Falling silent
For three generations of women, more than 60 years of shared melodies and marching styles have come to an end.
Left behind however, are overflowing scrapbooks, handwritten and photocopied musical notation and an endless supply of stories.
Although the youngest generation of the recently disbanded Meridian Fife and Drum Corps will not be able to pass on the beloved pastime to their daughters, members both young and old will not soon forget the years of fun they had in the all-female performance group.
The group was formed in 1943 when about 50 young women auditioned for two majorette positions in the Meridian Volunteer Fire Company's Band.
"They had to make something else for us to do,"remembered Pearl Hilliard Park.
In the early days of the corps, between 50 and 60 women belonged to the group, which performed at nearly every venue the fire company's band performed.
Park and her three sisters were among the group's founding members.
Her sister, Elizabeth Hilliard Butler remembered that the fife was chosen as the main instrument of the group as it was easy to learn.
Throughout its history, the corps donned patriotic red, white and blue uniforms. One of its earlier versions, which included a red hat and plume, earned the corps the nickname "the red-headed woodpeckers" by a competing drum and bugle corps in Harmony.
Members turned the taunting into fun, making 1940s cartoon character Winnie Woodpecker it's mascot.
By the time their nieces Autumn Kearns Moore and Lori Kearns McCann became Woodpeckers, members were required to play fife at least one year before auditioning for other positions in the group.
McCann played fife all but one year of her involvement, and Moore went on to participate in the group's color guard.
Perhaps the height of the corps' history, Moore and McCann participated in parades and field shows locally and internationally. Both participated in events in Canada, and McCann joined the corps on a three-week trip to Romania to perform.
Though their destinations expanded, the corps' means of support remained fairly consistent.
Both Kearns sisters and their aunts remember spending one Saturday morning each month assembling hundreds of subs for sale.Money was also earned through parade participation, and the Meridian Fire Company offered support in securing insurance for transportation.By the time a third generation of young women picked up their fifes, the number of fife and drum corps in the area had begun to wane, limiting the groups performance opportunities to mostly parades.Another rarity was to find an all-female group, as many of the groups had become co-ed."We offered to let boys in one time," remembered McCann of her days in the corps. "We said 'O.K., but you have to shave your legs and wear a skirt.'"Open to women ages 10 to 21, McCann and her sister both stayed after their time in the corps was up, serving as instructors and managers.The strong sense of parent involvement meant some girls were exposed to the corps long before being eligible to join."I had an older sister in the corps, I was just waiting till the age when I could join,"remembered Kasey Daugherty, whose grandmother, Eleanor "Sis" Critchlow was one of the original members."It's the little sister syndrome," confirmed Moore's daughter Sarah.With her mother actively involved in the corps, Sarah was often allowed to march alongside the corps with fife in hand, though she had not yet learned to play.This eagerness to get involved led to exceptions, some girls joining at ages 8 and 9, as long as they could play the fife and march.Continuing their weekly practices, membership in the corps had declined in recent years, taking the group down to about 20 members toward the end.At ages 24 and 25, Sarah and Daugherty were among the corps alumni, still actively involved, who came to the realization that the group could not last forever.Among reasons cited for the lack of membership were the numerous other activities students now have and a lack of parent involvement."When I was in the corps, that was all Idid,"remembered McCann.Afitting end to the corps's life, the last performance came at the Meridian Fire Company's recent open house and 75th anniversary celebration."It disappoints me greatly that my children won't be able to join,"said Daugherty.According to McCann, there is one fife and drum corps still active in the region.For the Meridian Fife and Drum Corps Alumni, there will never be a replacement.
