age out ceremony

[glory]

Someone help me understand.

Why does there have to be an ageout ceremony? Don't you age out when you perform your final show? If you return to the field after that, did you not age out when your last show ended?

HH

[Malibu]

I think it's great that DCI recognizes age outs now. I don't know if you saw it, but every age out was listed on the back of the Semi-finals flyer.

At least you guys get SOMETHING for your time spent in drum corps. We never got patches for age outs or pins from DCI. All we had was retreat and some felt they needed to leave their shoes or some memento behind. Me, I paid too much for my Capezio shoes so I wasn't going to leave them on the field. So instead, I left my lucky penny behind that I had in my shoe at every show.

Be thankful that DCI works in some kind of event.....be upset with the spectators who are milling around while it's going on.

Just my 2¢

Edited August 16, 2005 by Malibu

[apoch003]

Well, one cent anyway! :P

[ssorrell]

At least you guys get SOMETHING for your time spent in drum corps. We never got patches for age outs or pins from DCI. All we had was retreat and some felt they needed to leave their shoes or some memento behind.

Same here. I didn't leave anything, but some in my corps did. I've got a video of the corps about to play Georgia in retreat and you can see Hunter Moss kick his marching shoes onto the turf at Camp Randall. There are a few "groupies" lurking behind the corps and you can see Ernie Zimny move them away from the corps and off the field.

I made a similar post in another thread about retreat in 1985...I'll echo it here as it seems appropriate. We, the top 12 DMs, were invited to the stadium on finals morning for a run through of the evenings festivities and schedule. We were told by Bob Briske and the DCI staff that corps were encouraged to NOT leave items on the field as it had gotten out of hand in the past causing too much stuff to be cleaned away before the champions could perform. Any corps that left things on the field could have been fined.

Now...I don't know whether any corps was indeed fined, but I do remember that there was very little stuff left on the field as compared to previous seasons.

However...it didn't matter. I was an age out and I didn't expect DCI to do anything for me. What mattered is how MY corps made me feel and how I felt personally. I didn't need a ceremony or a special patch. My time was nearly over and I knew it. Although I've never witnessed a DCI ageout ceremony, I know that sometimes "ceremonies" of any kind can be long and drawn out and sometimes rather pointless. I would much rather celebrate with my closest friends and staff in my corps than to be involved in anything elaborate or otherwise on the field. THat's just my point of view.

Edited August 17, 2005 by ssorrell

[schleic8]

My final performance was all I needed to culminate my career. The cermony didn't mean anything. Marching (playing... whatever) the last show, then going through retreat and singing the corps song for the last time was WAY more important than the age-out ceremony ever was. It was all the finality I needed.

Jim

[ScribeToo]

Ah!  There you are!  You nice nannies are easier to invoke than slipping on ice.

Lets be more realistic shall we?  I've marched years before you, and probably longer (8 years).  I know what the traditions are, were, and are supposed to be.  You won't convince me of what a perfect angel DCI is.

Also,  your corps may be non-profit, but DCI most certainly isn't.  Do you think a corporation like DCI  doesn't survive for 33 years without turning out a profit? 

Pretty naive opinion.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You know.. the fact that you marched years before me and "probably longer" means even less when you feel it entitles you to some sort of a bye when it comes to talking out your butt. You think the fact that you marched earlier than I did and for longer means I MUST respect the ridiculous statements you make simply because the exit your oh-so-hallowed pie-hole?

Guess again, pal.

As for naive, I suppose someone as wordly as you might mistake an opinion in opposition to your that way ... or it could just be that you are blinded by your own intolerance. I do believe DCI is a NOT FOR PROFIT corporation. That means (for you worldly types who know everything) if they aren't turning a profit (or are only turning a relatively small one) then they're doing their JOBS! Get it?

In my simple and artless opinion, your ####-poor attitude and approach has rendered the tasteless and pretentious opinion you've chosen to give me completely worthless.

I only have one question and a follow up for you, Swami. If you hate DCI so much, why are you wasting your time and money on it? And if you've stopped spending your money on it and don't go see it and don't care.. then for crying out loud, why don't you MOVE ON? Live in the past where you're happiest and let those of us who LIKE DCI's version of drum corps enjoy it unmolested.

Stef

[ssorrell]

I do believe DCI is a NOT FOR PROFIT corporation.  That means (for you worldly types who know everything) if they aren't turning a profit (or are only turning a relatively small one) then they're doing their JOBS!  Get it?

Actually, that is not correct either, Stef.

We're getting off on a tangent here, but let's clear this up again. And for the record, I believe that apoch003 had the right thing in mind, but just worded it to where it sounded wrong.

A non profit organization is a charitable organization in which its trustees make no profit from the organization. the organization itself WILL indeed (hopefully) make more money than is spends, as is the case with any business, whether they are for profit or non for profit. In this case, DCI makes money from ticket sales, souvenir items, etc. From that revenue, it must pay normal operating expenses (staff salaries, property leases, utilities, cost of video production, etc.). If there is any excess it must be re-invested into the organization.

How is it that the top corps can spend so much more money on staff, equipment, food, etc. than their lower placing counterparts? They have more surplus income. Jeff Fiedler, for example, can make as high a salary as the Cavies organization wants him to have (just as a hospital administrator can make a half million a year, although he operates a non-profit organization). He cannot however, take anything more than his salary. The Cavies can sell tens of thousands of dollars more in souvenir items than most other corps in a single season, but that excess money MUST go back into the organization. Top staff, expensive ladders, nice equipment and uniforms, and gourmet type food is what they get as a result of that excess (not to leave out the other areas of excess income, like show fees, etc.).

I think that apoch003 meant that DCI does in fact make more money than it spends...hopefully. If not, they couldn't continue to operate, although many non profit organizations can survive some years with managable debt and negative income.

I'm with you though...his tone sets me off. I don't care how many years you marched and for how long, you can still be completely clueless.

[ScribeToo]

Actually, that is not correct either, Stef. 

We're getting off on a tangent here, but let's clear this up again.  And for the record, I believe that apoch003 had the right thing in mind, but just worded it to where it sounded wrong.

A non profit organization is a charitable organization in which its trustees make no profit from the organization.  the organization itself WILL indeed (hopefully) make more money than is spends, as is the case with any business, whether they are for profit or non for profit.  In this case, DCI makes money from ticket sales, souvenir items, etc.  From that revenue, it must pay normal operating expenses (staff salaries, property leases, utilities, cost of video production, etc.).  If there is any excess it must be re-invested into the organization.

How is it that the top corps can spend so much more money on staff, equipment, food, etc. than their lower placing counterparts?  They have more surplus income.  Jeff Fiedler, for example, can make as high a salary as the Cavies organization wants him to have (just as a hospital administrator can make a half million a year, although he operates a non-profit organization).  He cannot however, take anything more than his salary.  The Cavies can sell tens of thousands of dollars more in souvenir items than most other corps in a single season, but that excess money MUST go back into the organization.  Top staff, expensive ladders, nice equipment and uniforms, and gourmet type food is what they get as a result of that excess (not to leave out the other areas of excess income, like show fees, etc.). 

I think that apoch003 meant that DCI does in fact make more money than it spends...hopefully.  If not, they couldn't continue to operate, although many non profit organizations can survive some years with managable debt and negative income. 

I'm with you though...his tone sets me off.  I don't care how many years you marched and for how long, you can still be completely clueless.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for the clarification..  I do understand the principals of "non-profit" -- but because it can be so convoluted, I try to simplify as much as possible.

It's easier for me to think in terms of a non-profit in business to STAY in business than it is for me to think of a non-profit in business to increase their profits and distribute more greatly the share of "wealth" their product generates among the company's officers and employees.

:)

Haven't seen you around for a while.. I'm glad you still find some time to get on here and chat with us! 

Stef