Old Marching "Girls" Told To Wear Pants

CRAIG SIMCOX/The Dominion Post

In another ageist attack, women in the masters grade of Marching Girls (women over 30) in New Zealand have been told by Marching NZ, the national organisation, to cover up those legs.

Marching NZ claims that some marching "girls" have been put off joining by the short skirt requirement, but traditionalists argue that the legs must be visible in order to assess leg action as part of judging the quality of the marching performance.

Marching girls is a competitive marching activity invented in the 1930s to encourage teenage girls & young women to improve their fitness and health during the Great Depression. It was heavily influenced by military standards with respect to marching and uniforms. The sport has declined significantly in recent years as other pastimes lure young women away, ironically centred around "couch potato" lifestyles.

The Glenbrae marching team of Palmerston North, comprised of master grade marchers ranging in age from 32 to 65 with an average age of 40 something, go through their paces above.

Tartan trousers anyone?

Note: The term "marching girls" is still used by those participating in this activity.

Marching Girls in New Zealand

One of the historical oddities of New Zealand - and Australia - is the phenomenon of "Marching Girls" (a term, I might add, hastily, that these young women still use to describe their style of marching).

Wards Marching Team, Gisborne, NZ, circa 1930s.

Marching Girls involves competitive teams of young women engaging in precision marching wearing military-style uniforms. It began in the 1930s during the Great Depression as a way to encourage teenage girls to keep fit and healthy. It has its predecessors in various similar male activities - eg, boys' cadets, bugle corps, brass bands etc. - in an earlier age when militaristic training and patriotic fervor were felt to be good for one's character.

The numbers participating in Marching Girls have declined in recent years, reflecting competing claims for young women's time & attention, no doubt. But competitions still draw teams and a crowd, even if somewhat smaller than yesteryear.

Pacific Beat Street takes a look at Marching Girls (audio & pics are annoyingly out of sync, but that doesn't affect what's important - the military precision marching):