Dundee-Crown Imperial Scots

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Dundee-Crown Imperial Scots Marching Band

The Imperial Scots Marching Band was created and organized toward the end of 1982 and began competing in the Summer of 1983. The Imperial Scots are the result of a merger between two local marching rivals the Irving Crown Imperials and the Dundee Scots.

The Crown Imperials existed from 1974 to 1982 (Ken Miller-Founder)

The Dundee Scots existed from 1965 to 1982 (Doyle Heffron-Founder)

Students from both the Imperials and Scots had attended Irving Crown High School and her crosstown rival, historic Dundee Community High
School. In 1982 Illinois school district 300 decided for various reasons to close Dundee High School and merge her students with those at Irving Crown. This in turn created a new community high school now known as Dundee-Crown that opened in 1983.

While the Crown Imperials and Dundee Scots were not funded by school district 300 to opperate, it was decided that with the merger of the
two long time rival high schools that the bands should merge as well, thus creating the Imperial Scots Marching Band.

The Imperial Scots would retain the Stewart Tartan kilts used by the Dundee Scots and also continue the use of the name ‘Tattoo’ for its
home show during the Summer marching season.

The decision to merge bands was not an easy one and was met with much resistance and debate on different levels. In fact some students from
both organizations decided to leave all together rather than become a a part of the new band. It should also be noted that Crown Imperial
creator/director Ken Miller and Dundee Scots creator/director Doyle Heffron had no affiliation with the newly created Imperial Scots.

Instead the inaugural season of 1983 would fall under the direction of one time director Mark Hengesh who had been the band director at Dundee High School. In 1984 the band would begin to include students from beyond the Dundee-Crown borders to include students from neighboring Algonquin, Elgin & Hampshire. 1984 would also mark the return of director Ken Miller and the departure of Mr. Hengesh.

In 1985 the band open its doors up to another local rival from near by Crystal Lake Illinois known as The Heraldry Guard (1974-1984) The
director of the Heraldry Guard Richard Johnson decided to end its operations after the 1984 season. Still there were students of his who wanted to continue marching during the Summer so they simply headed South to Carpentersville and became members of the Imperial Scots.

The band would compete as part of a circuit still known today as MACBDA(Mid America Competing Band Directors Association)throughout
a five state region which included Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and into parts of Canada.

They would continue their winning tradition capturing major awards and bringing crowds to their feet performing in such places as the National
Cherry Festival in Traverse City Michigan, Marching Bands of America Summer Nationals in Whitewater Wisconsin and were the only band to receive a standing ovation at the famous Klondike Days Band Competition in Edmonton Alberta Canada.

The field show at Klondike Days went so well that the Imperial Scots were the only band asked to perform an encoure of thier show while the
roar of the Edmonton crowd that night never let up!

The Imperial Scots became the first back to back champion of the Klondike Days “Music In Motion” show in 1986 and 1987. If the band had returned to Edmonton in 1988 and won a third championship, they would have been awarded the incredibly large grand champion “Gold Rush” and been allowed to keep it for good! Instead, the band took its show to Calgary and competed in the coveted “Stampede Days” competition.

BANDS COMPETING AGAINST THE IMPERIAL SCOTS INCLUDED:

Band of the Black Watch-Kenosha Wisconsin

Light House Brigade-Racine Wisconsin

Oregon-Oregon Wisconsin

Sound of Sun Prairie-Sun Prairie Wisconsin

Sauk Prairie-Sauk Prairie Wisconsin

Lake Band-Milwaukee Wisconsin

Green Baret-Janesville Wisconsin

Blackhawk Brigade-Prairie du Chien Wisconsin

Chesterton Trojan Guard-Chesterton Indiana

Kokomo Band-Kokomo Indiana

Rocori Marching Spartans-Cold Spring Minnesota

Dakota Marching Indians-Dakota Illinois

Lena-Winslow Marching Band-Lena Illinois

Plano Purple Pride-Plano Illinois

“R” Troop-Romeoville Illinois

Rock Falls Marching Rockets-Rock Falls Illinois

Sandwich Indians-Sandwich Illinois

Crystal Lake Heraldry Guard-Crystal Lake Illinois

Marian Catholic-Chicago Heights Illinois

Warren Junior Military Band- Youngstown Ohio

Jaguar Marching Band- West Jordan Utah

Woods Cross Marching Wildcats- Woods Cross Utah

Pride of the Lions Band- Regina Saskatchewan Canada

Edmonton Crusaders- Edmonton Alberta Canada

1st Canadian Regiment- Edmonton Alberta Canada

North Vancouver Youth Band- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Penhold Cadet Band- Penhold, Alberta Canada

The Imperial Scots still continued to win even as the bands numbers began to decline. From 1988 to 1993 the band grew even smaller and it
was becoming ever more clear that the Imperial Scots were sadly meeting their end. Budget concerns, lack of booster support and low
membership closed the door on a proud and winning organization.

During the bands existance at least 16 different members would lead the Imperial Scots in competition as drum majors.

The band would host 11 Tattoo Invitationals, Tattoo’s 12 through 22 (1983-1993).

1993 would sadly become the last season of the Imperial Scots.

Once the music stopped, the bands property and other memoribilia would be auctioned off to help offset the bands debt.

In the end after all the smoke cleared, the Imperial Scots found a way to not only carry on the proud traditions of both the Irving Crown
Imperials and Dundee Scots, but also create their own traditions and everlasting legacy!

If the band was still active today, 2007 would have marked the bands 25th anniversary and Tattoo XXXVI(36)would have taken place!

SCOTS BAND ENDS ITS REIGN AS KIDS MARCH ELSEWHERE

By Patricia Tennison
June 20, 1994

The crowds will have to find a new champion this summer, for the Dundee Imperial Scots are calling it quits.

The summer marching band, which has won dozens of trophies over three decades, is hanging up its trademark bagpipes and kilts. Like many others, it has been unable to compete for teenagers’ time against strong high-school band programs, summer jobs and youth sports leagues.
“It didn’t surprise me,” said Cindy Dall, 41, of Carpentersville, an original member of the 27-year-old band. “It’s hard because kids are involved in other things now.” Only 61 students signed up this summer for the band that once had 300 members.

But yesteryear was grand.

The West Dundee-based Scots started in 1967 and immediately won honors in Midwest competitions. In its second season, the Scots grabbed 11 trophies and when the students returned home from their summer competitions 100 cars filled with local supporters met the buses.
Their travels took them to competitions around the country and Canada as well as to Washington for President Richard Nixon’s inaugural parade, to Springfield for Gov. James Thompson’s inaugural parade and to New York for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Band leaders attribute the slide to increased demands for youths’ attention, including summer sports and jobs.

“When the band started in 1967, sports didn’t go 11 months a year,” said Ken Miller, band director for the Scots and for Dundee-Crown High School in Carpentersville. And girls’ sports weren’t as active. The ratio of girls to boys in the band is usually 60-40 or even 70-30, Miller said. “But now with girls’ sports, the number of girls joining the band is down,” he said. And local businesses no longer donate items such as gas for the buses or prizes for fundraisers.

But the sad tune still could change.

The Scots’ uniforms and equipment will be held in storage, and there will be one final push this fall to sign up middle school students for the 1995 summer band, said Howard Reicheneker, band co-president. “Everything is cyclical,” Miller said. “The Scots have been going down and down, but the high school bands are coming back.”