The Greenwood Forest Volunteer Fire Company twirling team, organized in 1960, was led by Patricia Schmidt as head majorette and Janice Kramer and Joan Wiley as assistants. (File photo by Ann Genader)
When a twirling team sponsored by the Greenwood Forest Volunteer Fire Company was organized in 1960, little did anyone imagine that hard-working West Milford twirlers would earn state, national and world recognition 17 years later.
The team was known as the Cavaliers when House Speaker Robert Roe honored the champion junior twirling parade corps Aug. 5, 1977. His speech was recorded in the Congressional Record.
Escorted by police and fire department volunteers, the Cavaliers were on the final lap of a journey home. There were blaring sirens, flashing red lights and people standing along the road as the team returned to West Milford.
The girls had been on the road for 14 hours, packed in a small bus traveling from Indiana to New Jersey. Deputy Mayor Richard Sambraus and township manager Jack Terry represented the official welcome home committee.
The Cavaliers were returning from the National Baton Twirling Association’s National Championship World Open Competition of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. They were designated the World Champion Team in the Junior Parade Corps Division.
Team members ranged from 8 to 18 years old, with the average less than 13. Roe said their excellence in the twirling world brought honor to West Milford and the United States.
The team won first place honors in the New Jersey State, New York Open and Connecticut Open Championships. Their many blue-ribbon titles included Grand Parade Corps Division; Overall for Senior, Junior and Juvenile Champions, National Junior Parade Corps Division, World Competition, United States and Canada and National Color Guard.
No. 1 worldwide
Eighteen corps from Canada and the U.S. performed in the 1977 National Junior Corps competition. Winning first place gave the Cavaliers the opportunity to perform in the Grand National Parade competition.
The Grand National matched the senior, junior and juvenile championships in the run-off competition. This first-place trophy ranked the Cavaliers No. 1 worldwide. The color guard received an overall first-place trophy. And the corps was awarded the South Bend Mayor’s trophy in honor of their exceptional accomplishments.
There were five basic units plus the leaders. The units were honor guard, baton twirlers, rifle twirlers, flag twirlers and drummers.
“Although each unit was independent, the precision drill choreography produced a single, exciting and spectacular show that defied comparison,” Roe said.
“It is impossible to comprehend the entire show in just one sitting. The quality of instruction is easily measured when you realize that most of the children were not on the 1974 national corps and some started this season.”
The path to the national championship began with the corps’ annual reorganization. Members accumulated almost 800 hours of instruction.
In 1968, competitions for the group originally known as the Greenwood Forest Twirling Team included one at Holy Family High School in Union City, where they competed with more than 500 contestants from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
First teacher
Peggy Tanzer of High Crest Lake was the teacher when the corps was organized in 1960. She passed away Feb. 12, 2023, at age 94.
Born in Hollis, Okla., she was a twirler in the Oklahoma University Marching Band. She graduated in 1951, then married Martin Tanzer and they moved to High Crest Lake in West Milford, where she served as president of the High Crest Lake Women’s Club.
The Tanzers moved from West Milford to Springfield, Mo., then to Oklahoma, where they lived for the next 30 years.
Beatrice Caywood Ridolfo and Mary Schmidt oversaw the organization when it started as Greenwood Forest Twirling Team. Initially, there were 22 girls in the group, which presented a small Christmas program in the Greenwood Forest fire house in December of that year.
After Tanzer moved to Missouri, the group continued to train under guidance of Ridolfo, Schmidt and Julianne Meyers, with other volunteers assisting them.
When the group first appeared in the West Milford Memorial Day Parade, they were a highlight in their bright green and pristine white satin costumes. The team then was led by head majorette Patricia Schmidt, with Janice Kramer and Joan Wiley as assistants.
The original team members were JoAnn Anderson, Diane Brinkman, Diane Campbell, Pat Chapman, Cheryl Jacquel, Julianne Meyers, Pat Mays, Lee Mays, Patricia Marsh, Bonnie Sue MacLeod, Blanche Wiggins, Thomasina Ridolfo, Florence Ridolfo, Mary Catherine Schmidt. Helene Shinol, Pat Davis, Marie Stefancik, Diane Viscardi and Linda Viscardi.
In 1962, Rosemary Alberse, instructor in twirling and marching, prepared the team for more parades in the spring and summer of that year.
Lombardi leadership
Judy Lombardi, an award-winning champion twirler, was teaching students in a studio in the area and took on the responsibility for instructing the girls in twirling in 1963.
The team started to grow in number and skills and was ready for new competition experiences along with the annual Memorial Day parade and other events.
By late May 1968, the team had won 35 trophies and 85 medals. Membership grew from 22 to 54. Competition entries included three teams, two corps and areas of duets, trios, solo and dance twirl events and military marching.
Names included in the 1977 Congressional Record were Philip D’Angelo, instructor/director; Doris and Lyle Gillow, business managers; Louis Finnegan, president of the parents group; Dan Raymond, drum instructor; Maria Gelingero, rifle instructor; and Robert Ketterer, publicity chairman.
Members of the much honored twirling team were Ruth Bakker, flag bearer; Jeff Bakker, drummer; Fran Beach, twirling rifle; Chris Beach, main guard; Jenifer Bien, featured twirler; Colleen Brennan, twirling rifle; Anthony Cantillo, drummer; Enrico Cantillo, drummer; Lynn Cooper, main guard; Dawn D’Angelo, twirler; Sherry D’Angelo, featured twirler; Judy Dutcher, twirler; Susan Dutcher, flag; Jacqueline Enfinger, main guard; Carol Finnegan, main guard; Pattie Finnegan, leader; Sue Fitzpatrick, leader; Gary Foy, drummer; Paul Frueh, drummer; Karen Gillow, twirler; Bobby Gillow, drummer; Billy Gillow, drummer; Sue Hargash, corps captain; Emma Harper, twirler; Gloria Harper, flag; Willie Hojnacki, twirler; Katie Ketterer, flag; Beth McVeigh, twirler; Jack Miller, drummer; Jack Mullin, drummer; Karen Nichol, flag; Julian Noonan, twirler; Donna Oorbeek, main guard; Dawn Rammier, twirler; Denise Rooney, flag; Kelly Seller, leader; Kim Smith, twirler; Mary Jo Smith, twirler; Eddie Smith, drummer; Ricky Smith, drummer; Andrea Sobota, twirler; Lisa Stephan, main guard; Shannon Taggart, twirling rifle; Doug Thurston, drummer; Harold Thurston, drummer; Vincent Thurston, drummer; and Robin Wagner, twirler.
To contact Ann Genader, send email to anngenader@gmail.com