On the evening of August 26, 2026, Madison Scouts alumni gathered across distance and time zones for a virtual night of fellowship, reminiscence, and friendly competition. Organized by Frank Wateska (1974-77) in partnership with Bill Ives’ Marching Pageantry Arts Museum (MPAM), the online event gave the Scouts family a wonderful opportunity to connect via Zoom, swap stories, and put their knowledge to the test.
The 90-minute gathering brought together a tight-knit group of up to 18 attendees, with 13 to 14 alumni actively diving into the evening’s main attraction: a robust four-round trivia challenge. Each round featured 10 questions spanning the decades from the early iteration of the corps in 1920, through the 1938 re-establishment that began the corps’ unbroken, continuous history, all the way up to the early 2020s. The trivia covered a vast field of corps lore, prompting participants to recall everything from historic founders, Boy Scout Troop affiliation, championship seasons, and iconic shows, to changing uniforms, competitive placements, female performers, and classic musical repertoires. Presiding over the quiz rounds and keeping the official tallies was Jon Schrack, whose deep roots as a marching member (1970–71, 1973–77), Assistant Drum Major (1975), and Drum Major (1976–77) made him the perfect master of ceremonies.
Dan GuernseyAmong the notable attendees was Dan Acheson (1975-76, 1978), former DCI Executive Director and a dedicated patron of MPAM, who joined the call to show his support for both the Madison Scouts alumni community and the preservation of marching arts history. When the final tallies were counted, a familiar name climbed to the top of the leaderboard. Renowned brass arranger Scott Boerma—a Madison Scouts Hall of Fame inductee (Class of 2023), DCI Hall of Fame member (Class of 2024), and current Director of Bands and Professor of Music at Western Michigan University—prevailed by answering the most questions correctly, proving his knowledge of the corps is just as sharp as his musical arrangements.
Between the trivia rounds, the evening was enriched by Bill Ives, the founder and CEO of MPAM. A 2018 World Drum Corps Hall of Fame inductee and former marching member of the Archer-Epler Musketeers, Bill shared his extensive knowledge of the activity. He offered a fascinating overview of MPAM’s founding, his marching roots, and his experiences as a drum corps spectator from the 1970s—including the legendary 1975 championship corps—to the present day. As a special treat, Bill highlighted MPAM’s collection, which proudly includes historic Madison Scouts memorabilia, giving the alumni a virtual window into how their own legacy is being preserved.
It was an evening defined by laughter, shared memories, and a mutual passion for the green and white. A sincere thank you goes out to Frank Wateska for his hard work in setting up the event and keeping the alumni network closely connected, and to Bill Ives for his tireless dedication to making Madison Scouts history a living, breathing reality for generations to come.
Dan Guernsey
Madison Scouts, 1971–77
Madison Jr. Scouts, 1970