John Kerry Dickinson

Member 1964, 1965, 1966.

It was at the tender and virgin age of thirteen that I was first exposed to the wonderful world of drum corps. Little did I know at that time how much it would influence my life in so many wonderful ways. I was given an opportunity to see my first show at Varsity Stadium and was in awe right from the beginning especially seeing the Marching Ambassadors and knowing that some day I would become a member of their organization.

As fate would have it, in 1959 our local police chief (Chief Robbins) decided that the town should sponsor a marching band and so the Richmond Hill Hilltoppers Drum Corps was born. None of us had any experience and that included the instructors in drum corps ways, so we mainly concentrated on being a parade corps with plenty of British influence. I played the snare drum and later became the drum major.

In the spring of 1964 I found out that a fairly new junior drum corps in the west end of Toronto was looking for members, and so I obtained my release from the Hilltoppers and joined the York Lions Drum Corps. To me this was the big time; after all we were competing against the Optimist, Del La Salle, Hamilton Conqueror and so many other good junior corps from our region. With York I started in the color guard then moved to the drum line and finally settled on the rifle line. I got to make some strong friendships and see places that I thought I would never see. The life’s lessons instilled from the senior management have applied to me through out my life and to these people I will ever be indebted.

In 1966 three wonderful events took place in my life. First I started my printing career, second I married the love of my life (who after 38 years is still the love of my life) and thirdly I realized my ambition to become a member of the Marching Ambassadors and spinning a rifle with Bob Nelson for the next three seasons. 1967 was our country’s centennial celebration and although I had many great experiences up to that time nothing compared to my first Canadian championship which we won in Ottawa by a very narrow margin over the Canadian Commanders.

In 1969 the Ambassadors had to fold due to a lack of sponsorship and so I spent one year with the Canadian Commanders before retiring from active participation in drum corps. I had a wife and son at home as well as an apprentiship to concentrate on and I realized with the help of my wife Rita that it was time to put the drum corps world on the back burner.

Another son and a beautiful daughter came along and I worked hard along with my wife to raise them the best we could. To day we not only enjoy them but also two grand daughters who are the apple of papa’s eyes

Unfortunately in 1991 an injury forced me to leave the printing industry and I eventually start my own business in the woodworking and refinishing business.

To day we still reside in Richmond Hill and in 2003 I was privileged to be part of the organizing committee that put the first York Lions Drum Corps reunion. Rita and I were so impressed by this that we are now members of the D.C.A.T. chorus of Toronto who preformed at our reunion. This group is primarily made up of past and present drum corps members who have always had and cherished that zest for fun and professionalism that drum corps instils in all of us.

Thanks for the Memories

John Dickinson