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Cadets did what they needed to do to survive. It's the same principle as those who move from NYC/North Jersey to more southern or midwestern states. You do what you need to do to survive. If you don't want to give them grace because of the decisions they made, that's your prerogative. But if you have grown up in NY/NJ like I did, you know it is very expensive to live there, let alone maintain a non-profit organization there.

GH is gone. GONE. He no longer runs the Cadets. The move to Erie was after his tenure but regardless, given the state of inflation among other things, they need to do what they need to do to survive. I think we should probably be a little more grateful that they're still here, ESPECIALLY given what's happening to our West Coast friends. And given what you described what Cadets, under his leadership, did to the City of Hackensack, what makes you think they would even be welcome back in North Jersey? Maybe be a little more grateful the corps you love is still around...

With all the bridges that GH burned in Garfield, Hackensack, Bergen County, and Allentown it is no wonder the Cadets' new leadership moved them to the other end of Pennsylvania. Heck, thank your stars they didn't get moved to Santa Clara, California. At least, they'll be out on the field for their 89th season.

I say Kudos to the Cadets for doing whatever it takes to ensure it's survival and future success. Boston had every single camp in Texas this year, and their spring training is in Northern Vermont. You do what you need to do.

I think the larger problem is that doing stuff in New Jersey anymore isn't affordable, particularly North Jersey. The area around NYC is extremely expensive to be in, and the amount of money needed to get a show venue and housing site for each corps would be way more than any potential profit from selling tickets to where corps wouldn't even break even. I think Cadets wants to do everything they can to keep their NJ roots alive, for instance Cadets is still doing a show in New Jersey this year in Glassboro, but spending money that no corps can afford to spend just because the Cadets are originally for north Jersey isn't a smart move. I do think there is a push to have even more alumni involvement this year with history night and the community performance during spring training in Erie, and as always the alumni get togethers at Allentown and potentially even the Erie show this year. So I don't think the corps is at all trying to make alumni feel forgotten or excluded.

I think the biggest concerns among youth based non profits is: 1) Youth based activities attract predators. 2) Non profits always need to keep tabs on the finances. Where opportunity exists it will absolutely be taken advantage of. Where it pertains to Drum Corps: 3) They are behind the standard of both protection of the youth (relative to other organizations with deeper pockets that are learning hard lessons (churches, schools, scouts, etc.....), as well as protecting their finances.

More or of a reason for The Cavaliers to move to Texas.... lol!!!!

That elevation is no joke! I am a diehard 49ers fan, and last season I went to the Niners/Cardinals game in Mexico City Monday Night Football. Going from 900 ft elevation in SoCal, to 7200 ft in Mexico City............Brandon Aiyuk scored that first TD for the Niners, I jumped up, cheered and screamed, I swear I felt my lungs evaporate in my chest. All the air my body has ever known was gone lol.

My previous post was NOT directed towards you, btw. I very much think what you're doing is to protect vulnerable people and help end that cycle.

And training at 7000 feet of elevation will get you in shape fast!

So, to sum it up, SCV is a bingo operation that thinks it is a Drum Corps.

I would argue that Troopers have a better chance at pulling off two years in a row with SCV being out. I think there is energy behind them after last year.

Yes, DCA finally has a schedule posted. They posted it on Facebook but not on there "Official Website". Just shaking my head at this one. Yes, I'm sure DCA will get a greater read on FB. But why bother having an "Official Website" if you're not going to maintain it??

Oh I was big on hiking as an undergraduate in Indiana. Went to Denver for grad school and like first weekend some friends I'd connected with about hiking and a local, "Oh I know a great spot for hiking." That great spot was Chicago Lakes trail up near Mt. Evans. Trailhead is at about 10,600 ft and elevates to 11,750 ft. I took off at my regular pace and like 5 min later I'm gasping for air like a fish out of water. Learnt to pace myself up there fast.

talk about a tease.

The SCV board are the only ones who can "right wrongs". Any of them who would try to blame their failure on anything said by anybody on here or social media should be removed and replaced with a professional. If they aren't, then the org deserves to fail. So maybe start there when it comes to accountability. Nonprofits have publicly disclosed documents so people are going to talk. SCV can best control the narrative by taking actual action to right wrongs and (hopefully) communicate it effectively.

They couldn’t get in NJ what they got in Erie, and too many old wounds remain regardless of who’s in charge. A lot of burned bridges. growing up the corps I used to see in the region are gone. Cadets moved. Crossmen moved. So few local show options I could cry. But it is what it is.

My context is just be prepared for unexpected consequences. My old corps had huge issues after 97 and some crusaders in charge focusing on revenge instead of rebuilding. Yes you want to right the wrongs but you want to be sure you don’t burn it down also. and they burned it down. And never righted the wrongs or got the accountability they sought to boot.

If it makes you feel any better, my heart sank when Spirit's issues came to light. They've almost folded several times due to self-inflicted wounds, but there was enough alumnae who wanted the corps to survive even if it meant throwing everyone out and starting over. I hope SCV gets the same chance.

I hear ya. Others have said it before. However, let's look at the quantifiable aspect of it. I didn't crawl out from under my rock until both Corps were terminated. Enemies? Meh...... this isn't organized crime. I'm not losing drinking buddies out of all this. At worst, I'm the one pressing the accelerator. I'm not changing the destination. There are three groups of folks at play here: 1) Those I am a mortal enemy of. These are folks closely tied to the current SCV leadership. They are constantly on the look out for ways to explain away the responsibility off of the shoulders of those in actual positions to execute material change and improvements. Somehow I am the one preventing progress. 2) Those in my camp making efforts to force material change who know the behind the scenes score. Believe me, I'm often the one used as the mouth piece. Not many are willing to put themselves out like this. I'm not doing this single handedly. 3) Then the overwhelming silent majority who simply don't know the ins and outs of the organization but are distant stakeholders. They don't like the direction of SCV, and they don't like my blunt head on tactics. They don't like what SCV is pushing out, and as much as they don't like what I say they can't ignore written warnings from the Department of Justice, absent financial audits, 990 tax filings, and two no longer existent Drum Corps. ***** I've seen this before. It took me two years while on the board to get a direction where the financials could be cleaned up. That was working from the inside, and even then being the loudest voice in the room finally pushing the issue until it couldn't be ignored. Now I totally get it. I know how the business model works, and even with my limited current information the fact both corps are defunct now is just about the worst possible outcome. So things are just not adding up. People fear SCV going away forever. I don't see that happening. There is too much money to be had from Bingo. Greed will dominate that outcome. SCV is needed in some remote capacity for the Bingo Cash Cow to continue to be milked. All things absent of SCV existing as a drum corps there still is $3,000,000 of bingo market share they have easy access to. I don't see people in a position to keep that going letting it die by the wayside. If SCV doesn't come back it will be because those in a position to make them stay alive didn't follow through on what is needed to make them survive. Someone will still be cashing in on Bingo. That is for certain.

I was there for ensemble last weekend. They sounded exceptional. Everyone cleaned up super nicely and are playing at a really high level. Frankly this is the best camp season corps I’ve ever heard from the Crusaders and leagues better than 22. The music is amazing. The show design is great and one that’s entertaining. I can’t wait for everyone to see it

There were updates to some of this in the recent alum meeting. Perhaps another alum who's in less hot water with our peers will share those updates. No update on timeline. Listen, imagine raising 20k for a good cause, only to have that work roadblocked by fellow alum. At least, that's probably the perception. It's probably nonetheless frustrating to alum whose primary mode of engagement these days is fundraising. Nevermind that the messengers for that news weren't the ones that fell behind on required compliance paperwork, and continued to solicit without communicating to their donors about that delinquent status, nor the ways they plan to correct it. Those messengers are worried about the handling of fundraising, as well as the safety of donations and personal data... ... because, professionally speaking, there are red flags. But the messengers are hell bent on destruction, right? We couldn't possibly have our peer-donors' best interest in mind, because we know the signs of safe donations and protected data. No way. Shoot the messengers and leave those actually responsible alone! A go/no go date exists. Another thing that perhaps some other alum will share. I get wrist slaps when I share out too much from a public meeting. Why do you think I restrict my commentary to my corps? What little poking around I've done in other groups has not been well met. Except for SoA.

They probably do. But you are forgetting that the degree to which DCI applies rules is inversely proportional to competitive rank.

i'm not blaming whistleblowers. i am just saying their efforts could lead to the opposite result of what they really want.

whoa nelly...not blaming you for anything. and again, if you read what i wrote and you quoted, i want them back and run well and legally. but i am also telling you that your quest to correct the wrongs you perceive done by others ( not saying you're wrong, just covering all bases), that going the distance could indeed kill the organization forever....and never be reborn.Saying that isn't me saying not to do it or do it. i am just saying that the end result could be the forever death of that which you want to save. Glad you feel ok with that. it could bring you far more enemies than you have now.

Oh my gosh. I cannot WAIT to hear Bocook's arrangement of THIS!

It is ok to yell “Fire” in a crowded theater if there is indeed a fire.

we'd all love for corps to stay where they started....but too many burned bridges as i said before, and nowhere in NJ could give the Cadets what they get in Erie.

Acclimation is key, big city air pollution is also an issue in Mexico City pair that with the thinner air and you can imagine why that was!! Compare that to sparsely populated Wyoming and its vast, clean skies, definitely a fantastic place for conditioning for all those students, quite the challenge getting used to at first I’m sure😮😮 You definitely hear the home field advantages altitude provides in sports, Denver is a notable example, Mexico City for its national futbol team and it being a notoriously difficult place for the away team to play. Another example in South America is La Paz in Bolivia, over 11,000 feet above sea level, truly a nightmare for away teams but a tremendous advantage for the home team if they’ve acclimated to the conditions👀

With the ongoing battle between my 49ers and the city of Santa Clara, the Niners might not be there then, and the Cadets can move into Levi's Stadium.

Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me. Hint, hint: Somewhere over the rainbow Anniversary show Signature moves, self-referential. (a la Blue Devils "Metamorph", Cadets "Shall Always Be". Definitely explains the hats.

FWIW, the Hawthorne Caballeros will be hosting their Grand Prix 2023 show in Clifton on July 8th. DCA hasn't "forgotten" North Jersey, and this show has always been well attended. https://www.hawthornecaballeros.org/2023/04/15/grand-prix-2023-tickets-on-sale-now/ --- As mentioned elsewhere, hosting a DCI show in Clifton is certainly challenging for both a financial and logistical perspective. Clifton doesn't have much parking, let alone places to park buses and semis. This would require having the city of Clifton reserve street parking in advance. You can't get to Clifton in a semi or box truck the way you can with a car -- these vehicles aren't allowed on the Garden State Parkway.

This is why I advocate for an eventual separation of the two. It will never happen so why not say what I think? But that revenue stream is both an outlier and a liability. This makes two reports, separated by at least a decade, of bingo fraud. I haven't seen this kind of model in any of the other arts non profits I've worked for. Nothing like it. (I know other examples exists, but my work didn't intersect with them. And my circle of professionals give side eye whenever I ask them about bingo as a NP revenue source.) Edit to add... This, again, is my professional opinion, but here are some sources that reinforce my point: https://grantstation.com/gs-insights/Fundraising-Through-Charitable-Gaming https://prism.ucalgary.ca/server/api/core/bitstreams/194b7c27-814d-4822-96d0-b1dba92f39dc/content

The old work question “do you want it done quick or done right “

There is now a partnership between The Cadets and the Lake Erie Fanfare/Thunderbirds/Lake Erie Regiment. This move is providing access to a large asset of drum corps fans. Including an (pardon my language) old drum corps base that has been yearning to support something like the Cadets.

💯 Didn't take it that way and appreciate your saying so. Also, it's crucial that other corps cross their t's and dot their i's. I hate that my corps is splayed out for our teachable moments but might as well learn from it if nothing else.

If the org doesn't have that kind of power, the individuals it harmed still have even less. I just fear that some are giving whistleblowers more power than we actually have to "destroy" an institution. And, even though anyone outside of wb circles would have no way of knowing this... the amount of restraint demonstrated by every single one I'm in contact with is monastic and profoundly compassionate, given what they endured. I think the subtext directed at wbs in this convo of ours is "be careful, don't break Vanguard pl0x." To which I can only say, "We are being incredibly delicate. But to move the dial, we also have to judiciously assertive as well. We love Vanguard too." And it's not like these wbs are some united force, most just want to be left alone. I'm btw a hard rock and a place. Seriously. Alum with reports approached me as recently as last month. Beyond everything else, I'm stuck figuring out how to help ensure those and future reporters don't face retaliation. Unless anyone here has any better ideas about how to handle that...

That’s the truth. They have no problem bouncing the low-hanging fruit.

What time of year should a corps have their “stuff” together for the next competitive season? Or what time should they START to have it together. SCV still can’t even find an executive. And don’t want to hear how rest of the staff should know how to handle things without a leader. Not being able to find one is a bad sign. See posts saying it’s one thing to pay off the past debt but what will be done so this doesn’t happen again. No response to that. Also nothing seen on what is being done or an expected timeline on correcting the CA paperwork mess. If there has been any movement it’s been very slow. Meanwhile four months from now the 2023 season will be over. What position will SCV be in four months from now? Do I want to see SCV fail.. NO! Have seen too many corps go under and activity is in bad enough shape without this corps going kaput. And how many other corps have behind the scenes crap that would hurt them if the truth would come out. THAT’S why I’m following this thread closely

There is no textbook for how to do this. The institution is immensely more powerful than any one whistleblower, it's why the protection laws exist. I have chosen to side with the truly less powerful in these situations because I've endured the lasting effects of mistreatment. Their capacity to recover from their experiences, when the industry as a whole continues to require their silence about what they endured, is hindered. And the industry's capacity to improve is too.

We learn a little more every day. We learn that a formerly respectable org is now in jeopardy and are misrepresenting themselves to supporters and donors every day. Maybe it takes this amount of dead horse beating to get people to understand the sad depths of the once class of DCI has dropped to. No sweeping any of this under a rug or letting it slip out of sight.

If I recall from past posts you're an attorney....? I think so, but I could be thinking of someone else. I count 3 to 4 elements out of 5 that meet the standard of defamation IF he is not being factual and purposely spreading false information. If he is being factual then there's nothing to see here. I'm surprised (well maybe not) DCI doesn't already have something that requires corps must be in full compliance with any and all state laws and regulations in terms of operating as a non-profit.

To me it seems as a public discussion & partial documentation of what is going wrong at SCV can serve as a warning to others.

Not to mention less distractions, less lookey-loos, and less risk of leaks,

Nah, assuming he has the receipts (email comms from them, etc) plus the official state records that support the assertions, there's nothing here that comes close to having enough turf to support a defamation suit. Nonprofit orgs are there to operate for the public good, and when they get into trouble and then tell people "mind your own business" - which SCV has, consistently, to all sorts of experienced people in the activity who have offered to help - the non-profit has given up any claims to operating for the public good. DCI's membership will have to force the issue. unfortunately. The DCI Board should entertain a resolution that Vanguard will not be allowed to be back on the tour next year until they meet standards of transparency and can show that they are in full compliance with any and all state laws and regulations, with an August 1 deadline, so kids know by Finals week whether SCV is legit or not. They were given a lot of latitude over the winter to clean up their mess, and while paying down the debt is a big step, there were obvious issues of mis-management going back 3 or 4 years that will have to be unf__ked before anyone else in the activity should trust them.

Ahh. Of course they do. Along with beating everyone else.

I've played this game before with them. Bad people don't eventually do good things. Waiting for it to magically happen just doesn't work that way. I've more than dragged on my actions long enough and dropped enough hints they should have been able to act fast enough to counter anything I do, but they don't. They literally have been lying since 2020. 1) Sept 2022 I offered to help with a bingo committee. Told thanks but no thanks 2) OK fine, did a wait and see from Sept, and then the A-Corps gets the boot in Dec. right after taking audition money. OK GAME ON!!!!!!!!!!!! Clearly something was up they were never going to disclose. 3) Filed a DCI ethics complaint in Jan 2023 revolving around the unethical conduct of the core leadership. Again, nothing happened. 3a) I ponder the Bingo payroll question and SCV comes at me with an attorney, and attorney by the way who was on the Board of Directors when SCV stopped conducting audits. I didn't know that then, now I do, and it has embolden me and my efforts. He and SCV leadership are lying or at best misrepresenting the truth. 4) Things meander along aimlessly with oblivious planning. Jeremy Van Wert eventually forced to resign, but no other action forward. 5) I dig up the Dept of Justice notifications going back three years. OK, this is a long standing problem, they are ignoring best advice and locking out material efforts to help from all directions. So I submit ANOTHER ethics complaint to DCI with the DOJ letters as support. AGAIN, DCI is all about I hope SCV fixes itself. 6) Time is up and time to purse another legal complaint avenue. I have one more card to play, and that is to submit a complaint to the CA Gaming Oversight Commission and just attack Bingo Head On. I have reconciled the possible consequence of my actions. I am at peace. I think at the end of the day the worst regulators will do is force SCV to fix itself if that means closing up shop and coming back later after it fixes everything and asks permission to start back up again. I am not the one that started 2022 with $5M in liquidity and run it into the ground I am not the one that closed both corps. I am not the one that defaulted on short term debt I am not the one that shut off $1,200,000 in member tour fees used to pay bingo staff I am not the one that stacked the overhead with staff I am not the one that continues to allow the Bingo Manager to work from home from Hawaii!!!!!!!!!!! If these people are not stopped they will run SCV into a situation where SCV loses the Bingo Hall. If that happens then SCV and anything else that could rise is done. Even if they lose a bingo license, they could probably get that back after they turn a new leaf. If they lose that building that's that. If all that is standing in the ashes is the building, and the ability to start up bingo from scratch, and start up a new program from scratch that still gives them a few million a year to work with, and that's plenty. ************* I am honored folks think I am the all powerful internet Troll. My power comes from SCV's leadership's inaction. It would be so easy to defeat me if by time my complaints work through the State's system that by time they connect with SCV that SCV is in a position to hand off the complexities of the situation to their CPA firm focusing everything on the problem at hand. If the state gets to them, and nothing has happened, welp, they had it coming.

I think he's married, so that's his status.

I really hope The Cavaliers give us some great memorable moments this season.

Congratulations to Rick Woodall, one of DCI's Volunteers of the Year!! Rick Woodall Boston Crusaders Rick Woodall A volunteer member of Boston Crusaders’ board of directors and longtime manager of its touring “fleet” of vehicles, Rick Woodall has devoted more than 20 years of his life to supporting the Boston corps and its mission to provide a positive educational experience. Referred to by Boston Crusaders COO and executive director Chris Holland as the “grandfather” of the corps’ members and staff, Woodall has made a point to know and support the many individuals who have participated in various aspects of the organization. “He knew the name and background of every member,” Holland said. “He was a central figure and organizer for the parent volunteers. Rick’s spirit and leadership extended to the administration team and teaching staff. All who interacted with him walked away more inspired and more connected to the mission.” Holland, who described Woodall’s nomination for Volunteer of the Year as “long overdue,” emphasized the positive attitude and influence Woodall has brought to the corps in each and every year of his involvement, even despite recent medical challenges. “Whenever he is on campus, the members and staff flock to him for a fist bump, a hug, and usually a selfie,” Holland said. “Rick’s ability to communicate has been impacted by his illness, but he can text and his eyes and body language are easy to read,” he added. “His love of the corps keeps him going. His love of the activity keeps him going. And make no mistake, he is still a person who brings volunteers together.” https://www.dci.org/news/2023-dci-volunteers-of-the-year?fbclid=IwAR3zO83jXkS-b_OFes_qyYGHkXAbTEFvAGp4nlcjIAJZOOAZwsYtugrMJ-k