Formed in 1956, The Woodsiders had their start as the Good Counsel Cadets in the late 1940's ; a activity of Our Lady of Good Counsel parish in North Newark, N.J.. When the corps entered marching competition in 1954 it adopted the name WOODSIDERS, since the church, school was on Woodside Avenue in the Woodside section of Newark. For a while the corps was the official band for Good Counsel High School.At the end of the 1956 season the corps lost the sponsorship of Good Counsel Church ;selling the corps uniforms and drums to Our Lady of the Valley H.S. in Orange,N.J..since both schools had the same colors of blue,gold and white. (similar to what would happen to the Holy Name Cadets two years later ).
The corps reorganized and incorporated as the North Newark Woodsiders in 1957. The corps disbanded in 1965 due to the military draft. However the corps remained active. After the Newark Riots of 1967 and 1969 the corps moved across the Passaic River to Harrison, N.J. until it finally left the drum corps and color guard since in late 1970's.
Awards included the 1963 Eastern States Championship, 1963 New Jersey State Jaycees Championship, and 1962 host corps for the Dream Contest.
Television personalty Kathy Lee Gifford is said to have marched with the Woodsiders at one time (though according to Ron Da Silva that is not true). Another distinguished alumnus is Ron Da Silva, well-known drum corps photographer.
The corps was active through at least 1974. The WOODSIDERS are planning a reunion at the 2013 ELK'S Convention in Wildwood,N.J.
[Encyclopedia of Drum and Bugle Corps, 1966; rec.arts.marching.drumcorps 4/11/2000; http://www.frontiernet.net/~richdas/index.shtml; DCW, 5/04, p.30; Ron Da Silva August 2012]
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