A question for the purists: was there more that could have been done?

[Schnitzel]

8 hours ago, ShortAndFast said:

Well this is easily accomplished. They're all in the lot after any big show. Or you can stop by the corps rehearsal on show day and often find them. The only one you have mentioned by name on this thread, George Hopkins, is certainly going to be at DCA championships in a couple of weeks so you still have time to let him know your thoughts on this season while it's fresh in your mind.

Let us know how it goes.

I will introduce you to Mr. Hopkins, Mr. Collins.  Hop loves a discussion of philosophies and goals - he really does!

 

[Schnitzel]

1 hour ago, cixelsyd said:

Then could you remind my ailing memory which corps did that?  I cannot think of anyone whose hornline or drumline were wearing nothing but a leotard.  Some guard people, sure.  Bodysuits for hornline/drumline, sure.  But horns/drums in just leotards?

Blue Knights 2016.  For all practical intent, leotard from waist down.

[Fran Haring]

2 hours ago, Fred Windish said:

Always the possibility actual GENERAL ADMISSION tickets were issued to performing members back in the days before wristband admittance. I've seen that occur. I'll just say, I was at Montreal, too. The crowd in the seats appeared quite large.

Oh, yes . . .  chairback seating with armrests spreads things out from the bleacher look, too!

To say nothing about it being much easier on the back!!!  LOL

[cixelsyd]

14 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

those facts came directly from the DCi office. amazing what you can learn when you ask the people who have their hands on the paperwork. and independent in Canada meant tied to a school. 

If the DCI office really provides such false and misleading information, that is truly sad.

Following is a list of the competing corps in the 1981 DCI Championships, and their state or province of origin.

All-Girl

Chatelaines (Quebec)
Arbella (MA)
St. Ignatius Girls (NY)
Ventures (Ontario)
Brantford Girls (Ontario)
Bandettes (Ontario)
CapitolAires (WI)
Mello-Dears (NY)
Suburbanettes (NH)
Joanettes (MA)

Class A

Southernaires (LA)
Fantasia III (NJ)
Pioneer (WI)
Dutch Boy (Ontario)
Etoiles Dorion (Quebec)
Golden Garrison (MI)
Bluewater Buccaneers (Ontario)
Amvet Brigadiers (MA)
Aventuriers (Quebec)
Greece Cadets (NY)
Cavalliers (MA)
General Putnam's Men (OH)
New York Lancers (NY)
Valley Airs (MA)
2nd Decade (Quebec)
Sundowners (WI)
Mt. Prospect Imperials (IL)
Alliance Musicale (Quebec)
Newmarket Ambassadors (Ontario)
Emerald Knights (IA)
Florida Wave (FL)
Fantasia (CT)
Coachmen (MI)
Spartans (WA)
Lockport Blazers (NY)
Vaqueros (IL)
Madison Jr. Scouts (WI)
Volunteers (NY)
Starisers (MA)
Malden Diplomats (MA)
Rochester Patriots (NY)
I.C. Queensmen (MA)
Citations (MA)
Gauchos (NY)
Pacific Blue (British Columbia)
Buccaneers (MA)
Niagara Frontiersmen (NY)
Firebirds (NY)
St. Andrew's (Ontario)

Open Class

Santa Clara Vanguard (CA)
Blue Devils (CA)
Madison Scouts (WI)
27th Lancers (MA)
Bridgemen (NJ)
Phantom Regiment (IL)
Garfield Cadets (NJ)
Crossmen (PA)
Spirit of Atlanta (GA)
Cavaliers (IL)
Troopers (WY)
Freelancers (CA)
North Star (MA)
Sky Ryders (KS)
Guardsmen (IL)
Blue Stars (WI)
Defenders (MA)
Memphis Blues Brass Band (TN)
Knights (IL)
Seattle Imperials (WA)
Suncoast Sound (FL)
Avant Garde (NY)
Rivermen (MN)
Valley Fever (CA)
Boston Crusaders (MA)
San Jose Raiders (CA)
Alliance (MA)
Colts (IA)
Squires (NY)
Pride of Cincinnati (OH)
Bluecoats (OH)
Imperial Guard (IN)
Velvet Knights (CA)
Eclipses (Quebec)
Arc-en-Ciel (Quebec)
Long Island Kingsmen (NY)
Saginaires (MI)
Glassmen (OH)
Southwind (AL)
Buckeye State Caballaros (OH)
General Butler Vagabonds (PA)
1st Canadian Regiment (Alberta)
Black Watch (NJ)
C.M.C.C. Warriors (NY)
Americanos (WI)
Cranford Patriots (NJ)
Royal Grenadiers (IL)
Valiant Knights (OK)
Kilts (WI)

Like I said before, only 14 of these corps were from Quebec or Ontario, not 30-40 as you or your alleged DCI office contact claim.  Do you or your DCI office source still wish to dispute that?

As for this myth that all Canadian corps were scholastic programs in 1981, please let us know which schools each of those corps was affiliated with.  My current understanding is that St. Andrew's was affiliated with a school by that name in Cambridge, Ontario, but that may be the only one.  The Brantford Girls began as a school sponsored corps (St. John's Girls), but that connection ended in 1964 when the school went all-male.

Edited August 16, 2017 by cixelsyd

[Terri Schehr]

36 minutes ago, Fred Windish said:

If I see you on an episode of Hoarders, I'll understand.

I made a junior drum corps career scrapbook.  It's heavily Guardsmen but I have a few Norwood Park things in it. 

[cixelsyd]

22 minutes ago, Schnitzel said:

Blue Knights 2016.  For all practical intent, leotard from waist down.

Help me out here.  Wikipedia tells me that a "leotard" is something that leaves the legs exposed.  What BK wore, as I am just learning now, is what Wikipedia would describe as a "unitard".  Is that terminology correct or not?

[Schnitzel]

12 minutes ago, cixelsyd said:

Help me out here.  Wikipedia tells me that a "leotard" is something that leaves the legs exposed.  What BK wore, as I am just learning now, is what Wikipedia would describe as a "unitard".  Is that terminology correct or not?

Bet U R correct.

[MikeD]

15 hours ago, Bobby L. Collins said:

 

2017 IS the year in which DCI hornlines and drumlines started wearing leotards.  That is a verifiable fact, and you cannot argue with that.  All you can do is pedantically try to debate the semantics behind the costume materials and nomenclature.....at the end of the day, it's a skintight leotard.  

 

Leotard:

 

Blue Knights drumline:...

 

I'm not seeing any leotards on these drummers. Is there a specific corps you can reference?

 

[GUARDLING]

3 hours ago, cixelsyd said:

Ah yes.  The changes must be working because even though the activity is a mere shell of what it used to be, at least it is still alive.

Believe what you want.  I imagine your belief echoes that of influential people in the activity, who long ago gave up on the idea of "vive la difference" and embraced every change imaginable to align with marching band.

With all due respect, the problem is you dont want to address or realize why exactly corps faded off and why it's a mere shell of what it used to be. That thinking is exactly why and how corps ended. There's no debate on that but tons of facts. 

Not every change works. For anyone who believes that is just as blind or a fool, not sure which  and remember we are the ones who brought band into the fold which if we drop the old fashioned snobby idea( which many of us maybe even including me felt wayyy back when ) that we were from different planets one could see the benefits both have gained.

Edited August 16, 2017 by GUARDLING

[cixelsyd]

12 minutes ago, GUARDLING said:

Your problem is you dont want to address or realize why exactly corps faded off and why it's a mere shell of what it used to be. That thinking is exactly why and how corps ended. There's no debate on that but tons of facts.

Not every change works. For anyone who believes that is just as blind or a fool, not sure which  and remember we are the ones who brought band into the fold which if you drop the old fashioned snobby idea that we were from different planets one could see the benefits both have gained.

My problem?

Your problem is you do not see nuance in discussion group posts.

Truth is, there are numerous reasons why corps have faded off.  I would love to "address" them, but the best I can do is wade through the usual discussion group dynamics, agree to disagree with those whose minds are already made up, and hope I informed the few readers still openly considering the issues.

One of those many many reasons (the one alluded to here) is that the "powers that be" have given up on drum corps, and are so invested in the "align with band" strategy that they are willing to take it to the next level, "become band".  We are just one more rule change away from completing that agenda.  IMO, drum corps could have done just fine simply aligning with band, something that has been going on all through the history of the activity anyway.

I think we agree that we are better off without the snobbery you refer to.  That said, I think we would also be better off still having both drum corps and marching band activities, each serving a different flavor of marching music to people with different personal preferences.