bluudevil

There seems to be a differing definition of the term "feeder corps". The Crossmen are NOT a feeder corps for BD. For the purpose of this discussion, a feeder corps, is a corps for members who are younger then the typical DCI member or Associate corps. With this understanding, Crossmen and BD are equal, they are each "teams" in a "league". A feeder corps fills the role of a farm team in major league sports. The Toronto Blue Jays are not a feeder team for any other MLB team, however, the Toronto Blue Jays organization has several minor league teams in its farm system. These minor league teams act as "feeder" teams for the Blue Jays MLB team - thus the terms "farm team" and "farm system" - "growing" young players for the major league team. This seems to be the definition which was originally meant by AsheyUechi in the original post in this thread. I marched BD in '83 and '84. I lived with the Book Keeper. I wrote a computer program in BASIC, first on a Timex Sinclair, then later on a Commador 64 that took all the funds from the entire organization and showed all incoming funds, and expenses. I know the system they had at that time very well. The A corps, were the DCI champion corps we are all familiar with. The B corps was largely for kids in High School. The C corps was largely for kids in elementary school. They repeated this model with the baton corps which may or may not still be in existence. There was the jr twirlers, the Sr. twirlers, and the Devil's Advocate who traveled the world as the reigning world champion baton corps. They even sponsored the Diablo Valley Wind Ensemble. All of these "jr" organizations "fed" the A corps. Twirlers often joined the colorguard, wind ensemble members sometimes switched to the A corps, and members of C corps moved up into B corps and members of B corps would graduate to the A corps. This is a true feeder system and is one of the main reasons the Blue Devils are as successful as they are. Of course it goes without saying, to run an organization such as this takes very dedicated and skilled management members. This is the true secret of their success - skillful management combined with their feeder system which has been in place for over 30 years. Before marching in BD I marched in the Bluewater Buccaneers from Sarnia Ontario. In 1979 our corps director, Norm Campbell, tried an experiment. The Buccaneers entered into "an arrangement" with the Leamington Townsmen. Each corps retained their own identity, and occasionally during the 79 season would perform as one combined unit under the Buccaneer banner. This led to the creation of the Buccaneer Youth Organization in 1980. The BYO didn't play around with one feeder corps, they immediately started with 3 - The Raiders in Port Huron Michigan, The Sarnia Pirates, and the London Imperials. Both the Raiders and Pirates were brand new corps started by the BYO and the Imperials were pre-existing. The older, experienced members of The Imperials marched as Buccaneers and the younger, inexperienced members stayed with the Imperials. This model worked from 1980-1983. Unfortunately, for the '83 season there was a core of near age outs that were very talented, very well trained within the BYO system who wanted to march at the DCI level but the bulk of the Buccaneers weren't up to such a high level of performance. As the corps only had about 50 marching members, when the near dozen core members left for various DCI corps the organization folded itself into two corps. The oldest members of all the feeder corps were invited to march in the Buccaneers, and the rest were invited to march in the Sarnia Pirates. The Raiders unfortunately folded and the Imperials continued on for a few years as an independent group. New leadership took over in 85, changed the name and the BYO was no more. While it ultimately did not survive, I believe a modified version of the BYO structure is absolutely the way to go. It probably needs to be done in reverse. Start 2 or 3 feeder corps with the intent that they will remain feeder corps for a marching unit that will be created in a few years. Then, as those groups's members get older and more experienced and want something more - give it to them with the creation of the big corps. They are still part of their home "organization" but now they get to perform at a much higher level. If done right, with excellent management (which includes major fund raising to pay for excellent instructors) you might be able to keep your members through "brand loyalty". If someone marches 4 years in the org's C corps and 4 years in the org's B corps, and the A corps has excellent management and excellent instruction, and therefore are in the top 25, the members are less likely to leave for another corps then someone who marched a few years with an associate corps, doesn't have much loyalty and then either wanted a ring, or wanted to work with a particular instructor.

As we used to say in Buccaneers, "Old Crusaders never die, they just show up at shows wearing their corps jackets". :P Have to admit though, probably the coolest corps jacket ever.

Well sir, you secret is NOT safe with me. I have no problems saying the only reason I got on a Float line is becasue you taught me and the only reason the Campbells were able to do it is because you taught them. And I know Mr. Hardman feels the same. You should call him and find out when his band 3rd Wave is playing. They play pretty much every weekend. He'd love it if you came and watched him. Mind you, he'd start overplaying and probably click a lot of rims! :P Mazur, man that was something else. I didn't know he didn't like to be called Kenny (or did I???). I don't know why, but I just enjoyed picking at him. And to his credit, I think he really tried not to do it back. He and Steven got along very well. It was odd having him teach the line. He was really only interested in snares. Sigh. How come snares have to cop such a superior attitude? For my money the tenors are doing way harder stuff cause in a lot of lines they play the same amount of notes that the snares do but they're throwing their sticks around while they play it. But still, snarelines always cop an attitude. Can't stand it.

Man, what was up with all the corps out of Wisconsin??? Was there something in the water? Holy Crap!

[quote name='sarnia sam' date='Feb 24 2005, 11:11 PM']That's the baritone trio in El Gato; Tom Hodges, Tony Furiano, and our own kind of Johnny Walker. The snares are Dwayne Lewis, Wayne Saunders and Dave Morton. The rifle is Carry Foden (I'm pretty sure, though I may have spelled her first name wrong). What a great thread, maybe the best ever on DCP. If only I had a scanner. Regards, John swartz [right][post="1011444"][/post][/right][/quote] Well, I don;t know if it was a tick or not, but the dude on the left is NOT sporting a plume!

What the heck are those two big circles to the right of the left drum major? They look like they're just drum heads with no drums. And, I agree, what a cool DC uniform. It's a naval theme. The DM's are Captains or Admirals, the hornline appears to be low ranking officers, and the drumline are like deckhands or enlisted men. I'm not sure what the colour guard is supposed to represent. Very cool!

Man, BD had '57 senicruisers for the first half of '83. Those things were awesome!. Now if they had just WORKED, that would have been the best!

Now THAT's a uniform. Not this homogenized cookie-cutter crap that EVERYONE wears nowadays.

As soon as you said "bari next to Buggsy and Hunter", then I got you figured out. Ha!

There was a whole lot of politics that year. Norm kind of went off a few degrees that year. There were a lot of us that couldn't figure out why Jim was brought in, you'd been teaching us forever and it's not like he was there a whole lot. Jim was a nice guy and all but he just taught so different then you and didn't have the ability to push us into a good rehearsal the way you did. But then certain members of the snare line also seemed to forget that year who it was that got them as good as they were. You were definately NOT standing right there. He took me aside and really laid it on as if to say "you will ruin your friends life if you stay on tenors". And, despite whatever you may have said, that was the ONLY reason I went up to snare. You have no idea what it was like dealing with the egos man. I didn't have an ego. Infact, I was the snarelines ANTIego! And, as far as me making it a better snare line, don't you remember the "stick-throw" debacle??? Once again, different teaching techniques. There was a passage I just couldn't play. Jim told me to "throw" my stick but didn't bother to tell me what that really meant. We set up, start playing and doing the drill, up comes the passage and I pulled my hand behind my head and whipped that puppy with everything I had. That sucker cleared the front line, over the instructors heads and flew into the sawgrass. All of a sudden you jump up yelling and screaming bloody murder. Seems ol' Jimmy boy didn't bother to tell you about our little plan! That's also the year I had to go to summer school. Which is why Paul C. was recruited. He shadowed me on the field for 2 or 3 weeks, then took my spot as I had to bow out. Now THAT made it a better snare line. In '81 I know Andy played tenors because he took the tenor solo (puffs in Beth???) during a week I had to take off and he and I almost duked it out for the solo when I came back. He was originally on snare in '82 but quit the corps because he couldn't handle Steven whacking his sticks all the time. I tell you man, those guys were murder to play with. What did Steve Burstall play? How old was he in '82?

Hey man, if you've got some crazy azz white man running behind you whacking you're pinky with a 3S because there's a lttle bit of daylight between your thumb and the stick or because your angle is a lttle off, pretty soon you don't do that stuff anymore! Old School teaching methods. Kids, don't try this with your line at home, you'll get sued nowadays!

Well, this pic is kinda lame, if you know John, you can tell it's him, but, what the pic doesn't show you is what a freekin' AWESOME solo came after the pic was snapped! ====================

Missing snare drummers are Greg Lavielet (sp), and Paul Clloutier. Missing tenor drummer is probably Andy Hardman on one of his slacker fishing days. What a twit. He'd skip rehearsal so he could go fishing. Where would he go fishing? Down at the river where you could see him from the practice field. Twit! Here's the deal with me on snare. The instructor we had that year, Jim something, told me he needed another snare and one less tenor and that if I didn't go up to snare he would cut Jay. What a cheese dog. So I went on snare (yuk) dealing with the Campbells so that Jay wouldn't get cut. Hated it. Absolutely hated it. I can't remember Kevin "America's" last name either. He was one of the few guys who came over from America to join the corps and I don't think anyone knew his last name. Since there was at least one other Kevin in the corps (Bly), everyone started calling him Kevin America! Say, to the guy with the cigar dog for an Avitar. What's your name? What did you march in Buccs? I should know you. I knew just about everyone. Shawn ===========

Who has the rights to all the Ken Kolbold recordings? He not only did all the DCI recordings until DCI finally took over in the mid 80's, but he also did tons of A and B class corps shows as well. =================