I read a blog post on Pipes|Drums that seems to indicate there are now TWELVE Grade 1 bands in North America. I’m not sure if they’re counting RMM G2’s promotion to Grade 1 this year, but it’s a unique time in the piping world. The article titled Seismic Shift, indicates that there are only 14 Grade 1 bands in the RSPBA. On the other hand, many of the North American Grade 1 bands are Canadian. I actually don’t know if his numbers are correct, and had a difficult time doing research to prove one way or the other (note: the RSPBA website has results searches, but no “band” searches that I could find to show me the list of all grade 1 bands. I started going to all the child organizations under RSPBA and got to the third, Midlands, and they list their bands, but not the grades. At that point, I gave up. I’m pretty sure I’d run into the same problem with North American organizations).
The idea behind the blog is “moving” the pipe band championships to Las Vegas once North America has more bands than Europe. I’ve heard there’s been some discussion about having the championships rotate year to year to different areas. My personal feeling is there should be more coordination between the piping organizations, that there really should be a coordinated effort to get all the pipe bands to the World Championships. We should be using group purchasing power to book flights, signing bands up well in advance, etc. We should be working with sponsors (there’s at least a British Airways pipe band…probably others) to offer discounted flights to groups in pipe bands, and the larger piping organizations should assist with sponsoring bands. Take the top 3 or 4 bands from BCPipers (EUSPBA, MWPBA, etc) in each grade and offer additional incentives or “bursaries” to help them attend.
I personally want to go to Scotland with our band. I’d much rather experience the history and magnificence that is Glasgow for a week than Vegas. Yes, it would be cheaper to fly to Vegas, maybe to stay there too, but Piping Championships should be in Scotland. Shouldn’t they?
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