National Champion Rochester Crusaders all as a lead soprano horn player. For more drum corps see my Hawthorne NJ page. I will also have a posting on the Irondequoit NY page at some point for the Statesmen/Crusaders.
Batavia New York
by Michael_D
History of Mighty St. Joe's
St. Joseph's Drum Corps was founded in 1931 by the Rev. T. Bernard Kelly, pastor of St. Joseph's Church in Batavia. Organized as a youth activity for youngsters, the corps started as a choir, then a fife & drum corps and finally a parade corps. In 1951, corps graduates formed St. Joseph's Drum Corps & operated as a parade corps till the late 1950s, when it became a field competition corps. During the l960s, Mighty St. Joe's rose to National and International prominence, consistently ranking among the top ten junior corps in the country. Most notable of the corps many achievements were:
-9 times New York State American Legion Champions
-1963-65-66-67 New York-Canadian Champions
-1971 Canadian Open Champions
In top level competition, St. Joseph's placed as high as 4th in National and 2nd in World Open competition. Unfortunately 1971 was the final year of competition for the pride of Batavia, Mighty St. Joe's Junior Drum & Bugle Corps.
There is now ST JOSEPHS ALUMNI CORPS over 200 members strong and do exhibitions and concerts all over the USA.
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restaurant on Main Street
wooden cutouts available in the museum store
