The future of the Cadets

[dbc03]

3 hours ago, cowtown said:

It’s putting the success of the Cadets above all else

The alleged victims did it, some members and alumni are doing it and some of their fans are doing it. Look at everyone getting huffy and throwing shade at me here and for what? Having a sense of decency? Understating its just band and people are more important? For not wanting to be associated with a corps whose Director has been accused of drugging and raping people?  For acknowledging that the Kingdom on a Hill was built upon a rotten culture to promote, enable and protect that heinous Director and his rapes?

The Cadet culture has always been extreme in its aggressive loyalty and attacking others to defend itself.  Sure, other corps have flashes of it but not nearly to the extent of the Cadets. They earned the name the Borg. And the Borg Culture is part of the problem. That has got to change. The culture was built by Hoppy, why keep it after he goes? Everything must change

In the face of it, marching and placement seem inconsequential. It seems vulgar to even be concerned about placement. I don’t think this years’ members are heroes for not 'defecting' from the House of Hoppy and its litany of crimes. I’m honestly not sure what I think of them as its still rather fluid.

So go ahead and attack me, say I’m basis and indulging in schadenfreude.  Say I always hated the Cadets and dig up some of my comments from 2008 about their show on DCP and post them as proof. Push the members to achieve top 5 placements to prove that everything is OK, just  keep on Borging you crazy things

Nice victim blaming.

Victims of sexual assault often don't come forward for many reasons even if they haven't been Cadets or YEA employees. This isn't unique to the culture of The Cadets.

[ShortAndFast]

1 hour ago, MusicManNJ said:

My personal opinion, based on the early returns from the actions of the new board, is the organization will emerge stronger than before. I think they are intent on being leaders and innovators in a new way... protecting the staff, members and students who participate across their programs. They will institute was of reporting, managing, and supporting the victims of abuse which will very likely be models for across the activity. It will be expensive but the new board appears committed to investing in world class policies, strategies and programs working with world class organizations and independent agencies to provide the proper guidance (Like their emerging partnership with RAIIN). Sure there will be good days and bad days. And we collectively have no idea how vast these issues go for YEA (let alone the broader community). I am encouraged to see how much effort is being focused on the problem and supporting the victims WHILE ALSO working to stabilize the programs (Cadets, Cadets 2, USBANDs and Escape). With new directors for each soon to be announced and Cadets and Cadets2 coming together for a combined camp I suspect next weekend will be the true barometer for how the competitive groups will proceed.

I have personally helped a non-profit recover from an Executive Director's malfeasance. What you say is true - if they survive, organizations can emerge from a crisis like this stronger in every respect. GH managed to burn an absolutely epic number of bridges during his long tenure, and you have to imagine at least some of those people will now want to support the org again. If that's harnessed, a few years from now YEA could find itself with a clear strategy, better leadership, good management, stronger programs, healthier financials.

But first it has to survive.

I find it hard to imagine that GH combined the personal behavior that's been reported with, say, amazing fiscal rectitude or great record keeping or best practice IT policies . So I imagine the new board has quite a few other messes to clean up beyond what has been publicly discussed. Even with the best of people and the best of intentions, it's going to be years before YEA has this fully behind them. 

[Tim K]

As I’ve followed this thread, I can’t help but wonder if this was another corps, would that corps be fielding a show this summer, and I’m not sure that would be the case. If you look at other groups outside of drum corps, this would be a death blow. My guess is that because the former director was such a huge presence and he’s now gone, is a huge factor, as well as alums and staff who love the corps and will do all they can to make it a reality. This is positive, but it is also rare. With this in mind, I’d like to offer a few thoughts:

Some people are talking placement: let the corps get on the field, make finals, and not lose ground. If they place higher than last year, that’s wonderful, if they have one of their greatest shows ever, amazing, but let’s not put undue pressure on the marching members or staff. Unless you have been part of an organization that has faced similar charges, you have no idea of how much of an accomplishment simply keeping the corps alive will be.

In an approximately two week frame, a long time director was fired, a board resigned, a interim was hired and had to step aside, a new board was formed, a new interim was named. The new folks will have to field the corps, clean up a mess that was many years in the making, create a way of moving forward, and match words with actions. They will need a lot of time to do their job. Don’t praise them too quickly, and refrain from criticizing unless there is a serious misstep. It takes most organizations years, not days, to change after such serious problems. 

[MusicManNJ]

10 minutes ago, ShortAndFast said:

I have personally helped a non-profit recover from an Executive Director's malfeasance. What you say is true - if they survive, organizations can emerge from a crisis like this stronger in every respect. GH managed to burn an absolutely epic number of bridges during his long tenure, and you have to imagine at least some of those people will now want to support the org again. If that's harnessed, a few years from now YEA could find itself with a clear strategy, better leadership, good management, stronger programs, healthier financials.

But first it has to survive.

I find it hard to imagine that GH combined the personal behavior that's been reported with, say, amazing fiscal rectitude or great record keeping or best practice IT policies . So I imagine the new board has quite a few other messes to clean up beyond what has been publicly discussed. Even with the best of people and the best of intentions, it's going to be years before YEA has this fully behind them. 

Indeed... but I believe they are, to use medical terminology, no longer in the ICU or life support. They are in critical, but stable, condition. Which is a LONG way from where the were 10 days ago when they were given the last rights.

Edited April 21, 2018 by MusicManNJ

[Terri Schehr]

Just now, MusicManNJ said:

Indeed... but I believe they are, to use medical terminology, no longer in the ICU or lie support. They are in critical, but stable, condition. Which is a LONG way from where the were 10 days ago when they were given the last rights.

That is great to hear. 

[Tim K]

8 minutes ago, ShortAndFast said:

I have personally helped a non-profit recover from an Executive Director's malfeasance. What you say is true - if they survive, organizations can emerge from a crisis like this stronger in every respect. GH managed to burn an absolutely epic number of bridges during his long tenure, and you have to imagine at least some of those people will now want to support the org again. If that's harnessed, a few years from now YEA could find itself with a clear strategy, better leadership, good management, stronger programs, healthier financials.

But first it has to survive.

I find it hard to imagine that GH combined the personal behavior that's been reported with, say, amazing fiscal rectitude or great record keeping or best practice IT policies . So I imagine the new board has quite a few other messes to clean up beyond what has been publicly discussed. Even with the best of people and the best of intentions, it's going to be years before YEA has this fully behind them. 

While you were posting, I was writing my thoughts. Very well said!

[ShortAndFast]

3 minutes ago, Tim K said:

While you were posting, I was writing my thoughts. Very well said!

I agree with your points as well. I don't thing they should worry about their competitive outcome at all this summer. Let their staff do their jobs, pay the bills, get the corps down the road to August and it's "mission accomplished" in my book.

 

[oldsoprano]

5 minutes ago, Tim K said:

 

Some people are talking placement: let the corps get on the field, make finals, and not lose ground. If they place higher than last year, that’s wonderful, if they have one of their greatest shows ever, amazing, but let’s not put undue pressure on the marching members or staff.

 

I agree with much of what you said, but would go a little bit farther.

Let the corps get on the field and make it through the season, period. At this point, does it really matter if they lose ground? Perhaps they lose enough ground that they don't even make finals. SO WHAT? Not losing ground is not a measure of whether they had a successful 2018. It might have been in 2017 or 2016, but not this year, not after the events of the past couple of weeks. I say that if they give the members a safe and complete season, and if the members finish the season with no regrets, than it was a successful season no matter the competitive outcome.

[Icer]

1 hour ago, IllianaLancerContra said:

Yes.  And this was a Management of One, who has been disgraced, fired, and (judging from YEA statement yesterday)  disappeared.  We do not know if all the bad news is known yet

Given that the accusations are at least 10 years old, I predict that more people will come forward from that period.  If something were more current regarding GH, I think we would have heard by now.  Statute of limitations and other challenges mean that prosecution would be difficult or impossible.  So each additional story from years ago will be one more heartbreaking link in the chain, but will not change the overall picture.

The other shoe here in my opinion is financial, and not much different than when a CEO passes away suddenly.  There is so much you don't know, things that were in progress, verbal and not yet contracted, etc.  Someone recently posted that the current donor list is 300.  The alumni can salvage the situation for The Cadets if they want to.  There are enough of them that it would not take a huge contribution from each one.

[GUARDLING]

58 minutes ago, Tim K said:

As I’ve followed this thread, I can’t help but wonder if this was another corps, would that corps be fielding a show this summer, and I’m not sure that would be the case. If you look at other groups outside of drum corps, this would be a death blow. My guess is that because the former director was such a huge presence and he’s now gone, is a huge factor, as well as alums and staff who love the corps and will do all they can to make it a reality. This is positive, but it is also rare. With this in mind, I’d like to offer a few thoughts:

Some people are talking placement: let the corps get on the field, make finals, and not lose ground. If they place higher than last year, that’s wonderful, if they have one of their greatest shows ever, amazing, but let’s not put undue pressure on the marching members or staff. Unless you have been part of an organization that has faced similar charges, you have no idea of how much of an accomplishment simply keeping the corps alive will be.

In an approximately two week frame, a long time director was fired, a board resigned, a interim was hired and had to step aside, a new board was formed, a new interim was named. The new folks will have to field the corps, clean up a mess that was many years in the making, create a way of moving forward, and match words with actions. They will need a lot of time to do their job. Don’t praise them too quickly, and refrain from criticizing unless there is a serious misstep. It takes most organizations years, not days, to change after such serious problems. 

1

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No, sorry, This is an iconic corps, NEVER even in not so great years has this corps just felt it was acceptable " just to get on the field" I would encourage any corps of this status for this long FIGHT, prove you are more than 1 sleazy person, that your history minus 1 person is greater than ever, that there are thousands of alumni who weathered alot for them to be there today, that NOTHING will keep them down, EVEN FOR THE VICTIMS, who obviously loved their corps maybe even to a fault with their director.

YES, simply keeping a corps together is not a bad thing BUT this corps as well as others with long histories even in lean years fought to be the best and I believe ( and I've known several over the years ) never looked at themselves as just making the field.

I hear you, I can see where you are coming from BUT encouragement is needed and if they are even remotely close to where they have been even in these past years which some talk as if they were 10 points lower than usual could easily hit those heights. 

Of course, no matter where they end up will be an accomplishment but we are judging a corps, not their director. If fans will judge these members based on the sick actions of an individual ( and I have no doubt many might ) who cares what they think. I have to believe the judging community will not.

Sorry for the rant...lol..... No matter who the corps I would be saying the same, and have over the decades

Edited April 21, 2018 by GUARDLING