The Marching Grenadiers, Washington D.C., 1972
The Avon Park Majorette Grenadiers in Plaid
Check out these beautiful vintage photos of the Avon Park High School Marching Band, Avon Park Florida. They were taken in the early 1970s. The top right colored image below is a picture of Grenadier majorette Louise Bennett, 1972. The other pictures were taken on a band trip to Walt Disney World.
The majorette uniforms remind us of another series of pictures we published, Majorettes in Plaid, 1971.
As majorette costumes go these are fairly unusual. We haven’t seen a lot of plaid skirts in our research. Also, the school mascot, Grenadiers, is unique. A grenadier is a soldier armed with grenades or a grenade launcher. Here is how Indiana University Southeast, home of the Grenadiers, describes the mascot:
A Grenadier was a front-line soldier in the early 17th century who initiated attacks with the first grenades…they were lauded for their bravery, as those first grenades required precise timing and control. Think of them as the original Special Forces.
Indiana University Southeast
About Avon Park
Avon Park is a city in Highlands County, Florida. In 2021, the population was about 10,000. It is the oldest city in Highlands County, and was named after Stratford-upon-Avon, England.
The ever-loyal Avon Park High School Grenadiers Alumni Group requested we share these photos with the world! We appreciate the opportunity very much!