For 30 years the Warwick United Majorettes and Drum Corps have been marching, twirling bayonets, beating and smiling.

They have come a long way since they started, in 1975, in June Bailey Tuzo?s back garden.

In later years, she had assistants June Bailey-Tuzo?s assistant?s were Deborah Symons (nee Bailey), Martica Wilson, Linda Butterfield and Rita Bailey.

Since then, the group has not only marched in every May 24 Parade and other local events, but they have also appeared in several international parades.

?In Atlanta we won a competition,? said Michee Tuzo, ?And we have marched at Disney?s Magic Kingdom, Philadelphia and Chicago. We are trying to do something for either next year or the year after in celebration of our 30th anniversary.

?We are a non-profit youth organisation so we apply for parades and then we fundraise and whoever can raise the funds, goes ? so it can be a huge group.

?If anyone is interested in us performing, they can call us. We don?t have a fee, but they can just make a donation to the group.?

Mrs. Tuzo has now handed over the reigns to her daughter Michee, who has been a majorette since she was only two-years-old. Now at 25, she leads the group with a several other capable women, Anneka Donowa, Nikesha Burrows, Cia Warner, Carrie Robinson, and Tiara Carter.

But Miss Tuzo said: ?My mom ? I wouldn?t say she?s retired ? but she has taken a back seat in 1992, so she passed it down to me and I have been doing it ever since.

?All the previous years I had been helping along with her, but now we have switched roles and she is now assisting me.?

Her brother Malik is the Drum Corp leader, a band that was started by their mother and cousin Terry Flood.

He said: ?They started the group way back when. Then my mother and my father (Michael Tuzo) carried it on and now it has been passed on to me and my sister Michee, but I have been marching since I was three years old and now I am 23.

?It is our 30th anniversary, so its a big thing for Warwick United. We have been around for a lot of years and just continue to strive for excellence and will continue to put out our best this year. We?re ready and it is all about the festivities.?

Miss Tuzo said the Majorettes began practising for the May 24 Parade in February.

?They then take a break from June to August,? she said, ?And then they begin preparing for the Labour Day Parade.

?We then we take another break and in October they begin practising for the Christmas Parade. We normally just practise on a Wednesday evening, but as it gets closer to the Parade, we practise three times a week. We?ve got to be prepared.?

The routines are choreographed by the members herself and the other leaders, said Miss Tuzo. ?We change them every year,? she said.

?But it is just different styles of twirling, but it is all twirling. And the marching, lifting your legs up high, hand on your hip and smiling. It?s all about attitude. My main focus with them is to get them to listen. They seem to think it is all fun, it is fun, but I try to stress to them that you also have to do and it is a discipline.?

Although dedicated, sometimes Miss Tuzo says that she does get tired, but she said: ?I just have to push forward because I am doing it for the children. I have to do it for them. It is something for them to do and it is positive, it is community.

?I get tired, but I have to do what I have to do. I was basically born into it, so it just comes natural to me. When I am out there I feel very, very good to know that I am helping these children and making other people happy when performing for them.?

In total there are approximately 100 girls in the squad, she said. ?This includes the little pom pom girls, the majorettes, and the flag squad,? she said.

She would not say what colour the uniforms would be for this season, but she did say: ?The uniform design stays the same, but the colours change.

?My mom designs all the uniforms, but we usually get them from overseas. But the last two years they were all made by my mom.?

Although, last year they had an 18-month-old toddler, she said that she normally does not take them until they are eight-years0old.

?But, this year I am making an exception because of our 30th Anniversary,? she said.

When asked about this year?s Majorette Competition, she said: ?Me personally, I am not in favour of it because I don?t know how they would be able to judge it because each different group has an individual style.

?I think they needed to set rules/guidelines because some groups might be doing a lot of twirling and other groups might not be doing as much.

?So, they haven?t set any rules ? they are just saying go out there for four minutes and do something.?

Although she was not sure of the exact year when her mother approached Warwick Workmen?s Club, she knew it was before her time.

?I am not sure when we started up there, but as long as I have been there, it has been our home,? she said. ?We have had great support from Warwick Workmen?s Club and the management.?

Trainer Carrie Robinson started in her mom?s group called Dilton Dixon some 17-plus years ago.

?I have a picture of when I was little and my head was just over the banner,? said Miss Robinson. ?I don?t remember marching that day, but I remember marching when I was younger.

?And I?ve been in Warwick United since I was seven because I am family of the owner. It?s been all my life ? I am going 21 and I am still doing it ? I don?t see myself stopping, although I?m sure I?ll stop. I love it. I am very active and I stay fit with majorettes. We are deep into it ? this is our group.?

Dominique Emery, nine, said she started with the majorettes in February.

?I am having a lot of fun and I am looking forward to being in the parade,? she said. ?I?ve learned the ?cool down? and a few other steps.?

One young woman has been dancing with the group since she was eight-years old and when asked why she said: ?I?m 22 now, so I?ve been here for 14 years,? said Shirmeka Brown.

?I just love to be active. I am a dancer as well and I used to dance with the United Dance Productions. I love to be out there and the crowd is just there ? some of them just love majorettes and when we did the July 4th Parade in Philadelphia and that was interesting.?

Talia Braithwaite, 22, has been marching for 12 years and she still loves it.

Members Kiernen Caines, Talisa Dyer, and all said the twirling was the most difficult thing to learn.

Kadian Wallen and Chelsea Richardson both started this year.

Chantel Seymour began last year and is excited about the upcoming parade.

Flag girls Yonea Augustus and Nicole Furbert said they had come back for the reunion.

?It brings back a lot of memories,? said Ms Augustus, ?I did the 20th anniversary and the 25th anniversary and now we?re doing the 30th.?

But Ms Furbert said: ?Don?t call me for 35. There are ten of us ? there are only half of us here.?

I joined in 1991, which makes it 14-years, said Anneka Donawa, who is a trainee Police officer.

?I like to be a good influence on young girls and to help them have a positive view on things,? she said. ?It is also something for them to do ? there are a lot of things out there that are negative.?

As part of the celebrations they plan to have a family picnic, an appreciation banquet, family fun day and a scavenger hunt, so we are going to be doing things throughout the year.