Here is some cool stuff that I found surfing the net.
 
Ways to tell if you have been in colorguard too long
 
- You walk in step to all the music you hear
- You can spin everything in sight (pencils, brooms, pool cues...)
- You're constantly involved in fundraisers (wanna buy a candy bar?)
- The term 'attitude' has lost all meaning
- You're an expert at assembling backdrops
- You get estatic when you hear a song you've done a routine to
- You're lucky when your instructor gets your name right
- You know how to wrap your own bandages
- You have permanent rifle bruises on your left and right thumbs
- You can smile genuinely on command
- You can catch everything that's thrown at you
- You have an excuse for everything
- You find yourself telling your friends to do 20 pushups for chewing gum
- You're the last people to hear about the pep rally and the first people to perform in it
- Every song you hear becomes a possible flag routine
- You know the perfect spot for a toss in your favorite songs
- You know that "one more time" really means 5 more times
- You can do your hair and makeup anywhere
- You can change into your uniform anywhere
- Anyone who can throw a piece of wood 20 feet in the air and catch it instantly becomes your hero
- You can change, go to the bathroom, and go to your locker in 3.5 minutes
- Getting a sip of water is considered an act of love and kindness from your instructor
- You know that a five minute break really equals 2.5 minutes
- The band room becomes your home away from home
- You become your own pharmacist
- You know how many teenage girls can fit into one hotel room
- You know how to manage 9 girls and 1 bathroom
- The term "battle of the sexes" has turned into "battle of the bands and guards"
- You can mock other bands and guards quite well
- Four and a half hours of sleep before competition is lucky
- You know nothing is ever definite
- The smell of sunscreen reminds you of band camp
- You could never teach your dog to fetch because everything you throw, you HAVE to catch yourself
- No matter how good your guard is, you always get the smallest coverage in the yearbook
- You try more stunts than the cheerleaders
- You went to all the school football games but never paid for one
- Your nails never extend the tips of your fingers
- You've never actually watched a football game
- You can arm wrestle any band/drama/choir/cheerleading member and always win
- You march to background music in the mall
- You jazz walk/run home, to the mall, etc...
- Every time you get a bruise, you can immmediately tell it was from guard practice
- You're constantly runnning out of White-Out covering the marks on the walls and ceiling from the rifle you WEREN'T spinning in the house...
- You point your toes in your sleep
- You get all teary eyed when you have to put your saber down for dinner                                - You spend 4-5 hours of your day practicing on spinning
- You spend all your free time looking at band-related websites
- You have your own colorguard website!
- Your friends notice bruises on you and you didn't even know that they were there
- When the only age that matters is 22
- You have one giant brown grass spot in your backyard from practicing so much
- Your speed dial consists of your captian, director, and show writer
- You forget how to count above 8
- You make up routines in your head to songs on the radio
- The blisters on your blisters don't hurt anymore
- Life? What's that?
- You always step off on the left foot
- You break a bone and still insist you can march (even on crutches)
- You only go to football games to see the halftime shows
- You find yourself switching feet to get back on-step while walking through the mall
- When the people at Home Depot know you by name
- You have had the words "left! right! left! right!" repeatedly screamed at you and you're not in the army
- You choose a college for the colorguard and winterguard directors and programs
- You go to other schools' football games just to see what you're up against
- When you're in your rowdy English class and your teacher yells, "Attention!", you look forward and don't make eye contact with anyone
- You love rainy days, because it gives you a chance to spin your umbrella in school (and show off too!)
- Your un-guard friends know that you're almost never available to go out
- You're always commmended on your posture at school
- You watch TV shows to look for good dance moves
- You find yourself doing sashes down the hall
- You have 2 rifle, sabers, and flags; one for practicing and one for performance
- You've hit yourself in the head enough times to the point it doesn't even hurt anymore
- You're constantly wishing for money, and not for yourself!!
- You've dated every guy/girl in the band, and/or currently dating one
- You mark time whenever you're standing still
- You spend all your spare time in the band room (extra points if you're spinnning your equipment the whole time!)
- Whenever you see ANYONE not in guard touching guard equipment, you freak out, run over to them, and take it away before they damage it. ("DON'T TOUCH THAT!!!!")
- You actually love wearing your uniform!!
- You're always half an hour early whenever you're meeting someone
- Jazz-running feels normal for you
- How will you live when the season's over??
- When you watch the same WGI/DCI tape over and over again (and still love it!!!)
- When it seems like everyone around you except your guard friends are wusses because they think walking around in 20 degree weather is cold!!
- When you have practice 5-6 days a week for three and a half hours, and enjoy every second of it
- You either have dated, or are currently dating a band member
- When you've ONLY dated band members in your entire life!
- Electrical tape (more commonly known as flag tape) is used for everything!! Or you can come up with 25 uses for flag tape in 30 seconds
- You're always thinking, "What's the football team doing on the marching field?"
- You jazz-walk everywhere
- You're constantly doing dance moves everywhere
- Whenever someone says "twirling" in reference to guard, you push them against a wall and say in a deep dark voice, "It's SPINNING."
- If you're a girl, you've seen all the male band members' underwear and it doesn't bother you when you see them constantly change in and out of their uniforms (and vice versa!)
- When you know exactly where that special band member is in the drill sets throughout the entire show! In other words, you know their field sets just as well as your own!

The Ten Commandments of Guard
1. Thou shalt not place other guards before your own.

2. Thou shalt not make any graen image unto the guard or thy people.

3. Thou shalt not take the name of colorguard in vain.

4. Remember the rehearsal days and keep them holy by attending them.

5. Thou shalt not kill the equipment out of frustration.

6. Thou shalt not disrespect other guardies.

7. Thou shalt not steal from fellow guardies.

8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against fellow guardies.

9. Thou shalt not covet thy fellow guardies equipment, water, boyfriend or girlfriend, or spot in the show.

10. Honor thy sport unto which you work at. Put in all thy spirit and mind, and thy shalt receive great reward.

The top ten reasons to date a guard member
 
10. We know how to keep people in line

9. We continuously work on our technique

8. We adore wearing tight clothing

7. We do it on football fields and gym floors

6. We're used to poles of all sizes

5. We strive for the perfect performance

4. We work well with our hands

3. We're very flexible

2. We always want to be on top

And the #1 reason to date a guard member...
 
1. We like to yell and scream
 

The guard dictionary
 
Air Drill/Flag - When you go through work or a routine without the equipment/flag. People sometimes do this if they drop a piece of equipment during a show, but can't pick it up, so they fake it, pretend to have their equipment, and go through the movements of the routine as if they had their equipment.

Blade - The blade part on a sabre.

Bolt - A usually metal weight that is put into the top of the flagpole to weight it to help it toss easier. You can get bolts at any hardware store. Or a bolt can be the little silver/gold/black thing on a rifle that simulates the gun barrel.

Boob Spins - Spins that are done at chest level. Not good technique, usually newbie guard members are guilty of this heinous crime.

Brain Sucking - Watching other people trying to learn work off of them.

Crutch Tip - The little rubber thingy at the end of the flagpole.

Drop Spins - The basic (easy) spin. The silk part of the flag goes down, up, down, up, down, up, down, up....

Double Fast - Almost like the drop spins, but the silk goes down, flat, up, flat, down, flat, up, flat, down, flat...

Fake It - Pretty much the same as air drill/flag

Floor - The big huge tarp that winterguards mostly use. It's like the football field for winterguard.

Free Arms/Hands - Your arms/hands when your equipment is in the air.

Hiccup - When you prep (slightly lift the butt or hilt up then down) your sabre or rifle right on the down count to do spins.
          
Hilt - The handle part on a sabre

Homecoming/Homecoming Dress - Window for everyone at the dance to see your "band-camp-sports-bra-tan-line"

Horizontal - When the flag is tossed above the head, usually spinning parallel to the ground.

Jazz Run/Walk - Running/walking in an elegant way. It feels really weird when first done, but you can really cover some distance when jazz running.

Pit Crew - The group of moms, dads, sisters, boyfriends, etc... that set up and remove the props/floor mats for a show.

Popcorn - Near the end of the season where the work is almost perfect and one person messes up, looking like a piece of popcorn popping, standing out from everyone else.

Ra Ra - A cheerleader.

Ra Ra Walking - Walking so your ponytail swishes back and forth

Sabre - A (fake) sword used as guard equipment. Very cool.

Sabre Sistas - Nickname for the sabre line (including guys!)

Sail - When the flag wraps itself around the tip of the pole (very annoying).

Silk - The flag itself.

Singles - The simple toss where the flag goes around once. You usually catch it in 2 or 2 and a half counts.

Slam - It's exactly what it sounds like. You have the pole at right or left shoulder (usually) and slam it down to a shoulder hip angle.

Spookies - The little ghosts that haunt the gym during night practices. :)

Strap - The little strap on most guard rifles.

Toe Thongs - Half soles, a popular "shoe/sandal" for winterguards.

Winterguard - Colorguard except it's done indoors without the band and usually has more dance incorporated into it.

Tips on performing well
 
 
1. Look up! Don't stare at the ground or at the other guard members! This tip in itself will help your effect greatly! Use the press box as a general focus point. Look up toward the press box and smile at the judges up there!

2. Whatever type of work your show consists of, adding body and expression ALWAYS helps! It's one thing to know all your counts and all your work. It's quite another when you put expression into it! A whole entire guard could be perfectly in time and throw perfect 8's on weapons, but if they don't express any emotion to the crowd and to the judges, their point score is going to suffer and it'll certainly show up on the judges' tapes.

3. Smile! Or if your show isn't that kind of show, look like you're having fun! What good is colorguard if you don't have any fun? Remember, there are potential colorguard recruits out there and they want know if colorguard's fun and enjoyable!

4. If you mess up a toss or some stuff in your work, move on! Don't be all mad and stuff! Well at least don't show your anger! Judges like it when you move on and get back in without a thought after you mess up. "In my sophomore year, during a duet, I slipped and fell on my butt right in front of a judge. I just got right back up and went on, and that was commended in the judge tape. Relax! It's ok if you mess up!" -collected from internet site

5. Don't give dirty looks to other guard/band members. This is a really big issue. Many many bands don't have the manners or the discipline to give other bands respect. Even if they talk crap to you about your band/guard, ignore them. It's the mature thing to do. Remember, you are representing your guard, your band, your school and above all, yourself!

 The ABC's of guard
A is for again, which is what is meant by "one more time"
B is for BLAST! where every guard members hopes to be
C is for cap which is what covers the end of a flagpole
D is for dirty...what happens to you every day at practice
E is for effort which is what your instructors always wanna see
F is for fame something you can't reach by pursuing guard
G is for gum something not allowed to be in your mouth at guard
H is for home, something with four wheels and a bathroom that moves
I is for independent...guard's where you go after high school
J is for jazz run the basis of all guard moves
K is for kick, what you do during stretches that kills the next morning
L is for lazy something you can't be at guard
M is for money, something you NEVER have time to make
N is for Newbies, the people you have to teach
O is for One more time, which always means again
P is for Practice...you can never have enough
Q is for Quitting, something you should never do
R is for Rifles, the cause of all your bruises
S is for Sabres the sword that breaks the mold
T is for Time, something you wish you had more of
U is for Uniformity something you always aim to have
V is for Victory something you should feel after every performance
W is for WGI the best competition around
X is for X-cellence since you should always try your best
Y is for You which is why your guard is special
Z is for Zzzz the sound you get when you sleep...(when does that EVER happen)

~~*~~me: if i dont git on sunscreen im gonna turn into a big crispy nugget
cassie: what ur gonna eat a big crispy nugget??
me: no stupid im gonna turn into one
~~*~~*hits self in head while trying to catch a pull hit toss* wooooo pretty birdies
~~*~~smell of the month: ou de guard
~~*~~bra ice
~~*~~boob ice
~~*~~this (name of food) is like sex
~~*~~brownie sex
~~*~~gummie bear 3 some
~~*~~this ice cream is like sex on a cone
~~*~~squeeze the grape *oops* neva lee i droped my grape!
~~*~~u have to grrr the pole(jen stay away from cafe. speakers when u do and smelly)
~~*~~hay cass what time is it??
~~*~~i have a crush on everyone
~~*~~best friend bark....wait i ment mark
~~*~~i survied band camp!!!....yay!!!! lets throw a party!!!
~~*~~im cravin some marshmellows!
~~*~~im cravin some pop tarts!
~~*~~STOP KECKING PEOPLE THIS IS NOT A FREE FOR ALL!
~~*~~DON'T WORRY, THE DRILL WILL CHANGE AND YOU WILL LEARN YOUR SPOTS! GET OVER IT!
~~*~~cassie: How do they go??
me: Foin oing-oing-oing-oing
cassie and rest of marching band around us: lol!!!

~~***~~guard info on surving your  1st year (these are the best ones {in my oponion})....thanks megan c for the guide!
~~*~~if you survived band camp you can survive anything. (well maybe not a 34 story fall off a building and onto concrete but 2 out of 3 ain't bad.)
~~*~~ boy's are not that important!!!!! don't wrap yourself up in a crush or let a relationship interfere with guard. (i am not saying that you can't have crushes or even boyfriends but dont let it rule your life.)
~~*~~DATE BAND MEMEBERS AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!! be aware of what you are getting yourself into
~~*~~ the senoirs are not that scary. most of them are really fun. thos who aren't have somthing up their butts. damn that thong underwear!
~~*~~aviod reading 'i know why the caged bird sings' at all costs. monkey notes are not helpful.
~~*~~be friends with your flag. dont throw it down, sit on the silks, let band mambers play(*hoenstly i think play should be touch but any way bac to the list*) with it, or leave it unattended!
~~*~~highlight your number when you git your drill
~~*~~don't get so nevrvous over your first TOB if you do you end up getting hurt. hence getting raped by a bee and smaking yourself in the mouth.
~~*~~don't got scared about ACC's. yes it is cold but thats what longjohns are for and hand-warmer in your bra.
~~*~~become friends with your bra it is a convenient storage place when pockets are at a minimum.
~~*~~drill will change don't freak out just breath deep breaths and go with it. THEN CURSE ASHMEAD BEHIND HIS BACK!!!!!!!!

if theres anymore that i forgot tell me!

A Message from the Guard

You don't want me to hit you? Well I can't make any promises. I've got the world on my shoulders, a seven-foot flag in my hands, and I'm running, jazz running; double time now. I'm making to the back hash in eight counts and if you get in my way I won't hesitate to take you out.

Left, right, left, lunge, through the band and back again. Drum break. Keep your intervals children, or you'll be missing teeth. Left, left, left, when did this arch turn into a line?
I know where I'm going, I'm rolling my feet. 1, 2, 3, hit. 2, 2, 3, hit. Don't speed up now; watch the drum major. On top of the 50, no one's here but me. But I'm marching, marching. Eighteen bruises on my legs and I haven't hit you yet now have I?

Not a single water break this past hour. But we're marching. Heel-toe, heel-toe, nothing else matters. We're moving in formation. This line actually looks like a line. Congratulations.

Step, step, step, hit. HIT! Not a single muscle dares to twitch. I'm not even breathing now, waiting for the downbeat. Waiting, waiting, I'll stay in this lunge all day if need be.

We're moving again. Keep your intervals. Move 8, move 8, hold 16. Move 8, move 8, move 8, move 20, hold 8 and we're done. Almost there. Heel-toe, heel-toe.

The sweat pours down my body, streaming into my eyes and nose. It gathers dirt as it runs, leaving my legs with half the tan I thought I had. Feet are burning, muscles aching, throat parched. But my head is up, I'm smiling, and I'm not complaining. I would never complain. There is nothing I would rather do than this; no place I would rather be than here.

And I haven't hit you yet, Have I, my friend?

THE *HIT* point system

A flute = 10 points.

A clarinet = 10 points.

A saxophone = 15 points.

A trumpet = 20 points.

A trombone = 25 points.

A baritone = 35 points.

A sousaphone = 50 points.

A drummer = 55 points.

A drum major = 65 points.

The band director...Run!

Top 10 reasons to date a guard member