During the summer, we meet once a week with our team members to work on foundations skills. These optional practices help prepare and get students ahead for the upcoming fall season. We do a variety of stretching and strengthening exercises in dance, flag and rifle.
We meet at a local park and from time to time, we have onlookers and even get asked a few questions. We encourage and appreciate this interaction as we know our activity is not as familiar as some others at our school. It gives us a chance to share what we do and why.
One week, we had just finished a set of flag work and decided to give the team a break. As they sat down in the shade, us instructors noticed someone coming toward us. As they got closer, they asked, “Are you with the Oak Harbor High School flag team?” We were taken aback a bit because usually we are asked one of two questions:
1. What is this?
- OR -
2. Are you with NJROTC?
Being acknowledged as a flag team from the high school brought a smile to our faces.
Why, yes… yes, we are the high school flag team.
The first OHHS Flag Corps debuted in 1980.
They didn’t have official tryouts that first year. Rosemarie asked friends to join her and they ended up with a group of 10.
In the photo (from the 1980-81 OHHS yearbook), Rosemarie is on the bottom in the center.
Written on the page, "This year Oak Harbor High has a new addition to the Marching Band, a drill team known as the Flag Corps. The team was led by junior Rosemarie Fronda who had had some prior experience in a Flag Corps in another school. Showing lots of dedication, the girls practiced both before school with Marching Band and after school on their own time. They performed during the half time of all home football games."
We were so excited to hear about this. We have history, there are more of us. We have alumni, we have family.
Not only did we get her contact info, but we also asked her to take a photo with the team members who were there (4 out of 10).
After our practice, we immediately did some digging. We searched for yearbooks online and found quite a few photos. From what it looks like, they used either 6 or 7 foot poles (looks like 7) and their uniforms were the classic sweater-like tops and skirts. Similar to the style of the cheerleaders at that time.
We were unable to find additional images of the flag corps and/or marching band in yearbooks after 1987. We believe a change in band directors may have taken place and the marching band was no longer active.
Back in 2017/18, the current band director (Mr Nelson) reignited the Marching Band (Wildcat Show Band). The following season (2018/19), the Color Guard was added. The flag corps name was not used due to several reasons, the main reason being that “Color Guard” has been the most recognized name for our activity for the last 30 years. It is the title listed on the judge sheets and that’s what we are judged as, so it makes sense to stick with that name.
We are so excited to continue the tradition that Rosemarie and her teammates started at OHHS back in 1980. We hope that other OHHS Flag Corps members from 1980 through 1987 will see this and get in contact with us. Maybe they can come to homecoming and we can get a photo of them with our current team. We would LOVE that. We love our guard/flag family!
On March 25th, 2023, the Winter Guard made history as the first team to ever represent Oak Harbor in a Winter Guard Competition. They participated in the Pacific Performing Arts Association's (PPA) 2023 All Northwest Regional Color Guard Competition at Wenatchee High School. They joined 10 other Washington state high schools and one independent organization at this event.
The OHHS Winter Guard of 2023 had 11 students and an all-volunteer coaching staff. The team received feedback from judges on four different elements of their performance to help improve their skills and quality. They are excited to have been the first to take this step into competition for Oak Harbor and that their performance earned them a spot at championships. You can see their show from Wenatchee HERE.
The 2023 fall season team started with a little insecurity due to only having six members. Determined and ambitious, they proved to be small but mighty. The "Fair Winds & Following Seas" show challenged them to build even more endurance, push further into character performance, and express their creativity.At their last competition of the season (Puget Sound Festival of Bands), they came in 2nd place for the Color Guard category in their A Class.
Even though their movement 3 drill got cut, and they had to perform in one place along with an unexpected pause with the band starting to play, they recovered beautifully to find their place and were 0.6 away from being called for the High Color Guard award. During the finals, it was even closer. 0.1 away form 2nd, and 0.4 from 1st. The judges commended them on their strong opening flag statement, commitment to their characters throughout and being full of energy until the very end. Congratulations 2023 Color Guard!
On March 23, 2024, the Winter Guard brought home their first trophy. They came in 2nd place in the Scholastic Regional A Class. The very next week they attended the PPA Championships and held on to 2nd place. Their show was called, "Kintsugi: Embrace Your Flaws" and featured 13 performers. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold — a metaphor for embracing your flaws and imperfections. The show followed characters as they went from feeling discouraged and alone to being uplifted and encouraged. It was a show that touched many hearts while challenging the students in their acting and skills. Together, they pushed through so many challenges and came out victorious. Congrats Winter Guard!