The January camp was riddled with distractions, but none could affect the exceptional progress of the corps. By now, the Madison Scouts have grown quite accustomed to adverse winter weather conditions, so aside from some last-second changes of planes to buses and a handful of late arrivals, everything was par for the course.

The new occurrence however, was when the heating pipes froze from the extreme cold. At first this only meant a few of the classrooms were a bit chilly…then they burst! Hundreds of gallons of water began pouring through the ceiling tiles on all three levels of the school. For about two hours on Saturday night, volunteers, members and staff worked together to minimize the potential water damage. On Sunday afternoon, we faced quite a challenge to leave the school cleaner than we had found it. Still, members did everything they could to help out the professional cleaning crew charged with readying the school for classes on Tuesday.Despite all the commotion, the staff was able to audition many young men for the few remaining spots, volunteers kept on schedule for every meal and the members maximized every minute of rehearsal time. The horn line and drum line are 99% finalized; we are still looking for one more lead soprano and a member of the front ensemble.At the board of directors meeting on Saturday afternoon, we took some time for introductions between the staff and members of the board. This was an excellent opportunity for everyone to meet new additions to both groups and to welcome Music Arranger Vince Oliver to the corps.The corps ended the weekend in music ensemble, once again playing through the street beat and parade tune. Most of the time was spent developing the nearly completed opener. Everyone present agreed that the tune is 100% Madison. The finishing touch was when the horn line played “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. For veteran members, friends and alumni present, it triggered an explicit reminder of why we are all involved. For new members it marked the realization of what they are just beginning.The energy of the 2008 Madison Scouts started out at an unbelievable level this past November and has shown no signs of diminishing. Members are excited to have show music in their hands and are eagerly awaiting the next piece in February when they will meet Program Coordinator Ramiro Barrera for the first time.May You Never Walk Alone,Dann Petersen