Some of them haven鈥檛 played in more than 50 years, yet all of the notes have fallen right into place as the Vernon Girls Trumpet Band gets ready to march one more time.
Alumni from the band have been busy practicing since November in order to make a grand parade entrance during the 60th anniversary of the Vernon Winter Carnival.
鈥淭he band is older than Vernon Winter Carnival,鈥� said Cathy Sim, whose grandfather Bob Hodgson started the band.
The first band of 15 girls started in the fall of 1947 by Hodgson, retired regimental sergeant major of the British Columbia Dragoons.
Under the direction of Hodgson and his and wife Marge (the official chaperone), the band practiced at Camp Vernon in the Brigadier Murphy Armouries.
鈥淲hen grandpa put this together he had two girls and a boy. His son was an army boy but there was nothing for the girls, so he made a band,鈥� said Sim.
The girls started as a Cadette Corps, which was the only way the band could receive funding.
The girls were even given full cadet training, including shooting and map reading.
By the mid 1960s, the band grew to 72 players, with two bands, participants ranging in age from 10-17.
The girls played in competitions and parades throughout Canada, the USA and Europe, collected 172 major trophies and even played for Queen Elizabeth.
By 1997, when the band celebrated its 50th anniversary, there had been more than 1,040 girls, not to mention staff, involved.
鈥淲e had a family in this band with seven sisters, all in the band, not all at the same time,鈥� said Sim, whose own mother, June Rigsby, was in the band, along with her aunt, Phyllis Scott, and Sim鈥檚 own two daughters.
But 10 years ago, the band鈥檚 tune went flat as the family disbanded. But with a major milestone carnival year coming up, several band members thought this would be the perfect time to bring the ladies back for an alumni.
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As people started registering for the alumni band, Sim discovered that there are many third generations that have all come back to play for Vernon Winter Carnival鈥檚 60th Parade.
鈥淚t鈥檚 becoming its own entity,鈥� said Sim of the nearly 90 registered players, now ranging in age from 20 to +70 coming from all over B.C., Alberta and even the U.S.
鈥淲e are going to be the biggest parade entry Vernon has ever seen.鈥�
In fact, former band members will be accommodated right up to the day, but they must register with Sim first by calling 250-540-3739.
鈥淚 had an 83-year-old lady call me from 琉璃神社, she was in the very first band in 1947 and we鈥檙e hoping it鈥檚 a nice sunny day and she鈥檒l be here otherwise she鈥檚 afraid of being cold,鈥� said Sim.
Among the approximately 90 registered alumni is Donna Cornell, who was 10 when she first joined the Vernon Girls Trumpet Band.
鈥淵ou have no idea what this means to a lot of us. It鈥檚 camaraderie, it鈥檚 family, for a lot of us it was a sanctuary even鈥� Cornell reflected.
鈥滻t was two hours once a week where we could get lost.鈥�
Reuniting with old faces as the ladies practice weekly has not only seen a lot of smiles, but many tears.
鈥淭hese ladies are going home crying at night,鈥� said Joy Gillies of the emotional experience.
Sherry Mattock played the snare side drum from 1969-75 and is in awe at practice just seeing all the faces she hasn鈥檛 seen in years.
鈥淵ou have all these big sisters. We are without a doubt the biggest family reunion.鈥�
Madeline Taylor, who played the symbols in the 鈥�60s, says it is so much fun.
鈥淥nce a band girl always a band girl. You meet really young band girls and you immediately connect with them, like you have a common ground and common spirit.鈥�
Denise Cam played in the 1980s with her little sister while her mom was also in the band in the 1960s. Each of the family members is looking forward to the Feb. 8 parade.
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鈥淲e鈥檝e heard nothing but good things about people waiting to hear us coming down the streets,鈥� said Cam, who appreciates the friendship, family and independence that the band taught her.
鈥淚 joined when I was 12 years old and I met my best friend, and we鈥檙e still best friends.鈥�
Now, they are grateful for the opportunity to come back together and perform once again for the community.
None of that would have been possible if it weren鈥檛 for Canadian Tire donating the old warehouse for the band to practice.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 have a place to practice inside. Our first practice was in the Gleaners Furniture Store,鈥� said Gillies.
鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 march so we just all stood in the aisle and played but it was more fun than I had in years.鈥�
Moving to the spacious warehouse off 27th Street has given the girls a warm, safe place to come together.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 want to be marching outside in this weather because I have O-L-D and I don鈥檛 want to to fall down,鈥� laughed Gillies.
There are a few more things the band needs, including flag dowlings and instruments.
鈥淯nfortunately the marching playing band itself isn鈥檛 going to be anywhere near what they hoped because we just don鈥檛 have the instruments,鈥� added Gillies, who is hoping for loaners or donations to come forward.
For a sneak peek at the Vernon Girls Trumpet Band, you can come meet past members and check out some memorabilia at a pop-up exhibit at the Greater Vernon Museum and Archives on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Anyone who can help the group find more instruments or flag dowlings is asked to call Sim at 250-540-3739.
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jennifer@vernonmorningstar.com
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