What a WONDERFUL weekend!!

It’s Tuesday, the sun is shining and it’s actually warm here in Wisconsin!  We had a very productive weekend in Denton and I am looking forward to the start of the summer season. In case you were wondering, there are only 59 days until move in!!

Most of the Wisconsinites are recovering from their sunburns. Maybe people will pay attention the next time I say the word “SUNSCREEN”? All sections were looking and sounding great! The bus made it back to Racine on Sunday afternoon around 5:30 pm. I made it back with the truck and trailer at 6:30 on Monday morning. The weather was great until we hit Tulsa and then the cold set in. By the time we arrived in Wisconsin on Monday morning, the temperature was a chilly 28 degrees. Thanks again to everyone who helped to make the weekend a success... a BIG thanks to our drivers- Bruce Chaffee, Tom Chase, Dennis Durbin, and Tracy Snodgrass. Another round of applause for our kitchen helpers; Sally Antcliff and Theresa. And most importantly, thanks to the band directors at Denton HS, Mr. Brian Wilson and Mr. Jesse Woolery, for their support of our drum corps.

Okay!! A few items of business to attend to:

Repeat after me.... “I WILL COMPLETE AND RETURN ALL OF MY PAPERWORK TO ANDREA TODAY... I WILL COMPLETE AND RETURN ALL OF MY PAPERWORK TO ANDREA TODAY” This includes application, medical and BSA forms.

Do you own WHITE MTX marching shoes? If not, please call/contact Northeast Band Supply today and order a pair. The link is on our website. Ask for Mr. Holmes and tell him that you are with the Racine Scouts. YES, these are the OFFICIAL marching shoes for the Racine Scouts. If you are in the brass or percussion section (including the pit) you must wear these shoes. The corps is no longer in the business of ordering your marching shoes. We have some pairs on hand, so give me a call and I will check for your size before you order anything.

Racine SOUTH will have a camp for BRASS AND FRONT ENSEMBLE ONLY during the weekend of May 16. I will be in Texas during the week of May 12-16 for a recruiting blitz. If you would like me to visit YOUR school, please e-mail me the name of your school and the name of your band director, and a phone number for the band director. I need this information by the end of this week. Racine NORTH will have camp during the weekend of May 12 and May 23. We have a LOT to get through in the next month, so PLEASE make it a priority to get to these rehearsals. Cost for each camp is $25.00 for corps members, and $50.00 for anyone attending/auditioning for the first time.

SPEAKING OF $$$$ .. Corps’ treasurer Randy Chaffee sends everyone a “gentle reminder” that dues and fees payments for this season are behind schedule. There are several major purchases that should be made in the next three weeks and our ability to get things purchased (drum carriers, flagpoles, etc) is directly related to our monthly income. Due bills will be send out this week to everyone that still has a balance due on their account.

GOOD NEWS DEPT: Blake Baranowski, the mainstay of our contra section recently attended the national AITP convention in Memphis TN and garnered TWO first place awards in database design and blade server technology. CONGRATULATIONS, BLAKE!!

We also understand that Blake got to shake the hand of presidential hopeful, Barak Obama, during a recent visit to Gateway Technical College in Racine, on February 13.

New music is appearing almost daily on the website.. Don’t delay.. download YOUR parts today!! If you need help with parts, please contact your caption head.

Music needs to be memorized as soon as possible.

Time for me to get back to work.. Have a great week and I’ll post another edition of The Chrome Times on Friday. In the mean time, remember...

WE ARE RACINE SCOUTS !!!

Andrea