Established in 1948
The Tradition Continues
HISTORY
Bill McIntyre’s Shooting Stars
How do you begin to tell the story of Bill McIntyre’s Shooting Stars? A story which began 75 years ago with one man and a big idea. Every story has a beginning and this is ours.
After marching with various comic clubs for 25 years William McIntyre decided it was time for a change. So in 1946 he chose to join the Fancy Division. After just one year with the Fancies Bill chose to form a Group of his own to march under the mother clubs. Leading in to the 1949 parade Bill’s wife Elizabeth suggested naming the Group the Shooting Stars which was their theme that year. In 1950 the Fancy Groups decide to change their name to the Fancy Brigades & the Shooting Stars Fancy Brigade was officially born. Bill dominated the 1950’s leading his boys to an unbelievable 6 first prize performances in the decade. Mr. Mac led his beloved Stars for an amazing 25 years building the club from the ground up. If it was not for his ground breaking idea who knows if there would have ever been a Fancy Brigade division at all. Over the course of his illustrious career as captain both the Shooting Stars & the Fancy Brigade Association as a whole grew by leaps & bounds!!!
As Bill McIntyre’s chapter came to a close it was time for his beloved son Francis to take over the reins & he was ready for the challenge. Franny grew up admiring his father’s hard work & dedication to the club & the apple didn’t fall to far from the tree. Over his 8 years as captain no one worked harder or bled bluer than Franny Mac. In 1978 all the hard work paid off as the Shooting Stars captured 1st prize brigade & 1st prize captain with the legendary performance of Aqua Fantasy. In 1981 Franny’s time as Captain had come to an end but a new leader was waiting in the wings – William Morrison Jr.
Billy “Zeke” Morrison was a natural born leader who was ready to carry on the McIntyre legacy. He did his Stars proud over the course of his career putting on one memorable performance after another. Zeke could dance with the best of them & will go down as one of the greatest performing captains of all time. This couldn’t be more evident than in 1982 when Billy received 1st prize captain while leading his brigade to a classic 1st prize finish with Masters of the Occult. Zeke poured his heart & soul into the club not only as its captain but until this day. When it was time for Billy to turn the page the Stars didn’t have to look to far for his replacement. The next man up was one of Billy’s best friends. In fact, Zeke was the reason he joined the Shooting Stars.
That man was Mickey Adams. Mickey’s era as captain began in 1991 & lasted an impressive 21 years. Over his 2 decades as captain the Stars flourished. Under Mickey’s leadership the brigade never finished out of the top 5, placed 2nd 6 times & captured 1st prize an unprecedented 9 times. His undying work ethic & commitment to excellence also led to a record setting amount of captain’s prizes. Mickey took home best dressed captain an astonishing 10 times in his career doing so an unmatched 5 times in a row from 1997-2001. Mickey had a legendary run as the leader of the club which ended up with a trip to the Fancy Brigade Association Hall of Fame where he joined his fellow captains Mr. Mac, Franny & Zeke. Mickey had the privilege of learning from 3 of the best to ever do it. It was now his turn to hand down his knowledge to his long time Co-Captain & son Michael Adams Jr.
Michael’s journey as captain began in 2012 & continues to this day. Michael shares the same passion & thirst for excellence as his father before him. You will not find a harder working mummer than Michael Adams & it shows in the club’s performances. The Stars have finished 2nd 3 times under Michael & the streak of top 5 performances continues at an unbreakable record of 32 years. In 2014 we reached the pinnacle yet again with the spectacular Atlantis: Guardians of the Deep. Michael was awarded 1st prize captain for his amazing performance giving the Stars the clean sweep.
While the Captains get much of the credit for a club’s success it is by no means a one man job. There are far too many names to list of all the great men who have helped shape our brigade. To all the Presidents who sacrificed so much of their personal lives to take on a second job in running the club, we thank you. To all the officers, members & marshals who have come & gone over the years we thank you for your unwavering support. From McIntyre Award winners to members of the Star Club & of course our own Hall of Fame members. We would not be the club we are today if it weren’t for men like you. Your passion & pride for the Shooting Stars has made us the strongest brigade on the street. Along with all of our former Captains the legends who have been enshrined in the Fancy Brigade Association Hall of Fame include: Ed Farmer, Foster McKoskey, Thomas Smith Sr., William McIntyre Jr., Jim Bradley, Sonny Weneck & Brian Smith. These selfless men have been our backbone both in the past & present. We cannot thank you enough for your loyalty & dedication to the art of Mummery.
Over an historic 75 years Bill McIntyre’s Shooting Stars have compiled quite the resume. As the 1st ever & longest tenured Fancy Brigade in the Association the Stars amassed the most 1st Prize Captains at 14 as well as being the winningest Brigade with 18 first prize performances. There are more Stars in the Hall of Fame than any other club including all of our retired captains. An honor no other club can claim. All of these accomplishments, however, pale in comparison to the bonds that have been formed over the years. From grandfathers to father’s & son. Cousins, brothers & best of friends. The times shared with our Stars family is more precious than any first prize. Over the years we’ve watch our club grow both in membership & size. We put our blood, sweat & tears into building McIntyre Hall into what it is today. We’ve worked side by side for so many countless hours on costumes, props & floats at the garage that we finally decided to build a garage of our own. The camaraderie created in these moments is irreplaceable. From the ups & downs, good times & bad, we’ve been through it all together. We’ve laughed together at countless parties & we’ve cried together saying goodbye to our Fallen Stars. And all the time our girls have been beside us every step of the way. If it were not for their support this crazy hobby we all love so much would not be possible.
As this chapter of Bill McIntyre’s Shooting Stars story comes to an end there is no telling what the future may hold but one thing is for sure, it’s going to be one hell of a ride!!! So let’s look back & cheers to 75 years but also look forward to 75 more. The legacy of great leadership continues now with our first year Captain, Chalie Kapusniak with their 76th performance. The future looks bright & our story is just beginning. In the words of Pop Mac, Thank God You Are a Shooting Star!!!
OUR MISSION
Mission of the organization is to foster the spirit of good fellowship among the members of the brigade, to increase interest among residents of the City of Philadelphia through public performances, promote appreciation of the art of mummery, promote participation in the activities of the brigade including community service projects, and participate in the annual Philadelphia New Year’s Day parade.
PAST THEMES
Take a trip down memory lane with all our performances throughout the year by Bill McIntyre’s Shooting Stars. Over an historic 75 years Bill McIntyre’s Shooting Stars have compiled quite the resume. As the 1st ever & longest tenured Fancy Brigade in the Association the Stars amassed the most 1st Prize Captains at 14 as well as being the winningest Brigade with 18 first prize performances.
OUR CAPTAINS
LEADERSHIP THROUGH THE YEARS

Bill McIntyre
1948 – 1972

Fran McIntyre
1973 – 1980

Bill Morrison
1981, 1982, 1985 – 1989

Tom Cloney
1983 – 1984

Mickey Adams
1990 – 2011

Michael Adams
2012 – 2021
