Wilfred J. Blum was a Preston pharmacist who operated Blum's Pharmacy. He is best remembered, however, as the founder and driving force behind the Preston Scout House Band.

Mr. Blum had a great interest in the Scouting movement and upon his return to Preston after graduating with honours from the College of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto he helped to found the 1st Preston Boy Scout Troop. At the time, as now, many Scout troops were associated with churches that provided rooms for troop meetings and other activities.

With the 1st Preston troop things were done a bit differently and the charter for the local scout troop was granted directly to Mr. Blum. Mr. Blum looked at Scouting as a means of instilling lasting values in the boys as well as keeping them active and helping to build character.

Lacking a hall in which to hold scout meetings Mr. Blum approached the Bernhardt family, owners of the dilapidated Rock Spring Brewery stable and had little difficulty convincing them to turn the forlorn old building over to him for a minor fee for use as a scout hall. He then raised the necessary funds in the community and the scouts transformed the eyesore into a handsome home for the 1st Preston troop.

Under his leadership the Scout Hall became a centre of teen activity in the community. Each Saturday evening the "Teen Canteen" offered dances and entertainment that attracted crowds of up to 500 teens from Galt, Hespeler, Brantford, Guelph and Kitchener in addition to those from Preston. As the local assistant Scout Master, Mr. Blum started the Preston Scout House Band in October 1938.

Initially the band was intended to be one of a number of scouting activities that the 1st Preston troop members could undertake. However the band soon became the primary Scouting activity for which Mr. Blum demanded total commitment by band members. He laid down a series of rules that required the boys take care of their health and appearance as well as adopting a "buddy" system to help take care of each other.

As the band took up more and more of the troop's time tension developed between the local troop and provincial Boy Scout officials. Continuing disputes over uniforms, band publicity and an extensive tour schedule were exacerbated by personal conflicts between the officials and Mr. Blum. Finally in 1953 the Band's ties to the Scouting movement were officially severed when provincial authorities refused to renew 1st Preston's charter.

The band was now outside the Scout movement but that had little effect on the band's continuing development. Through hard work and perseverance the band developed into one of the most well-known and respected drum and bugle bands in all of North America.

In 1979, in recognition of his work with the band Mr. Blum was presented with the Founders Award from the Canadian Drum Corps Association. In 1985 he was inducted into the United States Drum Corps Hall of Fame and in 1987 he was awarded the Province of Ontario Volunteer Service Award.

Mr. Blum died on December 21, 1993 and is buried in the Preston Cemetery.