Tim K

It’s too bad about Glassboro. Traffic getting to the stadium was a bit tough due to rush hour and red lights, but the ample parking was great and it was a great facility.

When I mentioned CVS and the urgent care facilities in my area, I was not endorsing CVS, I was mentioning why Walmart Health has not established itself in my area just yet. Actually if Yelp reviews are to be believed, CVS Minute Clinics are not great either and my one experience at a Minute Clinic is not a ringing endorsement. People can disagree about whether Walmart Health is a good option, but I don’t feel that mentioning that some Walmart pharmacies are understaffed and at least in one case was closed for a week is a political position.

yes, we have to be picky about who, what, where, and when. An activity devoted to musical and marching activities for youth has to pay attention to ethics and standards. I’m not critiquing corporate sponsorships or partnerships, I am questioning this particular business. Walmart is not known as being a good employer nor is it known for retaining employees. That’s not as important a factor if the busses stop at Walmart so marching members can stock up on food, health and beauty items, socks, etc. but is it optimal for medical care? Perhaps it’s anecdotal but a Walmart near me had to close its pharmacy for a week because they could not find a pharmacist and pharmacists were stretched so thin, a substitute from another store could not fill the position. People had to travel to the neighboring store for refills and no new prescriptions were accepted at that store. Maybe in the South, Midwest, West Coast Walmart Health is the urgent care equivalent of the Mayo Clinic, but I’d be cautious.

Full disclosure: I’m not a Walmart fan and avoid it like the plague. I also never heard of Walmart Health until today. CVS has minute clinics and there are plenty of Urgent Care facilities in my area so perhaps there’s not a market for it in my neck of the woods. My question is what kind of care do you receive at a store where self checkouts are now the norm, finding employees who can actually help can be difficult, and the company has a reputation for underpaying employees who are not valued? Are corps better off only relying on Walmart Health as a back up?

I’m thinking that in response to that post, the less said the better.

I’m not a lawyer, and no I’ve never played one on TV, but I’m thinking the right lawyer could have some of the bankruptcy judge’s rulings overturned. The wrong lawyer could also have them etched in stone. For one thing, Cadets is such a generic name in drum corps, just look on DCX and you see tons of corps named Cadets, and maroon and gold uniforms are not trademarked. I could see where FHNSAB, Holy Name or Garfield attached could be too close to the original, and I could see where people associated with Cadets beginning a new corps with the same name would be problematic, but there could be room for compromise, namely if alums not associated with the corps in an official capacity wanted to restart it. The question for me is would it be the same or has too much water passed under the bridge?

As we’re continuing this discussion, we need to keep in mind that the lawsuit was the final nail in the coffin, but even without the lawsuit the chances of Cadets taking the field again were slim to none. Remember we’re talking about years of serious financial mismanagement, not to mention a number of crazy decisions along the way. After 2019 it looked as if there might not have been a 2020. Covid and a year off gave Cadets a chance to regroup. The corps had revolving leadership, two significant leaders in particular who never had full support. I know one was beloved and one was a bit controversial to put it mildly, but personality issues aside, both were qualified and would have been able to put another corps back on track. Then there’s the move from Allentown to Erie. Don’t forget some one time insiders were predicting the end of the Cadets in the fall of 2017/winter of 2018 when it was rumored GH was leafleting cars of people auditioning for Bloo, Crown, and BAC while their winter camps were in session, hoping they’d march Cadets. Most of us would have loved to see Cadets take the field again, and I will miss a corps I have loved for years, but if it hadn’t been the accusations and potential aftermath of a legal settlement, it probably would have been something else.

My sentimental favorite is 1980. I loved that show and it was fun. I also saw it early on and would never have predicted Garfield would have made finals that year. Runner up sentimental favorite 2021 “Shall Always Be.” 1984 “West Side Story” is one of my favorite shows of all time. 2013 “Side by Side” was well done. 2022 “12.25” gave us a bit of Christmas in July.

I believe GH took over as director in 1983. According to a person I knew who had marched with 27th in 1981 and did not jump ship and march with Garfield, GH used to claim he was the true director from the moment he started with the corps and even though he wasn’t director at the time, he personally recruited George Zingali, Marc Sylvester, and Peggy Twiggs. I’ve also heard GH recruited Zingali who brought the others with him. I haven’t seen this person in many years, and at the time he was not anti GH, so it wasn’t a gossipy conversation, just an observation.

I’m not sure if this is related, but a few weeks ago I was talking with a friend who coordinates internships for college students. It was a general group conversation and one person in the group was a teacher who worked for a summer camp and mentioned difficulties in getting qualified counselors who are over 18. The woman who handles the intern candidates said she faced similar challenges and while most internships she steers students towards will have candidates, there are fewer applicants for more positions. Maybe young people in general are choosing to do different things in the summer months and it’s catching up with drum corps.

Why not?

According to DCX the last time any music from “Godspell” that was performed by a DCI finalist was “O Bless the Lord” in 1976 by Blue Stars. Some music was performed after 1976 but not by finalist corps. No one has performed any pieces since 2003. “Day by Day” was the top choice with a few “We Beseech Thee” and “All for the Best.” I’m surprised no corps ever performed “Turn Back O Man” which could have been a fun piece and am very surprised no one ever did “On the Willows” or “All Good Gifts” both of which could be effective pieces. The list was pretty long for “Jesus Christ Superstar.” “Jesus Christ Superstar” is more adaptable to drum corps, with 1999 Madison being the strongest and most entertaining version (it’s also one of my favorite all time shows), but “Godspell” is a better vehicle for schools and community theater groups. A poorly sung “Godspell” can still be an enjoyable evening if the cast has good comedic skills. A bad performance of “Jesus Christ Superstar?” I went to an outdoor performance in Portsmouth, NH a number of years back. If the great Augustine was correct when he said “he who sings prays twice,” this production was a prayer of lament. All the Heavenly Host of angels and saints could not save that production, and that’s putting it charitably on this Easter Sunday evening.🙂🐇🐣

There have been other discussions about PBS and DCI parting ways with all sorts of theories. Unsuccessful pledge drives is often the primary reason given, and there’s some truth to that, at least as far as WGBH Boston’s involvement, but there were still broadcasts after WGBH. However those were different days. PBS was local and much of the broadcasting was local. PBS is now well endowed financially as are many of the stations. Production standards are higher and what PBS offers is much different. “Upstairs Downstairs” was considered high quality in the 1970’s. Compare it to “Downton Abbey” today. It would never get airtime. PBS would not produce a DCI finals show today. It would be too expensive. PBS might broadcast a finals performance filmed by someone else, like they do with live performances today. PBS still shows operas from the Metropolitan Opera, but it does not produce them like they did in “Live from the Met” days. The culprit is probably licensing.

I didn’t get to Allentown or finals in 2014 but did get the chance to see “Felliniesque” in Atlanta and the following evening at NightBEAT. For me, it’s a fan friendly show that caught me by surprise, especially after “Rewrite of Spring” the previous year. It told a story, had humorous moments, and was well executed. Blue Devils enthusiasts I know often love one aspect of their shows whether it be percussion, brass, guard, design, etc. more than anything but this show was a total package and won the crowd. It certainly caught my attention. I just feel old knowing we’re remembering it on its tenth anniversary!🙂

I agree that society has changed, but by the 1980’s most colleges had policies about professors and teaching assistants not dating students, non fraternization rules in athletic activities, etc. For those of a younger age, more and more states were requiring mandated reporting. The rules in many cases were in place. One thing that has changed is how we view offenders. Offenders were never the people we know, or so many thought. We believed offenders looked like creeps, probably drove vans with interiors that looked like a lounge, and were obvious leches. If there were questions about someone who gave no clues about being an offender, often people would say “I know him, he’s all right.” Since most of us don’t want to believe the worst about people, it’s understandable. Looking back, it seems that when we discover inappropriate and often criminal behavior, it’s often not those we expect.

I knew someone who marched with Garfield Cadets from 78 or 79 to 82. He went to school in Boston and we had a mutual friend. His story was not that different from those who marched in other corps who move up in placement. He loved the family atmosphere of when he first marched. He’s my major source of the miracle in 1980 where the threat of not finishing the season and certainly not making finals was real and then finding themselves in 10th. 81 things began to change. He struggled in 82. New instructors were brutal, volunteers and longtime members pushed out, and the atmosphere changed. He was a year or two older than me and I don’t recall if he aged out. He was always loyal to Cadets, never spoke about wild parties, and his comments only came when the discussion went to George Zingali and the influx of former 27th Lancers. Looking back at that time, it did seem that for many corps, the harder you worked, the harder you partied. For some, partying hard is why they didn’t make finals but that’s another story. Whether that happened with Cadets, I can’t say but whatever the corps, underage marching members, in the case of the young woman a high school student, with college age kids and adult instructors all at the same party is a recipe for disaster, especially when 1983 became 1984.

I just did a Google search to see what Ms. Nadonly is doing these days. This wouldn’t fit what she’s doing now. Also, I don’t think this story has enough traction to get attention, especially in a year of an election in a divided nation where pundits get more attention than reporters. This has nothing to do with the merits of the case as much as the ever changing priorities of journalists and news agencies.

When you matched, I’m surprised Boston Crusaders Bingo sheets even had the number 27 on them!🙂

The question of whether the mission statement of a non profit is in alignment with Bingo is a legitimate question. In my case as a pastor (I’m a Catholic priest) I have had parishes with schools but we no longer had Bingo so I never had to make a decision about the game. However you still have to figure out ways to pay teachers a living wage while keeping tuition low for families who are barely scraping by. I know drum corps is a different situation than a school but funding non profits is not easy. In my neck of the woods (just outside of Boston) there are fewer Bingos. There have three major death knells for Bingo. One, when smoking was no longer allowed in public places, Bingos took a huge hit. Casinos with Bingo halls is a second. Third? Bingos have a hard time attracting volunteers. Volunteering at Bingo is a thankless job.

I’ve said this before in other threads but when it comes to corporate donors, drum corps can be a hard sell. In general, businesses want to donate to organizations that serve the local community, the key word being local. A touring drum corps that recruits from all over the country is an organization that serves, but it does not serve the local community. Donors also want “bang for the buck.” Let’s say you give an organization $5,000. If it’s a local basketball program, that goes a long way towards equipment, uniforms, gym rental, etc. If it’s a local theater group, that goes a long way towards sets and costumes. Lots of people are served. How far does the same donation go in drum corps? I think a drum corps could get some corporate donations but it requires work. Alums who are now in the corporate world and carefully selected board members would be key. A drum corps establishing some sort of a presence in the community such as directors being members of the Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, etc., sitting on local boards for hospitals, outreach agencies, various non profits and the like would be important. Being a good neighbor is also important. Cadets moved to Erie partially at least to increase the donor base. It would take a good tens years for that to develop. Blue Devils have been mentioned. Blue Devils is well known in Concord, CA. According to someone I know who once lived in Concord, many people in the city have no idea how good they are, but the organization is well received. My guess is establishing relationships over the years is a huge reason why.

I did not see 2008 Phantom live. I would have loved to have been in Bloomington see Phantom move from 3rd to 2nd to 1st. “Red” is one of my favorite shows and is still a sentimental favorite of longtime BAC fans. Though I saw it live in local shows, the finals performance looks electrifying. I loved SCV 1989 and 1989 Phantom equally and would have enjoyed seeing those two at finals and would have been happy with the results either way.

I enjoyed 2013 when Crown won it’s first title and 2016 when Bloo took top honors. Since I probably won’t be in Indy in 2025 (I need to take a long overdue return trip to Ireland), I’m hoping to see BAC take home their first title this year. I’d also like to mention the 1979 CYO Nationals. North Star had a great early and mid season and beat Bridgemen and 27th on quite a few occasions. North Star beat 27th and Bridgemen the night before as well as Madison. It was believed to be a fluke. 27th had won the World Open, Bridgemen had an off night as did Madison. At CYO Nationals, Madison came back with a vengeance, 27th had a great show that in my opinion was stronger than the performance at World Open and should have won. North Star was great, but 3rd at best, probably 4th, but there was no way they’d beat 27th or Madison. They did. At the time 27th was one of my favorite corps and though I loved North Star, that was when Madison was Madison and could blast you from this world to the next. When the scores were announced and North Star won again, the reaction of the crowd who did not agree with the judging was something else. Let’s just say it’s a good thing the old “what didn’t get settled on the field will get settled in the parking lot” was no longer the rule of the day. Another memorable performance that night was a small but powerful Boston Crusaders.

My guess would be the largest single expense hosting a show would not be the number of corps in a show but the cost of the stadium. That certainly impacts ticket prices. Also very few shows have program books, and even those that do are not filled with ads which would have been the case in the past. That’s an income loss which has to be made up someplace else. With fewer shows, what we are paying for is the opportunity to see drum coros in our own backyard.