On April 23, 1942, The Star Herald had a special section, Third Section, The L.S.U. Journalism Students Edition. The front page was filled with only KHS Band information.One of the students who was from Kosciusko was Stokes Sanders, Jr., brother of Della Carnes Sanders. Their grandfather, Mr. Wiley Sanders, and later, their father, Mr. Stokes Sanders, Sr., were editors of The Star Herald.The interesting article of Stokes Sanders, Jr., follows:“First Majorette Had Difficulties”“When you see the flashy flat-twirlers, limber and lightly clad drum majorettes, and the majestic looking drum major in front of the 1942 Kosciusko High School Band, you will not be able to conceive the appearance of the small grey band that paraded down Main Street at the 1933 Memphis Cotton Carnival. The band had only one drum major then – and minus the eye-appeal of the modern majorette’s uniform that brings whistles and applause from the sidelines.Her uniform consisted of a long white skirt and cape, black stockings, and white oxfords. She wore an ordinary white band cap and led the band with a homemade tin baton that weighed several pounds. The baton was a funnel shaped affair with a large iron ball at one end.”Della Carnes Sanders was the first girl drum major to lead a band at the Cotton Carnival in Memphis. Although suffering under the weight of that heavy baton, Drum Majorette Sanders made a hit. This sentence is clipped from the 1933 Star Herald:“We were particularly proud of our drum major, Miss Della Carnes Sanders, who handled the band like a veteran and saluted as we passed the judges’ stand where was located the broadcasting microphone and Fox sound movie camera. “Her son, Stokes, shares an excerpt from the autobiography of Della Carnes Sanders,“So, I am now a Senior in High School! I never had been what you’d call an outstanding student. One honor I did get, was being selected as the first drum major of the newly- organized high school band. We were selected to go to the big Cotton Carnival in Memphis that year. Since the band was an all-boy band, and I was the only girl in it, I asked one of my girl friends to go so as to be with me (Endama Vickers). We stayed out in town with a sister of one of Mamma’s friends. But, I got to lead the band down the streets of Memphis in my home-made band uniform!Mamma made it out of white flannel. It had a short, pleated skirt and a cape lined with red satin. I wore a band uniform cap on my head, but marched proud as a peacock. About the only contest I ever won was when our school paper had a contest to pick out the “perfect” boy and girl. Most perfect this, most perfect that, etc. I won it for the legs – how about that!”Following high school graduation, Miss Sanders attended Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi. She was graduated from Louisiana State University. She was a member of Delta Zeta Sorority. After college graduation she taught in the Kosciusko High School.She married William W. “Billy” McMillan, a native of Kosciusko. Their children are Joy, the late Roy, and Stokes. If you would like to contribute to KFEE's efforts to restore and improve the auditorium, visit https://www.kfeems.org/projects
