The Cavaliers

https://cavaliers.org

The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps is an active junior corps competing in DCI World Class. The corps currently holds 7 DCI World Champion titles, 10 VFW Division I Champion titles, and 3 American Legion Champion Titles

## Corps History

The corps was started in 1948 by Don Warren, a scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 111 in Chicago's Logan Square Neighborhood after being impressed by the Racine Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps. in 1949, the corps found an additional sponsor in the American Legion Thaddeus Koscluszko Post 712 of Chicago's Little Warsaw neighborhood. This allowed the corps to purchase new uniforms.

### The pre-DCI powerhouse

by 1960 the Cavaliers had became a drum corps powerhouse. However, money became scarce for the corps and the American Legion Kosciusko Post and the Chicago's Own VFW Post tried to meet the corps' financial needs, but the temporary banning of bingo and other similar fundraisers drum corps used by the state of Illinois was a crippling blow to the corps. Alongside this, with how high the corps level of competition was, recruiting was made difficult.

### The Midwest Combine

In 1971, at the urging of Don Warren and Troopers founder, Jim Jones, The the Blue Stars, Cavaliers, Madison Scouts, Santa Clara Vanguard, the Argonne Rebels and the Troopers formed the Midwest Combine. This action was in rebellion against the rigid and inflexable rules of the American Legion and the VFW. A similar group of eastern corps, known as the Alliance was formed by the 27th Lancers, Garfield Cadets, Boston Crusaders, Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights, and Blue Rock. The Combine stuck together, offering show promoters the corps as a package and keeping a bulk of the money they earned.

### The beginning of Drum Corps International

In 1972, alongside the ninte other corps from the Midwest Combine and the Alliance, plus three other corps that were invited, the Anaheim Kingsmen, Argonne Rebels, and De La Salle Oaklands met together to form Drum Corps International. A 1972 season was later held landing the Cavaliers in 9th place, however it would take the Cavaliers some time to rise to meet the standards the Santa Clara Vanguard, Blue Devils, Madison Scouts, and The Garfield Cadets had set in DCI's early days

## Notable Events/Shows

2000 "Niagara Falls", 2001 "Four Corners", 2002 "Frameworks" - The Cavaliers achieving a threepeater, winning DCI Champion three years in a row, one of three other corps alongside The Cadets and the Blue Devils

2002 "Frameworks" - Highest scoring Cavaliers show and second highest score in DCI History of 99.15 (tied with The Cadets)

## Show Summary (1950-2023)

 2022
 2021
 2020

## Caption Awards

At the annual DCI World Championships, DCI presents caption awards with the highest average scores between prelims, semifinals, and finals. With five captions The Cavaliers have won the following

### Don Angelica Best General Effect Award

* 2001
* 2002
* 2004
* 2006

### John Brazale Best Visual Performance Award

* 2000
* 2002
* 2004
* 2006

### George Zingali Best Color Guard Performance Award

* 2000
* 2002
* 2004
* 2007

### Jim Ott Best Brass Performance Award

* 2002
* 2006

### Fred Sanford Best Percussion Performance Award

* 2000
* 2011
* 2023

Prior to 2000 and the adoption of the current scoring format, The Cavaliers won these captions

### High General Effect Award

* 1990 (tie)
* 1995

### High Visual Award

* 1991
* 1992

### High Percussion Award

* 1991 (tie)
* 1992
* 1995
* 1999