OFFICIAL 2009 Madison Scouts Thread

[cwachholz]

Hello All,

I'm thinking about coming down for finals but I don't have tickets as of today. I'd like to sit in a Madison Scout block if possible. Anywhere between the 30's would be fine. I don't know what the going rate is as I have never been to finals as a paying fan. Tickets for Semi-Finals would be an option as well.

Hope to hear from you,

Clay Wachholz

[cwachholz]

Hello All,

I'm thinking about coming down for finals but I don't have tickets as of today. I'd like to sit in a Madison Scout block if possible. Anywhere between the 30's would be fine. I don't know what the going rate is as I have never been to finals as a paying fan. Tickets for Semi-Finals would be an option as well.

Hope to hear from you,

Clay Wachholz

Sorry for not offering more information. I'm in need of two tickets. I'd like to buy them off of a Madison Scout supporter. Please get back to me if you know of anyone who has a couple of extra tickets.

Thanks,

Clay Wachholz

MYNWA

[madscout96]

I don't think they have an actual housing site for that one; they'll be coming in from New York straight to the Glass Bowl.

http://madisonscout-volunteers.org/Housing%20Sites.htm

That can't be right. Unless they're staying another night in Buffalo, then riding 6 hours during daylight the day of the show straight to Toledo, get off the bus and do the show without any rehearsing. I hope that's not what's going on!

[SF2K4]

Hey guys, guess what!?!?

...

BYBO

[madalumni]

When I was a kid back in 1985 in Allentown, seeing the Scouts buses pull into the parking lot with the fleur de lis on the side was a moment of absolute magic

The Men of Madison were like movie stars to me...they arrived with an aura...swagger...excellence...mystery...and my imagination ran wild trying to fill in the rest...

back in the day, scores were not the measuring stick...no one knew who scored what until the numbers were PRINTED....in DRUM CORPS WORLD....a WEEK LATER!

the staff was not high profile...no familiar or dissected names or personalities...they were just the staff...typically recognized by the simple fact that they were standing out front and looked a little older (and a little scruffier).

judges? no one knew names....no one had access...they wore green shirts and left after the show....

the corps director....a name, but not typically a personality....but larger than life, nonetheless....a person of esteem and respect...

And we didnt value the corps by last night's score....we didnt compare success and define failure so much...we simply enjoyed it when this circus came to town!

And if it was an awesome show but didnt score (87, 90, 07), we left happy with the Scouts but disappointed in the judges....those bad guys just didnt get it!

...and we waited for the next time they came to town....but weren't they awesome? The CROWD LOVED THEM!

And our imagination was allowed to do the rest...you got to dream of being in the Scouts and you bought a t-shirt and wore it proud...even if no one else around you knew who the heck the Madison Scouts were....you felt 10 feet tall and bulletproof in that snare shirt or horn shirt...and, when you put it on, you felt a little closer to greatness.

that, my friends, was a simpler time....very little monday morning quarterbacking; very little heaped criticism; a whole lot of wide eyed appreciation...

see, you can hear the corps better with your mouth shut and your ears open....you can hear tradition...you can hear passion...you can hear effort and enthusiasm and excellence...

2009 needs a remedy...and I have one...SHUT OFF YOUR COMPUTER...SHUT OFF the 'need' to know...the 'need' to criticize...the 'need' to quantify....and turn on your imagination....let the anticipation of seeing the Scouts and cheering them on when they hit the starting line be your 'need'.

Let the 11 minutes they are on the field engulf your passion...in a singular moment....not compared to anything else....

and let them wow you...they want to deliver....let them!

I'll see the Scouts in Buffalo on Aug 2. I'll be the one with the hair standing up on the back of my neck, heart racing, hands cupped to my ears...waiting for the gift they bring that night... And when its over, on the drive home, I'll close my eyes and see the green jacket and the sash and the white hat and I'll hear the sound of Madison horns and Madison drums in my head. And i'll know that I saw and heard something great that night.....and they left it all out there...just for me.

Can't wait.

Can't wait.

That's one of the best posts I've seen on here in a long time! Well said.

The magic and image that you portrayed is exactlywhat made me need to join the Scouts back in 1989.

And it is still very much there. I took my friend Dustin to

Drums Along the Rockies a few weeks ago. He had never seen live Drum Corps before. As soon as

the Scouts entered the field, he immediately sat up in his seat and said "WOW these guys look intense!"

He was certainly blown away bv the rest of the Corps performances too, but

ever since then, when we talk, the Corps that sticks out to him is Madison. I think that for people

who view them objectively, without our typical preconceived baggage, Madison still holds that magic.

That said, Keep pushing boys...Give 'em H###!

[swmstom]

Brand new to the DCP thing, this being just my second post.

But being a Scout vet, I wanted to add my two cents in to the thread whether it's beating a dead horse or not.

I saw the Scouts for the first time in about five years this past weekend in Atlanta. First, it was absolutely wonderful to see my guys out there again after being absent for so long, but I was kind of let down by the full show. Opener was impressive, but as it went on it lost me. There weren't any of those "WOW" moments I've grown to know from Scouts. Maybe there were some attempts at the big moments and the crowd didn't react, I don't know. But it was one of the most subdued Scouts crowds I've seen in some time.

Nothing against my Scout brothers out there busting their tails, but the show just doesn't do it for me. And it didn't seem to do much for many others around me.

Touching on a few things: Not a fan of the new uni. The current look is better than the atrocious things the Scouts wore after the '88-'02 look was tossed, but I'm just too set on the uni I wore. I can't wait for the day the Scouts walk out of the tunnel back in the lighter green top, red/silver sash, red gauntlets and white pants with green stripe. There was nothing wrong with that look in the first place other than probably some high-and-mighty DCI authority saying it was outdated. Shoot, Trooper's have about the most "outdated" uniform out there and it doesn't seem to be hurting them.

Second: I know the Scouts haven't come out in the company front for several years now...but my question is why??? Does it have to do with timing now? Has DCI gotten so twisted that timing issues have forced that to be removed? Or is it a situation where practice time wants to be focused all on the show instead of entering the field?

If it's the latter.....then shame shame shame. One of my greatest Scouts memories was stepping off that goaline on finals night and hearing the roar of the crowd and seeing the flashbulbs popping off like lightning in the corner of my eye. I get chills right now just thinking about it. I want my current brothers and future brothers in the Scouts to be able to experience what I did and have that memory and feeling for the rest of their lives.

I know coming on the field seems very trivial, but man oh man, talk about getting your night off to a great start and you haven't even played a note yet. It has a huge effect.

Alright, I'm done. Glad to be here and I hope to be able to take part in more discussions here.

PS: Hey SF2K4...........WAR EAGLE brother!!!!!!!!!

[Mad75]

Brand new to the DCP thing, this being just my second post.

But being a Scout vet, I wanted to add my two cents in to the thread whether it's beating a dead horse or not.

I saw the Scouts for the first time in about five years this past weekend in Atlanta. First, it was absolutely wonderful to see my guys out there again after being absent for so long, but I was kind of let down by the full show. Opener was impressive, but as it went on it lost me. There weren't any of those "WOW" moments I've grown to know from Scouts. Maybe there were some attempts at the big moments and the crowd didn't react, I don't know. But it was one of the most subdued Scouts crowds I've seen in some time.

Nothing against my Scout brothers out there busting their tails, but the show just doesn't do it for me. And it didn't seem to do much for many others around me.

Touching on a few things: Not a fan of the new uni. The current look is better than the atrocious things the Scouts wore after the '88-'02 look was tossed, but I'm just too set on the uni I wore. I can't wait for the day the Scouts walk out of the tunnel back in the lighter green top, red/silver sash, red gauntlets and white pants with green stripe. There was nothing wrong with that look in the first place other than probably some high-and-mighty DCI authority saying it was outdated. Shoot, Trooper's have about the most "outdated" uniform out there and it doesn't seem to be hurting them.

Second: I know the Scouts haven't come out in the company front for several years now...but my question is why??? Does it have to do with timing now? Has DCI gotten so twisted that timing issues have forced that to be removed? Or is it a situation where practice time wants to be focused all on the show instead of entering the field?

If it's the latter.....then shame shame shame. One of my greatest Scouts memories was stepping off that goaline on finals night and hearing the roar of the crowd and seeing the flashbulbs popping off like lightning in the corner of my eye. I get chills right now just thinking about it. I want my current brothers and future brothers in the Scouts to be able to experience what I did and have that memory and feeling for the rest of their lives.

I know coming on the field seems very trivial, but man oh man, talk about getting your night off to a great start and you haven't even played a note yet. It has a huge effect.

Alright, I'm done. Glad to be here and I hope to be able to take part in more discussions here.

PS: Hey SF2K4...........WAR EAGLE brother!!!!!!!!!

swmstom,

Thank you for your views regarding the show in Atlanta and for taking us down memory lane........those are powerful pictures of Madison's MO that have helped create their spectacular lore and following.

I see that you're newer to this site and an infusion of new blood is always a good thing. But, if you haven't noticed, make sure to keep your fire retardant gear near by and you'll want to check the thickness of your skin. This is because some here don't take kindly to a perceived discouraging word or references to the past. I only say this because it would be a shame to see you scared off simply because you expressed your opinion.

Thanks again and welcome!

[swmstom]

I've spent the past 10 years or so in the journalism field, so I'm no stranger to expressing an opinion and having some voice their opposite opinion right back at me. The skin is pretty thick in that regard.

And just to clarify for anyone else that might read this, especially since I'm a newbie.......I'm no negative nancy. In fact I would probably be accused of being a sunshine pumper more than anything.

Sometimes, though, you just have to call it like you see it.

[MrObvious]

Scouts should be going on soon.

GO SCOUTS!!!

BYBO

[Mad75]

Well, scores are in for the Scouts in Fairfax, VA.........Improved, but still cant make up any ground towards that magical 12th place slot. The Men of Madison are still holding at a consistent 2.5-3 points (2.65 tonight) out from the promised land. Based upon the tie the other night between the Scouts and what, 2-3 other corps!? It's looking more and more like the slotting demons have arrived. At this time of the season it usually takes a herculean effort to wake the judges out of their slotting coma!

(Sure miss the days of the tick system where you were relatively assured of the fact that if you did the job, you got the mark!......Unfortunately, todays judging system cant and wont allow that.......and that stinketh)

Come on Green God's!!!!

Edited July 30, 2009 by Mad75