All but four high-school bands were spectators at Mr. Reagan’s indoor inaugural.
“Following his re-election, President Reagan chose to recognize the historic significance of the 50th American Presidential Inaugural with the theme: ‘We The People ... An American Celebration.’ The hope was to make this Inaugural the most open and widely attended in history."--1985 Inaugural Parade Press Guide.
“Hope deferred maketh the heart sick."--Proverbs 13:12.
“I would like to cry,” Ron Walker, chairman of the inaugural committee, said to reporters of the Arctic cold that forced the cancellation of last week’s inaugural parade.
It’s likely that his sentiment was shared by at least some of the members of the 37 high-school marching bands, equestrians, and drill teams who were to have performed as part of the event. In the end, only four of the bands--from Oklahoma, California, Indiana, and Louisiana--won the privilege of playing for President Reagan during an impromptu ceremony at the Capital Center in Landover, Md. Their names were picked out of a hat.
According to an inaugural-committee spokesman, parade participants were nominated by inaugural coordinators representing each state. A parade selection committee evaluated the nominees on the basis of video and audio tapes, past performance records, “colorful and varied appearance,” size, and, when available, reputation within the American Band Masters Association and the National Band Association. All of the participants appeared (or didn’t appear, as matters turned out) at their own expense.
--tm
The high-school-age participants included:
Glen A. Wilson High School Wildcat Marching Band and Tall Flags, Hacienda Heights, Calif.; Robert E. Lee High School Rebel Band and Orchestra, Midland, Tex., Eastern High School Marching Band, Washington, D.C.; Hardaway High School Marching Band, Columbus, Ga.; Strom Thurmond High School Marching Rebels, Johnson, S.C.; Pascagoula High School Band, Pascagoula, Miss.; Harrison High School Marching Band, Harrison, Ark.; Toms River High School South Marching Indian Band, Toms River, N.J.; Glenelg High School Marching Unit, Howard County, Md.; and A.L. Brown High School Band, Kannapolis, N.C.
Also, the East Greenwich High School Band, East Greenwich, R.I.; The Princeton Marching Tigers, Princeton, Minn.; Comeaux High School Band, Lafayette, La.; Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps, Nashua, N.H.; Grayson County High School Cougar Band, Litchfield, Ky.; East Lynne High School Viking Band, East Lynne, Conn.; New Bedford High School Whaler Marching Band, New Bedford, Mass.; Aberdeen Central High School Acappella Choir, Aberdeen, S.D.; and Tampico High School Marching Trojan Band and the Dixon High School Pom Pom Squad, Dixon, Ill.
Also, the Rocky Mount Senior High School Marching Band, Rocky Mount, N.C.; Ben Davis High School Marching Giants, Indianapolis, Ind.; Girl Scout Mounted Troup #2571, St. Louis; Holland High School Marching Dutchman Band, Holland, Mich.; Riverview High School Kiltie Band, Sarasota, Fla.; Uniontown High School Marching Eagles, Uniontown, Kan.; Weeping Water High School Band, Weeping Water, Neb.; St. John’s Military Academy Silver Rifles Precision Drill Team, Delafield, Wisc.; Springville High School Red Devil Marching Band, Springville, Utah; and Sapulpa High School Band, Sapulpa, Okla.
Also, the James F. Byrnes High School Rebel Regiment Band, Duncan, S.C.; Ferndale High School Golden Eagle Marching Band, Ferndale, Wash.; Bloomfield High School Bobcat Band, Bloomfield, N.M.; Lincolntown High School Marching Wolfpack, Charlottesville, Va.; Logan County High School Band, Russellville, Ky.; Brunswick High School Marching Blue Devils, Brunswick, Ohio; Central High School Golden Lion Marching Band, Carrolton, Ga.; and Clifton High School Mustang Marching Band, Clifton, N.J.
