The Scouts’ guard met for the first time since December this past weekend in what was a very productive camp. Several new recruits turned out to join the ranks of the returning veteran guard members, and the staff all agreed there was no shortage of talent.

Attending members were excited to hear the details of the 2008 production and see the new guard costumes designed by alumnus Chad Duggan of Dance Sophisticates. The guard wasted no time in getting caught up on their portion of the program. Choreographer JC Caceres taught several phrases of work from the opening production which reached an impressive level by Sunday morning.Eight spots still remain open after contracting new members this weekend, but the vacancies do not come as a surprise. “We purposefully elected to take a different approach to our audition camps following WGI,” said Corps Director Dann Petersen. “Knowing that a lot of corps hold guard auditions the weekend of April 25-27, we wanted to have a smaller camp prior to that weekend and then another audition opportunity shortly thereafter on May 9-11 for those guard members still looking for a spot for the summer.”Several prospective guard members are already signed up to audition at the May 9-11 camp. Anyone interested in attending should complete an interest form located on the guard page of the website. Scholarships are available based on financial need.

This year the Scouts have established a color guard fellowship designed to assist the members of the 2008 guard with the cost of marching. Guard alumni of the corps developed and funded this program, which has added a significant boost to recruiting. “We’re seeing another very important element of the fellowship” said Executive Director Jeff Spanos. “Alumni are re-establishing a connection with the corps, something that will be vital to our long-term program success.”