Madison’s Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps will be marching during Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

The local drum and bugle corps, which was founded in 1938, was selected to perform at the iconic parade because of their uniqueness compared to other acts in the parade, according James Mason, the group’s former assistant director.

Mason contacted the Macy’s Day Parade selection committee during Spring 2013 about performing, according to Executive Director Chris Komnick.

“They were certainly very eager to have us, because they rarely have gotten bugle corps to come in and participate in the parade,” Komnick said.

Madison Scouts has members from all around the United States and overseas, he said.

More than 50 million viewers worldwide, along with 3 million people on the parade route, are expected to watch the parade, he said.

Madison Scouts will be performing two songs during the parade: a stylized version of Pharrel’s “Happy,” with a Christmas flair and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” Komnick said.

They chose the song “Happy” due to its popularity over the last year and the song’s mass audience, he said. The band will be directly in front of Santa Claus, he said.

Mayor Paul Soglin issued the group a mayoral proclamation at a Common Council meeting last week, according to the mayor’s spokesperson Katie Crawley.

A mayoral proclamation is a way for the mayor to highlight an individual or organization on their achievement or event, she said.

“It is a sense of pride for the entire community,” Crawley said.

The group marches for competitive seasons all throughout the summertime, touring all around the United States, Komnick said.

According to the proclamation, Madison Scouts has been chosen as Drum Corps International Finalists more than 35 times and twice have been honored as Drum Corps International Champions.

For the event, Madison Scouts will be performing with their current 150 members, along with alumni, Komnick said. They are calling themselves Madison Scouts-Corps of Brothers. There will be a total of 426 members marching in the parade, ranging from ages 15-75, he said.

Komnick said he is excited about what the parade means for Madison Scouts. The massive audience will help bring exposure to the corps, he said.

“It is historic for us,” Komnick said. “It will be the largest audience we played for ever. We are privileged and excited about the opportunity.”