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madison scouts drum and bugle corps
Photos courtesy of Madison Scouts Drum & Bugle Corps, Madison, Wisconsin www.madisonscouts.org www.madisonscout-volunteers.org You'll Never Walk Alone When you walk through a storm hold your head up high And don't be afraid of the dark. At the end of a storm is a golden sky And the sweet silver song of a lark. Walk on through the wind, Walk on through the rain, Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown. Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart And you'll never walk alone, You'll never, ever walk alone.
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart And you'll never walk alone, You'll never, ever walk alone.
The Corps was founded in 1938 In 1938 a group of Madison businessmen, after hearing the Racine Scouts Corps at the Stock Pavilion, decided that Madison should have a drum and bugle corps. These men, E. J. Hess, Robert Gerry, Tom Jones, Arthur May and Robert Hesse, wanted this corps to be composed of Boy Scouts. The first rehearsal was held on February 8, 1938 in the basement of the Christ Presbyterian Church with equipment borrowed from the Masons. The instruments were bass, snare and tenor drums and brass G-bugles. The drum major's baton was a broom stick and only three scouts had uniforms but the spirit was there so the Corps was off to a good start. Mr. E. J. Hess was the first director. Mr. C. H. Beebe, Scoutmaster of Troop 20, was appointed quartermaster and became the Executive Director shortly thereafter. The National Guard Armory was soon the home of the Corps and was used until 1946. Robert M. Fleury became director in 1940 and served until 1952. Many concerts and parades were given to promote the sale of War Bonds and 115 former Corps members served in World War II with none killed or wounded in action. Rolf Darbo served as director in 1943-44 when G-D bugles were added to the bugle section. The Scouts thought they could play all music with the then new soprano, tenor and baritone bugles and the one-valve. The bugles were chrome and this tradition has carried on to the present. On May 7, 1943 the Optimist Club took over sponsor- ship until March 1, 1947. From 1944-1947 Chuck Hemmingway served as director and there were 18 Eagle Scouts in the 1945 Corps, 24 in the 1946 Corps, and 20 in the 1947 Corps. One of the outstanding pilgrimages every year for 15 years was a trip to Camp Waubeek, a summer camp for handicapped children. The 1947 Corps attended the World Scout Jamboree of Peace in Moisson, France, and was the only musical unit from the United States. March 1, 1947, the Corps' sponsorship was taken over by the William R. Cairns Post #57 of the American Legion and continued until January 1, 1950. Robert Fleury again served as director in 1948-49 and provided the music foundation for our current Corps. He stressed basic music funda- mentals and insisted that every Scout read music and play "in tune". Don Marcouiller directed the Corps from 1949 thru 1952 and founded the very popular Madison Corps style of the fifties. In 1950 the Corps attended the National Scout Jamboree at Valley Forge and all remember the large field of poison ivy upon which the tents were pitched. On November 25, 1949, Mr. C. H. Beebe, the Executive Director, gave a short speech to the parents of the Corps members. It must have been a hair- raising speech because the parents organized themselves into an association to support the Corps in all its activities. January 1, 1950, the Associated Optimists Clubs of Madison took over the sponsorship which lasted until February 28, 1970. In December of 1950 the first Christmas Tree Lot was established. |
