Our History

Here are the links to pages on this site related to the roots of the Alumni Corps.

• Our History
  • 50th anniversary!
  • 50 Years of Drum Corps in Canada (7 meg Acrobat File)
  • Optimists Alumni: The Beginnings
    • Acrobat file notifying people of the first rehearsal of the Alumni Corps
  • Memories from the Past
    • Memories of the Years
      • 1958
      • 1963
      • 1966
    • Memories from Other Sources
      • 1962: Bill Thorne interviews Joe Gianna & Doug Mackenzie (Acrobat file, from Green capsule Comments)
      • 1963 Individuals Results from Dec 1963 Off The Line Magazine ((Acrobat file, 250k)
      • 1965 Year Book (Acrobat file) (5.8 mgs)
      • 1977 article on Ken Mulgrew of the Seneca Optimists (Acrobat file)
  • Our Members Marched With...
    • Canadian Commanders
    • Danforth Tech
    • De La Salle "Oaklands"
    • Etobicoke Crusaders
    • Golden Monarchs
    • Grantham Police Boys Band
    • Guelph Royalaires
    • Hamilton Conqueror
    • Jolly Jesters
    • Leaside Lions
    • Oakland Crusaders
    • Opti-Corps (1957)
    • Optimist Lancers & Cadet Lancers
    • Seneca Optimists
    • Simcoe United Alumni
    • Toronto Optimists
    • Toronto Signals
    • Western Tech
      • excerpt from the 1954–55 Western Tech Yearbook
    • York Lions
  • Our Optimist Roots (by Vern Johansson)

    • Download the complete article in Acrobat Format  (Acrobat File)

    • The Beginnings

      • Acrobat file (winning 1958 Canadian Championships in Galt)

    • Their Hearts Belong to Daddy

      • JPG File (the 1956 Championship certificate)

    • Are These Guys for Real?

    • On, March On

    • Maybe This Green Machine Has too Many Miles On It

    • "You Better Bleed on the Finish Line"

      • Acrobat file on the 1962 Rome, NY show (2 megs)

    • How Long Can This Machine Last?

    • The Field Is Still Green, But the Sky Is Cloudy

    • Happy Birthday, Canada

      • Acrobat file (winning 1967 Nationals)

    • Small, But Mighty

    • Those Were The Days

    • Seneca Optimists (1 + 1 = 1)

    • Former Optimists
  • Scrapbooks
    1. 1968–1969
    2. Spring 1970
    3. Summer 1970: Part 1a
    4. Summer 1970: Part 1b
    5. Summer 1970: Part 1c
    6. Summer 1970: Part 2
    7. Winter 1970–1971
    8. Winter 1971
    9. Summer 1971: Part 1
    10. Summer 1971: Part 2a
    11. Summer 1971: Part 2b
    12. Winter 1971–1972
    13. Summer 1972
    14. Summer 1972
    15. 1973–1975
  • We Remember those who have gone (web page intro)
    • We Remember (Acrobat File with photos and a few words)

    Mr. Al Baggs Al Lathan Al Lavigne Al Morrison Al Punkari Al Tierney Ben Burrage Bernie Beer Bernie Thompson Bill MacMillan Clayton Keat *Dave Barrett Dave Byrne Dave Hanks

    *Dave Watt Derek Branton Don Chisolm Doug Harrison Doug McPhail Doug Shearer Ed Hall Fred Shearer *Gary Corbett Gord Angus Gord Robinson Guy Vezina *Harry Prokop

    Ian Robertson *Martin McVeigh Mike Andrews Réal Garneau Roman Perohanycz Ron Cook Ross Colville Scott Cumming Tim Burrage Tim Watt *Vic Sciore Sr. Wilson Chung Wolfgang Petschke