One of the wrong-est things I've seen...

Sunday, I was at Cedar Point.

Around 4:15, I was buying chili^H^H^H^H^H cheese fries from the fry joint across from Gemini when the parade passed by. The first unit I saw was a marching band from somewhere in New York. They were carrying a banner identifying them as the "Quaker Marching Band".

Behind the banner was the first unit from the band, the Quaker drill team. The drill team was drilling, and I noticed what they were drilling *with*: Rifles.

Is it me, or is there something inherently wrong with that?

(Of course, the other Very Wrong Thing I encountered was that the fry joint was out of chili, but that's another matter...)

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Rifles are used on a regular basis by most drill teams, most of witch are fake replica rifles. Don't see what is wrong with them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drill_team

I also don't understand what would be considered wrong about this. ?

At a loss.

The rifles and sometimes sabers come from the Drum and Bugle corps activity, which has its roots in the military. Basically they are still used today because they are much more visable on a football field than a baton. If you are judging a group, its much easier to see a large wooden white rifle from a press box than a small thin metal baton. To see how precice these groups can get do a search on Youtube for DCI.

I think what he means is that the "Quakers", which are usually pacifists, were carrying rifles. Two things that usually don't go together.

-Tambo

I'm pretty sure the term Quaker is the schools mascot or "nickname' like the OSU buckeyes. I doubt the school is made up entirly of Quakers.

So did you not go to high school, Dave, or are you suggesting that they should actually be Quakers and not just using the name as a mascot?

There are really high schools with a Quaker as a mascot?

Riffle wielding Quakers are an oxymoron. "The fighting Quakers" are an odd choice of a mascot.

On the topic of riffles for bands and drum corps. Post 9/11 and Columbine, I'm surprised these fake guns are still being allowed. I thought that most school systems have eliminated common sense and went to being super conservative and put zero tolerance rules in place. I guess they overlook this long standing tradition.

You should try being on tour with a drum corps when you cross the boarder into Canada for a show......

"Ummm Why are you transporting 36 rifles across the boarder?"

ROFL!

Yeah, seriously, you're looking at the situation entirely too analytically.

Rihard 2000 said:

"The fighting Quakers" are an odd choice of a mascot.

Who ever said they were the "fighting quakers"?

Disney Mike said:
You should try being on tour with a drum corps when you cross the boarder into Canada for a show......

"Ummm Why are you transporting 36 rifles across the boarder?"

Did you add the "a" in border just because you were talking about Canada? eh? ;)

My High School nickname was The Sailors and oddly enough many of the students activly participated in activities such as sports, band, school paper etc..despite having never actually set foot on a boat. Its a strange world we live in. On the other hand it is a prerequisite at Notre Dame to be both Irish and a Fighter..so go figure

It is also a prerequisite that you be a mediocre (at best) football player.

Chief, you beat me to that one. Hee.

Perhaps the band in question simply likes oatmeal.

We were the Blue Devils, and oddly enough, none of us were blue, or in fact related to Satan. But that didn't stop a business owner from telling me they wouldn't buy a Yearbook ad from me because, and they said it with a straight face, we were promoting Satanism.

Good thing you weren't playing for the Right-Wing Fundamentalists!

Our high school here in Mooresville, NC is also the Blue Devils as well as a college about 3 1/2 hours east of here (Duke University).

Political Correctness is overrated.