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Color Guard Etiquette

Color guards appear at the front of parades to complement the music with flashes of color and movement. Color guards are organized at colleges, high schools, middle schools and even primary schools. They wave, shift and spin flags, batons and even rifles as they march and dance in advance of the parade's main body. Performance skills aren't all they need to have; there are also behavioral expectations for members, who are public representatives of their schools.

Show Respect
- When the coach or band director is talking to the color guard, be quiet and attentive. Talking while others are trying to listen is disrespectful to both the supervising elders and your fellow color guard members. Chewing gum, eating, spitting and swearing during rehearsals are not acceptable behaviors. When you're given instruction by the band conductor, the coach or someone in the chain of command, follow it without complaint to the best of your ability, and when you're corrected, accept the correction gracefully and respond appropriately.
Be Punctual and Consistent
- Don't show up for rehearsals late, unprepared or out of uniform. Leave for rehearsal with a little extra time for small emergencies so you arrive before it begins. Have all your designated equipment, drinking water, and snacks for breaks, and be in full rehearsal uniform. If no uniform is worn for rehearsal, wear athletic shoes and functional, weather-appropriate clothing. Leave jewelry at home. When you must be late or absent, let the coach or band director know as soon as possible. Show up for every rehearsal you can.
Be Appropriate
- In or out of uniform, when you're training or rehearsing with the color guard you're representing the team and your school. Prison sags, spaghetti straps, sleeveless shirts, miniskirts, short-shorts, sandals and flip-flops should be left at home. The same goes for clothing that contains controversial, suggestive or offensive wording. Screaming, shouting and the use of profanity aren't appropriate when you're in your role as a member of the color guard. Public displays of affection are completely inappropriate.
Be Tactfully Helpful
- If a fellow team member is having problems, don't make fun of him or in any way attempt to humiliate him. If there's something you can help a team member with, do so without making it into a big production. If it's a technical skill you're helping with, be patient and encouraging. If it's a personal or behavioral problem, be discrete; have the conversation away from others.

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