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The Legends REALLY Need Our Help!!!


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5 hours ago, N.E. Brigand said:

 

Think of it this way: Legends should have made this ask six months ago. Back in February, Ibe Sodawalla should have said, "We've examined our expenses and revenue, and we project a large shortfall. In order for this corps to have a 2017 season, we need to raise $100,000 in the next week." It was a big screw up on his part not to do that. Granted. Fine. But if it happened then or it happened now, the result for the members' experience is much the same.

 

###### if you do and ###### if you don't... Put that message out in February and nobody turns up for auditions because they think your corps isn't secure. I appreciate that all the corps are individually run, and that DCI is a facilitating body for marketing and contests, but DCI SHOULD and DOES have say over who attends their shows. DCI SHOULD be looking at corps finances BEFORE they finalise the schedules.

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I wonder if the organization has reached out to Kellogg's?  Their corporate office is in Battle Creek, which is nearby.  There are a few other industries in the area that I feel could be a fit for them.  

Since the director posted the message on Facebook, I bet all of the parents are aware of the problem.  This could impact their membership next year.

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2 minutes ago, garfield said:

Your last paragraph doesn't make sense to me.  Would you please restate it to be clearer?

Thanks

 

Sure.  Not too long ago, top 25 corps were given the option to move up to Division 1 just based on making top 25.  That's how most of the current WC corps got there.  They didn't have to go through the current process.

Legends has been in semis both of the last two years, perhaps longer (I'd have to look that up).

I can tell you for a fact that OC corps have a much harder time getting corporate sponsorships, getting better rates from vendors etc.  Some of them are willing to extend a financial olive branch to WC corps because of the increased visibility, but they don't do the same for the OC corps.  Even groceries are cheaper for a lot of the WC corps.  Large OC corps trying to national tours and "win open class" are under tremendous financial pressure.

 

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6 hours ago, Stu said:

Yes they are in danger because if the corps happens to raise the $100,000 they will go out in the road with the same stupid idiotic adults making decisions on their welfare. As for the youth hating someone like me let them hate; I care about their well being and who is placed in charge of their care, not really that much about their temporal performance experience being missed the rest of the season.

Did I miss something?  Didn't Ibe appeal state pretty clearly that his current situation is the result of exogenous events that all occurred coincidentally and forced this situation?  Is it really a fair assessment to say that a corps with an, otherwise, functioning piece of kitchen equipment was negligent in leaving before they had a financial contingency for each piece of equipment they haul?

I think you're making presumptions about the decision process used to start the tour.  While several here voice appreciation of the director's decision to make the appeal prior to sending them home (what we wish had occurred in your prior examples), you want to condemn the "adults" for deciding to go on tour without reasonable contingencies, and you don't know that to be what actually occurred.

You do realize that, to attain your goal of not being caught short, a drum corps needs to have, essentially, a replacement fund for every piece of equipment.  

Poignantly, I would encourage all to be restrained and judicious in what you say and post here, especially if you are not willing to attach your credentialled CV to justify your recommendations (and even then, maybe more-so).  Let's be adults and not speculate, and let's give the org the room to be successful by not pummelling them when their down.

There's nothing that any of the wizards of smart here can say that will be any more instructive to the "adults" running Legends than the real-life pain they are experiencing right now.  One may feel that lesson is necessary, but that doesn't grant license to pile on with a bunch of Know-It-All-But-Done-Very-Little advice.

My $.02

Edited by garfield
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31 minutes ago, jwillis35 said:

I'm going to tag along with Stu on this one. 

Also, if this is true, Legends first needs to take this up with DCI. There are rules about taking kids on the road and not having the funds to take care of them properly and get them back home safely. DCI may allow the emergency fundraising with fans, and DCI themselves may use their emergency funds to help; but chances are very real that this corps will be put on suspension for next season.  Very similar to what happened with Capital Regiment where DCI had to fire the staff and admin team and pay for the last week of tour and get the kids home safely (DCI called in Fred Morris, who is now leading the Troopers so soundly).  The same thing happened to Troopers (before Fred Morris took over) where they were suspended for an entire year of DCI competition. Now Capital Regiment never made it back.  Troopers did because Fred took over.

Let's be clear, this is not the old DCI.  It is a crime in my book to leave home with kids/youth and not have the money to take care of them, feed them, house them, and get them down the road and back. For whatever reasons that this tragic situation happened perhaps the best thing is for the corps to turn around and go home. I believe DCI may enforce that option.  No money, no tour.  It's as simple as that.  It's unfair for corps to complete half a season (or more) and then expect the fans to kick in the remainder of the money in an emergency.  If this keeps happening it encourages bad financial practices. 

And if it is a true emergency and was not the fault of corps management, then I still think going home is the best move.  Your corps needs to reconfigure fundraising efforts.  Your corps needs to become financially solvent.  Competing should be the last thing on their minds.  I will weigh in more on this topic once I know more facts.  

I'd be cautious of tying your wagon to this horse until there are more facts to demonstrate the contentions you quote.

 

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7 minutes ago, garfield said:

My $.02

$.02 well spent, good words.

DCI needs corps like Legends.  I'm giving them what I can and trusting that the OC Director of the Year will be judicious with it.

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5 hours ago, Stu said:
5 hours ago, N.E. Brigand said:

Are they really in danger? You don't know that. As far as I know, the members are in Kalamazoo, where they perform Saturday. As far as I know, Ibe Sodawalla managed the finances well enough to get them through their southern tour and back home, and he had hopes that other funding would materialize, but it didn't (I've known donors to pledge their support and then change their minds; it's always painful to have write-off that debt, but it happens), and now he's making the prudent financial decision: raise $100,000 or send the members home early. So that they won't be in any danger. You don't know otherwise.

Yes they are in danger because if the corps happens to raise the $100,000 they will go out in the road with the same stupid idiotic adults making decisions on their welfare. As for the youth hating someone like me let them hate; I care about their well being and who is placed in charge of their care, not really that much about their temporal performance experience being missed the rest of the season.

Stu, you know nothing of the specific circumstances Legends has confronted, nor what provisions their management and board have taken to address them.  How dare you wade into this thread casting aspersions about kids being stranded in faraway lands to starve at the side of some scorched highway, when in all likelihood they are home and safe in anticipation of their home show tomorrow.  For all you know, they follow your philosophy of operation and have declared an emergency only after several concurrent disasters depleted their reserve funds to where they can only cover the next 364 days of operation, which they must correct immediately or never leave home.

By the way, which corps do you successfully manage?  What, you do not run a corps?  Did you at least stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night?

Well, then, since the only value of your posts will be in a hindsight = 20/20 sense, why not save them for later when they will truly be "hindsight", instead of impugning the reputation of an active corps?  I know you will not accept any advice, but maybe other posters will think before they post.

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20 minutes ago, garfield said:

I'd be cautious of tying your wagon to this horse until there are more facts to demonstrate the contentions you quote.

 

Very true. I will refrain from further comments until we hear more.  And I am fine with the fundraising efforts to continue, because if the corps has expenses that need paid now then this funding will help in that regard. 

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23 minutes ago, garfield said:

Did I miss something?  Didn't Ibe appeal state pretty clearly that his current situation is the result of exogenous events that all occurred coincidentally and forced this situation?  Is it really a fair assessment to say that a corps with an, otherwise, functioning piece of kitchen equipment was negligent is not leaving until they had a financial contingency for each piece of equipment they haul?

I think you're making presumptions about the decision process used to start the tour.  While several here voice appreciation of the director's decision to make the appeal prior to sending them home (what we wish had occurred in your prior examples), you want to condemn the "adults" for deciding to go on tour without reasonable contingencies, and you don't know that to be what actually occurred.

You do realize that, to attain your goal of not being caught short, a drum corps needs to have, essentially, a replacement fund for every piece of equipment.  

Poignantly, I would encourage all to be restrained and judicious in what you say and post here, especially if you are not willing to attach your credentialled CV to justify your recommendations (and even then, maybe more-so).  Let's be adults and not speculate, and let's give the org the room to be successful by not pummelling them when their down.

There's nothing that any of the wizards of smart here can say that will be any more instructive to the "adults" running Legends than the real-life pain they are experiencing right now.  One may feel that lesson is necessary, but that doesn't grant license to pile on with a bunch of Know-It-All-But-Done-Very-Little advice.

My $.02

I pressed the "like" button 100 times, even knowing it would only register once.

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Before we jump to conclusions about management, whether kids are in danger, etc., there is a great deal we do not know. We also need to remember most non profits such as schools, churches, youth organizations are often only two or three months away from serious financial issues. Also before we bring up Teal Sound, Glassmen, and other corps that folded due to finances, not all financial troubles are the same, and some that folded had financial issues but there were practices that had nothing to do with finances that made me wonder if the financial woes were the cause or a symptom. 

I do think Legends is a worthy organization. I don't think they will reach the goal though you never know, but if they can at least raise some, between 25-50% there might be a possibility that they may be able to work things out with creditors which I know is a huge maybe. So let's support them now in the hopes that this very exciting year will not have a major blotch. The kids in Legends deserve it and the overall activity needs it.

Edited by Tim K
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