Bill Text: IL HR1310 | 2013-2014 | 98th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Congratulates the members of the DeKalb Municipal Band on their long standing tradition of entertainment and the Band's status as the oldest continuous playing band in the State of Illinois.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2014-11-19 - Resolution Adopted [HR1310 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2013-HR1310-Introduced.html

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HR1310 LRB098 23157 GRL 62150 r
HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, For 160 years, the DeKalb Municipal Band has
entertained the DeKalb community; the band holds the
distinction of being the oldest continuous playing band in
Illinois; and
WHEREAS, A group of musicians returning from the California
gold fields in 1854 formed the DeKalb Silver Comet Band; and
WHEREAS, During the Civil War, many of the Band's musicians
joined the military, but when they returned to DeKalb, they
resumed the Band under the leadership of David and Daniel
McCosh; and
WHEREAS, In 1903, the Band accepted an invitation to become
the band of the Third Regiment of the Illinois National Guard,
a post the Band held until 1917; during this period, C.F.
Toenniges served as director as the Band performed at Huntley
Park and occasionally at Liberty Park and Unity Park; and
WHEREAS, In the "Roaring Twenties", C.H. Palmer, manager of
the Band, kept the Band from bankruptcy by raising money to
support the band through fundraisers and contributions from
local businesses; and

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WHEREAS, In 1925, C.H. Palmer took the initiative to lobby
the General Assembly to create a municipal band tax, which
passed into law in 1926; DeKalb became the first community to
take advantage of the taxing authority; and
WHEREAS, During the 1930s, Hopkins Park was built in DeKalb
with the help of the Works Projects Administration and the band
moved its weekly concerts from neighborhood parks to Hopkins
Park, where it remains today; and
WHEREAS, In 1948, Dee Palmer, son of C.H. Palmer, assumed
the directorship of the Band and held regular Tuesday evening
concerts from June through mid-August; Dee served as director
for 63 years; in appreciation of his service, the band shell
was renamed the Dee Palmer Band Shell in the 1980s and a bronze
statue of him directing the band was erected in 2010; and
WHEREAS, The DeKalb Municipal Band consists of 60 local
residents, school teachers, college music majors, former
members of United States Military Bands, and several
professional musicians; the Band has been under the leadership
of only 4 directors from the community, 3 of them from the
Palmer family and the current Director, Kirk Lundbeck, who has
been a member of the Band for 35 years; and
WHEREAS, The DeKalb Municipal Band has created a reason for

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the people of DeKalb to gather to enjoy each other's company,
the summer evenings, and the joyous sounds of the band; and
WHEREAS, The DeKalb Municipal Band plans to present a gala
holiday concert on December 13, 2014 in honor of its 160th
season and the continuous support of the DeKalb community;
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
we congratulate the members of the DeKalb Municipal Band on
their long standing tradition of entertainment and the Band's
status as the oldest continuous playing band in the State of
Illinois; and be it further
RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
presented to the City of DeKalb and the DeKalb Municipal Band
as a symbol of our esteem and respect.