[2][3] The Racine Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps began as an activity of Boy Scout Troop 15 of Racine's Lutheran Church of the Atonement in October 1927 by Scoutmaster Elof Erickson who enlisted Earl Ray as drum instructor and William L. Peterson as bugle instructor and director.

[4] Initially, the corps had no instruments; the drummers drummed on any available surface and the buglers sang, hummed, or whistled the music.

By 1928 they had become a valid drum and bugle corps, marching in Racine's 4th of July parade for the first time.

In 1931, sponsorship of the corps was transferred from Troop 15 to the Racine County Council of the Boy Scouts.

They asked for Racine's help with staff, music, and support for their start-up of the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps.

One who did not was Army Air Forces Major Jack Jerstad who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions while flying against the Nazi German controlled oil fields at Ploiești, Romania.

Also in 1947, they were seen by Scoutmaster Don Warren of Chicago's Troop 111, who then decided to start the drum and bugle corps that would become known as the Cavaliers.

The Scouts traveled to New York City following the Jamboree, where the corps was recorded for the international broadcasts of Voice of America.

As permission was being sought for them to perform in a nearby park, the Boy Scouts caused a traffic jam playing the National Anthem in Times Square, despite efforts of the NYPD to halt them.

That year the corps also attended the National Boy Scout Jamboree at Irvine Ranch, California and, while there, also performed a concert in Los Angeles at Hollywood and Vine.

In 1957, the Scouts once more attended the National Scout Jamboree, again in Valley Forge, and also visited Niagara Falls, New York City, and Washington, D.C. Up until 1958, the corps had still been performing on equipment originally purchased in 1935 by the Drum Corps Mother's Club.

In 1959 the Scouts undertook a "power tour," making 32 performances through Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin in just five days.

In 1963, the Racine Scouts traveled to Seattle, Washington for the VFW Nationals and took third place among seventeen corps.

(See: Note B) Upon adopting their new name, the corps also changed to the uniform style that continues in use to the present day.

Of the twenty-five corps at the VFW Championships, the Explorer Scouts finished eighth in prelims and moved up to sixth in finals.

By March, the Explorer Scouts had thirty-five girls in the all-girl guard and over fifty more on a waiting list.

The 1970 Explorer Scouts seemed to stagnate, winning only one minor show for the season—a season in which the corps attended no "national" contests.

But at Dallas, the Explorer Scouts once more missed finals, with a fourteenth-place finish among the thirty-five prelims corps.

The 1973 Explorer Scouts would win another State VFW crown and traveled to California, where they played at Disneyland and finished second in two contests to the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps.

The Racine Scouts' 85th anniversary season in 2012 was cut short when the corps administration decided to end the summer tour early after facing insurmountable challenges.

"The Racine Scouts' purpose is to provide a quality performing ensemble with an emphasis on education as well as instill work ethic and promise in today's youth.

We will create a positive environment for youth to evolve, grow and mature as musicians, performers and young adults.

The corps' symbol was 2 horns with a drum and a set of bells behind them - based on the Music Merit Badge.