Bill Streit had an appreciation for music and a love for drum corps. From a distance, he admired one corps in particular, not just for their inspired performances, but for the values that the organization taught to the young men it served. That corps was the Madison Scouts, and a chance encounter with an alumnus at the DCI Atlanta Regional connected Bill to the corps in way that has profoundly impacted it today and for the future.Foremost, Bill was a businessman, and a successful one at that. He recognized that organizations like the Scouts need to have a financial foundation and good business practices to generate sufficient money required to keep a non-profit organization healthy and growing. Unselfishly, Bill put in place a structure for his own estate and established the Streit Trust, with its primary beneficiary being the Madison Scouts."Bill loved what the corps stands for," says Scouts Executive Director Chris Komnick. "Even during the challenging seasons of the past several years, his primary concern was that we taught the guys the right principles. He knew that the other aspects of our organization would come together if we stayed true to our mission."

In early December last year the Scouts received news from Bill that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. Bill passed away peacefully on December 28th at his home in Panama, with his wife Donna at his side. Just days earlier, at the Scouts December camp, the corps recorded a special video tribute to Bill, singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” to him. That video, along with a corps jacket, arrived in Panama just days before Bill’s passing. He took special comfort knowing that the Scouts were on the right track for the 2010 season.Bill took the unselfish steps to assure that an organization he valued would be able to continue to serve its mission well into the future. This act was the catalyst for a coordinated effort to develop an endowment for the corps. The focus of the endowment was to put into place a structure to assist alumni and patrons with estate and planned giving models that will benefit the Madison Scouts.Headed by alumnus, board member and attorney Gregg Auby, the committee's mission is as follows:Ensure the perpetual fiscal and organizational viability of the Madison Drum & Bugle Corps Association, Inc. via a sustaining endowment provided through one-time contributions, annual contributions, special project contributions and planned giving."A formalized roll-out of the plan is scheduled by the end of the year," says Auby. "Our approach is similar to that of universities and their endowments. Our goal is to build on the incredible foundation and pathway that Bill Streit started for us.""Bill gave with his heart, but helped us plan with his good business guidance," said Komnick. "While the Streit Trust is an entity separate from the Scouts organization, it will begin generating a modest income within the next few years to our benefit. Building upon that endowment moving forward will give us the wherewithal to forward our mission of music and performance education to a much larger group of young people."Seeing that vision fulfilled would put a smile on Bill's face.