The Cadets

The Cadets (Also known as The Holy Name Cadets, Garfield Cadets and The Cadets of Bergen County) Drum and Bugle Corps is a junior corps based out of Erie, Pennsylvania. The corps currently holds 10 American Legion Champion titles, 1 CYO champion title, and 10 DCI World Championship titles.

## Socials

### Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/@thecadets4939

The Cadets is one of the charter corps for Drum Corps International

The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps will be inactive for the upcoming 2024 season.

## Corps History

Charles Mura, Micheal Koeph, and the Rev. Edwin Garrity of the Holy Name Catholic Parish in Garfield, New Jersey founded the Holy Name Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps in 1934 as an activity for the young boys in the parish. The young corps quickly rose to the top alongside other top corps in the country. The corps song "O Holy Name" was written for the corps in 1937, similar to other corps songs from other Drum and Bugle Corps, the lyrics are taught to new members each summer and sung to the tune of "O Tannenbaum" (Oh Christmas Tree).

In 1940, the Holy Name Cadets won the American Legion (AL) Junior National Championships in Boston, the first of nine AL titles the corps would win between 1940-1964. Alongside being a national powerhouse, the corps was known for its ability to travel such as in 1950, when the Holy Name Cadets travelled to Los Angeles to defend their AL title.

However, in 1958 the Holy Name Parish declined to support the corps' travel and disbanded the corps. The members and staff were not willing to cease the corps operations, and reorganized as a new organization, even though the parish kept the uniforms and instruments. The corps travelled to Chicago for AL Nationals funded from the members expense. The Corps soon rebranded, Marching as the Cadets of Garfield (Garfield Cadets) wore uniforms of white shorts, red golf shirts, and Aussie hats (similar uniform seen in 2023, minus the Aussies); and using instruments borrowed from the Chicago Cavaliers, the corps managed to finish in second place beating the then champion The Cavaliers. Midway through the 1959 season, the Holy Name Parish reluctantly agreed to let the corps wear the uniform that is trademark to the corps.

### The founding of Drum Corps International

In 1971, the Garfield Cadets alongside the 27th Lancers, Boston Crusaders, Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights, and Blue Rock formed the United Organization of Junior Corps (Also known as the Alliance), this action was taken in retalliation to the rigid and inflexable rules the VFW, CYO and AL had set out. Later in 1972, The Alliance alongside the Midwest Combine, which consisted of the Blue Stars, Cavaliers, Madison Scouts, Santa Clara Vanguard, and the Troopers alongside three other corps that were invited, the Anaheim Kingsmen, Argonne Rebels, And De La Salle Oaklands were the 13 founding members of Drum Corps International, to day the organization remains the main circuit for Drum Corps in the United States and Canada.

At the first ever DCI Championships, held in Whitewater, Wisconsin, the Cadets just missed finals, placing 13th out of 39 corps from all over the United States and Canada. After the corps made their third Finals appearance in 1980, the corps soon returned to the powerhouse it was prior to 1972, from 1983-1985 the corps would achieve a three-peat (three back to back champion titles), the first of three DCI Corps to do so.

Later on, the Garfield Cadets were relocated outside Garfield to Hackensack, and were renamed the Cadets of Bergen County in 1989, after this the corps would go on to win DCI Championships in 1990, 1993, 1998, and 2000. In 1996 the corps sponsorship was passed to the Youth Education in the Arts (YEA), an organization sponsoring several youth musical activities. Also in '96, the corps performed at the summer Olympics in Atlanta. in 1998, the corps rebranded itself again, this time simply becoming The Cadets. When in 2003, YEA moved its base of operations to Allentown, Pennsylvania, the corps went along with it, later moving to Erie in recent years.

### More recent years of The Cadets

In 2005, the corps won DCI Championships, winning a score of 99.15, the highest scoring show at the time alongside the 2002 Cavaliers, also scoring a 99.15. Later in 2011, the corps would win DCI Championships once again. In honor of the corps 75th anniversary season, the corps called themselves the Holy Name Cadets for the 2009 season. The only other junior corps older than The Cadets, the Racine Scouts, which was founded in 1927 sadly, the scouts have not fielded a corps since 2015 and has since gone inactive in 2018. Since the Cadets opted out of competing in 2024, the title of oldest continuously active junior corps title was given to the Madison Scouts, which has been active since 1938. Meanwhile, the Govenaries, an all-age/senior corps founded the same year as the Racine Scouts, retain the title of oldest continuously active corps.

## Notable Events/Shows

1983, 1984, 1985 - The Cadets achieving a threepeater, winning DCI Champion three years in a row, the first of three other corps alongside The Cavaliers and the Blue Devils

2005 - Second highest score in DCI History of 99.15 (tied with The Cavaliers)

## Corps Summary (1972-2024)

The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps competed in DCI Open Class 1972-1991, DCI Division I 1992-2007, and DCI World Class 2008<. These are the same tier, just renamed

## 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 Cadets have won the following

### Don Angelica Best General Effect Award

* 2000
* 2005 "The Zone [Dreamscapes in Four Parts with a Door]"
* 2011 "Between Angels and Demons"

### John Brazale Best Visual Performance Award

* 2005 "The Zone [Dreamscapes in Four Parts with a Door]"
* 2011 "Between Angels and Demons"

### George Zingali Best Color Guard Performance Award

* 2005 "The Zone [Dreamscapes in Four Parts with a Door]"

### Jim Ott Best Brass Performance Award

* 2000
* 2005 "The Zone [Dreamscapes in Four Parts with a Door]"
* 2015

### Fred Sanford Best Percussion Performance Award

* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2005
* 2013

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

### High General Effect Award

* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1990 (tie)
* 1992
* 1993
* 1997
* 1998

### High Visual Award

* 1983
* 1984 (tie)
* 1987 (tie)
* 1990 (tie)
* 1993
* 1998

### High Color Guard Award

* 1989
* 1991
* 1993
* 1994
* 1996

### High Brass Award

* 1983
* 1984 (3-way tie)
* 1985 (tie)
* 1987 (tie)
* 1995 (3-way tie)

### High Percussion Award

* 1987
* 1990