USNA90_Mello

BUMP.... because we still want you!!!!

So who polices that at a DCA sanctioned contest? And more visions in my head as the corps is counted at the gate. 1..2..3..4..5..6..(1st members run back to the end of the line)..33..34..hey, you look familiar...oh well....35. :-) Cheers, Bob

Are you an avid reader of DCP? Live near Minnesota? Been thinking about doing Drum Corps but don't have the time. We have the perfect opportunity for you. Chops is doing the music of Wicked this year and our book has lots and lots of exposure for our front line. We are looking for interested players to fill out our front line and help us convey this absolutely great show to the fans. Chops is committed to ensuring that you can have a life outside of Drum Corps. We have rehearsals or performances two weekends out of every month, with two weekends free. Additionally, we have a weekly Thursday night rehearsal during the summer. If there are conflicts in your schedule that you are thinking won't allow you to do even that, give us a call anyway. We can work with you. We have two out of state trips planned for this year, Traverse City, MI in July and DCA Championships in Rochester, NY over Labor Day weekend. This is your chance to hear the roar of the crowd, to see the smiling faces of the fans, and to give back to this activity, as well as get back to doing something that you passionately believe in. If you have any questions, give us a call. 1-800-486-9207, or email me, or PM me here. Our next camp is May 5/6, and we would love to see you there. Cheers, Bob

We will be taking the wraps off our 2007 show this weekend. For 2007, Chops will be performing musical selections from the musical Wicked, in a show titled "Drums and Horns and Guard, Oh My!! The Music of Wicked" As always our camps are open to anyone who wants to come on out and see what we are doing. On Sunday we will be doing final run-throughs at 12:30. If you are in the Twin Cities area, and want to hear what our little drum corps is cooking up for this, come on out. Camp will be at: Coon Rapids Middle School 11600 Raven St. NW Coon Rapids, MN 55433 Directions can be found at: http://www.chopsinc.com/directions/rehears..._rapids_middle/ If you have any questions, shoot me an email, or give us a call at 1-800-486-9207 Cheers, Bob

I will be very interested to see what corps with 34, or 33 members are going to do come prelims. If I were running a corps that was in that situation, I think I would be very tempted to game the system alittle. "Will sit in pit for food" visions dance in my head. What constitutes a member? Hit the triangle at the proper moment, once? As DCI membership rule is 30 members, I am a bit perplexed as to the 35 member number, myself. On a slightly more serious note: http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/inde...showtopic=92149 Personally, this whole topic of minimum members spins me up. Thankfully, the corps that I am helping run does not have an issue with the 35 number minimum. If we were 34, would we still put on an entertaining product that fans would like to see? I like to think so.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought it was in effect as of the 2008 season. I thought we had only one more season of the really good and entertaining corps that only have 34 members.

Without commenting on the actual fact of the matter, I will say that I find it distressing the secrecy regarding this and all other matters. Open the doors, open the books, open the communications. I can get over the limited membership (limited in the case that it is not open to all corps that have demonstrated the financial ability to field a corps over many consecutive years), but I find it troubling that all the processes and decisions can not be transparent. Bob P.S. This is my opinion as an individual and does not represent any other person, or organization's, opinions or thoughts.

Now I really wish I was young enough to apply for this group. Sounds like a great way to see the world. Or at least the corrupt rogue states. Hey, I bet Pyongyang has a hopping Saturday night. :-) Cheers, Bob

Tribal Council waits for no man!!!!

Anything can be a condition of membership. There is nothing wrong with a contract provision that says I agree to always wear blue underwear to every rehearsal. A contract is simply an offer and acceptance. Even if you have not signed a contract, you are still under a contract of some sorts. You agree to pay your membership dues, show up, etc., they agree to house you and feed you, etc. If this is done verbally, contract. You can contract away any or all of your rights, including the right to free speech, or the right to sue. Release of liability is the latter, and we are all familiar with them when we engage in high risk activities. As for minors entering into contracts. It is not as bright a line as you may think. First, the minor may be an emancipated minor with the legal right to make decisions for themselves. Second, with parental consent, you may also overcome it. I also think an argument could be that if you are mature enough to go out on tour and do these things, you are probably "emancipated enough" to understand your rights and obligations under the contract. This depends on so many factors that it would require a judge and jury to really determine. Now as to the question. I am a firm believer in the truth will out in all circumstances, but do believe there is something to be said for confidentiality and secrecy in some forms. Airing bad laundry of the corps in a public forum shows a lack of respect for your organization. Excepting situations which are unsafe or dangerous. IMHO, if you have such a gripe with the organization, move along and find one that better suits you. This is just my opinion. And as to divulging secrets of the corps, I would expect every member to not say something when they are told not to. Violating trust like that does show a lack of maturity. Anyway, just my two cents on the subject. And yes, if it sounds like I am a lawyer, there is a good reason. Cheers, Bob

Well, we saw it on Survivor all-stars go down this way too. The ones who were perceived as the 'haves' were quickly dispatched. Okay, maybe I am a bit of a survivor nut. Possibly. What is really interesting is to see the swings from one round to the next as the people voting for the target have to turn their attention to the next target in the next round. Quite intriguing.

Thanks. The rain sucked absolute balls. And even I think that's an understatement. Was talking to some of the guys in the battery about their I&E performance this weekend at camp, actually. :-)

Provided the quantity exceeds at least 35.

I reviewed the app, and it was interesting that it contradicted itself. It said at one point that you can not have been convicted as an adult or juvenile, but in the actual application, you had to fess up if you had been arrested. Interesting. Wish I was younger again. Well, for this and sooo many other reasons. :-) Cheers, Bob

I personally do not see a problem with the new 150 member rule, actually. The reality is that everyone, including the DIV I corps is failing at keeping those kids that do not make their first corps of choice within the activity. The numbers I heard from the meeting was that alittle over 6,000 students auditioned, with right around 2500-3000 getting a contract. The majority of those remaining 3,000 do not march anywhere, I am told. And before you open up the throwers, I am operating on what I have heard, not actual statistics. Bottom line, if all is true (and I do believe it is true), is that everyone of us (DIv. I, II/III and DCA) is failing to get across a message that they have marching alternatives that are more cost effective, in some situations and give them the opportunity to work on the skills in a drum corps situation that will enable them to make their corps of choice next year. We need to embrace them, we need to touch them, they need to know we are out there. Yes, this should be a banner for the DIV I corps, and they need to let the kids know there are alternatives when they tell them "no, you will probably not be getting a contract this year." We can all blast the DIV I corps, and DCI (for us DCA-folks) if we so choose, but take some ownership of the problem as well. I know we do a crappy job of doing it, but I want to get better. As for the rest of the meeting: IT WAS A GREAT MEETING. Very professional, very open, and just wonderful information given out to people that manage corps, manage shows and participate in this crazy activity. Cheers, Bob

Looks like good preparation for early September in Rochester to me.

Or add some more cowbell, as all corps just need a little more cowbell. Rules being what they are and people being what they are, I don't think I am going too far out on a limb to say that there will be some gaming of the system here in order to get to 35. As an attendee at these meetings, I will second what has been paraphrased from a private report from Greg G of the Renegades. It was a good meeting. I personally felt that dinner on Saturday night was the high point of my weekend. Cheers, Bob P.S. Any other questions about what was said, how people voted, who broke wind, etc, will be answered with a 1,000 mile stare and incomprehensible gibberish.

The academies are not "training academies." They are military service academies. They do server a training function, but calling them a "training" academy would be incorrect, and raise the hackles of quite a few mids, cadets, and alum. Hence the reply. :-) These programs are wonderful for the kids. They provide a welcoming environment to the first years that is outside of the normal chain of command. It also provides a great opportunity to experience a richer Academy experience. I just interviewed a bunch of candidates for the service academies, and advised each one of them that if they make any academy to grab all of these life-enriching activities. As to the G at Navy. Major kudos to Jeff and the Academy administration for supporting it financially. My only regret is that I live 2000 miles away and can't hear them on a regular basis. Jeff, let's talk about a trip to Minnesota. :-) Cheers, Bob

A lot of shoe leather and cold calling. Depending on your membership, you might want to tap the family of your members and see where they work. Couple of ideas outside of that: - local music shops, and smaller chains - local food stores (this is a great way to get the food for your concession stands for free, or reduced cost) - talk to the band boosters at the local schools to see where they go - hit up the medium sized business - get used to hearing no Just a few thoughts. Also, if you haven't registered for DCI's Power of One workshops, and are sponsoring a show for 2007, I would recommend you shoot Sue at DCI an email. You can privately email me for her contact information. Cheers, Bob

Naval Academy does play Kanstuls, but they are 3v's. Really nice looking horns. If anyone watched the Army-Navy game, you probably saw the mids up in the stands playing. I think I counted a 12 member contra line, or about that size. Navy marches without a guard, and I think is upwards of like 150 members now who march the fall season. I think I remember Jeff talking about wanting to field a 150 member horn line. Wish I lived closer. :-) Oh and check the sig and screen name. Proud to say I marched there from 1986 to 1990. Cheers, Bob

At Chops, we try to schedule things during the camp that, though they don't force it, they lend themselves to vets interacting with the new members. Provided lunches, ensuring that new members aren't off in a corner by themselves. As we go alittle bit later into the winter rehearsal schedule and move to overnights, we schedule bonding events. Last year we did dodgeball at one camp (horn players payed for that the next day), and kickball/wiffle ball at another (one of our brass staff paid for that with a toe injury). All of these provide the atmosphere of family that we try to instill from day one. I guess overall we just try to make them feel that they are already part of us. A new part of us, but that they will always be part of us. Bob

Having just finished our first camp, as well, I will echo some of Smoothy's comments. We are stepping up from some older horns (we have Star of Indiana circa K-90 contras, for criminy sake), so new horns of any key would be an improvement. That being said, I am very, very happy with our move, from a sound perspective. Administratively, without oodles and oodles of laying around cash, this was a good move as well. Being an older guy, and all things being equal, I might prefer a G line over a Bb/F line. However, this will make it easier to bring in new members (I think), and we can be more conservative in our buying decisions, as the new members can easily bring their own horns or borrow from schools, etc. Makes it easy for me to buy exactly what I need, as opposed to buying what we think we might have and planning for just a bit extra. I think it was warmer this past weekend in Minnesota than it was on Saturday at Rochester. I'm just saying.... That was something that was a bit interesting to get used to right off the bat. We found that talking to the other voices, and letting the Mellos figure it out worked best. Face it, mello players are an odd bunch (see signature) If the rule says we can have multi-key and still compete in this glorious activity, then yes, we are a Drum and Bugle Corps. IMHO, if you think G is the only D&B worth calling by that name, go start a circuit of G corps. I think it might be time to bury the hatchet on this one and just accept that the times are a-changing. Only when we hold onto our beliefs so tightly that the argument becomes personal. If this discussion becomes personal, then yes, it very well might hurt it. However, I would like to think we are all bigger than that. Please prove me right. The only constant in life is change, so if we are always changing, then staying the same would be the change.

Good luck on a great year. Chops sends its best wishes to it southern corps brothers and sisters. Bob

Love the thinking out of the box that occurs on here sometime. However, any weekend that wasn't a programmed three day weekend would be a challenge. The monday following is a travel day for us to return. Were it the weekend before, our members would need to have the additional day off. The way it is structured now, we leave on Thursday night, only requiring Friday to be taken off from school. As the possibility of moving championships alittle bit west starts to become more tenable, the problem would be presented as well to some of the other participating corps. We all need to think out of the box, though. Going to a soccer stadium was a bit thinking out of the box, and though there were some issues with the facility, I think it is a good venue. Maybe if we move to a longer lead time for bids and contracting the facility, we can lock in facilities before they are locked in by other concerns. Who knows. Kill the box, though. :-) Cheers, Bob

Don't forget the drill ideas. :-)