The Black Watch started
in the summer/fall of 1971, and competed in 1972 in the "C" class. They climbed
up ladder of competition into the top 16 by 1974, when they traveled across
the U.S. for the first time. In 1976 they were pushing for Top 12 status, but
political pressures at home kept them from competing at the World Championships
that year. This nearly killed the corps, as most members left. Rebuilding with
many members from their feeder corps, the Black Watch competed in the 1977 Class
A Championships in Denver, and placed 7th at finals. The next year, they went
undefeated in the Northwest, and completed that run at DCI, becoming the 1978
DCI Class A World Champions. This brought many old members back, and the corps
was ambitious in 1979, moving up to Open Class, but only placed 33rd at World
Championships in Birmingham, Alabama.
The corps started to grow again after nearly dying in 1980, a year it didn't compete. 1981 was a rebuilding year, with few competitions outside of the Northwest. By 1982, the corps was setting sights on rebuilding to their old stature, with good results. Unfortunately, infighting in the infrastructure of the organization did finally take its toll, and by the spring of 1984, there was no more Black Watch Drum Corps. The members that had marched in the Black Watch of the 1980's moved on to the Santa Clara Vanguard, and marched there until they all aged out.
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Cathy Doser, Director, Black Watch
Last updated: Sun, Jan 16, 2000