BL1977

WIth All Due Respect, I will tell you that you ARE over-reacting. I marched in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and when I walked away, I marched to the Army. Joined the Military Police Corps. Took a tour in the sunny desert in the early 1990s, and then had kids. My daughter inherited the Drum Corps gene and I returned to "drum corps" in 2005. Well, it said Drum Corps on the side of the coach bus.... No Tick? How do you score this event~ not the actual militaristic quality of the performance? It doesn't matter how many notes you crack, or how many times you drop your flag? Where is the American Flag? Why doesn't the Drum Major call out commands- No Dress Right Dress? Where is the Starter Gun at the beginning note? Where is the 2 minute warning? ? What happened to the End of the Show FINALE? What are yoiu talking about - What are Amps for? What is a PIT? Coach busses? Semi-trailers as food trailers? Where is the Quartermaster Corps? AND YOU CALL THIS DRUM CORPS? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU??? You shouldn't sit there and judge today's performance, based upon YOUR experience in the 1990s. As a marcher of the 70s and 80s, I had a choice in 2005: I could have SPIT on your experience of the 1990s as non-drum corps, or I could have realized that everything evolves. Everything changes. Move over.

Congratulations to the men and women who marched tonight. "FCO".... the End Crowns the Work.

I was in the audience tonight and totally enjoyed the 8-8-8 Cavies.... I marched in the 70s and 80s, and absolutely loved the timewarp back to my era! No matter how young or old, the Cavie classics are priceless! Congratulations, Cavies! Classy show.

Gopher and Lackey? Sorry, I disagree. I've been a volunteer on tour for three summers, and the interns that I've had the privilege to know are hardly gophers and lackeys. While their peers are practicing for 15 hours, these individuals provide invaluable assistance. It's definitely not a nine-to-five position- when the corps stops in a town, these young people are helping non-stop. Maybe they are sitting at urgent care with hurt members, or driving staff to and from the nearest airport. Those "gopher" activities are, like Brent said, part of serving the organization. Responsible interns are vital to keep the convoy going. Maybe Eric should have qualified these positions, asking for energetic, enthusiastic, and motivated people. Age isn't really important, but young music majors may want the opportunity to experience the "behind the scenes". If you have the attitude that you are going to be a mini-corps director, or a gopher, don't bother calling.

Thanks for the kudos, Splez. Silver~ I think I followed most of what you said... I think... I do know that many large companies don't specialize in transportation.... which is why Penske, Ryder, Blue Lines Transport, Laidlaw, Greyhound all exist. Within the last six weeks, "profitable" less-than-load fleets have simply closed shop. Turned trucks back to the manufacturer's dealer because they can't pay for them. Jevic in NJ left 1500 people unemployed with one announcement on their website. If a professional fleet cannot make it, how can a non-profit agency make it? I hope my comments will help everyone conserve. Did you know that there are fleets that specialize in leasing kitchen trailers? Perhaps drum corps could rent them for a couple of months.... maybe that should be the future strategy? In that way, corps can use their assets to invest in items they should have, like you suggest. The food trailer that I volunteer in was manufactured in (need a drum roll, sblez!) 1978. Yep, it's older than the kids on the field. It has definitely aged out.... yet the drum corps cannot afford to purchase a new trailer, (and then if they get one... who will transform it into a kitchen? ). Where is Extreme Makeovers when you need them?!?!

Corps directors almost need to be fleet maintenance managers to manage transportation costs this summer. Here are some ideas: 1. If you are renting semi-tractors, INSIST that they are equipped with "APU"s, or Auxillary Power Units. This is a small engine that keeps the cab cool during idle time (versus running the engine). APUs use a fraction of the fuel that the engine uses- about 1 cup per hour versus 2 gallons. If a tractor is running for 60 days, with 10 hours of idle time each day, the tractor with the APU will use about 38 gallons of fuel (at $5 per gallon, $190 total). Without the APU, the tractor idling its engine for 10 hours a day will burn 1200 gallons of fuel ($6,000). 2. If you don't have a National Account for tires, go to the websites of the major tire manufacturers and enroll now. All of them offer Roadside Tire Assistance programs that you can enroll in for free. I'd recommend enrolling with all of them before tour starts. If there are any tire breakdowns during tour, you'll have three accounts already set up, and they will dispatch the service for you. Some of them offer credit card programs that offer 3% rebates on tires, 1% rebates on everything else, including fuel. Setting up a National Account will control some of the service call charges.... The same holds true for nationwide tire dealers (i.e. GCR, Goodyear, Tire Centers Inc, Pomps, Bauer Built, Strouhal)- arrange for an account with your local store. If you are stranded along the highway, the nearby store will respond if you are an established account within their computer system. However, if you don't have an account, call and ask for a service call, many times they will refuse to service you- too risky in today's world. (This leaves you looking for a local tire guy that may or may not be reputable...) 3. Have a tire serviceman check the condition of your tires now, before tour starts. If you NEED tires, investigate the Tax Exempt programs that are offered by the major tire manufacturers- the programs are offered to non-profit organizations that transport people for non-revenue purposes (= drum corps). The pricing is VERY competitive (cheaper than what the tire dealer pays). The salesperson at the tire store may not know about the programs; if so, kindly push. Ask him to contact his tire supplier for details... don't feel sorry for the sales guy; he will get a commission for the sale. Just be sure you have your tax-exempt number with you when you go in. Again, all tire manufacturers offer these programs (the programs are considered "S.A.F.E" for Sales Action Federal Exempt, or the other buzz phrase is a "Motor Coach" program). 4. New tires versus worn tires. If you don't have to change your tires, DON'T. Make sure the tread is evenly worn across the face of the tire; in a dual position, check that the tread depths are matched across the assembly. A worn tire (10/32") IS more efficient than a brand new (30/32") tire. 5. Highway tires versus drive tires. Using steer tires on a drive axle WILL save fuel! Considering that there shouldn't be snow this summer, if you have to get new drive tires- consider steer or trailer tires. Some major fleets in the US do this just to save fuel- and again, you are only going 12,000 miles over 3 months- which is considerably less than a professional fleet drives. If one tractor has brand new drive tires (30/32"), and the other one installs 8 new trailer tires (13/32") on the drive axle, the second tractor will save about 6%. If fuel is $5 per gallon, that's about $600 per tractor/trailer.... which would pay for food on tour for 5 days. 6. Air pressure. Underinflation is the #1 factor that WILL take a tire out of service! Driving around on a tire that is underinflated by 10 psi will cost you 1% in miles per gallon. If you have to err on the side of being over or underinflated, overinflated is better (at the most, by 10 psi). If you are on tour, and find a tire significantly below the recommended pressure (20% below is considered "flat")... make the safe decision and immediately REMOVE the tire from service. NEVER let someone add air to a flat tire while it's still on the vehicle- if it explodes, it will hurt someone! A highway tire, inflated to 100 psi, has enough explosive force to launch a 16 pound bowling ball... 3/4 of a mile (or 13 football fields, if that's easier to picture). 7. Pre-trip inspections. Drivers are required to conduct a pre-trip inspection, which includes tire pressure. Make sure that they are checking pressue with a good air gauge (not a tire thumper), and that there are flow-through valve caps installed on ALL wheel positions. The tires that are notorious for failing are the inside duals, because drivers ignore it. Don't let drivers pencil-whip their inspections! 8. Make sure now that your wheel bearings and brakes on the trailers are in good condition- if the wheel is all dirty, chances are there is a blown seal, which means that the assembly will fail (resulting in the wheels detaching from the trailer, or a tire fire)... Lastly, 55 mph is the most fuel efficient speed. Most large fleets are turning back their engines and going slower just for this reason. Hope this helps.

Perhaps you're right- you aren't INTENTIONALLY bashing the 120+++ kids sweating and marching their 240+++ feet off everyday- but you ARE bashing them. The Pioneer are "living in the cellar for the past 10+ years"?!?!? Because if that was the case, then the current members were 5 - 10 years old when their parents put them in the cellar. I had the PRIVILEGE of talking with some of the PROUD Pioneer members at San Antonio. They were NOT complaining about being in a cellar. Or about playing Gg horns. Their only "complaint" was that they rarely see a hot breakfast, and that salad for lunch gets old after a while. However, those proud members were just as tan, just as fit, and just as proud, as my daughter is. And P.S. It's not Mr. Righteous. It's Mrs. I wish the Pioneer the best.

I believe the original intent of this post was to CONGRATULATE the Pioneer, not to rip them apart as to why they aren't scoring higher.... I'm a Drum Corps alum, and a volunteer parent for another corps. When we were travelling from San Antonio Tx, we tragically saw the Pioneer convoy on the side of the highway.... one bus was getting CPR, and the others were waiting.... If you want to analyze anything, and be totally truthful, why not start with your checkbook? And when your done with your Gg conspiracy and using your OUIJI board to fully comprehend a judge's brain... if you have anything left to spit out, donate your cash to the Pioneer. We DO NOT NEED any more corps getting ripped apart and thrown to the Wayside because the USA can only acknowledge the "Elite"!!!! Whether you, or someone that you love and support, marches in the top 5 ... Or if this soul marches in the last place corps (as defined by scores): 1. Every DCI marcher has poured blood, sweat, and tears into their performance. When they get off the field, they are ALL out of breath and proud of their performance. Perhaps the talent levels are different, but the level of pride? It's the same. 2. Every DCI marcher deserves respect, whether they are ranked #1 or #25.... oh wait, there aren't 25 Div 1 corps anymore, are there???? ^0^

B) Good Luck Blue Stars! FCO!

Simple. If it's in the rule book, enforce it. Otherwise, get a note from your doctor requesting to be exempt. If that doesn't work, get a note from your mommy. Or, tell the judges that your dog ate your homework. Or, put my four year old in charge, because whenever I play softball with him and he misses the ball, it's NEVER a STRIKE. It's a "DO-OVER".

Since it was a mobile operation, there's really no way to get the product code. From the FDA website: "If consumers have any of this Peter Pan or Great Value brand peanut butter in their home that has been purchased since May 2006, they should discard it. Symptoms of foodborne illness caused by Salmonella include fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps." Up until the middle of the tour, we used Peter Pan. We even marched DCI-Atlanta with holes because the kids were too sick, and you've gotta be pretty sick if you aren't well enough to march a regional championship. As a cook truck volunteer, we cleaned and re-sanitized everything. The corps management kept trying to find a common link, because the flu wasn't contained to one section or to one bus. While we scrutinized all of the frozen and refrigerated meats, we never even considered the peanut butter- we set out a jar of peanut butter, a can of jelly and three loaves of bread for every meal. Now, a year later, the light bulb goes on. Just in case another food truck had the same mystery, I posted this thread....

Last season, several drum corps came down with the stomach/intestinal flu. On our food truck, we diligently reviewed all of our procedures ... scoured the food truck, and re-sanitized everything to eliminate the mystery germ. During move-ins this year, a parent suggested that last year's flu was caused by the contaminated peanut butter, that was later recalled. Could this be true? In retrospect, she may be right. The members that got sick were primarily the vegetarians, or the hungry guys that supplemented their meals with a couple of PB& J sandwiches. My daughter was fine (no peanut butter) but her seatmate got sick (PB fan). Ironically, when those who got sick finally felt better, they stayed away from the hot meals and stayed with PBJ because it was "safe". We didn't know about the peanut butter recall at the time, and we served Peter Pan for most of the season...

What a great article! There are some parents who coddle their kids and hold on so tight that their kids don't get the chance to grow up...... and then, there are the drum corps parents ..... we replace the pacifier with a mouthpiece, load them up onto a bus, and look forward to the confident young adults that we embrace again in August. :)

Let's try some out... This isn't a fund raising idea, but it is a fund SAVING one. I sell truck tires~ I work directly for one of the three major companies... it doesn't matter which one, because all three offer the same type of program for non profit organizations. In summary, if a drum corps needs to buy ANY tires- bus, truck, or passenger- contact an authorized dealer for one of the big three and ask for the "SAFE" program, or "school bus" program. As long as you are a non-profit organization transporting people, you qualify for the program, as well as the tax-exempt savings for tires (another $30+ per tire). If the guy at the counter says he doesn't know what you are talking about, ask him to contact his manager, and if he is the manager, ask him to call the manufacturer's representative. Of course, you will need your Tax-exempt card too, but the savings per tire can range from $50 - $150 per tire, so it's well worth the effort to pursue it. If you have the time to understand the programs now, during the off season, it'll be easier during the season if you need any tires while you are on the road. Feel free to PM me if you need more details- again, I'm not telling you this to promote my brand, but to make you aware that the program is out there, and offers substantial savings for drum corps.

"On Tuesday night, October 17, a question and answer session regarding the 2007 Magic season will be held here in Orlando beginning at 7:30pm at the outside seating area in front of House of Blues located at Downtown Disney. So the Magic are having the first meeting concerning 2007 at a bar. A Disney bar, but a bar none the less. Hmmmm " Since October 17th, the unknown director, as well as the assistant to the unknown director, have done ??? to propel the Magic into '07 season? Does anyone know? There have been several positive suggestions found in this 28 page thread, but there doesn't appear to be, either here or on the Magic's website, any plans announced. My boss always says, "If you wake up in the morning without a plan, you might as well go back to bed".

And if your board of directors equates to 2 people, and one of them resigns... then all of the decisions are left to one guy. The problem with the Magic has never been the kids or their attitudes, but when the Board of Directors and Management team becomes a regime, then it's no fun to be part of the Magic Kingdom. I'm not knowledgeable about the rules that non-profit agencies are supposed to follow, or about what DCI requires for drum corps to follow pertaining to corps leadership, but considering all of the scrutiny over Capital Regiment's board, someone should be looking at the Magic's board with the same focus.

Very interesting concept. "When I was in drum corps" (from 74 - 81), drum corps were more regional/local. Kids that wanted to experience the musical adventure, but weren't 100% committed, they could chose a local/regional corps, while the diehards could compete in the national corps. Even though we live in Florida, I chose to support my daughter with her choice to join a non-Florida corps. I guess it all depends on what you are looking for when you pick a drum corps. As a mom, I looked for: ~ supporting alumni? ~ solid staff? cohesive leadership? ~ good base of volunteers? ~ clear focus & direction for the season? If I'd ask my daughter, she would say she was looking for: ~ a corps with teamwork, where members became brothers and sisters by the end of the season ~ a place where veterans set the motivation level and achievements for the whole corps ~ a place where rookies were groomed to be veterans. That's why my daughter is now a returning veteran at another corps, and I have to tack on an additional $1000 for airline fare.... but for her, it's worth it! :)

Good idea, Michelle... if business would donate hotel stays and gift certificates, they could be packaged together and auctioned on e-bay, with a minimum reserve to keep the donations healthy. (By the way, on the tax write off comment, if you are donating an item, I think you can write off the thrift shop value on your taxes... You are correct that when you "win" an item, you can only claim the difference between the amount it's valued at, and the amount you paid as a tax write off.)

I have another, simple fundraising idea. Instead of soliciting financial donations, ask parents, alumni, and volunteers to donate items... for example: ~Tickets to Broadway events or sporting events... ~Admission tickets to Universal or Disney.... ~Items from corporations...sometimes called "Samples" or demo items that haven't been used, but can't be sold as new. ~Collectors items that you personally don't want anymore, but other people might (like Snap on calendars, records, porcelain figurines, unopened Avon or Mary Kay). Once all of the items are donated, the Magic could announce and promote an E-bay auction, with all proceeds going to the corps. My donation would be considered tax-deductible, and the winner wouldn't necessarily care who the seller was. Sometimes, items sold on e-bay are sold for more than market value. If the winner was a drum corps/Magic fan, they might inflate the price, in order to support the corps. While parents might not have the time to volunteer, I would think that most of them would donate something for the cause.

If there are 40+ members returning, then there are, theoretically, 80 parents that you should turn to. Why don't you contact Meredith, the Alumni coordinator, and see if she can reach out to alumni and past volunteers. My point, Jared, was that when you do reach out, you have to have a plan to fund raise. Your enthusiasm about a tourist pamphlet is admirable, but the idea isn't executable in a short time frame. That's a fact. I'm not criticizing your enthusiasm or your attitude ~ but you need TIME if you are going to do it right, which the Magic doesn't have. Remember, the Orlando market already has effective tourist marketing, so you'd be entering into a fierce, competitive market, without the knowledge and resources to make it happen. My comments are realistic, not nay-saying. Find a new plan. Plan B. My daughter attends UCF and she's met several Magic members at college parties. Those Magic members could be the spark at UCF to raise funds. Small pep bands, quartets at venues... those are realistic options that are executable before December. Plan C. How about a car raffle, mandating that all returning members sell XX amount of tickets? If the target market was college kids, then you'd need to come up with ONE car... maybe a Toyota Scion... if you made the tickets affordable ($5), you could focus your efforts on selling tickets to college kids and friends. If this was the case, the planning would involve one Magic executive to find one car dealer that would support the cause, and printing out raffle tickets. Hey, maybe one of those 80 parents has connections to a car dealership that the Magic could take advantage of? How much does it cost to run a corps? Is $50,000 enough money, or just the minimum needed? If, through the miracle of Paypal, the Magic receives $50,000 from supporting drum corps fan, is that a $50,000 band aid, or all that's needed for the 2007 tour? I heard one corps director say he budgets $5,000 a day while on tour for buses, fuel, food and minor expenses. (I'm not sure if his number included the staff's salaries?) If that's a sound figure, and if it included the salaries, then that's about $200,000 - $250,000 for the summer. If there are 100 kids that PAY their dues, and if dues are $2,000 each, then that's $200,000 in the coffers. Yikes.

Magic is Underrated... this should have been the message that you focused on. I'm NOT a nay-sayer on your enthusiasm, but I am a realist. My career has weaved into (and out of) marketing- if I still had connections, I would have contacted you with points of contacts that you could use to pursue your idea. As for me, personally, I am a MOM that, like texasmom, took 2 weeks of personal vacation to travel with the corps... I volunteered in '05, and texasmom was in '06. So, without bashing anyone on a public forum, I know the "players" at the Magic. I know which ones are receptive to new and innovative ideas, and I know who will roll their eyes because they know what-you-are-saying-has-already-been-tried and therefore discredited... Sorry to degress- back to the positivity. There ARE kids that live in Orlando that WILL support the Magic. I know that people have stated that most members come from afar, but I know that there are drum corps members that attend the University of Central Florida (pop. 45,000 students). If you cut through all of the B.S.~ what does the Magic know about marketing? Little. But what does the Magic know about music and entertaining? BUNCHES. Focus on what you know. Don't re-create the wheel. Figure out the music/entertainment side. On a nostalgic note, when I marched in drum corps, our fund raisers included: 1. selling Tombstone pizzas. 2. presenting (and selling) a "Tom Watts" kit, of assorted wrapping paper, stationery, and bows. 3. marching marathons. We had to solicit pledges, and then march all night to get the money.... Any other crazy ideas out there that the Magic could take advantage of????

Is this an official request from the Magic for help, or just an enthusiastic request to raise money? I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news, but the type of tourist pamphlet that you are talking about takes time and talent to develop. You'll need a "sales force" to do this. First, you'll need to decide where you want to drop the pamphlets, so that the businesses will know where their ads would be found... The sales team would need to get pre-approval at all of these locations. Next, your sales team would need to professionally approach the targeted businesses, and to sell them on WHY your pamphlet would be advantageous. Once you meet with a decision maker, you'll realize that the decision maker is NOT the decision maker, and needs to check with someone before saying "yes". You'll need to follow up on all of these calls- and it can take several visits to one location before they say yes. If businesses decide to advertise within the pamphlet: 1. Someone will need to collect and compile all of the ad slicks. 2. Someone will need to professionally prepare the pamphlet. 3. Someone will need to return to all of the businesses for the final "proof" before it goes into production. 4. Someone will need to contact and pay a publisher. 5. Once the piece is ready, someone will need to distribute them to all of the defined locations. 6. Once the distribution market is figured out, someone will need to return to all of the hotels/hot spots to refill and monitor distribution. 7. The pamphlets would need to offer coupons or other offers, so that the businesses could track the success of this piece over other marketing pieces. Someone would need to validate the pamphlets success, so that someone could approach the businesses to renew the program in a year. I wish you luck, but time isn't on your side. You'd be able to make more money if you'd focus your efforts on musical performances at venues, like the Magic used to do. I know there are several Magic members and alumni that live in Orlando, that could donate their time and talent to perform. Again, someone would need to hustle to lock in venues, and then to get commitments from members/alumni to be there. Good luck.

The Magic of ORLANDO is located in the tourism center for the United States. With that being said, the Magic could expand to other opportunities that tourism offers in Orlando- like catering or entertaining. My daughter is a freshman at the University of Central Florida (UCF), and my younger daughter (she's 17, a 2005 Magic vet) went to Orlando a couple of weeks ago. They went to a UCF party and my younger daughter had an awesome reunion with several other 2005 Magic vets. Last weekend, my daughter carpooled to her catering job with a fellow dormmate, and discovered that her dormmate is a 2 year vet from Southwind. While this girl was only 19, she said that it was her last year in drum corps, because her parents had to choose between drum corps and college, and they can't afford both. I started to think about the options for this girl, saddened to know that she would never march her last 2 years... The million dollar scenario: what if there was a way for a college kid to earn the dues for the next season? There are over 43,000 students in Orlando. What if the "Magic alumni" created an organization that catering companies could turn to, when they are short of help? If the "Magic alumni" hired college students, they could offer a competitive wage to their employees, and still profit some money to offset the operational costs for next season. If you take it one step farther- what if the "Magic alumni" hired Magic members, or alumni, or parents? Then, 100% of the wages could be donated back to the corps (and could offset next season's dues)... At a higher scale, what if DCI expanded their commitment to current drum corps? If DCI was able to manage this type of program within the U.S.... 1. Drum corps marchers would register to particpate, would identify the drum corps that they plan to support, and the market that they would be available to work. 2. DCI would identify the potential workers in each market. 3. With this information, DCI could identify opportunities where members could volunteer their time in various activities- whether it's collecting parking money at a football game , to selling popcorn, to catering a wedding... DCI would manage the activities and the participants. Of course, DCI would get its cut, but then, the earned wages would be donated back to the appropriate drum corps. If someone was hired by DCI to manage this as a program, this idea could happen, and benefit all drum corps- not just the Magic.

I posed the same question about the Magic- "Will There be a Magic 2007?" about a week ago... it's now buried on page 7 or so. For some reason, the CR has captured the attention of DCP fans, but the Magic is shunned. While there are several posts about the debacle of CR's 2006 season, the Magic's season is flatly ignored. Which is what the freedom of speech is all about, right? If you care, write about it. Don't care? Ignore it. There is a strange silence on www.magicoforlando.org. If you are a mom trying to support your kid's drum corps addiction, you want some idea what is going on next season, don't you? If you want to know about the 2006 banquet, or 2007 season, you go to the website to get the scoop. The Magic's website is stagnant, and their message board is crusty. My daughter left the Magic in 2005 and marched in 2006 with the Blue Stars, so I understand her frustrations with the Magic. Maybe it's out of bounds projecting my experiences onto her. But if the Magic is supposed to quietly disappear into oblivion, and if TexasMom wants to find an alternative, there is one in her backyard.

Texas mom- if the Magic doesn't return, check out www.Bluestars.org... if you go into their "forum" area, you'll be able to read the good-bad- and ugly... by the way, there isn't much "bad or ugly". The Blue Stars is a class act organization, and the alumni that supports the corps is genuine. It's definitely not a one man show. Volunteers are welcomed, and there isn't a shortage of help during tour. The staff is cohesive and spreads that feeling amongst the members. Even now- off season- people post all the time. It's a big family. BTW- the Blue Stars are holding auditions in Texas, because there is a strong member base there. They carpool up I-35 to get to the camps... they will have their 2006 banquet on Thanksgiving Friday, and follow it with 2007 auditions in Minneapolis.