ouooga Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Saw this conversation on Reddit. A member had a good experience with her World Class corps in '16. In '17, she went back to the same corps. Between '16 and '17 she went vegetarian. In both years, she had a wheat allergy, so PB&J was killed. She says in '17 she basically never got fed because the staff either thought she was making up her food allergies, or because the vegetarian food was eaten before she got there. She's marching at a different corps in '18. My question: who is responsible for making sure a member in this special circumstance gets food? Should the member provide their own food/backup plans so the staff isn't preparing a completely separate meal (that idea was suggested, but a lot of people thought that was ridiculous)? Should the staff be held responsible for preparing a separate meal? Should the whole corps eat within that member's food guidelines so the staff only has to prepare one meal? I'm really curious how DCP thinks something like this should be handled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 administration should be made aware early, and if possible, have paperwork from a doctor, and then the staff and food team should be at all times be aware of any special needs 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glory Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 This is a big challenge. As a long time food truck volunteer, this is a constant priority and yet a struggle nonetheless. Over the years we usually had a dozen or two individuals every tour who were vegetarians or had specific dietary needs. We accounted for them each and every meal, but it was never perfect. Our failures were seldom for lack of consideration. There were times when our execution came up short. There were other times when certain individual's expectations just weren't realistic. Just like at home, sometimes the fridge isn't well stocked, limiting the options. Other times we nailed it (my vegan tofu masala was a big hit!). One of the biggest challenges we faced was protecting the "special" meals from those simply shopping for other options. I'm not blaming those on special diets. Nor am I letting the cooks off the hook. I'm just saying cooking for 200 four times a day isn't easy. Everyone - those with special needs and those without - has room to complain. Just be sure to thank the cook too. HH 4 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Over the course of a year, would it be easier on corps logistics to not offer a contract to a mm with special dietary needs? You obviously don't tell the mm that. Or, if there are enough mm with this need and they will allow a corps to be better, you plan accordingly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eleran Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 3 hours ago, glory said: One of the biggest challenges we faced was protecting the "special" meals from those simply shopping for other options. That used to be the problem on airplanes as well: non-vegetarians grabbing the vegetarian meal because it looked more fresh, and the airplane running out before they got to me in the last row. They solved that problem, I guess ... no meals anymore for anyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted January 24, 2018 Share Posted January 24, 2018 Jeff Ream nailed it...the responsibility is shared. I'd imagine the same issue exists for members with religious food limitations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrownBariDad Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 During the summers The Wife worked on the food truck, she always made sure she knew about all member food allergies and special dietary needs as did the other volunteers. But it starts with the member informing the staff and that info making it to the food crew. I believe she said her biggest problem was keeping vegan items strictly for the vegans -- some members just liked to "graze". And there were logistical concerns when in the middle of Tour, she suddenly had more vegans than at the start. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim K Posted January 25, 2018 Share Posted January 25, 2018 There is a difference between medical reasons for dietary restrictions and dietary preferences. If a student in a public school or private school that receives federal funding and the child has food allergies the school has to make accommodations. So if someone is gluten free because of celiac disease, the school has to accommodate. If they are gluten free by choice, the school does not need to accommodate. Dietary restrictions due to religion are to be accommodated if more than 10% of the student body is of that faith. This is usually done by offering choices. For drum corps, if there is a medical reason for a specific diet, denying the opportunity for a qualified person to march could be discrimination, it my guess is this probably is not an issue. Corps have dealt diabetics and marching members with hypoglycemia and I'm sure other conditions. Regarding dietary preferences, it's up to the marching member to decide where he/she marches and it's up to the corps about making accommodations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xandandl Posted January 26, 2018 Share Posted January 26, 2018 (edited) The OP premises the thread on his reading of a reddit post. Further reading of the same reddit post and subsequent statements there by the "victimized" reddit marcher throw into doubt the veracity and sincerity of that reddit poster. She both blames the corps for victimizing her and blames her parents for not loving the corps. She says the staff faculty abused her intimately and also pledges her allegiance to them. If anything the post is a cry for help or a cry for attention. As many of the DCP posters have noted, DCI corps today do try to address genuine medical and cultural needs. Both corps and individual mm are responsible. The DCP OP raises a great theoretical question and subsequent DCP posters have sampled the authentic attempts of today's DCI corps to meet the need. Edited January 26, 2018 by xandandl 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance Posted January 26, 2018 Share Posted January 26, 2018 I've been plant-based with my diet for a couple years now, and I really never thought about this before. Has anybody ever heard of members who make (or have their parents make) a bunch of big batches of freezable curry-type bases, and give them to the corps cooks before going on tour? I think if I were marching with my current diet, that's exactly what I'd do. I don't mean to knock any volunteers for any corps, but it's rare to even find restaurants that serve hearty plant-based stuff that actually tastes good and is nutritious. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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