Scout House Open House Recruiting Afternoons

Both Preston Scout House Band and Cadets youth drum line, of Cambridge, Ontario will be showing the social side of their organization on the last two weekends of September. Scout House is welcoming visitors to a Sunday afternoon Open House at the Preston Knights of Columbus building, 333 Speedsville Road, on September 29. Members of the Cadets will celebrate their first anniversary on Saturday, September 21 at Scout House building in Cambridge.

Since their first practice session September 19, 2012, the Cadets have already performed in many high profile area events, including the Kitchener/Waterloo Symphony’s family concert at the Centre in the Square theatre, the Scout House Spring Opening Arena Show, Preston’s Canada Day Parade, the 4th annual Scout House Invitational Tattoo at University Stadium in Waterloo and the St. John’s drum and bugle corps 60th anniversary reunion weekend Music in Motion field show in Brantford.

The Cadets welcome boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 18 to Wednesday evening practice sessions at the Scout House building on Queenston Road, near Bishop, in the Preston section of Cambridge. In return for a modest annual membership fee, the Cadets provide members with instruments and expert instruction in each section of the drum line. The Cadets were formed as part of the Scout House 75th anniversary year recruiting campaign, to serve as a source of new band members and to provide an exciting new team activity for boys and girls in the community. The band’s motto was “In Step With Youth” when the original Scout House Cadets flourished in the 1950s and 1960s.

Many of the youth of those days are still marching today as members of Scout House. The band’s Open House from 1 to 4 pm on September 29 will provide an opportunity for old friends to socialize and for potential new members to mingle with current members to learn about Scout House membership opportunities. New members are welcome in all sections, including the support team and committees required to keep the music on the move. Extra assistance is available for those with limited experience or who haven’t played for a number of years.

Preston Scout House membership now includes about 200 marching band and associate members who come from more than 20 communities across Ontario and beyond. Members have previously been associated with more than 70 marching music organizations in addition to the original Scout House Band.

Scout House annual membership is $40. Instruments and uniforms are provided free. Each section of the Band – brass, percussion and guard – practices once a week during the winter. Brass and percussion sessions are Sunday afternoon. Guard practice is Tuesday evening. All sections move outside in late May for Thursday evening field show practice through the summer.

Scout House is performing 28 times during the 2013 anniversary year, including seven concerts, 14 street parades and seven field shows. The performance season will wind up in late November with Christmas parades in Cambridge, Guelph and Mississauga.

Since its first performance at the Great Alliance of Seniors (GAS) reunion in Mississauga in 1999, Scout House has performed more than 400 concerts, street parades and field shows in Ontario, Quebec and 10 states from Michigan through the northeast U.S.A. to Maryland and Florida. Total performances include 154 concerts, 183 parades and 59 field shows up to the end of 2012.

For more information about Preston Scout House, contact Activities Director Nancy Weiler at telephone (519) 653-3376, email prestonscouthouseband [dot] adm [at] sympatico [dot] ca or visit the Web site at http://www.scouthouseband.com/

Information about Preston Scout House Cadets is available from Jim Pratt at: kusankusho [at] hotmail [dot] com