Funny title? Maybe, but unfortunately the truth.

As most people are aware, for the past 5/6 years the Drum Corps part of the Southern Knights has been struggling. Only due to the dedication of a small handful of staff and a nucleus of members have we managed to field a marching unit every summer since the old Main Corps finished following the DCA/USA trip in 1990. The problem we have is not a lack of members (although we are little sparse at the moment), not a lack of support staff - it is a lack of dedicated ‘full time’ instructional staff.

This summer has been, and is still proving to be, the hardest to date. We hoped to have been in a position to field a Corps by end of July for The World Show Band Championships but this was not to be. The Corps will make 3 appearances this year - the Crawley Drum Corps contest, a parade at Thorpe Park and the DCUK Finals and then at the end of this season, unless we can find the staff to run the Corps in 1999, we will probably decide to call it a day. In the majority of cases the current summer instructional staff are only there as they do not wish to see the Corps fold, however, this is actually making the situation worse :- half-hearted staff = unmotivated members and this is no way to run a successful youth activity, let alone a successful Drum Corps.

As you have probably guessed, the reason for this announcement is to enquire whether any of you that are reading this feel you can give up your precious free time to help the Corps. Most of you will be aware that no other previous DCUK Champion Corps is still active, only the current Champions (The Senators from Eastleigh) are still competing - however we felt that due to the hard work and achievements of all the people involved over the years that it deserved one last effort.

On a slightly brighter note, and as previously announced, in 1999 we anticipate fielding units in at least 3 out of the 4 Winterguard classes, and will be taking the older Guard across to Holland for the WGI Regional in February, so all is not completely lost.