Sunday Carroll Eagle
01/11/08 by Kevin E. Dayhoff
EAGLE ARCHIVE
Below please find the long – unedited version of the column…
Just before the holidays got into full swing, I had the pleasure of attending the Westminster Municipal Band’s end of the year Christmas party and annual meeting.
It is certainly not a very well kept secret that this former Westminster Mayor and his family are madly in love with the Westminster Municipal Band. And it's not just because I'm a washed-up trumpet player.
Usually when one thinks of the Westminster Municipal Band, visions of “Mom, Country, and Apple Pie” come to mind.
The purpose of leadership today is to build community. Certainly one of the chief builders of our community has been the Westminster Municipal Band.
However, the rich history of the band includes being part of rapid deployment force to hotspots around the globe, a machine gun section, and a rumored reputation of being a heavy metal grudge-garage band. Who knew?
If a Greek mythologist were to write the history of the Westminster Municipal Band, they would write the Band's Mother is the history and tradition of the Westminster Community and the Father is the 29th Division National Guard Regimental Band. That Greek mythologist would also want to write that the band's ancestral home is Belle Grove Square and that it's midwife was Mayor Joseph L. Mathias.
The roots of the present Westminster Municipal Band are found in 1920, but “there are records of a Westminster Band dating back as far as 1860,” according to the band’s director, Sandy Miller, in a July 2004 interview.
However, to the best of our knowledge, it was 1893 when it was first incorporated as the Westminster City Band of Carroll County.
It was around this time that Company H First Infantry Maryland National Guard was organized in Frizzleburg in 1898. This unit later evolved into the famous 29th Division of the Maryland National Guard. Part of the Westminster Municipal Band's lineage can be traced back to the First Maryland Infantry Band consisting of the Westminster Units of the Maryland National Guard.
Around 1900, there were a number of bands in the Carroll County community that played a prominent role in the development and maintenance of the community's character and depth.
Between 1857 and 1952 there were 40 bands incorporated in Carroll County. Names such as the “Carroll County Concert Band”, the “Warfieldsburg Brass Band” and the “Double Creek Cornet Band” to name just a few. Of all those community bands, The Westminster Municipal Band is the one band that marches on.
Ms. Miller explained that in 1916, “many members of the band went into the Maryland National Guard under the heading ‘First Regimental Band of Maryland National Guard,” and shortly after that they were deployed to the Mexican border to participate in an undeclared war between the United States and Mexico.
United States Army Center of Military History officially refers to the conflict as the “Mexican Expedition,” with the “official” beginning and ending dates of March 14, 1916 to February 7, 1917.
In 1918, the band was deployed to France for World War I. After the members of the band returned home from France, the returning veteran band members, those who had remained stateside and folks from a “Boy Scouts band” formed “The Westminster Band, Inc.” in 1920. In 1950, the name was changed to “The Westminster Municipal Band” when Westminster Mayor Joseph L. Mathias took a particular interest in the band and the band re-organized.
At the event last December, there was no mention as to whether or not the Westminster Band still maintains a “rapid deployment” force. If anyone has that information, please be in touch.
According to a November 18, 1921 newspaper article, the Westminster Band led the community in a parade and subsequent daylong celebration of “Armistice Day.” The festivities included Western Maryland College Military students and Westminster Fire Department and machine gun demonstration on Liberty Street. Yes, you read that correctly. I’m not making this up.
The article says, “A demonstration was given with machine guns on Liberty street extended which was interesting to the crowd that watched the machines in action. A target was placed on the hill below Dr. Fitzhugh's which was riddled by bullets from the guns, showing the good marksmanship of the men.”
To the best of my knowledge, the current band does not have a “machine gun” section. Or do they?
At last December’s event, Westminster Band president Greg Wantz gave an extensive year in review in which he noted that several members of the Westminster Common Council were in attendance and Mayor Ferguson shared a few words of appreciation.
President Wantz said the band participated in 32 engagements in 2007 with an average of 38 members participating in each event. Years of Service awards were handed out to several band members, including Karen Wantz for 5 years, Rob Rollins for 20, Charlie Simpson for 25, Ron Charnigo and Jim Mora for 30, and Ray Shipley and Delbert Myerly for 45.
The President’s top ten awards were given to the members that attended the most jobs and they were as follows, making 42 total appearances – Dan Carl. Dan received a gift certificate from Harry’s Main Street Grill. Also making 42 – Sue Mora, who received a certificate from Frisco Pub.
Making 44 – Eric Utermahlen, who received a certificate from Applebee’s.
Coming in at #8, with 44, it was Bette Shepherd, who received a certificate from Frisco Pub.
#7 with 45 appearances, it was Mike Buffington, who received a certificate from Stu’s Music.
# 6 was Chris Crofoot with 45 appearances. He received a certificate from Rafael’s.
# 5 was Mike McQuay with 50 appearances. Mike received a certificate from Applebee’s.
#4 was Brandy Simpson with 51 appearances. She received a certificate from House of Liquors. #3 was Tony LaRose making 52 appearances. Tony received a certificate from Time Out sports grille.
#2 was Larry Myers with 53 appearances. Larry received a certificate from Bullock’s Beef house.
#1 was Dave Miller making 56 appearances. Dave received a certificate from Baugher’s restaurant. The #1 Color Guard attendee was Raymond Bankert, who received a certificate from Davids Jewelers.
The officers for the 2008-09 were introduced and they are as follows, President - Greg Wantz, Vice President – Scott Flohr, Secretary – Chris Crofoot, Asst. Secretary – Mike Buffington, Treasurer – Delbert Myerly, Asst. Treasurer – Larry Myers, Director – Sandy Miller, Asst. Directors – Ellen Martin and Paul Ricci, Drum Major – Steve Wantz, Asst. Drum Majors – Dave Miller, Scott Flohr.
The band serves as an ambassador of the citizens of Westminster in concerts and parades all over the mid-Atlantic region. And once again, the band represented Westminster at the annual Maryland State Firemen's Convention in Ocean City last summer.
A lengthy July 17, 1931 newspaper article describes the band and the Westminster Fire Department arriving home from participating in the convention earlier that July; “in a jubilant mood, as the band brought home the bacon, $100, for the best band in line of parade.”
The parade extended over 2 miles long that year. The band also gave concerts on the boardwalk and at the Del-Mar-Va Hotel and Hastings Hotel. The article also mentions “a pajama parade by the Westminster Band at 11 o'clock at night which was followed by several hundred people cheering as they passed down the board walk.”
A February 15, 1946 newspaper article gives us a great deal of insight into the names of many of the community leaders who participated in the band in the mid-1900s with its detailed description of the band holding its “first ladies' night since the war.”
At the time, John Schweigart was the director of the band. Other names mentioned are James Earp, John W. Peltz, J. Daniel Smith, Orville Earhart, Samuel P. Calrider, Walter Bell, Raymond H. Bennighof, Glenn A. Miller and Edgar Weigle, Francis Keefer, and J. Pearre Wantz, Jr.
For over 100 years the Westminster Municipal Band has truly been a part of the fabric of our close-knit village we call Westminster. The band was important 100 years ago, and it is even more valuable today as they serve as our city's ambassadors, and cheerleader as they share their music not only here in our community but throughout Maryland and our neighboring states.
Indeed, Westminster is not the only community to experience that thrill as the Band marches down their streets.
In order for a community an individual or an organization to remain meaningful, relevant and vibrant it must constantly re-invent itself and adapt to the context in which it serves. Hardly any organization in our community epitomizes this more than the Westminster Band. They are certainly the pride of our community. We are very proud of the Westminster Municipal Band.
The Westminster Municipal Band is always looking for new members to join during its Monday night rehearsals at 40 John Street. You can check the band out at its website, www.westminsterband.com.
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Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.
www.kevindayhoff.net
E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr.org or kevindayhoff AT gmail.com
His columns and articles appear in The Tentacle - www.thetentacle.com; Westminster Eagle Opinion; www.thewestminstereagle.com, Winchester Report and The Sunday Carroll Eagle – in the Sunday Carroll County section of the Baltimore Sun. Get Westminster Eagle RSS Feed
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