higherlouderfaster

Don't worry. People like this don't bother me, and his opinion of my parenting skills has no effect on me. My vote still stands. My kid has a cell phone or he marches somewhere where he can. It's that simple and it is my choice. I pay his tour fees. I pay the cell bill. I am his father and ultimately I am responsible for his safety and well being even if he is a thousand miles away. I may choose to trust an organization to take him a thousand miles away, but I am not surrendering my parental rights in the process. If a corps says my child cannot have a cell phone then he will march with another corps who says he may. Once he turns 18, pays his own tour fees, and pays his own cell bill, then he can march wherever he so desires under whatever rules he so desires. That will still give him three or four years to have whatever experience he want in whatever corps he wants until he ages out. Until then, he is responsible to me, dependent upon my provision, and accountable to my boundaries and rules. As a parent, it is my job to help him develop self reliance in steps, and allowing him to tour is a part of that...however, he is DEVELOPING self reliance and not already self reliant, hence, he will be able to contact me when he needs to without having to rely on some other means of communication being available and I will be able to do the same. The people who don't like my decision can feel free to disagree, but they aren't raising my child (although most of the left wing socialists among them think they are or should) and they don't get to make this decision for me.

My kid. My parental rights. My cell phone on my bill. My kid carries a cell phone or marches somewhere else. Period. Non negotiable.

Can't take what? Being faced with the facts in response to your ignorance.

Have you had your head in the freakin sand or something. YES...the world has gotten a whole lot more dangerous in the last seven years. Buy a newspaper for God's sake. Crime, murder, robbery, and terrorism did not just start to exist in this decade...however, they are increasing, and terrorism within our own borders did begin in this last decade. Cell phones were not invented because of terrorism...but in the case of a terrorist attack, sudden illness or injury, accidental separation from the corps, or any of about a thousand reasons I can think of, I want my teenage child to be able to reach me and me able to reach him.

Excuse me...I was there. I lived it. It is absolutely true.

And if there is another 9/11 that happens in the middle of July in a city near where my teenager is with his drum corps, I would much rather try to reach his cell phone directly than to try to reach the same emergency number that over a hundred other sets of parents are trying to reach.

Amen. I am a former drug user. I used when I was on tour, and I partied with lots of kids, staff, and adult volunteers from lots of other corps. BD for some reason, gets a bad rep, but truth be told, every corps has a problem with this whether they admit it or not. We used to even joke about how being on tour was perfect for partying because if corps from one area of the country ran out of drugs, somebody from one of the other areas would have a fresh load because they just got back from their home turf. There are much bigger fish to fry in DCI than cell phones.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Your 2007 DCI World Champion From Canton, OH........the Blooooooooooooooooooocoats!!!!!!!! Print it! I'll see ya in August with the reminder!

So just because we are on the internet, people can be as big of jerks as they want and it's supposed to be acceptable? So acting maturely, respectfully, and respectably are not intrinsic values...they are just a show we put on until we can hide behind a chat handle and be the completely incessant jerks we really are.

Well, that staff person may have taught you to be a professional (hopefully not a professional speller though) but they definitely taught you nothing about conducting yourself in a respectful or respectable manner. Your post is extremely offensive and it will be pointed out to the moderators...although I doubt I will be the first to do so.

The only reason I have given my teenager a cell phone is so that I can reach him in an emergency. I allow him to use it otherwise, but I feel better knowing I can reach him on a moments notice. In todays world, with the threat of terrorism and lunatics shooting up campuses, I have no problem paying the monthly bill for the ability to reach my son NOW! If my son's drum corps tries to tell me I can't have that ability anymore, then my son will be marching with somebody else. It's that simple. You don't have to like it or agree with it. I pay the bill. I am the parent. My son will have a cell phone if I so choose...no discussion...period!

Amen! I hope I didn't offend with the "praying for my heathen friends" comment. It truly was intended to be funny. I can have a very dry sense of humor and it doesn't come across well in forum and email situations sometimes.

and the Boston Symphony should add heavy metal guitars and a drum set. Metalica and Megadeath should add a woodwind section to their bands. BB King should add an oboe player to his backup band.

Please don't interrupt me. I'm busy praying for all of my heathen friends ^0^ . ........... I mean :devin:

His scrawny little butt would get pulverized!!! I taught Westshore's horn line back in 95 and 96 when alot of people were having this same conversation about us. While DCI and DCA are both part of the same activity, they are two very different worlds. Junior corps atract a lot of great talent but with relatively little performance and life experience. Senior corps, while they are getting younger and younger, tend to attract a large percentage of people with anywhere from ten to forty years of drum corps experience. Because of this difference, they take very different approaches in show design, rehearsal methodology, and treatment of membership by staff and administrative personal. In order to become a DCI corps, the Bucs would have to become a completely different corps. Now, if your question were "how would the Bucs do if they competed in a DCI show now?".........they would get disqualified as soon as old man Walt hit the turf! (Just kidding Walt. Congrats on forty years of insanity. You are, without a doubt, the classiest guy in all of drum corps!)

I hear nothing........... B) I see nothing......... nothing.

Purpose of this countdown.................to prove the old adage that a fool and his money are easily parted.

I don't like it because my picture was on the home page of the old sight and, being a lead soprano, I am therefore allowed to be upset about that. :ramd: :lolhit: <**> OK....now I'm over it. :D The new sight looks great! Here's to a "New Blue" becoming a "New DCI World Champion!!!" ^OO^ Go Bloooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

I marched with Walt in 91 at Steel City and wrote the music for his marching band that following season. He is truly a class act and a role model for any musician, father, performer and/or teacher. It's great to find out that he is still at it, because I'm sure many of his fellow members are benefiting from the wonderful experience of knowing him. Congrats Walt!!! Here's to the next 40 seasons! ^OO^

So I guess the word classic in the title of the showing means "These are classics if your under 30."

I've never been to this before. Is there any guarantee that all of the shows won't be from the last 15 years? In past years, has there been any 70's and 80's shows? Can I bring my synthesizer and clarinet? (Just kidding on that one...don't get all bent out of shape.) Just wondering before I lay out 50 bucks to take my family to this thing. We are much more fans of the seventies and eighties DCI than later. (Not that 90's and later aren't good. We just prefer the older styles of shows. Once again...don't get all bent out of shape.)

I'm doing well. The kidneys have fully recovered. The heart has some scarring (permanent damage) but the pumping function was at 60 percent on my last Echo cardiogram which is average. When I left the hospital, I could only walk about fifty to seventy five yards before I had to sit down (which is all I ever had to march back in the day anyway ). Two days ago, I walked two miles in about forty five minutes. Not exactly ready to sign up for a 10K but I'll take it for now. As for playing my horn, that has been kind of heartbreaking. I've played a little bit, but I have no stamina and no upper register back yet. I will get there though....or die with a horn in my hand while trying!!! It's who I am and it's what I do...I will be on the Forum stage again next year! I would also like to note one other thing. People have been kind of joking about the mini corps (cork) thing.....but think about it. The circuit is quickly gaining credibility and some of the groups were extremely good. I've been giving some serious thought to getting one started. I've already talked to a few people privately and there is some real interest. I pastor three churches right down the road here in York, so we have all the free practice facility we could want. (Imagine, the Westshoremen practicing in a church...Drew R. could lead the hymns) The big stumbling block is equipment cost and ....well...I'm already working some magic on that issue with some of my old Bluecoat connections. It's all covert right now (insert mission impossible theme here) but I will keep everybody informed as it comes together.

Could do an all Lawrence Welk show.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Your 2007 DCI World Champions............. From Canton, Ohio..............The Bloooooooooocoats!!! ^OO^

Hey buddy, thats no problem at all. I've done the same thing in here before. By the way, I got your pm and I will get back to you shortly, I have an appointment now with a couple that I am marrying, so I have to go.