Colt Cadets March Weekend Rehearsal Details
March 2, 2020
The March weekend rehearsal for the 2020 Colt Cadets will be held March 27–29 at George Washington Middle School in Dubuque, Iowa. The address is 51 N Grandview Ave, Dubuque, IA 52001. You can click here for a Google Map to the school. Turn-by-turn directions are also available on the Directions page.
This event is set up as a zero-pressure, no strings attached way for students to check out the drum corps activity. All equipment will be provided, but brass and guard students are welcome to bring your own if preferred. Whether you have previously attended a Colt Cadets rehearsal this year or not, ALL students are welcome! Parents are also encouraged to attend to see their student perform as a part of the Colt Cadets. Schedules will be available at the check in table throughout the weekend with exact times and locations for everything going on throughout the weekend. To learn more about the Colt Cadets, you can click here.
You can click here to RSVP for the weekend. This allows us to make sure we have enough supplies for the weekend. The weekend rehearsal fee is $40 to help cover the cost of food, housing, and instruction. You can pay when you arrive or you can pay early on the Colts Mall. This fee does not apply to summer fees.
Registration and unloading will begin at 7 PM on Friday. Rehearsal begins at 8 PM, and will conclude by 2:30 PM on Sunday. Plan on arriving at 7 PM to check in and unload equipment. Always check colts.org within a few hours of leaving for camp for any last-minute updates! If you need help finding a ride to camp, email Colt Cadets Director Rich Waddington at rich@colts.org.
TRAVEL PLANS
If you need help finding a ride to camp, please notify us ASAP by email at rich@colts.org. You can also help
fellow members by offering a ride in your vehicle. You can let us know if you have extra room or if need a ride on your
RSVP.
We provide ground transportation anytime to and from the Dubuque Regional Airport (DBQ) for Dubuque camps. We can also accommodate flights into surrounding airports (Quad Cities, Madison, Rockford, or Cedar Rapids) but you MUST notify us prior to booking. MLI (Moline) and CID (Cedar Rapids) are very close to Dubuque and reasonable in fare. ORD (O'Hare) travel MUST land prior to 3:30 PM on Friday and depart no earlier than 7:30 PM on Sunday. If you plan on using any airport other than Dubuque (DBQ), please contact rich@colts.org prior to booking so we can confirm the flight times work with our schedules. After approval, all flight details should also be listed on your RSVP.
PARKING AND SCHOOL ENTRANCE
Parking is available at the school for the full weekend. Students and parents should enter through the doors on the west side of the school.
CAMP PAPERWORK
If the weekend is your first rehearsal with the Colt Cadets, please fill out a Member Application online
and print and complete your Parent Consent Form prior to rehearsal. This helps save
time at check in! All students under the age of 18 must have a signed parent consent form to participate. Students only need to submit one member
application for the sesaon, unless your information changes.
WHAT TO BRING
Students will stay overnight in the gym on the floor, like they do all summer. Bring changes of clothes (we recommend layered athletic clothing),
shower supplies, towel, comfortable clothes for rehearsal (no jeans), tennis shoes (no high tops), and a water bottle. Many students will bring an
inflatable mattress with a battery-powered air pump. Bring a binder with plastic sleeves for your music and any hand-outs. Layers of clothes means
t-shirt, shorts, wind or sweat pants, sweatshirt, and light jacket. Tennis shoes are a must!
Brass: Bring your own mouthpiece, music stand, and binder for music, if you are able. We will have extra mouthpieces and stands at the camp
if you don't have your own. We will provide all instruments for the weekend. You may bring your own marching instrument if you would like.
Percussion: Bring your own sticks or mallets and practice pads, if you are able. We will provide all instruments for the weekend.
Color Guard: We will provide all flags, rifles, and sabres, but you can bring your own if you would like. Bring lightweight, workout
clothing for rehearsals (no jeans).
PARENTS
An informational meeting will be held Friday evening at 8:45 PM in a location to be announced. Bring all of your questions! Schedules will be
available at the check-in table with locations for everything going on throughout the weekend.
Parents are strongly encouraged to attend the weekend. Parental support is what makes the Colt Cadets successful, and you are needed to give the
kids the incredible Colt Cadets experience we are known for. Also, this is the best way for you to find out about our program, meet the other
parents, and get comfortable with what drum corps is all about. You will find a very welcoming and exciting opportunity here. Parents will cook
and serve the meals throughout the weekend, coordinate sewing projects, and assist with some repair work. We always have things to do for anyone
willing to lend a hand. The Colt Cadets staff will also be available throughout the weekend to answer any questions you may have about the drum
corps experience, what we do, and how we do it.
Parents are welcome to bring a sleeping bag and sleep in a classroom at the school or stay in a hotel. For all events, we recommend the
Hampton Inn for your stay in Dubuque. Please
call the hotel directly at 563.690.2005, select the front desk, and ask for the Colts Drum Corps rate. Students are
expected to stay with the group overnight at the school. As always, email or call with any questions you may have.
Parents are encouraged to sign onto the email distribution list to receive Colts information via
email.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
A snack before bed will be provided on Friday night after rehearsal. Four meals will be provided on Saturday, and a breakfast and sack lunch will
be provided on Sunday. We will eat off of the Colt Cadets food truck (affectionately called the "Chuck Wagon") just like we do on tour!
For a sample schedule for the weekend, you can click here. A full schedule will be
available at the check in table with exact times and locations for everything going on throughout the weekend. If you are unable to attend the
whole weekend, you are definitely still welcome to participate! Attending part of the weekend is better than not attending at all. If you have
schedule conflicts, reach out to Rich Waddington.
SOUVENIRS
Throughout the weekend, many items in the Colts Mall will be available for sale! Anyone is
able to purchase souvenirs - students, parents, friends, family, etc. The souvenir racks will be set up by the check in table, and you can
purchase your items there.
SUNDAY PERFORMANCE
A performance including all participants of the weekend will be held Sunday afternoon around 1 PM in the gym. You will be amazed at the progress
we make in just one weekend!
EMAIL AND WEBSITE
Join our Facebook groups for your area of interest! These pages will help you meet other members prior to auditions and answer questions you may
have. Parents are encouraged to join as well!
General Interest Group
Percussion Interest Group
Brass Interest Group
Guard Interest Group
Parent and Volunteer Group
Make sure you have signed onto the email distribution list with your current email address, and check
your email frequently! Encourage your parents to sign up for the membership emailings too.
Welcome! We are excited to have you as a part of the Colt Cadets family!
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