Kelly Mires

Wow there is so much controversy on this board about the Madison Scouts. Honestly it's very disheartening to read. I just want to give my perspective. I'm a mom of a 2019 Madison Scout. My son loved his rookie year as a Scout. For him it wasn't about the final score or making it into finals or anything else that everyone keeps posting on this board. It was about the friendships he created the bonds he made with his fellow Scout members that will last a lifetime for him. He learned to be responsible and that with hard work you can achieve great things. He learned a lot last summer and honestly more than I could have taught him being his mom. He was devastated when his fellow Scout member passed away a few months ago. The true meaning of friendship and supporting your fellow brothers really hit home to him when he got the news. Those are life lessons. When I asked him about trying out for other corps this season he did think about it. Several of his brothers from 2019 have gone to other corps. Not my son. He wants to return to the Scouts. To him it's not about finals, it's not about the scoresheet, and it's not about all the controversy this board talks about. I actually hope he never reads this board. It's about how he was treated last summer, it's about finding his friendships with the brotherhood of the Scouts and it's about an experience that few of us with ever know. I'm just a mom of a Scout. I know nothing about the Board of Directors or alumni or even really much about the staff. All I know if my son absolutely loves his Scout family. As I write this he is on his way from Dallas, Texas to the callback tryout in Indianapolis. He is nervous but he is proudly wearing his Scouts jacket as he boards the plan this morning. The future of the Scouts may be in question but from my prospective as a mom of a Scout, it's not about all this controversy on this board. It's about raising my young man to care about others, being open to others who are different than you and for making friendships with others from across the country. I hope he has a great weekend in Indy and comes home as a 2020 Madison Scout.