Organized 1916
On a warm Friday afternoon in Austin, Texas, June 3rd, 1966, a group of uniformed men in yellow, green and gold colors waited for the judge's announcement of the winners of the competitive drills that had taken place only a few minutes before.
This ended 50 years of activity by the Drum & Bugle Corps of Alzafar Temple. 50 years that began in 1916 with Ted Milburn as it's first president or manager, as they were called in those years and following Milburn as manager in 1919 was Grover Crandall who presided as head of this unit for eleven years until 1930.
Not many of us know that the Drum Corps originally belonged to the Commandery and that the drums actually belonged to this organization and that the first uniforms were similar to the Bedouins, with loose baggy trousers and a flowing top coat worn with the fez and black shoes. The drums were later donated to the order of DeMolay and tickets were sold to other nobles of the Temple for funds with which to buy their own drums.
It was after 1930 during L. T. Cushings tenure of office that a great influx of new members came into the Drum Corps. Most of them were workers from Duncan Field and along with this group came Harry Janke, Spud Gullette, Percy Thomas and others including Ike Brooks who was the original big bass drummer of yesteryear. With such a large membership on the rolls, the group petitioned and received from the potentate, their own meeting room and new uniforms as beautiful as anyone had ever dreamed of; green velvet military type coats, white trousers, Fez and black shoes so polished that you could almost use them for a mirror. By this time the unit had progressed into a Drum and Fife Corps and Spud and Lela Gullette had become the proud parents of a noisy, bouncing boy whom they named Jim and who you shall read about later in this article.
In 1934 with Harry Janke as manager, and Porter Loring Sr. as Potentate, the Drum and Fife Corps became one of the foremost units of the state, having been trained earlier by a professor of music, a Mr. Bill Smith, a strong and mighty man was he, with large and sinuous hands, and a person who would stand for no foolishness and who inbred the proper character and poise into the unit that is necessary for it to prosper and show class.
This same spirit was carried on in 1935 by Spud Gullette as manager and in 1936 by Geo. Gambs and again in 1937 by Otto Hilgers.
During this period Harry Janke had been the drum major or the Corps and Link Hershey had joined along with Gus Meyers who became the head of the unit in 1938. Harry had been doing such a good job that he continued as manager from 1939 through 1943 and was succeeded by Richard Adams in 1944 who was the originator of the turkey board. Seems that the Drum Corps had been looking for a new idea for raising funds and the turkey board was inaugurated to sell chances off of a piece of cardboard by placing them in the hands of restaurants, refreshments stand and other types of businesses thru-out the city and to the astonishment of all members a whopping $5,000.00 was raised in this manner. Needless to say Sir Richard was re-elected in 1945 as manager and was also elevated to Oriental Guide on the Divan the same year so there must be a moral of some type to this story.
1946 was a sad year for the Drum Corps, as the manager of this year, Otto Rougeou, passed away during his reign and was succeeded by Rob't Chism for the balance of the year.
A new manager was elected in 1947 and reelected in 1948 and in this manner, Line Hershey came into the picture as head of the unit and he's been around ever since. Line is at present helping your secretary round up a more complete history of the Drum Corps and it is our thought to publish it with in the next year or two. Any articles or information from any of the older members of the D.C. will be appreciated and will help to make this more complete.
'The grand master of ticket sales came on as manager in 1949 and was re-elected to serve another term in 1950. Earl E. Kelly and his turkey boards, watch raffles, and other fund raising gimmicks, were to be heard from for many years to come. The sight of Kelly plodding along with a baseball cap pulled over his eyes, a trail of cigar smoke following him and a ready answer for whoever might way-lay him is about as good a description of him that we can think of.
S. L. Vance as manager in 1950 completed Kelly's year for him since Kelly was transferred to Houston, and following Vance was Harvey McDonald, the vocalist of the Drum Corps and of the Temple. If you didn't sing, you sang anyhow because Harvey's motto was, "I'll do anything you can get me to do" . . . Harvey could be called a perfectionist because anything he promoted was done well and you could count on it being first rate.
After joining the D.C. in 1924, Spud Gullette served as a snare drummer until 1941 at which time he moved his family to Oklahoma for the duration of World War II and later returned to San Antonio and at the tender age of 26 Jim Gullette, son of Spud, became the head of the unit and at the present time is Drum Major and drill instructor of the Drum Corps.
Frank Pahlman served as manager for two terms, 1953 and 1954 and was followed by Russell Lindley who also ruled for a pair of terms and with the help of E. E. Kelly and his turkey boards, Russell took the entire unit and wives to Mexico City for a holiday and parade at the Aztec Pyramids which was to some degree short of perfection, but was to be remembered for years to come.
Russell was followed by Geo. Henry in 1957 and who later went on to become Potentate of Alzafar Temple and a good one at that. Geo. also for years has been the drummer for the Alzafar Shrine Combo.
Glen Seffel presided over the D.C. in 1958 and was followed by Joe Chafetz in 1959, and French Ferguson in 1960 and then Jack Cones in 1961. Jack is at present Oriental Guide on the Divan and will be the 5th Drum Corps past-president to become potentate of the Temple.
In 1962 Jack Cones was succeeded by Lyle Bayless who also has been a member of the Shrine Combo for many years and a first class clarinetist Bobby (Big Daddy) Howard wielded the stick in 1963 and played the bugle in the D.C. although he stated in his application that he wanted to carry the bass drum. What a waste of strength and muscle.
It was in 1964 that Jim Lindley (brother of Russell) became president of this unit and although beset by many difficulties, carried through to the end like a good mason and a good Drum Corps member.
Jack Cones came again in 1965 and became the second man ever to be elected president twice in the history of the unit and was followed this year by Allan Watkins, the year of 1966, the year of the big win, the year of the 50th anniversary of the Drum Corps. the Fife and Drum Corps, and the Drum & Bugle Corps of Alzafar Ternple.
May the Gus Meyers, the Harry Jankes, and the Bill LeMays, always be remembered for their untiring efforts in bringing this unit through many trying years and we of the present Drum & Bugle Corps salute them for their sweat and tears of their day.
DRUE FLOYD
Secretary
