Dawn Of A New Era

On Sunday 22nd October 2006 the Annual General Meeting of Drum Corps United Kingdom made some historic and exciting decisions which will map out the future for the organisation, not just for the coming season but also for many years to come.

One of the main developments is that for the first time in 27 years Winterguard organisations will be classed as members of the charity which in the past has only been open to Drum Corps.

To reflect this change the charity has been re-named to Marching & Performing Arts United Kingdom (MPA-UK) and a revised constitution has been approved. The new structure, based on the model already working with huge success for WinterGuard United Kingdom, gives a high level of autonomy to the two existing circuits and allows for the introduction of further circuits associated with the marching and performing arts activity. The new MPA-UK web site can be found at www.mpauk.org.uk

The brand “Drum Corps United Kingdom (DCUK)” will remain in place and will be related specifically to the summer part of the organisation. The summer season will now be managed by a new and much more streamlined group of dedicated people who will not only look at how to move forward with new ideas but also put them into practice.

New Chairman of MPAUK, Alan Thompson, remarked “There was overwhelming support for these changes from both the summer and winter sides of our activity and I am extremely excited about the plans being formulated by both circuits Boards. MPA-UK will be working closely with them to ensure we offer a quality and entertaining activity to both our members and the public at large.”

Registration for WinterGuard United Kingdom 2007 is in full flow and updates will shortly commence on the WGUK website (http:/www.wguk.org.uk) and further exciting News Items and Press Releases will follow over the next few days giving details of plans and decisions made for DCUK 2007 and beyond.