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I also missed the tongue-in-cheek aspect. Thank you for clearing that up. I hope DCI can focus on more important things than "getting ahead of the story". They need to get ahead of the whole situation - in other words, try to prevent abuse, and prevent the types of dysfunctional systems in which abuse becomes prevalent (i.e. one person controls the corps, BOD does not perform oversight, no P&P in place for harassment, poison pill severance packages). For a more apt analogy, what DCI needs to do is "build a wall". Not a physical wall, but a wall of ethical guidelines that stop predators from entering our activity to begin with. The guidelines currently in place are a start, but we need more specifics to close a few key loopholes. For example: - Instead of merely requiring background checks, spell out what must be done when background checks reveal a record of criminal abuse/harassment. Define which offenses are unacceptable, and provide "border security" by banning new hires with such a record. Define "deportation" policy for suspension/dismissal of current corps admin/staff who commit offenses, either with the corps or elsewhere. - Define policy regarding second chances for past offenders who have completed their sentences, regained suspended teaching licenses, had their records expunged, etc. Preferably, that would mean no second chances - do we want deportees re-entering the activity? But if exceptions are to be made, they should only be for "work that Americans won't do", tasks that have no contact with minors. - Define a minimum size for a BOD (three is not big enough), and a limitation on conflicts of interest between BOD members and corps administration related via family or external business ties. (Maybe not an absolute prohibition, but if the entire BOD sits at your kitchen table every morning, you are not doing it right.) One other thing DCI can do is train corps administrators regarding the whistleblower procedure. There is an understandable concern about misuse of that system. What may seem like "responsible reporting/investigation" to one party may seem like a "witch hunt" to another party. Regardless, the corps director cannot use their authority to interfere with the process (even if their complaint is legitimate), as even the perception of "obstruction of justice" is unacceptable.

I'll share my thoughts on this in 2023.

Amen, brudda.

The parallel I was making was between two companies that, when informed by a reporter who was working on a negative story, decided to preemptively issue a statement meant to make the company look better. Facebook did that. And DCI did that. Given that similarity, I thought it might be worthwhile to look at other strategies that Facebook adopted in their effort to make bad news go away. I thought it was obvious I was being tongue in cheek! I was not seriously suggesting, for instance, that Dan Acheson start a whisper campaign claiming that you, Brasso, were the dark power secretly trying to bring DCI down. Nor that Acheson should use, say, Jeff Ream as a cut-out to get Tricia Nadolny to write negative stories about DCA. But Facebook did that sort of thing and more over the past two years. (In other words, I agree with you that DCI should be fully forthcoming and transparent.) That Times story on Facebook is fascinating, by the way, and well worth reading for those who have a few minutes to spare. A lot of bad decisions by a lot of people.

Warning: This story may be a repeat... There are certain characters who are regulars at DCI, some of whom have probably been to finals each year since 1972. One of the more colorful characters stayed at the same hotel I did a few years back. There was a man who marched with Cadets who was there with his wife and children, one of whom was going into 5th grade. As I was grabbing cup of coffee, I spoke with the family and I learned that the boy going into 5th grade played the clarinet. I told him I played the clarinet when I was his age. This caught the ear of the colorful character who ranted and raved about the evils of woodwinds and accused me of being like George Hopkins and wanting to force woodwinds into DCI. This was on the morning of prelims and for the rest of the weekend, anytime he saw me, including at LOS, he called me George Hopkins. For a while the name George Hopkins was applied to all sorts of things, especially a change that was not popular. I think in many ways he was more of a personality or a persona than anything else. After the accusations were made, and now that charges have been filed, he is no longer a persona or personality, he is a person and a person who has been accused of and now charged with serious crimes. I don't think George Hopkins has been used as a punchline since last April, but sadly for him, all he did to advance the activity no longer matters.

He’s not a punchline now. He’s a cautionary tale.

For anyone interested - the 2018 downloads are now available on the Marching Music Downloads website thru DCI...that means the CD's should be shipping soon.

Southern Knights Drum & Bugle Corps Published by John Hoekstra · 57 mins · In 5 days the Southern Knights begin rehearsals for the 2019 season with our first experience weekend! Saturday, 11-17-18... 10am start at Pell City High School. Sunday, 11-18-18...11am start. All sections open! It's a new year. If you've always wanted to try something new, now's the time to start. All camp fees are $25.00, and go directly towards your tuition if you are contracted! Never marched? Want to get back into marching? That's what we are here for. Experience DCA's first Championship Finalist ever from Alabama!!! www.southernknightscorps.org

And we are all waiting for the new phone book too.

Again I say - DCP needs a 'duh' button

and background checks need to be more than just what the criminal database would show. They need to search for suspended teaching licenses as well. As for second chances....Honestly, in a youth activity, thats a VERY slippery slope.

Not direct competitors but holding something of a similar space in consumers' minds, I guess. Zuckerberg also made his executives all switch to Android phones after Apple's Tim Cook criticized how Facebook handled privacy issues. That sounds rather Hopkinsesque to me.

MDMA

Insurance is their friend (if their leader and board were smart enough to pay for it).

I always love being quoted 5 years later.

The utility goes beyond a one shot gimmick. The potential is nearly limitless. Combine them with whatever other props one desires. Again, The surface has barely been scratched with what can be done with them to support the theme of any program. They aren't Carmel's Viking Ship or Crown's Stagecoach or BA's Go-Buggies.

GH might ultimately receive "The Power of 10".... years.

I will ALWAYS take physical media over streaming options. Streaming can be taken away easily - what are your options for watching 1984 Suncoast Sound right now? But nobody is ever coming to my home to confiscate my DVD/Blu-ray library. Video and audio quality are better (less compressed) on physical media in general also. The sound quality of the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio alone is worth the cost of the Blu-ray, and you can't get that any other way right now. Streaming can be more costly over time, whereas a disc is a one-time purchase for unlimited viewing forever. I'll pay pretty much whatever they want to charge for the blu-ray - keep 'em coming! Shawn

Sounds like a research project that could be right down your alley!

. Why wouldn't George cross the road? There were no hash marks.

The punch line comes from a two-part video that went viral amongst us DCP denizens maybe three years ago...the one with the two cartoon bears where someone could enter their own dialogue and see the bears move their lips and recite what was entered. The answer for all sorts of questions was, "George Hopkins." Check out 6:35 through 7:12.As for the bad rap part...I think it's because George has been willing to say, write and propose things that many other directors wanted to say, write and propose, but didn't have the guts to do so. George is quite passionate about throwing things out there and seeing what sticks, in the belief that in doing so, things more forward. He got a lot of grief over proposing amplification and then electronics, but those were things many others wanted, but didn't want to stick their necks out. However, those proposals passed and even some who voted "no" at the DCI Rules Congresses were hopeful they would pass, but voted "no" for a variety of reasons...such as to not honk off their fan base. I've written this more than once...If George Hopkins didn't exist, we would have to invent him.

You just opened Pandora's box.