Tim K

I stay at the Fairfield and book directly. I used the VisitIndy site a few years back. I got double booked at the Fairfield downtown and the Fairfield near the airport. The Fairfield claimed it happens frequently. That may have been an excuse but I wasn’t going to argue since I didn’t want to have to pay for two rooms. It turned out fine. The Downtown Fairfield was able to fill the reservation right away and though the airport Fairfield required an Uber, I ended up saving some money. I’ve also had issues when booking through AAA though not for a trip to Indy.

I’m not in a position to question whether the food offered by Cadets was the best. Perhaps it was tasty, healthy, and well prepared, but the complaints as I heard them centered on portion size and the complaints were more recent than the 70’s and 80’s.

You sound knowledgeable, but there are a few things I do question. One, I’m not sure I agree Cadets alums have been free with criticism but miserly with funds. Over the years I have sat with Cadets alums at shows in Boston and New Jersey, purchased tickets in Cadets blocks in Allentown and one year in Atlanta. I only started hearing grumbling in 2012 at Met Life Stadium. Cadets alums have been generous and for many years defended the corps right or wrong. Alums just got fed up when it was expected that alums would bail the corps out of trouble, no questions asked. Also, did a new regime decide it could do without US Bands, or did it have little choice in selling it off? I can’t imagine too many banks would have been willing to extend credit to Cadets after 2018.

I think you’ll find the alumni corps a thing of the past in the near future. The Plymouth, MA Thanksgiving parade and evening standstill concert used to have an impressive number of groups each year that were fairly large. For Junior Corps alums, most marched prior to DCI or in the very early years. The Senior Corps seemed to generally be people who could no longer manage the current corps or the original corps disbanded. This past year there were only five corps participating, the membership was smaller and getting older. They still had heart and loved performing. People aren’t joining alumni corps in large numbers. The infighting may have something to do with it but I think it’s more changing times. Neighborhood drum corps have been gone for years. People who marched together since let’s say 1980 probably did not grow up together, go to school together, and as adults did not buy a house in the same area. That was the case with the first alumni corps. Allowing folks who did not march with the original corps caused some problems. I think that has subsided. When I hear the corps listed where Crusaders Senior marched, years back if you got the same crew together, you’d need the National Guard to keep the peace. It’s hardly an issue today but I heard a corps that tried to get off the ground never did because there was infighting about whether to allow rivals to join. The ironic thing is they were not a powerhouse back in the day and those that wanted to join to help them get off the ground marched with corps that used to beat them in competition.

The story behind the name 27th Lancers was based on “The Charge of the Light Brigade.” DCX lists Light Brigade as an alumni corps from Revere, MA. I’m sure I saw them back in the day, most likely in a parade. I do recall some of the scuttlebutt. Some folks from 27th wanted to continue the momentum of “Once More in 94” others wanted it to be the last hurrah. This was about the time Crusaders Sr. and St. Kevin’s Alumni formed. I’m pretty certain an alumni corps did not have George Bonfiglio’s blessing. I don’t recall whether it was the group that wanted to restart 27th or the group behind Light Brigade that wanted to use the name 27th Lancers, but I believe it ended up in the courts and the Bonfiglio’s won. That’s probably why Light Brigade is listed as an alumni corps and not the 27th Lancer Alumni Corps. As I said in my original comment, there is a thread in the historical section that has the entire story and it’s rather dramatic with lots of competing versions.

Years back a group tried to restart 27th Lancers and could not use the name. There are past threads that have the specifics of the situation. Could an organization begin a corps called the Cadets? It’s a more generic name than 27th Lancers so conceivably yes. Would it be possible to use the traditional uniform? That could be trickier but other groups have worn similar uniforms. I would imagine attaching Garfield, Bergen County, Allentown, or Erie that could be a problem. Attaching Holy Name to Cadets from a legacy point of view would be more specific and probably require the permission of the original parish. I believe the when they attached Holy Name on an anniversary year was a one season only agreement. Continuing the legacy could mean paying outstanding bills and lawsuits, or at least attempts by creditors to make the corps do so. My thought is most of the members who marched when the corps was Holy Name have probably met the Lord, Garfield Alums are mid 50’s plus, Bergen County late 40’s plus, Allentown and Erie might be younger, but young people are not going to join a start up with the name of a past corps whose legacy would seem like ancient history, especially if the corps is dissolved due to scandal and financial mismanagement.

This is a late reply, seventeen years late, but I missed it first time around. The last name of Peter with Watertown Cadets is Cruza.

Moving with instructors is not that new. I knew people who marched with 27th who jumped ship and went to Garfield Cadets when George Zingali and company moved on. At the time it was not out of admiration for George Z. or his genius which as we know now was sill emerging. After coming close with 27th in 1980 and a show in 1981 that didn’t place as high as predicted (though 4th is nothing to sneeze at), they felt the best chance to win a title was with Cadets. I’ve never studied the issue, but based on things I’ve heard over the years, people who move with instructors, especially when there are veterans in the corps, can sometimes be problematic. The new instructor is a celebrity so they believe they are too. People who audition because of an instructor can be ideal. Now my sources are usually parents or volunteers. Parents may be biased, but the nice folks who feed the multitudes and make sure the ingredients are fresh on Taco Tuesday hear it all!

If they don’t get the money, victims go to court hoping to get liens put on whatever they can. If the settlement can’t be paid, the guilty party goes to court to see if the judgment amount can be reduced. Bankruptcy will probably be declared. If it can’t be paid, it can’t be paid. It happens pretty often. It’s fairly common people do not get the full settlement.

It would depend on whether organization is found responsible after a trial or whether they settle out of court. Out of court settlements are binding and assets are listed prior to the two sides sitting down, so when negotiations take place, it is known what is available and what can be sold to pay the settlement. After a trial, the judge or jury sets the amount. If it is higher than what is available, the two sides can go to arbitration or a judge can reduce the settlement. When it comes to dividing the settlement, usually the legal team gets 1/3rd of the settlement.

What you say could prove to be true and it would be wonderful for it to be true, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Yes SCV is scheduled to field a corps this year and with some of the folks involved, it could be promising, but until we see the corps on the field, we can’t say “alive and kicken’.” I say this as someone who was surprised Spirit came back as strong as they did, so I realize you never know. However, Cadets’ situation sounds closer to Glassmen who also had to liquidate their assets after they decided not to field a corps. Glassmen never had the drama prior to the former director leaving or the drama and at times chaos that followed his departure, not to mention pending lawsuits. Cadets could compete again, but it would mean starting from scratch.

I think the article shows that Cadets is more than one former director and the mess he created. We can’t forget Cadets’ significant accomplishments are due to many talented people and marchers. The beauty of 1984, the innovation of 2000, the majesty and intricacy of 2011 just to name three years still stand. Old trophies at best are behind glass but more often are put somewhere and collect dust and only mean something to those who earned them. Often no one knows what happened to them, so Cadets trophies may go by the wayside, but if we’re going to learn from the mistakes we can’t forget the legacy.

Cavies hired a new director but my sources tell me that the real power behind the throne calling the shots is not the new director but an unassuming, positive, and always loyal and rabid Cavies fan from Texas who loves low brass. With this guy in charge, contra manufacturers from coast to coast are salivating at the prospect of DCI’s first all contra corps. 🙂

I didn’t see your comment until after I posted mine. I agree about the funding. I also took a quick look at the line up and US Bands is listed as the sponsor.

Surf runs the show in Glassboro. I’ve been to the show both years and it’s working well for them and seems manageable for the corps. I think it’s best for them to focus on that show. DCI could take over Annapolis. From what I am hearing about Cadets, if they are still sponsoring the Annapolis show, they may not have the people or organizational folks to make it happen. They certainly don’t have the funds needed to get a show off the ground. Alums and fans still love Cadets and cherish the legacy, but with the financial woes, pending lawsuit, and chaos of recent history, if you ask people privately, they don’t seem too optimistic the corps will hit the field again.

It probably depends on whether you book through Cadets or the hotel. I believe the way it works is if you book the hotel through an organization’s link on a website, the room has been paid for by the organization in advance. The organization makes more money if they pay for the rooms in advance though it is a risk if the rooms go unbooked. The hotel still handles the reservation and the billing, but if you cancel it is the organization and not the hotel that refunds the money. I know from experience this can be a hassle. I was supposed to attend a convention but could not. I booked the hotel through the organization sponsoring the event. I had to cancel through the hotel but waited two months for a refund. It was all in the agreement so there was nothing underhanded. If you book through the hotel and the organization gives you a promo code, the organization reserves the rooms up until a certain time before the event but does not pay for them and gets a commission. The profit is less, but if the rooms are not booked a few weeks before the event, the organization does not lose money. Refunds for cancellation follow the hotel’s policy.

I wouldn’t be so certain this person has not talked to current staff members. When I was looking for a teaching job (many years back, classroom, middle school language arts and history), there was a school where I wanted to teach. I spoke with teachers at the school, parents and people who knew the school, as well as friends and family who knew me. It’s only natural to find out as much as you can about a position, ideally from different perspectives before saying yes. Personally I would not rely too much social media to get info, but to anyone under 40, social media is an important resource. Something else to keep in mind. I know of staff and volunteers with different corps that heard one thing from directors who found it very different. We’re not talking about deep, dark, hidden secrets or coverups for wrong doing, more unwritten job expectations or jobs not matching the description.

It might be a good idea for DCI to commission a study about interest in drum corps. While it is true corps have not been replaced and costs are high, I have wondered about the overall interest of young people in drum corps. I think young people who see drum corps in performance, especially if they have band or musical backgrounds are impressed and have the potential to become fans, but do they want to be a part of the activity? Back in the circuit days, you had what we usually called Class B or prep corps that were not direct feeders to better corps though some members did move on to better corps. You also has Class A corps which were good. These corps provided a great experience, but not all folded due to expenses or mismanagement. Many could not recruit members. In the heyday of drum corps, sports opportunities and youth activities were limited. Today you have club sports for top athletes, a wide variety of athletic opportunities. School music programs are stronger. There are better theater opportunities. Dance classes are of better quality and the stigma for boys taking dance lessens, especially if hip hop dance is involved, has lessened (though not completely disappeared). How do we get young people involved, especially in the long, and difficult work of getting a corps off the ground when there are so many other activities?

My guess is they would have to counter file. Filing a counter suit or threatening to do so can have impact. I can recall about twenty years ago there was a chain of supermarkets that had a huge number of lawsuits from people who fell on the property. Usually insurance companies pay these sorts of cases because it is less expensive than going to court. The premiums for the supermarket chain must have increased and the company threatened a counter suit if they were not found liable. The number of lawsuits decreased by about 50%. In more serious cases, I would think that if a case goes in favor of the accused, it’s probably best to drop it. Yes there are cases where people bring false charges, but there are also cases where one side had better legal representation, there was a technicality involved, etc. you usually don’t win in the court of public opinion of you countersue and where there are other potential cases out there, a counter suit could make matters worse.

I thought that one ticket was admission for both the morning and afternoon shows, but I could be wrong. It will still be conflicting with SoundSport and DrumLine Battle. I think it will be too much for one weekend, but I could be wrong.

According to the MBTA, the Kraft Group paid for track upgrades, built the station, and will be responsible for upkeep of the station. The service itself is funded by the MBTA and fares. Daily service from Foxboro is supposed to start soon, so there may not be a need for special trains. However with all the woes the T has experienced lately, rail service may not be a selling point.

I live right outside of Boston and was here too, except the weekends of Allentown and Indy. In all seriousness, the likelihood of finals being anywhere but LOS is slim to none. The first preseason game for the Colts is usually the day after finals. LOS will be ready.

First, I think finals at Gillette if LOS is unavailable is more of a wish for those of us from Boston than a reality, but for the WC corps, the trip from Allentown to Boston is approximately 300 miles, Allentown to Indy is approximately 650 miles. Since most kids fly home, that would save on bus transportation. You would also have the advantage of two airports, Logan in Boston and T.F. Green in Warwick (located here the old Rocky Point where you could have a holiday 🙂). Getting the fleets back could cost more. It could be more expensive for fans. Though there are some hotels in the area, for most Gillette would mean pricier hotels not located near the stadium which would mean renting a car.

Seventeen weekends with some rain, but not seventeen wash out weekends.