cybersnyder

Slightly different picture now painted.

Not even free facilities for practice or office space? Staff is paid for via activity fees and fundraisers?

I did Baltimore Ravens Marching Band for a few years and, of course, no player appreciation with the exception of Ed Reed and Justin Tucker. Those guys always had something nice to say. In fairness, the cheerleaders were easier to appreciate.

That may have been possible when you lined the fields with paint but a large percentage of the fields now are artificial turf.

Ugh. I still want the sarcasm font. My bad.

I think you’re being over-dramatic about it. They should do whatever they want to do. It just doesn’t make sense to me. So, being an Internet forum, we discuss.

I’m sure they know what they’re doing, I’m just scratching my head.

Congrats!!

Good ROI = breaking even this year by not wasting money where it doesn’t need to be wasted. Overall, in the year end totals, there is no ROI, but individual expenditures can have a positive or negative ROI.

Trying to figure that out myself. They will need to obtain visas to visit here since Costa Rica is not a participant in the visa waiver program. Politics aside, i think everyone will agree that this is not the most pleasant of time for someone from Central America to obtain a visa to come here to “work” for a drum corps. Troopers should establish a credit program with a local college that would allow them to be affiliated with an accredited institution of higher learning to make obtaining a visa easier. Kudos for thinking outside the box. I work in IT, so by nature I’m looking for problems and risks before they happen. I’m sure they’ve thought through this and have determined that there is a potential up shot for the organization.

How would this work for Costa Rica? The school year there runs from February to December.

Yay! I got Babylon on iTunes. I didn’t know there was anything available on iTunes. I would definitely purchase video on iTunes if available.

Highly doubt it. The video from the Cadets performance looks like garbage by today’s standards and is irrelevant to the story. I doubt there will be much more than 60 seconds total of athlete video and that will be mostly to establish that’s it’s the Olympics.

You too!

Of course they know what the issues are. Ok, what am I permitted to talk about? I’ll stay within your list.

Aren’t most drum corps fans pulling for their survival? That doesn’t mean it stops them from pointing out things that don’t look good or are troublesome. For the next couple years, signing the contract is at your own risk. There are financial factors at play that can’t be ignored. I care, but not enough to break out the checkbook. My donation won’t save them anyways.

Anything but tan. Or a onesie.

Won't that run into tax issues? When you donate to a non-profit, you can deduct the donation minus whatever gift you receive, like a t-shirt valued at $30. So if you buy a vote for $500, isn't the value of the vote $500 and then you can't deduct that donation? On a side note since a lot more people are no longer able to itemize, has that impacted drum corps donations?

It will be interesting to see if anyone qualifies.

I'm a sucker for the Salute to Service NFL jerseys.

It's the den mother holding the iPhone with the Square reader so you can't say that you don't have any cash that you have to watch out for. From what I've heard, they probably pay more in processing fees than they actually make from the cookies.

My prognosis for the organization is negative, but my heart really wants them to do well and thrive. It’s unfair that the people involved now are haunted by the sins of the past, but that is reality. Just like in pro sports, winning atones for just about all evils except hurting puppies or taking a knee. If they can do well over the next few seasons, the Hop years will be forgotten. Mostly.

“May” because I can’t quantify the amount they contributed. I don’t think he would have turned into the good Christmas Elf if he had shop set up in a convent.

There was a culture that may have enabled him, but that’s 10% of the blame versus Hop’s 90% (allegedly).

I'm a little late.... Crown will have electric bass!! Yay!!