The East Fairmont High School "Busy Bee Band and Honeybees" participated for the first time in the eight annual Marshall University Marching Band Festival which was held at Fairfield Stadium in Huntington, and returned home with high honors and first-place awards.

The band, under the direction of Earl W. McConnell, left Fairmont early Saturday morning by school bus, competed in the festival with 23 other bands from Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia, and returned home at the conclusion of the contest which ran from 1:30 until 5:30 p.m.

The three adjudicators for the event, which was officially sanctioned by the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission, were from the band departments of Ohio University and Kent State University. The festival chairman was Prof. Robert R. Clark, director of bands at Marshall University.

The bands and majorette corps were adjudicated separately with the bands being graded on musical effect, visual effect and general effect which included the techniques of music and marching performance as well as originality, showmanship, synchronization of music and routine and choice of material. The majorette corps were graded on precision, variety, marching and showmanship.

A superior rating was received by the "Busy Bee Band" in all categories and by the "Honeybees" in all categories. With the highest number of total points the band received a first-place award and the majorettes a first-place award. The decision of the three adjudicators was that the East Fairmont High School group was the "most outstanding in the entire festival" and it was awarded the Grand Trophy.

Assisting the band in its travel and preparations for the event were members of East Fairmont Band Boosters organization including its president David A. Nuzum and Mrs. Nuzum, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Romino and Mrs. Salvatore Asterino. Several East Fairmont band parents motored to Huntington for the event.