Ambassadors

The Ambassadors drum and bugle corps was formed in September of 1973, in Aurora, as a junior corps by Paul Ranson and his wife Beverly. The corps, initially performing only in parades, first appeared publicly in the Maid of the Mist parade in Niagara Falls, New York, in the summer of 1974. They were voted “Corps Most Likely to Succeed” there.

Mr. Ranson's idea to start the corps was presented to the Aurora Kiwanis Club by service club member Ray Philbey, who with his wife Joan also helped the early Ambassadors to get off the ground. Another notable founding member of the corps was Roy Munro who offered valuable management services to the corps administration.

The early uniform consisted of white shirts, neckerchiefs, black pants or skirts and gold cummerbunds, and white cowboy hats. Later styles included royal blue shirts crossed with white, black pants, and white shakos. They also appeared in the first of many local Christmas parades.

The Ambassadors took part in their first contest in August 1975, appearing in the Canadian National Junior E (Novice) standstill class, which they won. That novice win was followed up by a 5th place finish in the Canada Central Circuit “Class C” championships and the championship of the Canadian National Junior D “Bantam Class” in 1976, their first year of field competition. But these wins were just
the beginning.

The corps moved to Newmarket under the sponsorship of the Newmarket Lions Club in 1977. They also received support over the years from the City of Newmarket and from weekly bingo games. That season saw the corps move up to the “Class C” at the Canadian Nationals, placing 6^th.

The Ambassadors won the Canadian National and Ontario Provincial “Class C / Cadet Class” championships in 1978, the Canadian National and Central Canada Circuit “Class C” championships in 1979 and 1980, and the DCI Canada “Class C” championships in 1980. They also participated in their first Midwest tour leading to Franklin Park, Illinois. In 1980, after a Canadian ambassador had smuggled some American political hostages out of Iran, American crowds cheered the corps as surrogate heroes during appearances in the United States.

In 1981, the year that Bob Middleton succeeded as corps director, they placed in the 19^th position at DCI World “Class A” championships in Montréal. Mr. Middleton was president of the Newmarket Lions club the year it took over sponsorship of the Ambassadors. They added the 1981 Canadian National and Canada Central Circuit “Class B” championships to their collection of awards. The corps returned the following season and finished in the identical 19^th place at the DCI “Class A” division prelims and as well as a 2^nd position in the Canadian Nationals “Class B” championships.

The 1983 season saw the corps travel on tour with appearances at the American International Open (19^th - Class A), the Key to the Sea Open (24^th - Class A) and the US Open (25^th - Class A). Not free of the political arena, the Ambassadors performed at the Conservative leadership convention and were labeled by one parent as “Brian Mulroney’s personal band”. The Ambassadors also gained fame on the field at Argonauts football matches and Blue Jays baseball games.

The Ambassadors best year may have been 1984, when they marched in the Independence Day Parade in Washington, D.C., placed second in the Canadian National “Class A” championships, were a finalist in the American International Open “Class A” with a 5^th placing and 21^st position in the US Open “Class A” division.

A large turnover in corps membership in 1985 limited the Ambassadors to only two competitions, including the Canadian Nationals in which they appeared in the “Class A” preliminaries, finishing 5th. They also hosted a home Impact Show in Newmarket that year.

The Ambassadors merged with the Oakland Crusaders in 1986 to form Out of the Blue. The Ambassadors disbanded in 1987 but held a reunion of corps members in 2000.

[http://www.interlog.com/~zamiel/Amb/CorpsHist.html; Sam King]