Submitted by the Madison Scouts: The Madison Scouts had their third camp of the season this Jan. 12-14 at Madison Country Day School in Waunakee, Wis., a suburb of Madison . Despite facing terrific challenges due to poor weather nationwide, the corps made tremendous progress during the three-day rehearsal. Sixty-two brass players and 27 percussionists attended camp. An additional dozen members were excused from camp due to school conflicts. The guard will rejoin the corps in April after the WGI season. As of the end of camp, nearly all positions in the corps are full with the exception of the guard, which will continue to recruit throughout the winter. The focus of the weekend was learning the technique and exercise programs. Additionally, the corps worked on the 2007 opener, which was unveiled for fans, parents, volunteers and board members on Sunday. Also, the visual staff starting teaching the beginning portion of the show and reinforcing the marching basics and technique program. Finally, the teaching and creative staff spent substantial time socializing with the corps' board of directors and management team. "Despite tremendous challenges this off-season, I'm incredibly excited about our members, staff, design process and program development," said Executive Director Jeff Spanos. "The hard work, enthusiasm and love for the corps are evident every minute we're together, and there is a special energy about the group this year." The Scouts' next camp is Feb. 23-25. Fans and alumni are encouraged to attend and meet the staff and members of the 2007 corps on Sunday of the camp. www.madisonscouts.org