How The Madison Scouts Are The Epitome Of A Marching Band

The Madison Scouts are the epitome of a marching band. The longest running “official” marching band in existence has a very long history. They however were and continue to be very successful in the drum corp world. Winning multiple world and DCI championships, The Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps continues to be the only strong male Drum Corp in existence. It was in the depression year of 1938 that a group of Madison, Wisconsin, businessmen attended a Racine Scouts performance and forthwith decided that Madison needed its own drum corps. The Racine Scouts continued to perform at multiple events like local concerts, parades, War Bond drives, and things alike, they also attended the World Scout Jamboree. In 1951 the corps split into the Explorer Scouts and the Boy Scouts. The Explorers wore the dark green scout uniforms, while the Boy Scouts wore the corps' old uniforms of khaki scout shirts and shorts. The drum corps first entered national competition in 1954 by placing second at VFW

The main tragedy for them was on January, 15 1968 the corps founder C.H. Beebe passed away. He was honored at the Chicago Civic Opera House, the Des Plaines Vanguard played You’ll Never Walk Alone as a spotlight focused on a simple stage chair with a Scout uniform draped across it. The seventies was a lot better to the Scouts than the sixties was. The fans got their first taste of "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead" in 1970. In 1971, the Scouts presented "Scouts in Fantasyland," one of their many theme shows. Though controversial because of the use of Alice in Wonderland (Bonnie Howard, the only girl ever to march with the Scouts), the rabbit, Pinocchio and the Seven Dwarfs, the show was very well executed and much enjoyed by audiences. However, due to the VFW ruling that there be no dancing, skipping, clowning, costumes, etc., the Scouts had to put on their show at Nationals “straight,” and they suffered for it, placing