I'd like to share with you the story of how the
Fancy Brigades
got to march up Broad St.
behind the String Bands.
In 1972 our club, the
NorthEast Mummers Fancy Brigade
became a member of the
Golden Sunrise Fancy Club.
Prior to 1972 the NE Mummers were a
"Special Mention Group"
marching up Broad St.
Each of the
Mother Clubs:
Hog Island,
Klein,
Oregon
and
Golden Sunrise
had 5 brigades in each of their clubs.
These clubs had the
power to pick and choose
which brigades could participate as a member of their club.
After the 1972 parade,
the Golden Sunrise dropped the
"Juniata Fancy Brigade"
from it's ranks.
The NE Mummers
were then accepted into the club as a brigade.
The other Fancy Brigades
resented the Mother Clubs
over the release of the Juniata Brigade.
They were aware that any one of them could be next
and for no apparent reason at all.
The Brigade Association
discussed many times at their monthly meetings
about going on their own
but there was never enough solidarity
to make the move until 1977.
On New Year's Day 1977,
the
NE Mummers
placed ninth in the Brigade standings
and the entire brigade was
overjoyed.
However that joy was short lived,
because at the first Mother Club Meeting for
Golden Sunrise
an argument between our captain
and the Mother Club Captain
got us
tossed out of the club.
The other brigades decided
that was more then they could stand
and they all
left their Mother Clubs
in protest over our dismissal.
This brought the brigades together
but they had no major association to march with.
The Captain of the Clevemore Brigade,
Mr. Ralph Tursi
and the Captain of South Philly String Band,
Mr. Jim Donagy
were able to convince
The Philadelphia Department of Recreation
to have the
Brigades recognized as their own Division.
The String Band Association
backed the idea
as long as the
Brigades marched last behind them.
So on New Year's Day 1978,
the Brigades first marched up Broad St.
as their own division
and the rest is history.
Joe Jerry Ron
The Remaining NE Mummers
Eventually as our numbers decreased, we were not able to compete and the club folded. For years now the last remaining members of the NE Mummers ( myself, Ron Bispels and Jerry Gallagher ) have been going up the street with Tom Purul of the Purul Comic Club as a "Group".
Tom Purul and Jerry Gallagher
"This year we decided to join a Comic Brigade ( Classic Comics - Roaring 20's ) and enjoy going down 2nd Street together. We were amazed on 2nd St. how many people still remember the NE Mummers and how successful the Fancy Brigades have become since those days when they started marching up behind the String Bands.
I hope you like this little piece of history and can pass it on to your viewers.
Joe Gallagher
At the Clubhouse before the Parade
Tom Purul, Johnny Bispels, Jerry Gallagher,
Mike Gallagher and Ron Bispels
