The Madison Scouts, Forward Performing Arts, and the Madison Scouts Alumni Association are pleased to announce the 2024 inductees to the Madison Scouts Hall of Fame, including Tom Acheson, Jeanne Beckman, Calvin Harris, Bruce Lages, Jim McCarthy, Michael Turner, and Stan Stitgen.The induction ceremony will be a part of the Scouts home show “Drums on Parade” being held on Saturday, June 29 at Middleton High School in Middleton, WI. The induction will occur at the “Brass, Brews, & Brats” pre-show tailgate with additional recognition at the drum corps competition prior to the encore.
TOM ACHESON
Tom Acheson began his career with the Madison Scouts as a contra player in 1974. He migrated from his hometown corps, the Queen City Cadets, and would march with the Scouts in 1974, 1975 (World Champions), and 1976. During the 1976 season, Tom began to demonstrate his wherewithal as a visual leader, helping the corps prepare for a complete rewrite of the show mid-season. In 1977, Tom was hired to be the visual caption head and, due to the departure of the drill writer, was elevated into a co-writer role that season. In 1978 and 1979, Tom continued to serve in the visual caption head role while developing a visual style and precision that was uniquely Madison. In 1980 and 1981, Tom took on the visual designer role and the results were impactful, with the corps winning the DCI Midwest Championships in 1981 and placing third at the DCI World Championships.
Family responsibilities would call Tom back to Cincinnati in 1982 but his marching arts career would flourish. He helped co-found the Pride of Cincinnati Color Guard, one of the activities' preeminent WGI units. He started Movement Unlimited, from which he designed for drum corps, bands, and color guards throughout the country. Tom famously mentored many young drill writers and designers in the activity and he co-founded Tristate Marching Arts, a competitive indoor circuit serving young performers from Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. Tom passed away in 2022, but leaves an incredible legacy of commitment, service, and excellence to the marching arts community.
JEANNE BECKMAN
Jeanne Beckman exemplifies the servant leadership model of the Madison Scouts and it is only fitting that she is the first female to be inducted into its Hall of Fame. Jeanne began her work with the Madison Junior Scouts in 1968 as a parent when her son Eric joined the corps. This would begin a decades-long dedication as a volunteer performing in a variety of roles including seamstress, cook, and merchandise sales. By the 1975 World Championship season, Jeanne had 5 sons marching in the corps. The “Beckman Clan” included Bill (contra), Eric (French horn), Scott (soprano), Jay (baritone), and David (flag), along with their younger sister Heidi working in merchandise sales. Jeanne would also serve on the Madison Scouts board of directors and was selected as its first female board chair.
Jeanne is most notably remembered as a surrogate “Mom” to the many Madison Scouts who traveled across the country to march with the corps. Opening her home for many of the “out of town” Scouts, Jeanne provided a home away from home, saying “The most important thing is to be there.” Jeanne passed away in 2019 at age 90.
CALVIN HARRIS
Calvin Harris was a founding member of the 1938 Boy Scout Drum & Bugle Corps from Madison, Wisconsin. As one of the original drum majors, Calvin and his fellow twirlers would thrill audiences throughout Wisconsin with their dynamic and acrobatic mace twirling routines seen during community parades. Calvin’s true talent was singing, and his rich and lush baritone voice could be heard throughout Madison theaters and churches, and even alongside the drum corps. In 1942, Calvin enlisted in the Army and served in the European theater during World War II. He famously corresponded with corps director C.H. Beebe throughout his time in the Army.
Upon returning from his service, Calvin would continue to assist the corps and often sang “God Bless America” with the corps in various post-war celebrations. Calvin also became a community ambassador for African Americans in the Madison area, including serving as the long-time president of the South Madison Neighborhood Association in the 1950s. A lifelong resident of Madison, Harrison was a construction supervisor and entrepreneur, starting his own firm Harris and Sons while also running the Tuxedo Lounge. Calvin Harris passed away in 1991 at age 68.
BRUCE LAGES
Dr. Bruce Lages served as the head percussion arranger and instructor for the Madison Scouts from 1973 through 1977. Prior to his involvement with the Madison Scouts, Bruce marched in a small New Jersey drum corps called the Dumont Police Cadets alongside other drum corps legends including Bobby Hoffman and Dennis DeLucia. Bruce then became a Drum Corps International (DCI) adjudicator and judged General Effect (GE) Percussion at the first DCI Championships in 1972 at Whitewater, Wisconsin.
Over the course of his five years as percussion arranger and instructor for the Madison Scouts, the percussion section sustained its highest consecutive competitive rankings in Madison Scouts history, including 6th place in 1973, third place in 1974, second place in 1975, 1976, and 1977. Combined with the brass arrangements of Ray Baumgardt (DCI Hall of Fame), Bruce's percussion arrangements were a key driver behind the overall competitive success of the Scouts in 1974 (2nd), 1975 (1st), and 1976 (2nd).
Dr. Lages has since retired from his professional career as a Research Fellow at the Department of Medicine at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center and at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons.
JIM MCCARTHY
Jim McCarthy marched with the Madison Scouts from 1954 through 1958, and as a 16-year old rookie in 1954 was a soprano soloist. Also in that year his trumpet teacher, Don Marcoulier arranged for Jim to play with the University of Wisconsin Band where he sat 2nd chair. In 1958, Jim became the Madison Scouts first solo & ensemble “National Champion” and was known in the drum corps activity as “Mr. High G”.
Jim received his undergraduate degree in music education at the University of Wisconsin, a Masters in Music Education from San Jose State University, and a PhD from Michigan State University. He would teach at Whitelands College, University of London, and at the University of Kentucky before landing at Western Michigan University in 1975. Jim’s trumpet playing career ended with a hearing issue, but his professional interests shifted toward writing and publishing computer applications for music theory and aural comprehension. During a sabbatical year spent at Stanford University, he developed an online course in music theory fundamentals that was the first online program offered at Western Michigan University. In 1987, Jim obtained funding for an open computer music lab in the Dalton Center at WMU, the first of its kind at any University. Jim was a pioneer in the application of computer technology in music; sadly he passed in 2023 after a long illness.
MICHAEL TURNER
Michael Turner began his career in the pageantry arts as a marching member of the Madison Scouts from 1976 through 1979. Trained in ballet, jazz and modern dance, Michael was on staff with the two-time World Champion Madison Scouts for 18 years, serving as Color Guard Choreographer and Visual Coordinator. As one of the early color guard innovators in Drum Corps International (DCI), Michael helped introduce dance and movement to the marching arena, including the iconic and crowd-favorite 1982 Madison Scouts rifle line dance. In 1983, the Madison Scouts color guard earned the Best Color Guard award.
While in Madison, Michael Turner performed with Kanopy Dance Theatre, PresenTense, Children’s Theatre of Madison, Madison Opera, and Ballet Madison. With such a diversified background, he developed an artistically strong and original teaching style. In the San Francisco Bay Area, Michael served as Dance Master and Choreographer for the six-time DCI World Champion Santa Clara Vanguard. Michael’s contributions as an educator, performer, and advocate for the indoor marching arts earned him the honor of being inducted into the WGI Hall of Fame in 2017. Michael has extended his expertise globally as an adjudicator for WGI, DCI, and Bands of America (BOA), and continues freelance judging for marching bands, drum corps, and color guard throughout the world. His dedication to excellence and positive impact on the Madison Scouts and marching arts community continues to inspire generations of performers and educators.
STAN STITGEN
Stan Stitgen was a member of the Madison Scouts from 1947 - 1953, attending the 1947 Scout World Jamboree in France, and serving as drum major from 1948-53. He would then be named musical director for 1954 and 1955 while he was attending the University of Wisconsin and serving as the drum major of the UW Marching Band. During this time, the corps adopted the entertaining influences of Don Marcoullier and the UW Marching Band via Stan and would embark on their first “national” competitions, placing second at the VFW Nationals in Philadelphia, a feat they would repeat in 1955 in Boston.
Stan would continue to pursue his musical passions as a business executive for Yamaha Corporation and with a focus on music education. Later in life he founded a non-profit that focused on bringing music and arts education to school children while also working with the American Federation Pueri Cantores choral organization to create performance opportunities for children in the U.S. and Europe. Stan passed away in 2015 at age 82.
The Madison Scouts Alumni Association (MSAA) administers the Hall of Fame through an annual process that results in a new class each year being inducted. More information can be found at www.MadisonScoutsAlumni.org
