UPDATE SY25-26
Count 1: Swiftly raise the staff to a position JUST above the cup. Use your lower two fingers to find the edge of the cup and your index, middle finger, and thumb to find and grasp the lower ferrule of the staff. Think reaching for the CUP and not the staff so that you only raise it as high as you need to just barely clear the top. Ensure that the INSIDE OF YOUR RIGHT HAND is lined up with the right elbow so that the staff inclines slightly forward.
Count 2: Using your lower hand, align the lower ferrule of the staff with the cup and, if necessary, tilt the cup slightly to facilitate a smooth seating of the staff. Attempt to make these adjustments LATERALLY from front to rear and NOT vertically. If you find yourself needing to LOWER the staff down to the cup in these counts, don’t raise it quite as high on the first count.
Count 3: Complete the adjustments above to ensure the lower ferrule and cup are perfectly aligned. You essentially get 2 counts to make these adjustments.
Count 4: Seat the lower ferrule into the harness cup and allow your hand to slide down to mouth level. We recommend defining this level as the top of the hand aligned to the crease of your lips such that your voice will still project slightly OVER your hand when you open your mouth. Placing the entire palm directly in front of the mouth means you’ll be giving every command into your hand thus deadening the volume and resonance slightly.
SY24-25 UPDATE: As of SY24-25, we no longer recommend looking DOWN when executing Carry Colors for units competing at higher-level competitions such as their Brigade, Service National, or other national-level meets.
This video is from the Competition Color Guard Masterclass.
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