N.E. Brigand Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 2 minutes ago, Stu said: They would likely have been in better financial shape to make all of their decisions based on sound business principles, as opposed to 'we gotta do a tour for the sake of the kids'. I'm not insensitive to this argument. In my very first response to this thread, I said that this request indicates some bad decisions were made. To me it looks like Sodawalla tried to take on too much, meaning both himself and the corps. Too focused on the shows (which have been really good the past few years) and giving the members a great experience--so that the corps attracts more members and supporters--and not enough on the financials. They probably need another employee to take on some of this work. Of course, that means paying that employee. This is all my speculation, to be sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afd Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 (edited) 4 minutes ago, Stu said: (1) Legends needs to immediately cease all operations and make sure the youth get home safely. (2) ...... Yes. I totally agree. 100,000 goal in 24hrs is just not attainable. Edited July 21, 2017 by afd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 20 minutes ago, seen-it-all said: Well that's a whole other ball of wax, isn't it? I've always felt that the governing body should be independently operated. The inherent conflicts of interest in regards to how DCI is structured from an organizational and operational standpoint have long been an issue in a variety of ways. This is just another aspect of that which creates those "sticky" situations you so rightly speak of. But that's an entirely different thread. I'll say no more about it and get back to the topic at hand....... What goes around ... DCI was formed because some corps were tired of having to deal with an independent body. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WaxDCIFan Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 (edited) I think young corps do have to be very careful with major purchases. Genesis did new uniforms 2 years ago, but it was mostly funded through separate donations beforehand. Genesis has been really careful about major equipment purchases like food trucks and equipment trailers. Genesis toured with some pretty clunky food trailers and older buses to keep capital costs very low. They are still in that mode - leasing versus buying most things, and taking a pretty gradual approach to major equipment. There was consideration given to buying other corps old equipment, but alot of concern about repair costs, replacement costs, etc. Growing one of these outfits takes a lot of financial discipline. Collecting new shiny toys can get young corps in trouble pretty fast. Of course I don't know if that contributed to Legends current issues, but based on some of the expenses they describe I suspect that it may be relevant. Edited July 21, 2017 by WaxDCIFan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 3 minutes ago, Stu said: Tuesday Stu and Friday Stu are one in the same. If facts cannot be garnered during an immediate situation in which kids, or adults for that matter, well-being is at stake, Stu looks out for the immediate well-being of the kids then let the facts sort things out later. They are home, Stu. Their home show is tomorrow night. The kids are not out on the road. They're safe. Does that change your comments now? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 1 minute ago, N.E. Brigand said: Too focused on the shows (which have been really good the past few years) and giving the members a great experience-- The CEO of an airline who focuses on giving passengers a great experience inside an aircraft at 30,000 feet while knowing full well that aircraft is doomed to crash even before taking off, is not being a smart, responsible, intelligent, or caring CEO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 Just now, garfield said: They are home, Stu. Their home show is tomorrow night. The kids are not out on the road. They're safe. Does that change your comments now? Comforts me; will alter my comments about them needing to get back to home base safely; but sways my opinion of the matter not one iota. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjyaub Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 This have been addressed already but is DCI involved at all since this came about or are they just "monitoring the situation" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.E. Brigand Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 2 minutes ago, Stu said: The CEO of an airline who focuses on giving passengers a great experience inside an aircraft at 30,000 feet while knowing full well that aircraft is doomed to crash even before taking off, is not being a smart, responsible, intelligent, or caring CEO. Or maybe it went something like this: Legends had enough money for, say, four long trips (long by their standards), plus enough to safely get the members home, in a season where six such trips had been scheduled. They hoped to find additional money during the season to cover the final two trips. They thought about putting out a notice before the season started but decided that would lead to bad publicity which would scare away potential funders and dues-paying members. So their contingency plan, if the other sources of income they looked for fell through, or if new expenses came up, was to get through the first four trips, and then do a big fundraising push. The rest of the season is pay-as-they-go, and they still have funds set aside, which they don't touch, for getting the members safely home at the end. It's all speculation. On both sides. Some of us are less cynical, is all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eleran Posted July 21, 2017 Share Posted July 21, 2017 (edited) I've been biting my tongue on posting, but below are my two cents (since everyone is willing to give at least that much to this campaign [note: it would take 5 million of us giving two actual cents to get them to their goal]), not in any particular order: Why 24 hours? An obvious speculation would be that they set themselves a deadline to make a decision on the remainder of the tour, before they would leave for their next show on Saturday. The problem with the 24 hour appeal - it doesn't give people (like those here on DCP) an adequate time to evaluate the facts, leading to nebulous speculation going either way which isn't the fault of the speculators since that's all they have to work with. Immediate Crisis or brewing problem? They have had specific campaigns on their website for new trailer(s), food truck appliances, uniforms, fuel, for at least a month (see the dates). Possibly they had stuff up earlier. None of the campaigns even reached 10% of their goals, other than the food truck appliance at 15%. I think this at least clears up that the approximately 75% of what they are currently seeking (35K for trailers, 12K for appliances; 8K in rental vehicle; 15K for corps housing; 30K in equipment replacements) relate to long-term need items that they have known about for a while Keeping Up with the Joneses? Someone cited that as a necessity in today's age. And THAT is the fallacy that leads entities to live beyond their means and end up in these holes. Artists may want what they want to create the grand masterpieces in their heads, but a business person needs to know when to rein them in. DCI may be heading towards amps, speakers and mics for every member, and props for every inch of the field, but only if the organizations collectively let it happen and follow along like sheep. If you can't afford it, then you can't do it. Pursuit of GE scores cannot override the reality of finances. Tour decisions? Why take a one week jaunt to Alabama, Georgia, Virginia and Tennessee unless you knew money would not be a concern? Look at the other corps at those competitions, and aside from Les Stentors coming down for the last two, they are all southern-based open corps. As with the Joneses comment - live within your means. Uniforms? the corps has only been around for 9 years, I believe, and according to one Reddit poster, they've already had a number of different uniforms. When was the last time Raiders got a new uniform? And I question if Raiders' uniforms were even new at the time they got them. Battalion is using hand-me-downs. Again - live within your means. Transparency? I believe any corps which seeks sufficient funds from donations should be willing to make their finances easily available to the public. Garfield has done a lot of work previously with 990s, but it should be right their on their website. If they are unable or unwilling to be that transparent, it will always leave the public with doubts about how their donations might be wasted. A $100k desperation campaign like this should come with more than 5 bullet point needs, especially as vague as "... and additional general operating expectations" Personally, I don't like begging. I don't like Go-Fund Me campaigns. I don't like when corps make members cough up 50 names and addresses of friends and family for the corps to pursue for donations. It's just not something I am personally comfortable with. I get that the charitable culture considers it natural, but I am much happier when people who want an experience (for themselves or their children) work hard to raise the necessary funds to pay for it themselves, or if necessary forego the experience as one beyond their means. I know lots of people believe DCI should be cheap or free so all can experience it, but youth sports aren't free; college isn't free; marriage and kids aren't free; world-travel isn't free; few if any great life experiences are free. If there are 150 marching members in Legends, then $667 from each member would reach $100,000. That may seem like a lot of cash, but last minute air-plane tickets home from mid-tour might cost nearly as much, and if these problems were long term (which frankly, it seems many were), then that $667 should have been built into the tuition, even if it meant that a few of those kids would have to pass on the season. I sent my son out with Raiders in 2014, the year following their mid-tour financial crisis, knowing that if there was another problem it might fall upon ME to come and get him, at my own expense. That was my choice. Full disclosure - I have never managed a DCI corps. I did found and run for 5 years (outside of my regular job) a youth sports organization of ~100 kids that included paid staff, uniforms, equipment, facility fees, tournament registrations, etc. The overall budget was not the same as DCI nor the element of road trips, but we lived within our means, were never out of the black, managed to offer the lowest tuition among our competitors, and had competitive success - all paid for by tuition of the members, not donations, sponsors, etc. And we watched competitors fold during that time, stiffing their staff, and cancelling tournaments they couldn't afford to go to - usually because they were lead by former athletes that may have known the sport but couldn't handle running a business. Not so dissimilar, if you ask me. Edited July 21, 2017 by Eleran 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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