Welcome To Summer! (Colts Move-In Details)

May 5, 2023

Colts Move In 2023

Here Comes Summer! Be sure you are up-to-date on all details for Move Ins and Spring Training. RSVP one last time before the start of summer to be sure we have all of your travel plans and arrival details. Make sure you (and your parents!) have signed up for our email list. Important information will be sent out throughout the summer via our email list. Daily tour information is relayed regularly to members and volunteers through Slack.

Full Corps Move In

Full corps move in will be on Friday, May 26th at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois. The check-in location will be Corbin Olson Hall (420 N Western Ave, Macomb, IL). Parking will be updated the week of move-ins. Timelines will operate like a regular camp — unloading and check in will begin at 6:00 PM with rehearsal starting at 8:00 PM. When you move in, you are moving in for the summer. Be sure to bring everything you will need for the summer — clothes, rehearsal supplies, bedding, etc. Please take a COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to arrival. Be prepared to show test results at check-in (a photo of the test results is fine).

Sleeping In The Dorm

The corps will sleep in a dorm building during our stay at Western Illinois University. There will be 2 people per double room. An XL twin sheet will work for those who have dorm beds. Please bring regular tour bedding - when we move to Muscatine High School, we will be sleeping in the gym as we will be all summer.

Spring Training Airline Plans

MLI (Moline), Cedar Rapids (CID), and Chicago O’Hare (ORD) are convenient to this event and reasonable in fare. Please note that the Cedar Rapids (CID) and Moline (MLI) airports close overnight. Do not plan on spending the night if you arrive a day early at these airports.

Chicago Shuttle \ We will run one shuttle on Friday to Chicago’s two major airports. The shuttle (bus or van depending on the number traveling) will depart O’Hare at 1:00 PM on Friday. ORD (Chicago O'Hare) travel MUST land prior to 12:30 PM on Friday. MDW (Chicago Midway) travel MUST land prior to 1:30 PM on Friday. If you plan on using either of these airports, please let Vicki (colts@colts.org) know prior to booking flights. Students must plan for the potential of delayed flights, as shuttle timelines are tight.

If you need help finding a ride to camp, or to arrange rides from an airport or bus station, please notify us ASAP by email at colts@colts.org. You can also help fellow members by offering a ride in your vehicle. On your RSVP, please let us know if you have extra room or if you cannot find a ride. All flight details should also be listed on your RSVP.

On any other day of Spring Training, if you plan on flying, you MUST communicate with Kathleen prior to booking a flight. We will work with you to ensure your flight plans work well with the corps travel plans.

Local students with school still in session during Spring Training are asked to attend evening and weekend portions of rehearsal so you don't fall behind. Attendance and communication are critical.

End Of Season Planning

Corps dismissal will be at 11:30 am Sunday, August 13 from the Indianapolis Marriott East. Following DCI Finals on Saturday, August 12th, the corps will return to their hotel on the east side of Indianapolis. Equipment check-in will happen Saturday night in the lot. On Sunday, from 9:00–11:00 AM, Colts will have a season wrap up ceremony and awards event. Parents are welcome to attend!

Students will be able to leave with their families following the wrap up event from the hotel. Students may also return on the bus to Dubuque with the corps, and there will be stops en route home in Peoria, Illinois, and Davenport, Iowa.

For those flying home after the season, please purchase a plane ticket home no earlier than 1:30 PM on Sunday, August 13th, from the Indianapolis Airport (IND). We will run a bus from the hotel to the Indianapolis Airport after our closing ceremony.

Summer Tour Paperwork

A reminder that the following paperwork must be turned in prior to you moving in with the corps. You can bring the paperwork with you when you move in or email it ahead of time to colts@colts.org.

Car Parking Over The Summer

If you must bring a personal vehicle to tour, it will need to be parked in Dubuque for the summer at our vehicle lot at the corps hall. The lot is not secured. WE PREFER THAT YOU DO NOT LEAVE A CAR IN DUBUQUE OVER THE SUMMER. If you have no other alternative, you must contact Vicki in advance. Only leave your car in Dubuque if absolutely essential. Although we do our best to keep everything safe, the Colts accept no responsibility for vehicles left in Dubuque.

Personal Uniform Parts

These parts were included in your contract payments and will be handed out during spring training. Each brass and battery member receives a member shirt and marching shoes (brass, cymbals, and DM also receive gloves). Guard members receive shoes, flag bag, unitard, warm up shirt, uniform parts bag, and other necessary personal items.

Car Wash \ June 10, 2023

This is a critical project for us, and the only fundraiser for which we expect everyone's participation. We ask that you collect a minimum of 20 pledges or donations, with a total potential value of $150. Please make sure your pledge sheet is legible!

The vast majority (90%+) of Colts and Cadets do a great job, but we do remind you that this is a requirement of your membership, agreed to in your membership contract. The car wash will be held Saturday, June 10.

As in all facets of membership, we need people who are committed to the success of the Colts. When everyone does their share, we can make more than $50,000 in our one-day event! It's important to all of us, and it beats having to sell cookie dough, magazines, candy, pizzas, and whatever else. Our one and only fundraiser for members does the same thing as many small ones. The money raised from this project helps with tour expenses, especially food and fuel.

As a guideline, set a goal of an average value of $10 per pledge or donation. If someone asks the value of a penny per car, the typical pledge will end up being around $7.50. If we wash 750 cars at approximately 20 locations, that amounts to $7.50 per pledge. Some pledges will be more, some less. Remember, although you may collect money in advance, you are not required to. You do not need to collect pledges. After the car wash, we will mail letters from the office to the commitments you received. We collect these payments through the office by mail or online. We prefer to not bill for anything less than $5.00. Please keep in mind the total goal to raise $150 personally. Twenty donations of a dollar each is not satisfactory.

DCI World Championships Hotel & Tickets

Finals Week is August 10th-12th in Indianapolis, Indiana. There are still great seats and great rooms available for the best week of the summer! We have seats available for all three shows. You will purchase tickets directly from Ticketmaster. Directions can be found on our website. If you need assistance, contact the Colts office at (563) 582-4872. The Colts ticket block is only available through June 1st. After that time, our ticket block will be released to the general public.

The Colt Cadets have prelims and finals in Marion, Indiana on Monday and Tuesday and will also be performing in prelims on Thursday in Lucas Oil Stadium. Tickets should be purchased directly from DCI.

Hotel accommodations are available at the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Indianapolis. A link to the hotel block can be found on our website. Reservations must be made by June 21st. Any unsold rooms will be released to the public at that time.

Parent Information For Summer

Make sure you've signed up for our email distribution list. We will use this to communicate regularly throughout the summer. Be sure you have also joined the Colts Parents Facebook Group. We will be posting updates throughout the summer on both the Facebook group and the Colts Virtual Cooktruck. The Colts Virtual Cooktruck will have all of our daily schedules this summer.

We still have spots open on the volunteer calendar for the summer! Please check your schedules and let us know if/when you can help. Even just a few days during Spring Training or summer tour would be incredibly helpful! You can view our Volunteer Calendar here. Remember, we can be very creative in getting you in and out of tour. Cooks, Van Drivers, and/or Those Who Sew, email volunteers@colts.org. Other Tour Drivers, email colts@colts.org.

Need help with travel? We are here to guide you! You can email volunteers@colts.org with any questions you may have. Even one day with us helps! Come as early as you can to give us a hand (and bring fresh fruits or vegetables!).

Email And Facebook

Join our Facebook groups for your area of interest! These pages will help you meet other members prior to auditions and clarify questions you may have.

General Interest Group

Colts Cooks, Parents & Volunteers (for parents)

Make sure you have signed onto the email distribution list with your current email address, and check your email frequently! Parents are also encouraged to sign up for the membership email list.

We are excited for the road ahead!

Colts Wish List For In-Kind Donations

For our full wish list, click here!

Return to Colts News.