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 The
Union School District was founded in 1919 along the city boundaries of
Tulsa and Broken Arrow. The rural area enrollment was so small that the
initial graduating class consisted of only four students - Not much of
a marching band back then. As Tulsa and Broken Arrow grew, so did Union,
and a new high school opened its doors in the early '70's. Growth and
change seemed to dominate Union's Music and Fine Arts department throughout
the remainder of the decade, and by 1980, staff and students felt the
time had come for Union's music program to adopt a name that portrayed
the band's proud image and reflect the new direction marching band programs
were taking across the nation...
The
Renegade Regiment was born!
This founding band established a rich tradition for all Regiments that
followed, and the rest, they say, is history...
 Since
1980, The Renegade Regiment has been a Bands of America Grand National
Finalist 7 times:
2000, 1998, 1995, 1990, 1989, 1986, 1981
Since
1980, The Renegade Regiment has won 12 State Championships
2001, 2000, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992, 1990, 1989,
1988, 1986, 1985, 1980
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(click for pics)
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Much
of the storied history of the Renegade Regiment captured on these pages
can be directly attributed to retired Director of Bands, L. Dale Barnett.
For 22, years, from the Fall of 1983 through the Spring of 2005, "Mr.
B." was the head of the Union Band program. During his tenure, Dale
led the way in numerous parades, including the Tournament of Roses Parade,
and directed the Renegade Regiment to top honors at the Holiday Bowl, Fiesta
Bowl and Citrus Bowl band competitions, victories at the Bands of America
(BOA) Mid-South and Mid-West Regional Championships, Finalist 6 out of the
8 years Union attended Bands of America (BOA) Grand National Marching Band
Competition in Indianapolis, and 11 of the 12 Union triumphs at the Oklahoma
Bandmaster Association (OBA) State Marching Band Championships. His dedication
to the program over the years, and his innovation and spirit will forever
be a part of the rich tradition of the Renegade
Regiment. |
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"In 1980, Ray Bell
became director of the High School Band and it was a happy occurrence
that it was the same year that a truly outstanding class of Sophomores
that he had great success with at the Junior High came up with him. The
infusion of talent and a new director coupled with upper classmen who
had been just short of great accomplishment for some years was a formula
for something truly special. It was apparent during summer band that this
group was going to go well beyond anything we had done before and the
band was very excited.
A bunch of us Seniors decided we needed a better name that was more
in line with the cool names of the Drum and Bugle Corps which we worshiped.
At the time, we were very enamored with the Phantom Regiment as we were
playing one of their arrangements in the show that year and had done some
other Phantom arrangements. I believe that I was the person who first
uttered the name "Renegade Regiment", but it was such an obvious
thing at the time that it wasn't much of a creative leap. Regardless,
pretty much everybody loved the name immediately.
When we graduated, we were certainly less than certain that the
Renegade Regiment moniker would stand the test of time. There was a bunch
of alumni resistance to the Renegade over Redskin movement. For myself,
I thought the name would be as distant of a memory at Union as would be
my own efforts in the cause. But I'm very happy the name stuck because
it is one that just sounds right. I am happier still that the students
who came after us did the name so well." - Tony Plank (class of 1981) |
"Invasion"
