Rifles: An Endangered Species?

[EUHSguardGirl]

Is it just me, or has rifle suddenly become old and out-dated? I'm having a really hard time with the whole all-flag thing...did any of you watch the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade? All the colorguards had just flag--o rifle. Not many of the schools we compete with have rifle lines. Even our band instructor told us he wanted to get rid of the rifle line because "It just flat-out isn't modern." I'm going insane. Rifle is absolutely my life--I've been waiting since I was 6 to get into high school and captain the rifle line, just like my mom did 20 years before me...and I'm going to be heartbroken if this becomes "out-dated". *sigh*

[sabrebatgirl]

I haven't heard of this. Is it just for parade bands, because we don't compete in parades. But that would make me really angry, because with no rifle theres no sabre

[RifleLova]

I WOULD BE SIMPLY OUTRAGED IF RIFLES WEREN'T USED ANYMORE !!!!!!! But...i haven't heard of any such thing! But i think it's just "parade" guards that dont use rifles or something because that couldn't apply to A, Open or World...it would be just terrible without rifles. I dont think that's true and if rifles do get out-dated, better be after i graduate.

CLASS OF '05!!!

[engineer]

I seriously doubt that one.

did any of you watch the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade? All the colorguards had just flag--o rifle.

Usually in large parades, like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, many schools would opt to use flags because they're bigger, you can see them better and they have color to them, it is a parade afterall. Rifles are harder to spin in cold weather, and even harder to toss. Also you run the risk of hitting a spectator, notice you don't see many guards toss unless they're towards the center of the street. From what I understand the Disney theme parks even have rules that state you can't spin a flag. When we went to the Magic Kingdom we just carried our flags in a cradle, smiled and waved.

There have been many exceptions to this though. In 2000??? when James Logan went to the Macy's Parade they had the guys spin rifles, as usual, and the same goes went for TOR. I know that when Fairfield went to TOR they had rifles as well, but that street seemingly is much wider than Macy's.

Even our band instructor told us he wanted to get rid of the rifle line because "It just flat-out isn't modern."

That's just hilarious. Some directors don't approve of the use of weapons, my band director freshman year didn't. Believe me they're quite "modern". If they weren't you wouldn't have the all-male Logan rifle line, a weapons line in any drum corps or any weapons period. Imagine a World Class show without rifles?? Weapons in general adds texture to any show, it helps increase the drill book in terms of staging relative to other pieces of equipment, makes for interesting body work should you explore it, and enhances the overall presentation. Rifles or weapons ARE definitely "modern".

[RBV_Rifleline]

If rifles are "out dated" then I guess my school's REALLY behind. I'm on RBV's guard and this is our first year of using rifles. We just got a new coach this year and she's on Esperanza de Luz so she can teach us the proper technique (we didn't have that opportunity before). We're using sabres for winterguard also, but i highly doubt those are "out dated".

[EUHSguardGirl]

Ah! You guys make me feel better. You're right, I haven't seen many other schools that use weapons in parade...and I didn't even THINK about field shows and winter competition (our instructor doesn't want us to do field shows and won't let us do winterguard. I swear he has something against us!!) but anyway yeah it's great to hear of so many other rifle lovers out there. I feel a lot better now a lot of the things you've said makes sense...but still, there's the fact the the band instructor might get rid of our rifle line next year and I don't know what to do about it. Next year is supposed to be my year as captain.

[RifleDiva]

Yeah, rifles just aren't spun in parade (normally), but I kind of like it that way, maybe cause all I’ve ever seen is flag in parade, but it just seems like parades should have flags. Plus if you put the strong spinners on flag line in parade and you get a clean routine, omg! That’s so cool (arcadia did that, I saw one of their parades on tape, it looked cool!) but I think chino, my freshmen year (2001) spun rifles, but I’m not positive on that.
Rifles are definitely modern. At my school, that's our strongest spot, I know they wouldn't do away with them (there'd be a revolt, lol)
And mRdJhay, you’re right; there is a rule about what spinning at Disneyland. We performed there this year and our routine was right shoulder, present, drop spin for four, double time for four, shasee, shasee, step soutay, step soutay, repeat!
It’s actually a huge improvement that we can spin, but the reason being that they don’t want you to hit any kids cause then the parents sue Disneyland and yatta yatta, what I want to know is what parents are letting their children run around at Disneyland during a parade where there are moving flags?

EUHSguardGirl,
You might want to try talking to your BD and explain to him/her that you really think it would be in your guard's best interest to keep rifles. Don’t complain or whine, just give him/her some good facts as to why getting rid of the rifle line would be a bad decision.

[flagchild06]

My instructor would never take out rifle. If they did I would cry. I need to make rifle next year to PROVE to a girl in my year that I can be better than her, she made it this year and I didn't. She actually threw it in my face today that she made weapons and I didn't, I threw back that I could dance and she couldn't. Which is true in about eighty bugillion ways. Besides, I love rifle. I get happy from rifle bruises.

[c-vette68sr]

o wow. u know....last year, we had a director who wouldn't have it for us using rifles cuz he thought they were easy. but this year, we're using rifles and i absolutely love 'em! i haven't heard a single thing about them being outdated or what-not.

[captain-lo]

no way can rifles be out dated!! Im just getting good at rifle!! well maybe rifle might not be as popular as it was..sabre is becoming more and more popullar..but rifle is practically how colorguard originated..honestly..it will never die out or let alone be endangered ha

[The Little Mermaid]

Actually, when Fairfield marched TOR they didn't spin rifles. The Parade committee had this anti-violence policy thing...that made it against the policy for any weapons to be used. Instead, we spun pipes that were about the same size a a rifle would be. So, that might be why you didn't see that many in the Macy's parade, they might have had an anti-violence thingy too. As for rifle going out of style. Yeah, I don't think so. This season our instructors made everyone in the guard learn rifle. For about 5 weeks we did rifle technique...and now over half the guard is spinning rifle in the show

[flagratgirl]

rifle cant be out dated i still need to try out one more time to see if i can make it i love rifle if it does go out ill cry its my favorite equiptment

[sabrebatgirl]

This season our instructors made everyone in the guard learn rifle. For about 5 weeks we did rifle technique...and now over half the guard is spinning rifle in the show

All of our old members spent a few weeks learning rifle too, and our instructor said there may be a big all rifle ensamble in the winterguard show, which I think would be really cool personally.

[Matadork05]

From what I understand the Disney theme parks even have rules that state you can't spin a flag. When we went to the Magic Kingdom we just carried our flags in a cradle, smiled and waved.

My schools guard went to DisneyLand two years ago, (and we are going back again this year) but we were allowed to spin flags, in fact we were not allowed to have rifles as they looked like guns. So we marched a huge flag line and our ID too.