The Vernon Girls Trumpet Band has a long and storied history in the community.
It was founded in 1947, resurrected amid the COVID-19 pandemic and on Saturday, it was immortalized.
A monument was unveiled in Civic Memorial Park July 5. The brand-new plaque now stands at the fork of two walking paths in the park. It will tell the story of the band over and over again as people stop to read it for years to come.
"This monument is intended to honour the history of the band, the tireless work of the Hodgson family (who founded the band), and the many members who have participated in the band from 1947 to present, some 78 years," said band alumni member Joy Gillies to a crowd of supporters.
Gillies became a member of the band when she was just 11 years old.
The band was started by Robert and Marguerite Hodgson, and their daughter, June Rigby, was on hand to help unveil the plaque Saturday.
As the plaque states, Robert was a regimental Sgt. Major of the B.C. Dragoons, both in Canada and deployed overseas. A conversation between Robert and fellow officer Captain Stupa about the folding of the boy's cadet band led to a discussion about starting a girls' band. The result of that conversation was the formation of the Vernon Girls Trumpet Band, which started out with plastic bugles and rope drums and evolved into a band with brass trumpets, drums and glockenspiels.
More than 6,000 young women have been part of the band over the decades, including the Hodgsons' daughters, Rigby and Phyllis Scott.
"Bonds that have lasted a lifetime were made, with new bonds being formed throughout generations, providing a musical outlet," the plaque reads.
As Gillies explained, when the band formed in 1947, the girls were registered as cadets and received training in shooting and map reading, in addition to playing musical instruments and marching as the alumni members still do today.
"Registration was done under the last name and first initial to disguise the fact that they were girls," Gillies said.
After numerous overseas trips, including European and Washington D.C. tours, the band folded in 2009 amid a rising cost of travel, "and also we were not getting any younger," Gillies said to much laughter.
However, the Vernon Winter Carnival approached former band members in 2019, and the decision was made to revive the band for the 60th annual Carnival Parade in 2020.
"The idea took root and we did indeed return the band with a lot of help," Gillies said. "After the carnival, the membership decided that we wanted to continue, and so here we are the adventure continues."
The band still performs at local events, and gave a special performance at Civic Memorial Park prior to the monument unveiling.
