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Showing content with the highest reputation on 12/16/2018 in all areas

  1. Holding the man in charge of DCI accountable for having sexual predators scattered about all over the activity is hardly for optics. And if I hear one more time that the Executive Director of Drum Corps International has no ability to act due to the structure of DCI, then DCI needs to fail due to its rank incompetence at organizing itself. Look, I know in this day and age everyone yearns to be a victim and no one is accountable for anything. So yes I’m swimming against the current of our culture. But if you’re in charge, you need to be held accountable, if only because you’re in charge. Even if you personally had nothing to do with it. And also, nobody is irreplaceable. Nobody. The care and well being of the participants in the activity are what need to come first, not the ability to tour and the endless pursuit of money. Maybe having these priorities backwards played a part in creating this mess.
    5 points
  2. I think a lot of people were misguidedly trying to "protect" their corps or the activity as a whole. So they "hushed" things up. Additionally most of these folks were around when drum corps was far less careful with the well-being of the members. So they have a very muted reaction to (for example) a staff member and a student having a consensual sexual relationship. The unfortunate result is that when these abuses are finally out in the open, the fact that so many adults in a position of authority failed to act makes the attempted hushing up even more egregious. It's one thing to have an incident; it's quite another to have those you trust actively enable more incidents by covering things up. Not excusing this behavior -- just trying to explain it. They all knew better.
    4 points
  3. But can’t fire Paterno... #### think of what it will do to the football program. oops hit a flashback..... yet another parallel
    4 points
  4. mandated reporting. he had an obligation. He didn't ignore me, in 2012, Morgan Larson was nothing more than a name that appeared on DCP a few times. he did however ignore tohers on here who did report it, and raised hell with the corps, and got all kinds of threats for doing so. The wagons circled hardcore in Racine, and in fact all but one boatd member then is on their board now. but the Kilties are and were an affiliate member, with a member on the sex registry, performing at DCI shows with minors galore in attendance, on school grounds. And in fact in the incident mentioned in 2012 when police were called, the issue caused DCi to lose a venue from that day forward. So Dan had a reason to act. he chose not to.
    3 points
  5. Yes. So far, there has been no public comment from Dan A. at DCI HQ on this media report.. Nor if such clear and un ambiquous misconduct on the part of Mr. Morrison will have any consequences from DCI HQ. to either him or the Crossmen Corps. Mr. Morrison must have certainly known that if the info got out to Parents of marchers, that many of them would be steamed that he knowingly put their kids at high risk with such a hire... So he reportedly secretly hired and payed for a service in attempts to bury the guy's background info so no one would find out about it. If this report ( Philly Enquirer ) is accurate, Mr. Morrison is not to be further trusted in his capacity. DCI HQ should demand he be removed ( or he resigns himself ), or DCI HQ. should put the Crossmen on Probation and the Corps disallowed from competition so long as Mr. Morrison is still the Corps Director there, imo. If DCI's HQ's Dan A is too timid, too weak, or somehow otherwise incapable for some reason of taking such action, then he should step aside, or be voted out by others as well, imo In 2009, DCI HQ put the Troopers on Probation, and disallowed them from Competition until such time as they agreed to remove their Corps Director. His failings ? That he put in the Corps ( and by extension DCI ) into financial hardships with his apparent financial mismanagement of his Corps and its mounting debts. His actions were not intentional to do financial harm, but it did financial harm nonetheless according to DCI HQ at the time. Mr. Morrison's failings in comparison seem FAR more egregious to me. They were intentional. wilful, highly risky to youth in the Corps. Mr. Morrison's actions were apparently wholly secretive in nature, as well as unfair to prospective marchers and their parents. Thats not transparancy. If the reporting is accurate, thats sabotage of the info that people have a right to know about, should you decide to make a highly risky hire of someone with a series of sexually predatory episodes in dealings with youth in their charge in the past. DCI HQ put out a press release statement this weekend that states in part that DCI " will not tolerate abuse or misconduct ". We are all about to find out if they mean business, or if their words in that recent press release are about to ring hollow for a lot of people.
    3 points
  6. Sounds like a catch-22. The directors, who largely neutered DCI’s oversight ability some time ago, now need a little oversight of their own, but by whom? Is that the overall gist?
    3 points
  7. Fred Morrison. Knowingly hired a perv who sexted underage school kids. Paid to cover it up. Is Fred still the Crossmen executive director?
    3 points
  8. I think that's fair. I have a feeling the chain of events and actions will be made clearer in time so we can draw some clear conclusions. Personally, I'd rather chop off the right heads then kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out....
    3 points
  9. 3 points
  10. Hey, Jim and Fran! A "Normal"!!!!!!!!!!!!
    3 points
  11. Wrong, it doesn’t matter where the suspected abuse occurs. If a mandated reporter hears about or thinks they see evidence of suspected abuse they must report it period. Have family members in teaching. If they thinking abuse is going on in the students house they must report. Not just in the school. In one case kid came to class with a bruise the shape of a hand on the face. Authorities were called immediately.
    3 points
  12. My elementary school desk was so sturdy, big, and strong and nailed to the floor so tightly, that to this very day I believe a direct hit on my classroom by a Nuclear Blast gave me at least a 50-50 chance of making it out of there alive.
    2 points
  13. Bringing light on teachers is not a bad thing. It happens all the time, and it should continue. As I said in a different post, NJ just implemented a "Don't pass the trash" law to help stop the ability of teachers to move from district to district after engaging in inappropriate behavior. As for the articles, George Hopkins' behavior, that started these news articles, had nothing at all to do with schools. You are still somehow trying to tie drum corps and marching band together, which IMO is not valid. These articles started with Hopkins, and they have morphed in further drum corps examples. Nothing wrong with that. She writes for a PA news organization, and Hopkins worked in Allentown. Band circuits are just not remotely organized as you seem to think. The bands who compete in band competitions, be it BOA, USBands, etc, are not "their" bands, as DCI corps are "their" corps. The bands just sign up to compete at shows, or host a show. They are not integral to the operation of any particular circuit; they are not controlled by the circuits. The school districts bear all responsibility to monitor and control the people who work with children of all ages in their district. There are news stories all over the country about teachers and other staff being caught and punished for their behavior. they do not get a free ride when caught, and hopefully more will be caught and either prosecuted or at least removed from any contact with students....be it band, sports, clubs, or any school activity.
    2 points
  14. Can you clarify, please? Is it your contention that DA was ignorant about GH, Crossmen, Genesis, OC and all the other myriad scandals surrounding our cherished activity? I am not asking about what he did or did not do. I am asking did he know anything.
    2 points
  15. We had to go to our school cafeteria which was on the basement level, and get under the tables. Because hey.... the first place targeted by Soviet military planners would be a Catholic grammar school in the NJ suburbs.
    2 points
  16. They made us do the same exact drill for tornadoes. So I guess tornadoes = thermonuclear warfare in the Chicago suburbs of the ‘60’s. Who knew?
    2 points
  17. Because it fits your fantasy. The CEO is not the face of DCI? WHAT? lol you're delusional. Acheson's resignation will not destroy DCI. The DCI staff will not all quit when he resigns. Tour will proceed as normal. An interim CEO will be found from inside the activity. The search for a new CEO will find a good replacement. The world will continue to turn THOSE are facts. When Acheson is FORCED to resign because the reporters put together the right sources to prove he was aware of at least one case of sexual abuse and did not report it, the scandal will be MUCH larger than otherwise would be the case. Hiding from the press and pretending everything is going to be just fine moving forward is magical thinking on his(and your) part. And the BOD will not act to force his resignation because THEY are as guilty as he is and are active participants in this doomed strategy of duck-and-cover.
    2 points
  18. Well I 've been pretty much a lone wolf calling for this for years now, WaxDCIFan. But taking the pulse of most fans/ marchers/ parents, there seems at the moment to be little to no support for DCI to enact any sensible and reasonable transfer rules/ policies between Corps in DCI. So witthout such sentiments, I'm resigned to the status quo on this.. Without such transfer rules however, its almost a given that the Blue Devils will be winning 40% of the DCI Titles ( or finishing runnersup ) over the next 40 years, just like they have for the last 40 years.
    2 points
  19. To me, the message that would send is that DCI cares more about optics than solutions.
    2 points
  20. 2 points
  21. My family got it but co-workers never got the parade bit. What did you do 4th of July? Was at two parades in Baltimore Oh you watched 2 parades? No in them Riding a float or something ? No marched couple miles playing a horn Wow how much do you get for that?
    2 points
  22. Excellent place to start. And the longer the wait, the more the distrust festers. We cannot have the Mel Brooks Blazing Saddles "We've got to protect our phony-baloney jobs, gentlemen!" moment.
    2 points
  23. 2 points
  24. Good call! It's definitely a "Ball of Confusion? 😂
    2 points
  25. All of the talk of this person knew, or they should have known and whether or not they had responsibilities and duties to report, followed by those who say there is no proof... lather, rinse repeat. This board knew and should have done something and that board should have known too, followed by more Rabbit Season, Duck Season back and forth. More discussion of resignations and what not and why not. Does DA inhale or exhale during his back-swing on the first tee, how many pieces of corn were in the morning constitutional; and on and on. Yet, Fielder can't be discussed? I'm being sarcastic on purpose... but, Wasn't Fiedler a member of the DCI board and at one time the chairman of that same board when some of these things went on that have been discussed in the last year or so? What did he know and not report, was he part of some Glenn Beck worthy conspiracy? "... and the band played on." ($1 to Melvin Franklin and the Temptations) Irony is so ironic.
    2 points
  26. A standard police background report won't indicate an instructor with a history of flirting or making suggestive comments to students (that's gross, but not a crime), or one who entered into a consensual (if totally unethical) physical relationship with an adult member of a band or corps, or one who was investigated by his or her prior employer but then quit before the investigation was finalized (which has been the case in numerous situations, both those reported and those that are generally well-known at the top, but haven't yet found their way to publication). So what should happen is that each instructor or staff member has to agree to sign away their rights to sue others they worked for if that other employer discloses to their next potential organization that the employee was, in fact, engaged in behavior that would violate the standards of the activity. Let's say that happens: in January, DCI passes a rule that you can't work in drum corps without giving your corps the right to investigate your past fully, signing away any rights to sue if information detrimental to you turns up. Great: so then comes the hard part: no school or other past employer's lawyers would dream of letting them tell another potential employer that you (the instructor) in fact were kind of a creeper, because they don't want to open up even the faintest possibility that the org could be sued for defamation, even IF there's a piece of paper you signed giving them the right to do it. There are some things that could be instituted: mandatory reporting by the corps of all investigations into their staff members for inappropriate behavior, those records held at the DCI office, would be a start, but it's unclear if even that would have headed off some of the most egregious offenders (no one at YEA's BOD cared to look into Hopkins, so there would have been no record, and I hadn't heard that the latest d-bag in the Inquirer story was ever investigated by a drum corps, prior to OC's investigation). This would mean that DCI's relationship to the corps has to change dramatically, which WOULD require bylaws changes and structural changes, giving the office in Indy much more power to direct the activities of the member corps than DCI currently has. But the way it's set up right now, based off a model from 1972, DCI isn't charged with that level of responsibility, so calls for them to retroactively "do something" with information they didn't have is a non-starter.
    2 points
  27. Thank you for that perspective. It seems that the price tag for ruining a life is very low.
    2 points
  28. I’ve got two MMs on the audition / callback trail right now. They are both 4 year vets reaching up this year for the brass ring, so to speak. So we had some long dinner table conversations about which corps, cost of plane tickets, etc. It’s real. It’s not only hard on the MMs, it’s also hard on the smaller corps who are trying to be more competitive. If the big corps pulls in 36 trumpets trying to sign 6 “A” list performers, then there will be a whole bunch of A or B list players who aren’t available to fill the ranks at those lower tier corps who still have to contract their performers in Dec / Jan. The net effect is that the gap widens between the top tier corps and the others each year, either because the other corps have to either accept more B/C level talent or wait longer to finalize their lines and start preparing. One idea that has come on this forum in the past that seemed to have some merit is the transfer rule idea, similar to NCAA athletics. Having a transfer rule would dramatically limit the callback craziness and help with parity / competition by encouraging vets to stay with their home corps. And for those readers of Adam Smith, you know that more competition makes everyone better in the end.
    2 points
  29. If an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor was reported to DA directly, he would be considered a mandated reporter. He might be considered a mandated reporter in some states if a person spoke to someone at DCI hq. if he learns of an allegation through the grapevine, he should make sure it has been reported, but legally whether that makes him a mandated reporter is unclear, civilly is a different matter, and interstate adds a whole new dimension. Unless a huge coverup from the top down is involved, the chances of DA being charged for failure to report abuse would be slim to none. Whether a lawyer could maneuver things in a civil lawsuit against him is a different matter.
    2 points
  30. You bet, Jim. It's been that way for years, not just in PA. Went through a harrowing NY teacher's in service circa 1990 on child abuse and reporting. What was said in that presentation about stuff that happens to kids in graphic ways left me pretty messed up at the end of it. If they wanted to make their point... they made it.
    2 points
  31. let's be honest here....Larson had a record you could look up online...and the people that reported it were ignored by some, threatened by others. While I won't dive into the other names mentioned, Larson had had that record for a decade plus when he was reported. I know you got all ###### at me last time when Larson came up, but that's not defensible in any way shape or form. one good google search would lead to you the fact he was on the sex offenders registry, and he was participating in DCI events with the Kilties.
    2 points
  32. I always love hearing the creative math coming out of drum corps camp auditions :)
    2 points
  33. Problem is, you do not know that. ####, you even admitted not knowing earlier in this thread. For all you know, Acheson had the investigators on speed dial, and called them immediately upon receiving a credible claim. But if the investigation fails to find something, then what? It is not prudent to publicize claims that do not pan out. If someone makes a confidential claim against Karuna, and investigation finds no corroborating evidence, there will be no press releases or blogs about Karuna being accused. It would be wrong for Acheson to leak such information and smear the good name of Karuna, even if it helps unsmear his own name. Be sure to let us all know when you have proof that Acheson both: - received a credible claim, and - did nothing Until then, it would be appropriate if you continued to use the phrase "if he... " in your accusations.
    2 points
  34. The one thing I’ve learned about drum corps in the last eight months that I somehow missed in the last 50 plus years, is that there is no shortage of excuses. So, we that going for us.
    2 points
  35. Our memories are shaped by our experiences back then. Its like a friend of mine who said to us " I recall the snow was much bigger back in our young kid days. The drifts of snow much bigger, taller back then " Of course we had to remind him .... " thats because you were 3 feet 6, at the time, you dope "
    1 point
  36. I'm not sure your definition of a "mandated reporter" is correct, hence my question about Dan. What makes a person a mandated reporter is defined in the laws...that vary by state. Some states define the categories of people who are mandated reporters...some do not specify job categories at all. Some states say that anyone can report abuse; these people are identified as "permissive reporters". Defining a person as a "mandated reporter" needs to be accurate, as the term has legal meaning.
    1 point
  37. I understand the anger and frustrations many are feeling. As I said in an earlier post many want to see heads roll. There are also calls for independent investigations. Maybe these are solutions, but many are split in whether DCI needs new leadership and if there is no paper trail leading to DCI, an investigation independent or otherwise will yield very little. What I would like to see is each corps in DCI today looking at themselves. Make certain current staff has no reasons why they should not be involved with drum corps, the two major areas being sexual harassment and providing alcohol and drugs. While I do not know of cases where staff have provided drugs and alcohol to marching members, in many cases sexual misconduct and substance abuse can often be linked. I’d recommend putting staff on notice that boundary violations will be carefully watched for since this is often testing the waters for misconduct and red flag any who seem suspicious. I would like to see in employment contracts that any substantial accusation of sexual misconduct will be reported to DCI, DCA, WGI, the band circuits. While some may see problems with false accusations, they key word is substantial and most studies place the likelihood of false allegations between 4-7%. Corps should also be looking at their history. Where corps can have frequent staff and leadership changes, it might be likely there are no written record of misbehavior, personnel files, or the like. There is the lore and I think this is where the “everybody knows” comes from. Try as best to look at the issues. Were minors violated? Were there relationships between marching members and staff? Were there allegations from one marching member against another? This would help identifying the exact scope of the problem.
    1 point
  38. This may be an outside-of-the-box approach, but has anyone considered that the current MM may be some of the best to consult as to how this activity should move forward? After all, it is their corps now and the youth of today are surprisingly mature when it comes to this. Remember, they live in a world where schools are shot up, teachers are predators, etc. They may have some of the most insightful opinions yet!
    1 point
  39. "Rap on, brother" Sorry, I couldn't resist 🤣
    1 point
  40. That certainly could be valid, although I don't think that may be the majority of the reasoning (certainly some of it though.) I think that the culture changed (thank GOD) and that the people at the top levels of the organization, be it DCI/DCA or individual corps, never moved on. They stayed at the tops of their respective boards and committees and continued to "do things the way that things had always been done." As my girlfriend said after I lost at the US Open this year (she makes me feel old) "Baby, if you can't cut the mustard, you can always still lick the jar." It's time for the old guard to move on perhaps.
    1 point
  41. I talked to a girlfriend of mine about this on Friday. She knows absolutely nothing about drum corps. A civilian as I call my non-drum corps friends. I text’d her the article from Thursday and asked for her perspective as a civilian. She said that she believes that there was a deep coverup because people don’t want to lose an activity that they fiercely love.
    1 point
  42. This is just FUD. There's no evidence that removing Acheson and appointing an interim CEO would hobble DCI. You're just making that up. Furthermore there's no evidence that if Acheson were removed, that all of DCI's staff would be removed. Again -- pure fiction. These fantasies are just your opinions. You have a right to them but they're clearly ridiculous and you're making them up. IMHO they are a transparent attempt to shore up support for a CEO whose continued employment merely delays the start of drum corps recovery from the current crisis. If you can't argue the facts, try the ol' Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt routine!
    1 point
  43. And is it allowed to now speak of the third on this list?
    1 point
  44. Calling BRASSO. You have a message on line two.
    1 point
  45. If this makes logical sense then, by direct extension, those who drafted, voted, and implemented the policy that now makes Dan A worthy of being fired are, themselves, responsible. They are the fiduciaries of the activity according to law. Valuable knowledge about running a drum corps is easily and effectively replaced and, therefore, has little or no value. I publicly call for every DCI BoD member to be removed from DCIs governance structure the day they march Dan out. And, because by their very lack of action as board members of the governing body, they obviously are enabler personalities who should not be in charge of a youth group. I now call for every director who has either voted in favor of the current DCI governance structure, or FAILED TO INTRODUCE a vote for proactive restructuring of DCI, to be removed from their corps the same day they march Dan A out. Now, corps boards were enablers for allowing their directors to vote in favor of DCIs structure, or DIDN’T DEMAND their reps to DCI’s governance model vote on action to change that structure. I demand that all corps board members be removed and replaced the day they march Dan A out. Now, what about the SPONSORS who enabled... Feelin’ wordsmithy today.
    1 point
  46. People elsewhere are trying to claim that Morgan Larson isn’t still under restriction. He is. .https://appsdoc.wi.gov/public/offenderdetails?id=10906
    1 point
  47. For context, The former YEA BOD and and DCI HQ were not about to do anything with George Hopkins. That was going to be buried forever, lets face it. It took an outside media, this reporter, to get the ball rolling to weed out alleged rapists, sexual assaulters, sexual harassers, sexual predators, and their Enablers in DCI. This reporter ultimately is potentially saving future victims from harm marching in DCI Drum Corps. Critique her perhaps imprecise word usage in sentences, her headlines, etc or anything else minor in her article if critics must. But the big picture here is that she is doing parents and current and future marchers a huge service here with her reporting, imo. THATS the overarching value in what she is doing here, imo.
    1 point
  48. Were you at the Naperville show in 2012? Because Morgan Larson was thrown off the campus of North Central College for being a convicted felon and didn’t do the show that night. Didn’t you wonder why he was thrown off campus if you were there?
    1 point
  49. Details matter, but some wrong things in this article don't make the rest of it--the major points--untrue. Your posts in this thread are being read by others as claiming that Nadolny's mistakes undermine the heart of her reporting. Almost all of your comments here have questioned the article's flaws and almost none of them have acknowledged its achievements. It's as if you're judging the article using the tick system.
    1 point
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