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Also, to circle back to the topic, the Cadets are now in great hands. Ron Lambert is a great guy and well organized. He will bring them to a new level.

Gino Cipriani promoted to Boston Crusaders assistant director position. Quote: "Gino will serve as Assistant Director as well as continue his role as a Director of Music where he administers and oversees the BACBrass program." https://bostoncrusaders.org/2022/01/gino-cipriani-assistant-director/

Begs the question - How many times can the buck be passed before DCI-system implodes? I suppose we will find out.

The current setup also allows for DCI to receive all the whistleblower complaints. Let that sink in for just a second.... Everything that gets reported goes through DCI. It is in THIS respect that they maintain their control. They know who's doing what, but do not identify as the NGB (National Governing Body). You think they want that paradigm to shift? They're going to hold on to that tooth and nail (otherwise, they'd be an NGB). We're only hearing of the ones where the victims stood up and said, "DCI did nothing". What about the other complaints? Is DCI required to be audited by any federal agencies to prove they are handling whistleblower complaints correctly? Have any whistleblower complaints led to no public action, but private decisions? If I were a journalist, I know where I'd keep my microscope trained.

Exactly how DCI and member corps have played this game for decades. And they're obviously trying to continue now. DCI's default has been to say it's an individual corps problem. Meanwhile, DCI has indeed put out "policies" that apply to all corps, but those policies are intentionally toothless and DCI avoids responsibility by saying it's up to individual corps to enforce those policies. One giant merry-go-round of avoiding accountability, and it works. Why would DCI or individual corps need to change if it works so well?

You think threatening activity-wide blackballing is an appropriate motivational tactic for a youth activity?

the corps are DCI as has been explained on here a million times

The buck stops nowhere. It just keeps spinning. I’m glad someone else gets it.

That is assuming that they want to be fixed. Admitting there is a problem is the first step.

I don’t have the stomach to look over there anymore. So, I’ll take your word for it. There are some sick people on that page that really need some intense therapy. Although, I’m not sure if a whole team of psychologists could fix them.

well no. DCAF to be having a podcast soon about it..with interviews. recording Saturday

I don’t have a FB account … never have. But if what I am picking up from here is as bad as has been insinuated, this thread has some legs. It would be a crime to shut it down.

Pacific Crest is proud to announce that longtime staff member and alumnus Mark Kveton has taken on a new role as the organization’s Education Programs Director. As a former Drum Major for Pacific Crest (2008-2011), Kveton introduced Pacific Crest’s first Drum Major Camp 11 years ago. Since then, the annual program has served more than […]View the full article

Lol no that was further down 😈. Colonoscopy check which I passed (no pun intended), do it again in three years. Won’t do it over the winter next time, had few hours of snow and sleet this morning. Would have felt terrible if my “chauffeur” had got in an accident. Especially since she drove from the next town to get me and I only live 1/2 mile from the doctors office.

Scared me there, Jim. I thought you were talking about your old guy medical check up.

the odds of the corps giving up power is about as likely as Congress voting for term limits.

reduce the 6 weeks of spring training with its increased costs but no revenue and boom...savings

Not saying that it didn't happen in the past.....starting in an open (or back in the day, "A") corps, and then advancing to a "big boy" at a more mature age was common, and that still happens frequently. What I was implying is that jumping from one big corps to another big corps didn't happen back then as frequently as it does now.....and economics/cost is definitely impacting the number of seasons members choose to march.....many more "one and done" members, and many who do 2 seasons and that's it. One interested parallel to the times involves athletics......as the "sit out a year" rule involving college transfers is all but gone, and now athletes can start at one school, and play the next season at another....school hopping by athletes is going to become a big thing over the next several years.....far more in the past, because they can play for their new school right away......my only worry about that is "powers" actively recruiting kids already at other programs, and there will be no way to monitor that....it could become just like the pros in terms of trades, buying players, etc.....I don't think that corps has reached the point where corps are attempting to openly recruit/"steal" players from other corps (though historically it has happened), but I don't think that it is an open practice....the bottom line is that it is a kid's choice to stay with the corps that they join, or to march in multiple corps.....not sure if it still happens, but some corps would offer a returning vet "discounts" for returning, which sometimes was a larger discount each year.......perhaps not a bad idea if the corps can get by.....

I think this speaks volumes about how serious SoA and DCI take member safety even after all of this. They could moderate but opted to leave it in the comments on their pages.

Kinda makes you wonder, right?

Didn’t have the heart to look 🤮🤮

They’ve left the screenshots up on the joint statement thread, though.

Different world for sure from back in the day..In all aspects.. The good and BAD of it

As long as the Spirit Facebook page abuse continues, we should have a place here to speak out against it.

Ozark tops the list for me as the best TV ever, even over Breaking Bad and Sopranos. Been replaying seasons 1-3 for a week now in anticipation of Friday. Lots of stuff that went on in those seasons I'd forgotten happened. I've started to become a little bored with 1883 after episode 3 or 4. Not a high enough body count for me and plus that daughter's narration of everything has become a little stale. Sam Elliot is the ultimate cowboy, though. And to keep somewhat on topic, yes, please keep the thread alive. New developments seem to be happening all the time.

I still find the cost staggering and it saddens me that many kids get "priced out".....Back in the 70's, I struggled as a college kid to do corps, and it took me 10 years to pay back college loans.....if my life was fast forwarded to today, there is zero chance I would be able to afford to go college and also march corps. Zero. Every aspect of the activity is expensive these days........I still wonder if a corps need $80,000 of props on the field (and if they make that much difference) , but that's just my opinion....I kidded a friend recently....when DCI was in Orlando years ago, there was a parade at Epcot, and the corps members were given free time in the park......I was behind some of them at a food venue, and they were buying ALOT of food (overpriced park food at that), and all pulled out credit cards to pay the tab without any concern at all over cost.....They were also wearing sneakers that cost more than all of the clothes that I would have brought on tour....I laughed, as I remembered the last year that I finished tour, and I was digging for change in the bottom of my suitcase to get enough to buy a soda......

I’m watching 1883 now. Seeing how they ended up in Montana.

Ozark will help fill the gap while waiting a year for the next season of Yellowstone ❤️

It depends on how you rate a "really bad year". I think the term "embarassing show" is particularly harsh. You mention about going to BD. Yes, they always have a high talent level, and that propels them competitively every year. However, they have won at times with shows that impressed the judging community more than the audience, with other shows from competitors doing better in that regard. To this day, the Cadets are 2nd only to BD in terms of titles. You mention 2015-2016. Although the 2015 Cadet corps lost their mid-season lead, they are still the only corps in DCI history to win both high brass and high percussion in a championship round (semifinals) and not win the show, never mind the 4th that they came in, and they took high brass in finals as well. That was one fine show musically, and hardly an embarrassment. They did fall off a bit after that year, due to various reasons. When Jay Bocook left the Cadets, there was a noticeable drop in the quality of brass arrangements and brass performance. Throw in the troubles of 2018, and they battled through things that would have forced lesser corps to fold or have at least a year of inactivity. But they hung in, and not only went out, but were solidly in finals. Now, Bocook is back, the brass staff is strong, other captions are strong, and last year's corps was significantly better than the prior two seasons, and were very well received. The kids who go to the corps, like most corps, learn to work hard and are given a positive experience. That hasn't changed. Yes, many kids flock to BD to get a ring....I do wonder if they consider it a failure if they pick the wrong year and do not get one.....if "consistency in member experience" only equates to winning, does that mean all corps other than BD fail?

A good thought and probably a real factor, but also… who can afford to march 3 or 4 years in a top corps when fees plus travel to camps is like $7-8k a year?

Hoping Cadets weather this current storm in DCI land. One of my students was going to march Spirit this year, and a former student is marching Cadets, so my heart is churning right now. I'm hoping that Cadets have as hardcore of an attitude about abuse, from the top on down, as they do with their work ethic.

One of our own.Sounds like an old BD ballad .

Some days, I’m rooting for the asteroid. 🤣

Screams both Phantom and Crown to me. Bombastic piece of music. BUT, would maybe want to hear a great low brass line at Phantom tackle this:

Okay, one more. I think Regiment/ Crown/SCV could make this work. Beautiful ensemble work. https://youtu.be/SjlmnqDJvio

Kids are mixed with adults all though life.

I think we all knew this sort of thing was happening behind closed doors in drum corps. The show designs have gotten increasingly ridiculous to the point where it's not an endeavor worth pursuing from an artistic standpoint along with member safety. Hopefully dci will do us all a favor and fold

It's getting to the point where when you try to find positives, it's merely trying to defend the indefensible. Burn it all down.