MOUNT BAKER'S MOUNTAINEER BAND
THE HISTORY OF MOUNT BAKER'S BAND UNIFORMS
I have no idea where Mr. Pond got the idea of a kilt band, but he knew that to have a successful program, he had to have uniforms.
Jack Jensen
The History of Mount Baker's Band Uniforms
I am starting this today right after I heard from Judy Sande, representing the Mt. Baker School District Office. She expressed an interest in my old band uniform. This way I can take my time and document the events that started the Scotch Kilt Band, that has become a trademark for a great High School.
Prior to 1938 Mt. Baker High School had an orchestra, a glee club and a pep band. The orchestra, consisting mostly of violins, played at assemblies and some evening entertainment where parents were invited. The ability of the orchestra to showcase their talents was limited and therefore only a small number participated. Looking back on the things, I think that orchestras are generally more mellow in their approach, while bands produce more volume and that in general, in my opinion, is what young people like. Our small pep band (about fifteen members) played at home basketball games, but never participated in any activities off the campus.
Mr. Harry Pond became the director of our music department in 1938. The emphasis was changed immediately when he brought marching and concert band to the forefront. Under the prior leadership, the orchestra of 1937 consisted of about thirty members. Under the leadership of Mr. Pond, the band membership exploded to about sixty-five and kept growing. Coral groups continued to flourish, but band was the in thing. We were entered in the concert band competition at the University of Washington for the next two years that I know of and probably longer. I graduated in 1939 and lost contact. During the two years I was there, we seemed to come in second to Bothell High School as a concert band. We also came in second to Bothell when marching in the Seattle Potlatch parade. They seemed to be a thorn in our side, back side that is. We participated in the Burlington Strawberry parade and festival, a Celebration at the Peace Arch at Blaine, and we were the only band from the States to be invited to participate at a May Day Celebration at New Westminster, B.C. While we were proud of our uniforms, we were humbled when we saw several adult kilt bands that day. We were told that one of their uniforms cost several hundred dollars each and probably more than all of our uniforms combined. That didn't matter, because we were the Mountaineer band and proud of it.
I have no idea where Mr. Pond got the idea of a kilt band, but he knew that to have a successful program, he had to have uniforms. The thing that people need to remember is that this great Country we live in was just trying to recover from the most devastating financial depression in its history. I suspect that in all probability your school district is no different than most school districts of today, and have a shortage of funds. Well, I can tell you about what it was like during those days. THERE WAS NO MONEY. Mr. Pond needed something to jump start his program and while in Vancouver, B.C. during the fall of 1937 he did a little shopping around for some plaid fabric. I can't remember for sure, but apparently, he made an arrangement with a fabric store in Vancouver, B.C. to purchase at least one bolt of fabric. He may have bought more, but I can't remember. The school had no funds to support this project, and while he wanted something different, cost was very serious consideration.
Original band uniform for the Mountaineer Band
Mr. Pond, somehow, arranged to have my mother and Mrs. Sanderson to meet at the Sanderson home with Mr. and Mrs. Pond to work on uniforms. I want to let you know that the uniform you are receiving (pictured) is one of the first two band uniforms assembled. Harry Sanderson and I had to try the kilts on to see if they fit OK and that meant that we had to walk out in front of the four or five adults. We were nervous but managed, but we were also the guinea pigs for the uniforms. There were a few minor alterations and all seemed to be great.
I later heard that Mr. Pond knew if he could get Harry and myself into these uniforms, he would have no problem with the rest of the band members. We were two of the largest members. We broke the ice. Now that took care of the kilt. The sash was made from the same fabric and normally would be fastened at the shoulder with a broach, but we couldn't afford that luxury, so Mr. Pond went to a drapery house and purchased a bunch of drapery rings about two inches inside diameter. We would lace both ends of the sash through the ring, sort of an over and under arrangement.
Our stockings were what can be best described as lumber man’s wool socks, white with a red band at the top. Of course, black shoes were a must, but that was no problem because everybody had black shoes.
I can't remember too much about the bow tie. I can't remember if they were purchased or if the mothers were expected to make them.
A sporran is a pouch/purse worn in the front of the kilt. A gentleman of Scottish decent told me that in early years the pouch was made from seal skin and the decorations hanging down from the pouch were from horse hair that had been cleaned and curled. Our sporran was not a pouch/purse, because we had nothing to put in it anyway. The sporran that Mr. Pond created was a flat panel with hemp rope that had been unraveled to simulate curled horsehair.
Mr. Pond wanted to have an overseas cap for each member and he thought he could make them if he had some old felt hats, so the call went out to the fathers for old felt hats, and they responded. Mr. Pond took his donations and I think he washed them and blocked them to fit his plan. He cut out a sample and put it together to see what it would look like. I expect that it may have taken a couple of tries before a general pattern was developed. After these first uniforms were developed, it was the responsibility of the mothers of the band members to follow the pattern and provide a uniform for their child. The materials were furnished, but I am unable to tell you who paid for the materials. I do remember that it was said that the total cost per uniform was less than $4.00.
Looking back on all of this, I have to say Mr. Pond had a lot of foresight, a lot of creativity, and was able to do all of this with a very limited amount of money.
I hope the members of the band, the school, and the community is as proud of your band as we were of ours when and where it all started.
Good luck, good music and keep marching to "The Stars and Stripes Forever."
Written by Jack Jensen, March 15, 2006
