HJ0138 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0138 LRB095 21619 GRL 51707 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly are pleased to congratulate the members of the Rosemont Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps on the occasion of their 60th anniversary; and

WHEREAS, The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps were founded in 1948 by Don Warren; he is the only person to ever serve as corps president for the Cavaliers, a role he has filled for 60 consecutive years; when the group was created, it was known as the Boy Scout Troop 111 Drum and Bugle Corps; today, the Cavaliers are sponsored by the village of Rosemont; and

WHEREAS, The corps songs of the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps are "Over the Rainbow" (since 1951) and "The Corps Song", set to the tune of "Semper Paratus"; the corps cheer or battle cry is "Splooie", the meaning of which is known only to members who have been initiated into the Cavalier brotherhood, a process taking two years to achieve; and

WHEREAS, The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps has a long history of success in the competitive ranks of Drum Corps International (DCI) as well as the earlier VFW and American Legion Championship years in the 1950s through 1970s; the Cavaliers have won more championships, including Drum Corps International, VFW, American Legion, and Winter Guard International championships, and contests than any other drum and bugle corps in the history of the activity; after winning the 2006 DCI World Championships, the Cavaliers set a new record for the most DCI World Championship Titles in a single decade with an astounding five championships; they are only one of two junior drum and bugle corps to experience two undefeated seasons, which they achieved in 1961 and 2002; the Cavaliers formerly held the record for the most consecutive victories of any drum and bugle corps, with 63 first place finishes in a row over three seasons; the Cavaliers also achieved a three-peat in the winter color guard activity, winning the Winter Guard International Championship in 1981, 1982, and 1983; and

WHEREAS, Since 2001, the Cavaliers have become known within the drum and bugle activity for their unique conceptual approach to brass pedagogy, which revolves around establishing a characteristic tone quality on Concert F and then transferring the characteristic sound of that note to notes above and below it, both individually and across the ensemble; the importance of individual listening and awareness in these "matching" exercises is stressed to the point where a mechanical tuner is never used during a summer at the Cavaliers; and

WHEREAS, The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps continues to be an annual selection for the DCI Classic Countdown, a fan picked repertoire of all drum corps shows from the past; and

WHEREAS, The incredible talent of the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps has garnered the corps a measure of fame; the corps have played for United States Presidents Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon Johnson; in 2005, select members of the corps were chosen to appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show to portray a college marching band; and

WHEREAS, A 60th Anniversary Celebration banquet will be held on August 3, 2008 in honor of the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps and its visionary leader; and

WHEREAS, The marching designs and fundamental marching technique of the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps have revolutionized the marching band and drum corps idiom throughout the past 60 years; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we congratulate the members of the Rosemont Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps on the occasion of their 60th anniversary and wish them continued success and happiness in the future; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we congratulate Don Warren for his 60 years of dedicated leadership and guidance in mentoring the Rosemont Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps and wish him many more happy years to come; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Rosemont Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps founder Don Warren as a symbol of our esteem and respect.