rmurrey74
-
Posts
891 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
4
Posts posted by rmurrey74
-
-
19 minutes ago, scheherazadesghost said:
Terri literally just confirmed via emails with DCI that it's not activity wide, but okay.
I'm honestly glad that it's better than it has been. Great.
Nothing I've seen indicates that it's close to other training options available, including the free, multi-hour, text based modules available thru Safe Sport International that you have to test out of.
As for some people never being convinced... it's not because we keep moving the goal posts... it's because predators will always seek new ways of breaking into safeguarding systems. They must be updated and improved regularly.
This is another SSI principle, not just some arbitrary moving of the goal posts by yours truly. I've done the homework for the last decade so I have a strong sense of what's out there.
DCI corps all have to adhere to the training guidelines. If one is not, report it.
Alumni corps now have to take the same Safesport training. I had friends that participated in the Bluecoats alumni corps. Feel free to confirm with any of those 500 people.
I’ll base my knowledge on actual experience of actively teaching in the activity right now.
-
2
-
1
-
-
1 minute ago, HockeyDad said:
Do you think it’s enough?
How about implementing this policy: there shall be a minimum of TWO adults when in the presence of a sole minor. And, to the corps members, if you EVER come across one adult and one minor alone in private together, you are expected to report it to (insert the correct single point of contact) immediately. All persons will be assumed innocent but out an abundance of caution we will investigate every occurrence.
I suppose many will consider this “too hard” to implement. Well, how important to you is the activity’s survival? Would you not take whatever measures are necessary? This is a solid policy that is used in many organizations.
That policy is already in place. I have to sign my employment agreement with that specially spelled out and covered in training.
-
3
-
-
14 minutes ago, scheherazadesghost said:
I'm aware. AFAIK, DCI-wide, it's a one hour video created by the USCSS. Great.
But as I said when they first implemented it, it's only a start and not nearly enough. We've gotten anon reports that the members themselves have found it ineffective, going so far as to use the term "Safe Sport" as a code word for predators in their midst on tour. It's also not enough if staff aren't reinforcing those reporting channels or don't feel confident using themselves. Or if abusers have managed to weasel their way in still, which happens. Training, especially weak, limited training, is only a small piece of the education pie here.
Also, if the training is generic enough to share activity wide, then it's probably not going to point to organization-specific channels. Another problem: the generic training is easy to check off and forget when you're in the moment, facing an abuser or survivor.
This is likely why SOA developed their own training in-house, I imagine, because their reporting system is more robust and the generic version wouldn't have helped. And yet, we're still seeing breaks in the system, even if this is a rare case of a false accusation! That's how complicated this work is.
Even the work done so far is clearly not enough if we're still getting young members who are potentially only going to social media, or who are asking reddit what they should do. Also, to correct myself: the generic training isn't activity wide, as Terri pointed out in the Cadets bankruptcy thread...
It. Is. Not. Good. Enough.
Yet.
The safe sport training is activity wide. As a staff member, the amount of training I receive is far and beyond what I have to do for any other activity I’m involved in. (Coaching youth baseball and volunteering with the high school musicals for set construction). It’s also far more than our 15 minute sexual harassment training taken yearly for work. It’s probably never enough, but there’s frequent reminders, spelled out in my teaching contracts, in separate policy documents. It’s taken very seriously by the two drum corps I have recently taught and I’ve heard no different from my friends and past members teaching across the activity.
There’s some people that will never be satisfied or convinced that it’s enough. That’s fine, but it’s a huge improvement over what existed five years ago. I’m not sure what more could be done right now but making the minimum age 18 would be best in my mind.
-
5
-
-
I agree 18-22 or 23.
Will never solve everything but at least handles the minor/adult relationship issue better. An 18 year member cannot have a relationship with a 17 year old member.
Think back to your marching days and about how that dynamic has changed. I’m not saying it’s wrong to have that strict line but it’s much different than what used to be acceptable
-
1
-
-
14 hours ago, greg_orangecounty said:
I don't see it that way. Kids commit to a corps, not a particular instructor, or set of instructors. It's just like the kid that signs a letter of intent to play for a particular coach only to have said coach leave for the NFL or a different university before he/she sets foot on campus. Commit to the institution, not an employee of the institution. Employees come and go.
Guard members are very loyal to staff and instructors. Probably at the same degree or higher than percussion. Watched the majority of my corps’s guard follow their caption head to their new corps twice in the mid-nineties and have seen it so many times since.
I’ve also seen new guard members show up to spring training in recent years with barely any following or knowledge of the history of past of the corps they were about to join which is surprising. They are following that staff that recruited them throughout the WGI season.
-
2
-
-
Can’t wait to see what they bring in their return. I would love some hard-hitting, aggressive, angry SCV.
-
1
-
-
3 hours ago, IllianaLancerContra said:
Yes, but I have had 16-year old HS students in my college biology classes who are much more mature than some of the 21 (or 31)-year olds.
Agreed, but those biology students aren’t away from home, practicing all day and living on a bus for half of that time.
-
19 hours ago, Terri Schehr said:
One of the things that kind of bugs me about nowadays, is that a younger person, say 16 years old, can audition for the local corps, make it down to the last two for one spot, and they’ll pick the age out kid from 1000 miles away rather than the kid who lives nearby and has several more years left to march. Seems short-sighted to me.
BTW, this really happened. I personally told the founder of the corps about it and he found it very disturbing.
Lots of difference in maturity from 16-21. I would always pick the oldest if two people are in the same talent range.
-
2 hours ago, cfirwin3 said:
I understand. But the bottom line doesn't lie. Plenty corps exist outside of the top 4-5 perennial contenders, and they do just fine not winning the big show. Bluecoats, for example, had a very strong business model for decades without even a glimmer of championship success. If anything, it's the drive for championship success that is most likely to threaten their financial stability today... that's a high bill to pay, year after year.
Bluecoats also make a HUGE amount of money based on their success now and popularity. There’s no shortage in the activity of members that will pay $5000+ to march, but those same kids are selective and want to be at the top of the activity. Over 1,000 kids auditioned for them last year. That’s a huge profit center based on the audition fee and audition materials purchased.
-
What’s the average staff on the road level? That ties into vehicle space. If you eliminate sleeper coaches, you reintroduce the previous problem of having to find staff housing where school classroom space was becoming limited. You’re probably still looking at two staff vehicles.
is this the typical or ideal size today?
3 admin
2 medical
5 brass (4 techs plus caption head)
5 visual (4 techs plus caption head)
6 percussion (5 techs plus caption head)
4 guard (3 techs plus caption head)
2 electronics (1 tech plus caption head)
3 merchandise
4 food truck
2 media
3 designers (not the full team on the road at once)
3 costumes/production team
8 drivers?
50 total
Am I missing anyone?
-
I heard a Glassmen 2005 story, can anyone involved confirm it's true?
Robert had the entire show completely written at one of the first camps (New World Symphony).
He had the brass all sit-down concert style and play through the entire book. I just thought that was an interesting way to approach/learn the show.
He'll be missed!
-
27 minutes ago, Weaklefthand4ever said:
I'm not implying that Safesport is not a good program or that it's vital. The questions would still be same of any program.
1. How comprehensive is it
2. Is there testing to ensure understanding and knowledge transfer
3. Is it tracked for compliance by a 3rd party and enforced
Again, it could be an excellent program. In my world we do 2 hours alone on sexual harassment prevention at the entry level for employees. Managers have FAR more hours of training as they are responsible for any employee that comes to them (plus about 12 hours of compliance work twice a year.)
It could be an apples and oranges comparison. I am simply posing questions.
Just as an aside, a LOT of study has been taken place on adult learning theory over the years as you can imagine. Video presentation comes in towards the bottom of the list when designing curriculum (still above lecture alone.) Adults tend to have limited recall of what they have seen and heard without additional learning methods to reinforce the skill transfer.
I’m sure it’s not perfect. It seems comprehensive to me but I’m not an expert. It reviews signs to look for, mandatory reporting, multiple scenarios with questions/quizzes throughout. To me, I had to pay attention throughout. It’s a 3rd party and yes, it’s enforced. It’s also a WGI requirement and probably for other circuits as well.
I also had in person training/policy review early in spring training, reminders throughout the season, reiterated through member and staff contracts and DCI did a full town-hall event for all drum corps on the topic last year.
I’m sure it could be much more, but It’s far and beyond anything I’ve ever had at any of my non-band/drum corps related jobs that I’ve held during my career. I work for a Fortune 500 and it’s a 15-20 minute training video once a year for Managers/Directors.
-
90 minutes. Mandatory for all members, staff, volunteers, drivers, etc.
-
It already is the same, consistent and mandatory through SafeSport.
-
-
-
I'm more reassured from my friends on staff that have committed to the summer based on the information that been shared with them and the work that's been done behind the scenes. Can't wait to see them return to the field!
If it doesn't work out, and they completely fold, then a bunch of people on here can celebrate that they were right!
I'm going to ignore this thread today and just make a donation to hopefully help the cause.
-
3
-
-
I'll take a shot
- Bluecoats
- Blue Devils
- Boston
- Crown
- SCV
- Cavaliers
- Phantom
- Mandarins
- Cadets
- Troopers
- Colts
- Blue Stars
- Spirit
- Blue Knights
- Pacific Crest
-
32 minutes ago, TOC said:
Doubt they were planning a show. Most were probably involved with the corps who were paying them to write.
Some were definitely still on the payroll all year.
-
I can’t wait to see what this design team has come up with after an extra year of planning.
-
1
-
-
20 minutes ago, IllianaLancerContra said:
Good point. Bottom line is that they need to be operating legally as a nonprofit
Are DCI corps actually required to be a non-profit? Lots of independent WGI groups are not although I know that’s not the same.
-
1 hour ago, Jurassic Lancer said:
Is there an announcement on cap sups and heads?
Yes
-
-
Post on Reddit about SoA
in DCI World Class Corps Discussions
Posted
Got it. Cool