Dutch Boy

The Dutch Boy drum & bugle corps was originally formed in the summer of 1969 as the Dutch Boy Cadets, a feeder corps for the Flying Dutchmen of Kitchener, under the leadership of Don Scott.

The Flying Dutchmen board of directors liked the idea and offered to share their practice hall at the Newtex cleaners Storage Room in Kitchener. As the Dutchmen had just changed uniforms, the Cadets were offered their shirts and caps. With 10 new recruits, boys between 10 and 12 years of age, the corps was formed during the summer of 1969.

The corps name suggested was the Dutch Boys. However, there was a supermarket in Kitchener-Waterloo called Dutch Boy. The owner, Mr. Frank Beresford, not only gave permission to keep the name but became a dedicated supporter of the organization over the years. Later, they received sponsorship from the Order of the Odd Fellows organization thanks to Jack Turner. During the spring of 1970, a group of twenty-eight eager but inexperienced boys, ranging from eight to fifteen years of age, undertook to master some well used instruments into an ear pleasing presentation of drum corps music, for the pleasure of the public and the self-satisfaction to the boy, of his own involvement. The growth of the corps was so rapid, they soon required more assistance, namely Don Poole and Peter Vanderkolff and later Nancy Fries and Tom Baggett. In the “Standstill Class” of the 1970 Ontario provincial championships, they placed 4^th and 3^rd in the Canadian Nationals. The following season saw the Cadets become a coed unit with the addition of a female color guard as they went on to be crowned both the 1971 Provincial and National “Bantam Class” champions.

In 1972, Louise Vanderkolf and other mothers created a new uniform, consisting of lederhosen, red vests and real alpine type hats with white feathers. The guard of young ladies wore authentic dirndls of red, white and green. At this time, the music theme was German in origin and went over big especially in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. The corps was crowned the 1972 Canadian National “Class C” champions in 1972 and in 1973, the membership wanted to stay with the Cadets and the relationship with the Flying Dutchmen was severed.

Now with a more mature group, the corps moved up to “Class B” competition, participating in the “Junior B” International circuit, placing 8^th along with 6^th place finishes in both the Western Ontario circuit and the preliminaries of the 1973 Canadian Nationals. The next season saw the Dutch Boy Cadets continue their ascent in the “Class B” division, when they finished 4^th in both the Western Ontario circuit and the finals in the Nationals’ contest. That fall, the corps, with a membership of 110, traveled to Munich for Oktoberfest and became the second North American corps to tour Europe, the Alberta “All-Girls” being the first in 1972. They played at the World Cup Soccer championships, the Munich Rathouse (City Hall) and the Canadian Forces Bases in Laar and Baden Baden. The corps participated in their first regional championships with an appearance in the 1975 US Open “Class A” prelims, placing 14^th and Canadian “Class B” competition, finished 3^rd in the Provincials and retained their 4^th place finish at the Nationals.

In 1976, from their original dirndls and lederhosen, representative of the German heritage of Kitchener, Waterloo and Oktoberfest Country, the Cadets new Bavarian-styled long pants were a welcomed change for the members despite how "comfortable" leather lederhosen was in cold, wet weather. The rule was lederhosen for "official Oktoberfest events" and long green pants for shows and wintry weather parades. That year, the corps expanded their touring to include the American International Open (AIO), earning a 9^th place “Class A” finalist position, returning to another 14^th place finish in the US Open prelims and closed out the Dutch Boy Cadets storied history with a 3^rd place finish in the Canadian Nationals “Class B” finals. By the fall of 1976, it was decided by both administrations to amalgamate the Dutch Boy Cadets and the Flying Dutchmen into one marching unit, known as the Northstars drum corps. Over the next three season, the Cadets of Dutch Boy was formed and rebranded to the Dutch Boy drum and bugle corps in 1980. This unit was now the primary focus of the Northstar Youth Organization. The Bavarian uniforms were replaced with red tunics, Forest green pants and black felt hats. It was designed to recognize the evolving maturity of the corps membership while maintaining the corps colours of forest green, red and white. Dutch Boy was now on the road towards greater things ahead. They won the 1980 Great Lakes circuit, the Ontario Provincial and the Key to the Sea “Class A” championships and were “Class A” finalists in both the US Open and the AIO regionals.

In 1981, the corps competed in “Class A” and “Open Class” events internationally and won both the 1981 Provincial and National championships. They were “Class A” finalists in the US Open (5^th), the AIO (3^rd),
the Key to The Sea Open (2^nd) and the DCI championships, where they finished in 4^th position. The corps also performed in many parades and exhibitions, including the Toronto Argonauts football team half-time shows and appeared in the television series "Circus" in November. Dutch Boy won the 1982 “Class A" championships for the third straight year both  Nationally and Provincially and added major “Class A” regional titles including the Key to the Sea, the AIO, the DCI Midwest and the much coveted DCI championships. The following season, Dutch Boy competed in the "Open Class” and many people watched, wondering how the corps would fare making the tough transition. Fielding a corps of over 100 members, they won the 1983 Great Lakes and Canadian Open championships and were finalists in the Drum Corps East - DCE (8^th), DCI North (10^th), Key To the Sea (9^th), AIO (5^th) and the US Open (7^th) before rounding out their season in DCI “Semifinals”, finishing 23^rd. It was decided in 1984 to go in the direction of Movie Themes which included excerpts from Rocky and Raiders of the Lost Ark. The Corps used many props and flag changes throughout the show and although they started the season slow, but they came on very strong to upset their competition, finishing as a finalist in the DCE championships (9^th) and appeared in the prelims of the DCI Midwest (27^th), DCI Canada (16^th), DCI East (14^th), claiming another “Top 25” finish in the DCI “Semifinals”, placing 24^th.

A year of transition almost cost the corps its existence as it struggled to make the climb from “Class A” champions in 1982 to a contender for “Top 12” in “Open Class”. Corps director John Robins was heading towards his "first" period of retirement after the 1985 season and score arranger Al DiCroce was struggling to meet obligations as he prepared to take over as the new corps director in 1986. Many experienced members had left to "age out" in larger corps in the south. A meeting of the members was called to decide if they would compete during the season and they voted unanimously to continue with the seasons schedule. The drill was rewritten for the smaller membership as trouble plagued the unit all summer with a series of vehicle breakdowns which resulted in missed parades and competitions and numerous hours on the side of the road with no housing available. Dutch Boy marched 50 members and appeared small compared to the numbers their competitors fielded. Despite the turmoil, the show was fun with the guard bouncing on indestructible white rubber balls and being chased by shark fins. They would participate in several regionals preliminaries including the 1985 DCI South and Southeast, placing 14^th, the DCI Midwest (16^th), DCI Canada (11^th) and finally a 19^th place finish in the DCI “Quarterfinals”.

Dutch Boy began the road to recovery, with an influx of members from the Northmen of Rochester, and became a crowd favorite with popular cartoon themes, including Pink Panther and a sizzling James Bond ending. They returned to finalist status in the 1986 DCE (4^th), US Open (5^th), DCI Canada (8^th) and, after a 5-year absence, reclaimed the Canadian Nationals “Open Class” title until 1991. Rising in the ranks by 15 positions, they were one of the surprises of the drum corps season as they placed 17^th in the DCI “Semifinals”.  The color guard began to sizzle with their hot pink trench coats. A new sophisticated look and a strong thematic sound set Dutch Boy on a path towards the “Top 12” in 1987. Sinatra and Big Band arrangers, along with shining new uniforms, would carry the corps for the next number of years as the color guard, which had always been a strength of the corps, now had a look of maturity to match their experience. Sequins and sass added new appeal and the corps became an audience favorite wherever they toured. They went on to great success that year, competing in the finals of DCE (4^th), DCI Canada (8^th), DCI South (7^th) and DCI Midwest (9^th) on their way to a 15^th place finish in the DCI “Semifinals”. There was no doubt with the new look and sound that the corps had achieved something special. This was the second year into their new look and Dutch Boy was now a serious contender for the exclusive “Top 12” finals position, acquiring new members from Connexion Québec and the Eclipses of Longueuil. Continuing with their "Tribute to Sinatra", the show and musical score was more refined than their 1987 show. The color guard offered even more sophistication to their routines. Far more than just sequins the color guard worked hard and were every bit as talented as any guard out on the field, including those in the “Top 12”.

In 1988, they won best color guard at several shows as they continued to rank among the finalists in the DCE circuit (4^th), DCI Canada (6^th), DCI East (7^th) and the US Open (4^th). Despite the significant effort and crowd pleasing show the corps finished just two-tenths of a point away from the elusive 12th place position in the DCI “Semifinals”. The 1989 season marked a shift in theme from performer to arranger as the show highlighted the sounds of Cole Porter. A solid, tight show marked a new maturity for the corps as they toured through the finals in the DCE (5^th), DCI Canada (8^th), DCI South (7^th) and DCI Midwest (7^th) before finishing with yet another heart-breaking finish in the DCI “Semifinals”, placing 13^th once again, missing out by a mere three tenths of a point. Eight years after winning the DCI “Class A” championships and 3 years as a serious competitive contender, the 1990 season would be the Cinderella year for the corps. Their crowd-pleasing show brought together 2 members of the rat pack, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. as the membership gained yet another influx of members, this time from Insolite of St. Jérome. Appearances in the DCE (5^th), DCI East (6^th), DCI Midwest (7^th) and DCI Canada (5^th) paved the way to cracking the elusive and exclusive DCI “Top 12” junior elite with a 12^th place finish in the DCI “Finals”. The following year, Dutch Boy carried the same pace over the tour season by qualifying in the finals of 1991 DCE (3^rd), DCI North (4^th), DCI Canada (8^th), US Open (3rd) and DCI Mid-America (7^th) but their hard earned entry into the “Top 12” was short-lived but the sophistication of their show was nothing but Top 12 caliber. They once again placed 13^th in the DCI “Semifinals”, this time missing out by four tenths of a point.

In 1992, the corps acquired 3-valve bugles and a tractor trailer for their equipment. Loading the truck was a dream and took a fraction of the time compared to the box truck that had been in use up until that point. There were slots for all of the instruments, shakos and built-in racks for the uniforms. The corps remained active in DCI regional finals competition, participating in DCE (7^th), DCI North (10^th) and DCI East (10^th) on route to an 18^th place finish in the DCI “Quarterfinals”. The next year, the corps qualified for the finals of the 1993 DCE (4^th), DCI North (7^th), DCI East (9^th) and DCI Mid-America (9^th), capping off the season by repeating as an 18^th place finisher in the DCI “Quarterfinals”.  Three years of continuous effort to compete at the world class level had taken its toll. A lack of unified direction would rattle the foundations of the organization. This would mark the final year for this version of the corps which formed in 1977 as a feeder unit to the Northstars’ and the crowning achievement of the Northstar Youth Organization. A familiar face of the organization, John Robins, returned to the corps in 1994 and  oversaw the transition over next three seasons as the Cadets of Dutch Boy, the very same feeder corps would carry on the competitive torch. In fact, he would be involved in several capacities within the organization until his passing in 2005. As the only active corps under the Northstar Youth Organization banner, it was decided to drop the Cadet designation and revive the Dutch Boy name in 1997, for which this group had served as a training unit throughout the 80's and 90's. Under the leadership of Chris Bradshaw, the group participated in the Canadian Open “Division III” regionals, placing 19^th in the prelims and won the Canadian National “Division IV” title.

The corps had substantially increased its membership the following year and subsequently competed in the DCI “Division II” class for the next three years, where they placed 12^th in 1998 & 1999 and 13^th in 2000 in the preliminary rounds. Over this time period, Dutch Boy qualified for the finals in the 1999 DCI Atlantic Open (6^th), the 2000 Canadian Open (6^th) and the 2000 US Coast Guard Open (3^rd) along with appearances in the North American Open (NAO) prelims, 11^th in 1999) & 10^th in 2000. They were also crowned the 1998 Canadian Nationals “Division II” champions, finishing 2^nd the next two seasons. In 2001, as the corps returned to “Division III” status, they toured extensively, competing in the prelims of the NAO (11^th), the Canadian Open (8^th), US Coast Guard (10^th), culminating with a 14^th place finish in the DCI championships and was awarded the Canadian Nationals “Division III” title. Steve Meikle took over the leadership reigns from 2002 to 2008. The unit sustained its tour schedule that brought them once again to the prelims in the 2002 NAO (19^th), the Canadian Open (13^th), US Coast Guard(17^th), culminating with a 15^th place finish in the DCI “Division III” contest and participated in their final Canadian Nationals, placing 3^rd. Due to financial restrictions, the corps would not compete in the 2003 DCI championships but performed in the Canadian Open (4^th), the Dekalb Open (4^th) and the NAO (5^th), featuring a similar show concept as the previous season. In 2004, the organization purchased new Kanstul B Flat horns thanks to a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, on their way to a 10^th place finish in the DCI “Division III’ prelims.

Over the next two years, the corps participated in the Canadian Open, 3^rd (2005) & 2^nd (2006) and the Great Lakes Open, 7^th (2005), winning the 2006 title, ranked as a finalist in the 2005 DCI championships, placing 8^th and finished 7^th in the 2006 DCI “Semifinals”. In celebration of the Northstar Youth Organization’s 30^th anniversary, the corps toured through Texas and Arizona in 2007 in a very hot environment and spotted very peculiar creatures including tarantulas. On their way to the DCI championships, they participated in the DCI “Preview”, placing in 2^nd position and 3^rd in the “Finals”, where the corps was voted “Most improved Division III and Spirit of Disney” awards. The 2008 season was highlighted by the percussion section, when it was invited to perform for the Keith Urban concert at the Air Canada Centre. They went on to a 10th place finish in the DCI “Finals” but unfortunately, the corps' cooker truck didn’t make it home and the convoy left it in Indianapolis. In their 40^th and final year of existence since their inception in 1969, the corps, under the direction of Doug Darwin of Kiwanis Kavalier fame, placed 15^th in the DCI “Division III” semifinals.

Dutch Boy disbanded in 2010 and was recognized as one of the longest standing competitive organizations in Canadian history and acknowledged as a highly respected contributor within the activity.

Members (61)