Food problems on tour

[gottalovit]

To start off, this is not to point fingers at anyone or blame anyone in particular for any given situation. This is just wondering how in the world something could come to this. Although on second thought, maybe there should be some blame put somewhere for these situations.

I have always heard the horror stories of certain corps not providing balanced meals for their corps. I have heard that some corps were so poor, other corps food trucks were feeding them.

I was at a souvie booth in Madison this year, and one of the girls working was telling me the corps she was in a few years back was so bad off, other corps had to feed them. I have a really good friend that has been involved with corps for over 45 years, and he said this used to be a very common thing. The corps he works with has helped feed many other corps over the years.

So the question is, HOW IN THE HECK DOES IT GET THIS BAD?

Where are the parents in all of this? How can the corps even be on the road if they don't have money for food? I am the last person to ever want to see a corps fold, but if the corps doesn't have money for food, or to get to the next location, what are you even doing out on the road? I mean, you are risking serious side effects having these young men and women marching in 100+ degree weather, and then not getting them the proper nutrition. I know no corps wants to fold, or quit early in the season and risk losing members in the upcoming years, but where is the concern for all the wonderful people involved?

What are the corps directors, staff members, board members, volunteers and parents thinking during these situations? I think if a corps I was involved with ever had that kind of problem, I would want them to return home,( hopefully a few of the members would be able to fill last minute holes somewhere else), where they could focus on finances for the upcoming year/s. I honestly don't know how some of these kids even managed to function doing 12-14 hour days with little food. My heart goes out to these young members over the years that have had this happen. I just hope we don't hear horror stories like this again.

[mattsmom]

I have to tell you that this was NEVER the case with my son over the past three years that he marched! In fact, he was fed extremely well this past year with the Scouts and came home with a whole new perspective on "foods that he loves"!

I wonder how much of a "legend" this might be....or for the extremely picky eater- however, there is always PB and J!

[Kyle B]

I was in a corps that several times fed another corps. We called them _______ parties, although we knew it was just to feed them.

Most people can figure out who it was.

[DCIguardgal]

I wonder how much of a "legend" this might be....or for the extremely picky eater- however, there is always PB and J!

It's not much of a "legend". I've seen some occasions where a corps I've marched with has fed others, and I've watched other corps feed others. It's a shame it happens, but it does happen.

[Linda Slocum]

I have to tell you that this was NEVER the case with my son over the past three years that he marched! In fact, he was fed extremely well this past year with the Scouts and came home with a whole new perspective on "foods that he loves"!

I wonder how much of a "legend" this might be....or for the extremely picky eater- however, there is always PB and J!

My son loved Deb's cooking for the Scouts as well... seems he only had one PBJ night this summer where something was cooked that he didn't like. Deb always makes sure that the kids have a balanced diet and enough calories to get them through the long days.

Desserts of course were the fave... The brownie mix in ice cream cones are legend, and it seems the lava cake was inhaled as well!

[tommytimp]

I heard about it back in the 80s as well. It was usually a corps that was functioning on very very low reserves across the board, so it's not like they poured a gold mine into uniforms or horns and let the kids starve.

Also, as far as balanced meals goes, it's always the top priority of the cook staff, but 17-20 year olds can eat cardboard and it doesn't adversely affect them long-term.

[mad_scotty]

I heard about it back in the 80s as well. It was usually a corps that was functioning on very very low reserves across the board, so it's not like they poured a gold mine into uniforms or horns and let the kids starve.

Also, as far as balanced meals goes, it's always the top priority of the cook staff, but 17-20 year olds can eat cardboard and it doesn't adversely affect them long-term.

thats actually not true. poor nutrition during formative years stunts your growth and leads to health problems later in life, and for most people that period of growth continues until they are 18-21, on average.

[Dir_en_X]

The only problem I had with food on tour was when we ran out of creamy PB and had to use chunky!

[84BDsop]

We always ate pretty good in BD...I've heard the stories from others, tho.

[GMKuzma]

This is one of the toughest parts of managing a tour.

Fact: Food costs money, especially for over 150 members, plus staff, plus volunteers, drivers, souvie folks, etc...3 or 4 times a day for X days during the summer. One thing I've noticed over the past year or so is when the price of oil rises, so do other things, (like food). It seems like the summer is the most expensive time of the year. When the costs "inflate" in the summer, it tightens up the "shoe string" budgets some drum corps operate on.

As far as food problems go...when I marched Blue Knights in '94, we fed several corps who were struggling (and probably shouldn't have been touring but back then to take a season off was not the socially acceptable thing to do, unlike today). I believe I talk about it in my book. It might have been Magic (who is currently inactive) and a couple other corps.

When I was working with Blue Knights in 2007, we helped feed a couple drum corps on the road...on one hand, the drum corps activity is a community where we should help each other out when times are tough. However, on the other hand, responsible decisions by management to provide a solid tour experience without endangering the lives of the members/staff should be made well before move-in.

The desire to "win" should not override the desire to provide a quality educational experience.

-GM