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We rubbed dirt on it.

For years people have been saying corps need to get in bed with corporations to stay afloat. So DCI goes and does that, but now we have to be overly picky about what, who, how, when? Without being able to see the agreement we can’t know exactly how much benefit there is for the activity, but if we want this activity to survive, thrive, and provide more safety and this agreement does provide a net benefit, I’m all for it.

It concerns me when people put their political beliefs ahead of the safety of students and corps. I would rather have quick access to a walk-in clinic at a WAL-MART than spend time searching for a CVS that might have a clinic and that someone is actually there at the clinic. garfield clearly laid out the facts. Availability and access is clear. CVS just doesn't have the numbers.

Aunt Nellie put "moleskin" on the back of our heels between parade #3 and parade #4 on Memorial Day and on Independence Day for added comfort in our "white bucks".

I drank bugs out of the water cooler. Protein. I had no idea at the time that it would trendy.

You guys had bandages. Luxury! We had duct tape.

I just went over to the schedule. I think the shows we’re going to (besides indy)are locked down. Mason, Centerville, Cincinnati, Canton.

They could pick up a great deal on a set of bus tires. Buy 4 get 4 free. 😁

I’m not sure anymore.

what is this thread?

A Walmart with a Waffle House in parking lot is a whole weekend of entertainment

Dirt was food to us; not wasted on wounds 😎

This sounds like a great idea but all I can think of is those people of Walmart videos.

"Mc Duffy"...what a piece of work! In a time when bugles had only one valve, there was no pit, nobody read music, and drum lines played rudiments (whether they complemented the brass charts or not), Mike took the rest of us to school, creating arrangements that sang. Whether for Anaheim, Blue Stars, Kilts, Troopers, Garfield or any of a dozen more iconic units, his work was "the sound of DCI" and we all knew it. And never mind all the "should have happened a long time ago" stuff. Those in the know have acknowledged for years that he was a master, and now it's time to celebrate his "official" recognition by his peers (as if he actually has any).

I’m probably crazy but I reserved a room in Bloomington just in case.

~5,200 Walmarts across the US, mostly super-stores with pharmacies and many with eye-care. ~9,000 CVS locations across the US; only 1,100 ('23) have walk-in Minute Clinics with staff on hand. Personal observations of reading corporate material: CVS is finishing a major corporate restructuring because of a 37% decline in profit mid-2023. CVS laid off 5,000 employees (~2% of total 300,000 US employees) in Aug, 2023. CVS's "New Store" data seems to focus on senior health. Walmart is converting stores to a completely new format (more of a "town market" design including home goods, expanded groceries, etc CVS has some food stuffs but on a very limited basis. No home goods, tools, etc. Walmart plans include building or converting 150 stores in 2024. CVS is still closing locations. Walmart employs ~1.1 million people in the US CVS has a stock market value of ~$87 billion Walmart has a stock market value of ~$485 billion (including non-US operations) Walmart health locations include eye care Considering all of the variety of products/services/consumables that modern day drum corps need to get down the road, it seems to me that Walmart offers a better one-stop opportunity for the activity than do CVS. Importantly, drive to your local CVS and see if you can fit a drum corps caravan into their parking lot; almost every Walmart has plenty of room for the whole circus with lots of parking left over. Also, most Walmart locations are NOT in center-city but, instead, are on major highways just outside of town - another access tick in favor of Walmart. While Walmart has lots of turnover, they also employ lots more and very importantly (IMO) give MANY more people the chance to get into a job and on the ladder of success. Also, CVS carries their DEI credentials proudly on their corporate mission (with most policies proven ineffective and profit-robbing) while Walmart chooses to hire lots of people from all walks of life while sticking to its knitting of driving profits on being the low-cost provider. In my experience, Walmart actually provides DEI-type policies and doesn't have to brag about it for Wall St or social acceptance points. When (if) we add in the benefits of Sam's club bulk purchasing (not even available through CVS), to my eye this is a great win for the activity and with the best-possible partner to pull it off effectively. Lastly, and most importantly, at Walmart today's kids can experience what BITD drum corps was like by getting $1.50 hot dog or slice with a drink! Walmart keeps tradition alive!, am I right?

Its just a scratch.

Thinking of some of the people we had in our Senior corps… oh yeah… 😳😱😟

https://www.reddit.com/r/walmart/?rdt=61761

Big upgrade from salt pills and bandages. Good for the new guy. Keep it up.

I think this is the most true form of McDuffy’s. A drum corps classic.

Worth doing regardless. Bloomington's a wonderful town 🙂

Don’t forget the field replacement at LOS after Olympic swim trials. Because construction projects are always completed on time.

“It depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is.” -Bill Clinton

When I mentioned CVS and the urgent care facilities in my area, I was not endorsing CVS, I was mentioning why Walmart Health has not established itself in my area just yet. Actually if Yelp reviews are to be believed, CVS Minute Clinics are not great either and my one experience at a Minute Clinic is not a ringing endorsement. People can disagree about whether Walmart Health is a good option, but I don’t feel that mentioning that some Walmart pharmacies are understaffed and at least in one case was closed for a week is a political position.

Looks nice but on DelMarVa peninsula; if W&M is too out of the way this is worse

The partnership is for "24/7 TELEHEATH" services, not in-person. Most likely DCI used their bargaining power of ALL the corps to get a substantially discounted rate on this service. This works great for corps because often urgent cares are closed/not close by/take the ONE vehicle some corps have that's needed to do airport/food runs etc. Now corps can get diagnosis/prescriptions written on the bus, or at the housing site. That's a huge game changer.

I think I've stayed in what was equivalent to a barn on tour. Some barns are actually nicer. 😁

No, you don’t get it. That would be the definition of a NON sexual relationship.

Most corps have a membership at Costco or Sams. The corps I have hosted over the years made a run to one or the other each time they were at our site. That covers the mass purchases for the corps as a whole, such as food truck necessities. As far as individual members, that would be a hit or miss. The frequency and locations of these "Club" facilities don't match the location quantities of a WAL-MART as well.

I wonder if they would let corps use Sam's Club as well? Costco next?

Sexual relationship does not mean I actually had sex with anyone. Nuance, see you just don't get it.

Still nothing, and now more shows are falling through, with Avon Lake and Glassboro being the latest to be shunted to TBD status. At this point I'm assuming that if there's nothing final in the next 30 days posted on DCI's site, those shows just aren't happening period.

My sister went to the Walmart in Plainfield, Illinois a few days ago and there were no cashiers working. Only self checkout was open.

Hear me out..... DCI at Hook'ems place lol

From a corps operations standpoint, this is awesome - good job DCI. Mike

I was about to say this is a good thread for the people of Walmart. 😂

I go to Walmart about 1x/year. Correct on self checkout- I wonder when the customers will be needed to help unload the trucks & stock the shelves.

This.

I agree and I am also relieved that I'm not the only who remembers salt tablets. And, no personal water jugs in those days....ever.

It wasn't just the tic that changed....it was also judged timing. Starting in 1984, shows were judged in their entirety....no more saving the riskiest stuff for after the 11:30 mark. No more dropping a rifle and not having it affect the score (80 BD). No more ensemble tear of the gods not affecting the score (82 SCV) Now judging from beginning to end. This also led to the end of every corps repeating large chunks of the prior year (much easier to clean when you already knew it)...83 BD was 3/5th of the 82 show....and the repeated charts were in the same places. 84 was the first year BD did not repeat at least one chart from the prior year (not counting the NY Fantasy tag ending). By 88 -- I think -- you rarely saw corps repeating charts in successive years as a matter of course.

Heck, I’m 62 & still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up.

I didn’t understand there was nuance when talking about an adult having sex with a minor. 🤷‍♂️

Beautifully done and with the props at finals it was an amazing moment!

What does the sex of the other party matter? You know, if I were you, I'd probably stop posting about this. There is no legal consent at 15. The other party committed a felony. That's all it is, no matter how fondly you remember the experience.

What difference does it make that it was 2 of the same gender? And if someone is upset and you’re not, then they are triggered?

I don’t know about triggered. To me, more like…disgusted. Disturbed. Over the passage of decades since this happened (minor and not minor “relations” which you thought was cool at the time - correct me if I’m wrong, you deleted the post so I am going by memory) your thoughts about the appropriateness of this hasn’t changed? That’s what I find disturbing. Again though I could be misremembering your post so if I am…sorry.

Well, I know it wasn't me. I can still swing dance and two-step like a GenZer.

With the season right around the corner, I have been binging shows recently. Watched 2022 (which I had honestly been avoiding for some reason) and it was such a fun show. Great music, great ending, crowd loved it. Might not have ticked all the judging boxes but a fun show that the members seemed to enjoy performing. Can’t wait for this season with what little I heard from them back in January.

If you're looking for a longer, less popular tune with Scheherezade vibes, check out the ballet Legend of Love by Arif Melikov. There are some great motifs in there, especially some of the adagios.