2008 Color Guard Fellowship
There was a time, not so long ago when men who wanted to march in the color guard had two choices…The Madison Scouts or The Cavaliers. That was my choice to make in 1981. I took one look at the 1980 Scouts color guard and I was hooked! The Madison Scouts color guard set the standard by which all other guards would follow. I chose to become a part of this tradition of excellence and for the next several years I could not have been prouder to be part of this amazing group of men – my brothers for life.Since then, many things have changed. The corps is eating better, a LOT better. Dues have gone up, WAY up. And men can march in almost every drum corps color guard. One thing that has not changed…the tradition and brotherhood that comes with being a Madison Scout.
Keep the Tradition Strong!
As lifetime brothers, we have a duty to the next generation of young men who are traveling the path so many of us have paved over the years. Look around the activity. The men teaching the finest programs today are the Madison Scouts of yesteryear. Many of the top drill designers, guard instructors, and program coordinators once wore the Madison “Superman Suit” with pride. We have an awesome obligation to ensure the next generation of drum corps’ finest will also have The Madison Scouts color guard on their resumé.
To that end, we have created a new program designed to encourage young men to become Madison Scouts color guard members, to reward those returning members and to actively recruit new talent. The Madison Scouts Color Guard Fellowship is a special fund that allows each member of the guard to enjoy a reduction in annual dues, and creates a scholarship fund to recruit new talent to the group.
For many men in the horn line and drum line, marching drum corps is a logical step toward a music education or music performance degree in college. It’s typically easy to convince parents and funding sponsors that annual dues are part of a long-term career path. The same is not typically true for the prospective color guard members. How many of us are still spinning our flags and rifles 20 years past drum corps? Yet, would you trade that experience for anything? Absolutely not! The men we have become…the core values we hold dear, and the lifetime friendships we have made are a direct result of our experience as Madison Scouts.
Spin Madison
The Madison Scouts will march a full guard in the 2008 color guard. YOU have an opportunity to ensure this happens by taking an active role in the Color Guard Fellowship. With only 40 contributors in the fund, not only can we reduce the color guard dues by $300 each, we can create scholarships to recruit new talent to the color guard – thus keeping our tradition of excellence strong. To date, we have 10 alums in the program and are looking for more participation to maximize this important effort.
The Madison Scouts Color Guard Fellowship is also being created as a way to recognize and honor our brothers who have passed. We are thrilled to announce the inaugural fund will recognize the contributions and talent of a true Madison Scout, Mr. Ralph Viray. For many of us, Ralph WAS the Madison Scouts. He was the first person to welcome you to a rehearsal, and always willing to lend a hand where necessary. He took amazing pride in his performance and represented Madison at the highest level. After Madison, Ralph shared his talents with many high school groups, and ultimately was honored by the staff at Coconut Creek High School in Florida. Their winter guard was renamed “Viray” after Ralph’s passing….a lasting tribute to his impact and contribution to the activity. Always smiling. Always the consummate performer, Ralph is the perfect person to be honored in this inaugural year of the Color Guard Fellowship fund. Another color guard alum, Robert Sheldon, had this to say about Ralph:
“If you want to see someone who loved performing and loved wearing the Madison Scout uniform then watch the 1980 video during Malagueña. Keep your eye on the rifle closest to the camera. You can catch that same performer in 1982 - the one whose suspender is unhooked on one side. That performer was Ralph Viray. I remember watching those videos over and over again and knowing that I too wanted to wear that uniform and perform just like Ralph. I met Ralph after he aged out but developed a close relationship with him until his much too early passing. He loved sharing every single one of his memories of marching in drum corps. I was fortunate to spend many years with Ralph outside of drum corps and winter guard. I learned many things about life in general through his subtle way of leading by example.”
How can you help?
Make a $500 tax-deductible contribution to the Madison Scouts Color Guard Fellowship. One hundred percent of your contribution will be used for the dedicated purpose, to assist your brothers in the color guard. After you donate, start telling people about what you’ve done. We need to reach as many color guard alumni as possible with this message. The more color guard alumni we can reconnect to the corps, the more direct help we can provide our future brothers in the 2008 color guard.
Contributions may be made via the Madison Scouts online store. Contributions may also be made by calling the Madison Scouts office at (608) 237-8774, and ask for Dann Petersen, Corps Director. Installment contributions are welcome as is any amount of giving. Please call the office to set up automatic monthly donations. Additional details on the fund can also be found on our MySpace pageIn addition to this program, the corps will be doing active recruiting at the select power-regionals leading up the WGI Championships on April 9-12 in Dayton, OH. Also, look for the Madison Scouts’ recruiting booth in Dayton and meet some of the guard members past and present and get a sneak peak at the new color guard costume for this years’ 2008 production. Following the close of the WGI season, the Scouts will be hosting a second round of auditions in Madison on April 18-20. For more information, please visit our guard page.
Finally, as a way of acknowledging those alums who participate in the fund, nationally recognized artist and color guard alum, Robert Yoder (Seattle, WA) is designing a one-of-a-kind piece of art, which will be transformed into a beautiful lapel pin. Search your heart… then make your donation. It’s time to start a new tradition…. A tradition of giving back to something that has shaped all of our lives.
May You Never Walk Alone,
Chuck Henson
St. Petersburg, FL
Color guard 1981-84
Visual Staff 1985-86
MSARP Color guard 2006
VOLUNTEER 2008
St. Petersburg, FL
Color guard 1981-84
Visual Staff 1985-86
MSARP Color guard 2006
VOLUNTEER 2008
Fleur de Lis
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
The Newsletter of the Madison Scouts