The corps was organized in the fall of 1965 by Bob Waskoviak and Thomas B. Sims under the name The Saginaires Drum & Bugle Corps, under the umbrella organization of the Saginaires Youth Organization. The SYO also encompassed such groups as the Saginaires Youth Band and the Saginaires Eagles, a feeder corps. This project was affiliated with the Jaycees, and helped earn Mr. Sims the honor of being elected Man of the Year.
The corps' colors at this time were established as red, white, and black.
Starting as a parade corps in 1966, The Saginaires moved into the competitive arena during the early seventies. The corps rapidly moved up to become Michigan's all-time highest ranked Drum & Bugle Corps, which is a title they have retained ever since.
As with most corps at the time, much of the support came from VFW and American Legion posts.
Until the early eighties, most of the corps' members came from the greater Saginaw area. With the gaining strength of DCI and the increased tour scheduling, local membership began to drop. This tended to spell the end for most Michigan drumcorps. The Saginaires decided to start recruiting from outside the area, unlike most corps in the Michigan area. After 1983-84, only three corps remained in the state of Michigan. Today, no active junior corps remain.
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Honor:
In 1985 a decision was made to change the name from the Saginaires to its current name, Northern Aurora. With such a large percentage of the membership coming from outside the Saginaw area, a name that would be less limited was more appropriate. The new colors became powder blue, lime green, and gray. The green and gray later became dark blue and white--however, in 1995, a rainbow sash replaced the dark blue.
In 1992, The Northern Aurora Drum & Bugle Corps became Michigan's first DCI Member corps, a title they proudly retained for two years. In 1996, the Northern Aurora brought a "new" look to the field, once more sporting the red Saginaires' uniforms, along with the rainbow sash. 1996 was the corps' 31st year in competition.
In the Fall of 1996, a decision was made to once again classify Northern Aurora as a parade corps and temporarily withdraw from competition. This decision was made to financially stabilize the corps. The 1997 parade corps' membership was less than expected, however, and Northern Aurora officially went inactive.
In 1998, however, the Saginaires Youth Organization formed a winterguard, Northcoast Academy. This group organized in December of 1998, and has been successfully competing during the 1999 and 2000 seasons, consistently winning awards and competitions.
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[soon to come: Repertoires for the Saginaires, Northern Aurora, and Northcoast Academy!]
~ This page last updated 30 June 2000 ~