Military Appointments of Canada - Regimental Sergeant Major, Drum Major, Chief of the Defence Staff, Lance Corporal, Pipe Major, Master Corporal (Paperback)

Chapters: Regimental Sergeant Major, Drum Major, Chief of the Defence Staff, Lance Corporal, Pipe Major, Master Corporal, Lance-Sergeant, Trumpet Major. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 39. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: A drum major is the leader of a marching band, drum and bugle corps, or pipe band. The drum major is usually positioned at the head of the band or corps and is the figure who stands out in the public eye. The drum major is responsible for providing commands either verbally, through hand gestures, or with a mace in the military or with whistle commands or a baton in the US civilian bands to the ensemble regarding where to march, what to play, and what time to keep. They are often dressed in more ornate clothing than the rest of the band or corps. The position of drum major originated in the British Army with Corps of Drums in 1650. Military groups performed mostly duty calls and battle signals during that period, and a fife and drum corps, directed by the drum major, would use short pieces to communicate to field units. With the arrival of military concert bands and pipe bands around the 18th century, the position of the drum major was adapted to those ensembles. Traditionally, a military drum major was responsible for: The drum major was also given duties in the battalion at several points in history, which included the administering of military justice (lashing), to any member of the battalion and collecting the battalion's post. A drum major in the armed forces is these days an appointment and not a rank. In the British Army, a drum major holds the rank of Sergeant, Staff Sergeant (or equivalent), or Warrant Officer Class II. Royal Air Force drum majors hold the rank of Chief Technician (Sergeant in the Air Training Corps), except for the Senior Drum Major RAF...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=1843814