Greetings Bushwackers!
For some of you, it may have been years since you or anyone else has called you a Bushwacker. The fact is that whether you wore long grey coats or magenta and blue…whether you called Harrison, Ridgefield Park, or Princeton home … we are all bound together as BUSHWACKERS!We all have great stories about fellow members, staff, or administrators who had a great impact on our lives and on the corps. Well, the time has come to recognize these individuals. We are no longer a start-up corps from Keyport with a funny name. Well, we are…but we’re also the six time DCA World Champion Bushwackers…a corps with a long and storied history of doing our own thing, creating trends instead of reacting to them, and always striving to be the best corps on the field regardless of placement. The time has come to recognize the individuals and groups (sections) that have paved the way and have made all of our success possible. We feel very strongly that it’s important for us to reflect and honor those who we feel epitomize what it means to be a Bushwacker.
So, how does it work?
It’s pretty simple, actually. We have a small committee that has drafted and passed a comprehensive set of by-laws to govern the HOF and the nomination process. The document is long and wordy…so here’s a basic run-down:
Spectacular question! Anyone may be nominated to the HOF, so long as they have spent at least one (1) full year as a member, staff member, administrator, or supporter of the corps. Current members who fit the above criteria may be nominated. One cannot nominate oneself to the HOF. Groups such as particular sections or particular versions of the drum corps may be nominated (i.e. the 1986 Bushwackers, the 1991 drum line, etc.)
All you have to do is fill out the official nomination form. You can either fill out the form online or in paper form and mail it in. Hall of Fame members may nominate a new member in person at the meeting. You can nominate as many people as you want! Each nomination form must be accompanied by a written testimonial explaining why you feel this person, people, or groups should be inducted into the HOF. Assume that the voting committee doesn’t know the person you’re nominating. We’ve done our best to have each generation of the corps represented on the committee, but be as thorough as you can anyway.
After the nomination deadline, the voting committee members will convene and review all of the nomination forms. There will be extensive discussion, and then the members will vote. The vote is by secret ballot, and each member can vote for as many nominees as he/she sees fit. The top three nominees who receive 70% of the vote will be inducted into the Bushwackers HOF. Any nominees that reach 70% but are not in the top three will have their nomination carry over to the next year.
The induction ceremony will be held at an event established beforehand by the HOF committee, typically at the corps’ home show. ALL ALUMNI, FRIENDS and FAMILY ARE INVITED TO ATTEND!!! Details will be announced as soon as they are available.
Please feel free to email us at HOF@bushwackers.org with any questions,comments…or whatever you have. We always look forward to hearing from our fellow alumni…regardless of when you marched or how long it’s been since you’ve been in contact!