Since winning the Worlds with two outstanding performances back in August, the Robert Malcolm Memorial Grade 2 band has been in the piping news, as people speculated what would happpen with their grading—would they stay in Grade 2? Go to Grade 1? Compete against their own SFU? The story more or less finished with the resignation of the band's leadership this week. Dave & Shaunna Hilder, and Andre Tessier have all packed it in, and rumours are that many others have too.
Last year at this time, we had the 2005 World Champion Drambuie-Kirkliston Pipe Band folding after several successful seasons building to the top of Grade 2.
On the one hand, it's sad to see a great band go, and you can't but admire the skill and dedication that brings a band like RMM to the top of its grade. RMM2 has always had a scrappy competitive relationship with Maple Ridge that drove both bands far forward of where they might otherwise have ended up. Dave, Shaunna and Andre deserve a lot of credit for the band's ultimate success, as do former builders, including Dave Hicks, Pat Napper and Kathy MacPherson.
On the other hand, the RMM band will be just fine, and the spaces will likely fill with other people willing to stand in the Ancient Fraser kilt and be part of an overall winning and successful organization. By this time next year, it'll likely be off the radar screen, and a "new" RMM2 wil have successfully finished a season in the field.
What's lost in that big picture is the individual effort and committment that it took to get the current band to where it was. So, congratulations to all those RMM2 members on their success, and best wishes for your future plans, be they in RMM, or elsewhere.
1 comment:
Your presentation of this topic is commendable, Iain. The comments that have been appearing - on the Bob Dunsire Forums, and pipes|drums, have been largely unhelpful. Many of the commentors are individuals who are using this situation to further their own agenda, or attempt to get in a shot against their enemies (rivals).
This situation has yet to be completely resolved, and already, one can only imagine the toll it has taken on long-standing friendships. Regardless of these outcomes, their acheivement stands, as a record to the players and the bands' leadership.
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