“The Santa Clara Vanguard has the tradition of the green feather for the finals night performance. This is where the age-outs of the Vanguard are given a green ostrich feather to put in their Aussies for their last performance.

“The colors red, white and green can be seen on top of the Aussies. This is evident on many videos and in many pictures (including the one here).

“The green feather is then kept by each age-out as something to take home with them as well as the Vanguard star, which is worn on the uniform, usually over the heart. This tradition has been around as long as the Vanguard has been around as is one of the greatest traditions in drum corps.”
<Clip from DCI Article: Brasso continuo -- Green feathers Santa Clara Vanguard >