Palm beach pipes and drums

In the 1960’s and 70’s there was only one pipe band in all of southern Florida. It was the Miami Scottish Bagpipe Band. Ray Cordovez (our Drum Sergeant) was a member. When he moved north to West Palm Beach, the commute to Miami for regular band practice was too far to drive each week.

So, in 1979 Ray, Harold Jones and some men from Juno Beach got together and formed what is now the Palm Beach Pipes and Drums. John McGrath served as the first Pipe Major and Ray took on the responsibility of Drum Sergeant, a position he’s held ever since.

A priest from Bethesda-by-the-Sea church in Palm Beach, John Macort, joined the band. With Father Macort’s connections, the band was invited to play at the Bethesda-by-the-Sea Boar’s Head Festival on January 6, 1980. It was the band’s first big gig. What a classy beginning!

The band was popular from the start and the founders knew they had a good thing going. Incorporation was in order. They based their constitution and by-laws on the Miami band’s, including provisions for an initiation fee, annual dues and fines. These provisions eventually were dropped.

The mission of the band, however, has remained unchanged.

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