Drum Corps Associates
Drum Corps Associates (DCA) is a governing body for modern all-age and senior drum and bugle corps in North America. DCA's responsibilities include sanctioning competitions, certifying adjudicators, maintaining and enforcing rules of competition, and hosting an annual World Championship during Labor Day weekend. Historically, DCA members were referred to as "senior corps" in contrast to the "junior corps", who limit participants to a maximum 22 years of age. DCA has no age restriction. The term "all-age corps" has come into common use. DCA is viewed as a counterpart to Drum Corps International (DCI), which governs junior drum corps in North America. The 2020 DCA World Championships were scheduled for , to be hosted by Williamsport, Pennsylvania. In March 2020, the entire competitive season, including the 2020 World Championships, was cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. On May 31, 2023, DCI and DCA announced a partnership to create an All-Age Class for the 2024 and 2025 competitive seasons. In August 2023, DCA announced that the all-age drum corps platform will fully exist and operate within DCI from 2024 onward. As such, 2023 was the final year of the Drum Corps Associates World Championships. History In August 1963, Almo Sebastianelli, sponsor of the annual Parade of Champions drum corps competition, approached Henry Mayer, then-director of the New York Skyliners, to discuss problems affecting show sponsors and competing corps. Following their discussions, Sebastianelli and Mayer organized a meeting later that month, which was attended by representatives from the Archer-Epler Musketeers, Reading Buccaneers, Yankee Rebels, and the New York Skyliners. Five areas of concern were identified during the meeting: Conflicting contest dates. Inconsistent contest formats. Inconsistent adjudication. Uneven distribution prize money. Need to promote better relationships between competing corps. At a second meeting held sometime in September 1963, by-laws for a new governing body were adopted, as well as the adoption of the name Drum Corps Associates. Mayer was elected the first DCA president. Charter members were: Reading Buccaneers, Connecticut Hurricanes, Interstatesmen, Archer-Epler Musketeers, Pittsburgh Rockets, Yankee Rebels, and the New York Skyliners. DCA sanctioned one event in 1964, the 12th Annual Tournament of Drums in Waverly, New York. The first DCA World Championship was held in Milford, Connecticut on 11 September 1965. The Reading Buccaneers won the first of their sixteen championship titles at this inaugural event. Hawthorne Caballeros joined DCA in 1966, along with the Sunrisers, and Brigadiers. The Rochester Crusaders joined in 1967. The number of corps competing in Open Class reached twenty-three in 1987. In 2008, twenty-four corps competed at World Championship, twelve in Open Class and Class A each. Corps from Canada have been frequent competitors since DCA's founding, such as Les Metropolitains from Montreal, and Les Dynamiques from Buckingham, Quebec. The Kingston Grenadiers, from Toronto, competed in 2010. Yokohama Inspires, from Japan, competed in 2005. The most recent competitors from the United Kingdom were Kidsgrove Scouts from Kidsgrove in 2017, and Cadence from Guildford in 2018. Past championship locations About Headquartered in South Orange, New Jersey, DCA