Madison Scouts Alumni Association
Never walking alone since 1938
Initially, this was produced and shown in 1977 as an introduction for those unaware of the drum corps activity. Featuring the Madison Scouts Drum & Bugle Corps, this program was produced by talented people close to the corps with connections to DCI and PBS (Madison) at the time. There are a few quality issues but it still is entertaining to watch.
As we pass another Memorial Day, my thoughts are drawn to the cherished memories I hold from the annual Memorial Day camp with the Madison Scouts. The experience marked the beginning of the drum corps season and instilled in me a deep sense of camaraderie and dedication. Allow me to take you on a journey through time, where Friday night arrivals, the unmistakable sound of Scott Stewart's whistle from the William Tell morning song, and the anticipation of showcasing our full show on the field melded together to create an unforgettable experience.
The excitement would bubble within me as I packed my bags for the summer and embarked on the journey to the Memorial Day camp. As the sun dipped below the horizon, we arrived at the school, welcomed by the familiar faces of fellow Scouts. The air was filled with palpable energy, a collective anticipation of what would come. Setting up our sleeping bags in our sleep circles, we exchanged stories and caught up with friends, reminiscing about past seasons and the Madison Scouts' impact on our lives.
This page contains all members of the Madison Junior Scouts (a.k.a. Madison Boy Scouts before 1973) alumni listed in CorpsData as of 05-06-2023. The main reason we are posting this information now is that we are missing lots of alumni. If you are not seeing yourself here, please update your information on CorpsData.net. If CorpsData access isn't possible, you can click this link to add your information. We will upload data from this form at least a few times monthly.
Also, if you see your name twice or more, we must merge your accounts with the correct information. If your Junior/Boy Scouts years are listed here, they must be moved to the Madison Junior Scouts organization. How? Please delete the item in your profile history area. Then reenter your information by selecting "Madison Junior Scouts" rather than leaving the default "Madison Scouts." Please email us at
We will update this page approximately monthly to move toward a complete database. At first, everyone should focus on their information. Once you have confirmed all of your information is up to date on CorpsData, you can help us with departed alumni if they are not listed or if incorrect information is listed.
You'll never walk alone! Thank you, MSAA Team.
NOTE: a few of you have contacted us regarding your information. In some cases, individuals have a conflict with multiple existing accounts. We are working on it with Wayne at Corpsdata. Please be patient if you are one of those people.
With 85 years of photos, articles, and artifacts, the Madison Scouts have a rich collection of historical content that needed to be captured and preserved. As a sponsor of Drum Corps International (DCI), WeScanFiles was already familiar with and supportive of the drum corps activity.
“We had dozens of plastic tubs filled with content,” said Scouts Executive Director Chris Komnick. “We have had many starts and stops to get it digitized, but we needed a solution to get our history archives professionally scanned and accessible.”
In the spring of 2021, Komnick reached out to Blake Crenshaw of WeScanFiles and discussed the project. Soon thereafter a van-load of bins was delivered to the WeScanFiles warehouse in Fort Worth, Texas to initiate a year-long process.
“I was thrilled to be contacted by the Madison Scouts,” said WeScanFiles’ owner Blake Crenshaw. “As an alumnus of the drum corps activity, I am always seeking ways that I can give back. Helping the Scouts digitize their valuable archives was both a privilege and an exciting historical exploration.”
This page contains all of the members of alumni listed in CorpsData as of 05-20-2023. The main reason we are posting this information now is that we are missing lots of alumni. If you are not seeing yourself here, please update your information on CorpsData.net. If CorpsData access isn't possible, you can click this link to add your information. We will upload data from this form at least a few times monthly.
Also, if you see your name twice or more, we must merge your accounts with the correct information. If your Junior/Boy Scouts years are listed here, they must be moved to the Madison Junior Scouts organization. How? Please delete the item in your profile history area. Then reenter your information by selecting "Madison Junior Scouts" rather than leaving the default Madison Scouts. Please email us at
We will update this page approximately monthly to move toward a complete database. At first, everyone should focus on their information. Once you have confirmed all of your information is up to date on CorpsData, you can help us with departed alumni if they are not listed or incorrect information is listed.
You'll never walk alone! Thank you, MSAA Team
Note: This is part 1, a 35-year look back – reprinted from the June 17, 1988, DCW, Volume 17, Number 5
[Author’s note: I have interjected some additional memories of setting up the logistics for the Scouts’ tour of Europe and my experiences that will provide additional context.]
For an organization or a business to reach such a significant milestone as a 50th anniversary is quite an achievement today! Being a drum and bugle corps and celebrating five decades in existence is certainly rare. The Madison Scouts are about to do just that, most unusually.
May 21, 2023: This page is an ongoing project and needs help from all alumni and their families to make this as complete as possible. If you notice any missing names of our departed alumni, please get in touch with us at
We will accept Junior Corps/Boy Scouts' information as well. Please specify the person's information for the feeder corps in your message.
The MSAA History Committee has been busy for awhile working on inventory and preservation of decades old items, including books, handwritten music scores, clothing, paintings, trophies, and other interesting documents. This process is ongoing with the necessary help of many volunteers.
If you would like to help us, please contact Joe Murray at 608-575-0023 or
We're working to assemble a list of alumni age-outs from the beginning time of the corps through today. This will be an ongoing project with help from many former Scouts, Staff members, and volunteers.
If you have an interest in joining us for this major compilation, please email our webmaster.
From Wisconsin State Journal
Most people would jump to the conclusion that C. H. Beebe is too old to be a Boy Scout.
And while it is true that Beebe is considerably older than the typical scout, there are thousands of Madisonians who'll argue with that conclusion.
May 20, 1953
Dear Scout:
We are entering our 15th year of Drum Corps activities and the corps has been a credit to our families, city, state, and country, and we hope to continue it with your cooperation; so a set of rules is submitted:
The Four Lakes Council Boy Scouts Drum & Bugle Corps, currently known as the Madison Scouts, has a well-documented history of continuous operations since February 3, 1938. However, recent research efforts of historical archives have uncovered evidence that the corps originated on December 3, 1920, under the direction of Lewis Kessler and maintained an active performance schedule through the end of 1925.