hairbear

Exiting the discussion.

Typically, It's the staff members who can be most effective, in recruiting talent to the program. Casting a wide net is not the solution. Any attempt to turn a program around must follow a well thought out and coordinated plan, that starts with the top of the organization.

If then, several barriers don't exist, those that remain can easily be overcome. What it will take is selflessness, courage and the desire to move the program in the right direction. As another contributor to this conversation stated, the corps belongs to a far larger group than just the BOD. I firmly believe that to be the case.

What then, ARE the perceived barriers to success? Talent? No. They've done quite well in I&E competition whenever they've entered as solos or ensembles. Funding? No. Brewfest has been and IS, successful as a fundraising event. Logistics? No. Other programs in their region have become DCA Champions. Fees? No. The cost to participate is comparable to most DCA member corps, if not, lower. What is keeping them from experiencing competitive success? What barriers remain?

One of the reasons I feel suggestions and ideas will fall on deaf ears, is the lack of meaningful participation in this conversation, by somebody who posts a link and nothing else. The recent and current BOD have a history of assuming a defensive posture whenever approached. Silence is not golden.

'Galen", "Reaching out to the corps with suggestions and ideas" was accomplished, a few days ago. I can assure you that as a former member and one who began with the corps in 1993/94, I wish to see the corps become a successful competative drum corps. More importantly, I wish to see it become a corps that the Jr. Alumni, the all age alumni, the current members, fans and community of Racine can equally be proud of. I can't speak for the others involved in this discussion, but I'm fairly certain they also want the same. Conversations such as the one herein are important and bring to light, valid discussion points.

The current Corps is not the Jr. Kilties. It's not even the Sr. Kilties the founding members created. It's something else. It's not successful. The scores and placements verify that fact. Time to put personal agendas on the shelf and allow the corps to be successful. simple as that.

Actually, "Brewfest" is one aspect of the corps operation, that IS successful. It's well attended and well run. Funding is not the problem.

To continue and (hopefully) encourage more discussion on this topic: It's difficult to recruit for a program that has a history of (mostly) last place finishes. That said, I've been involved with programs that have managed to "reboot" and in one case, do so in two seasons and literally come out on top, with a DCA Championship win. Results like that are rare. It's not a good idea in my opinion, to "cast a wide net" and employ everyone caught in it. It's better to develop relationships with local music programs, while targeting a specific demographic. Define that demographic, go where they are and sell your program. Don't get caught up in "numbers". "Big" is not always a good thing.

Fred, The Rockets wore West German police helmets. There is also a story behind those helmets. The Capone brothers would know the full story.

There was always one thing that puzzled me, regarding the Kilties "philosophy" between the years 2008 through 2013. While the emphasis in that time period was on performance opportunities and (rightly so) "Entertainment", with the mantra being: "We don't care about the scores and placements" and "DCA is a small part of what we do", that mantra didn't always reflect the thoughts and feelings of the more competitively minded members of the corps. To put it simply: If that is the case, why are you angry or upset when you receive less than desirable scores and prelims results? If indeed, the full membership bought into the aforementioned mantra, there would be no need for presenting a laundry list of excuses, at the end of every DCA season.

Now for the unusual: In the 1981 season of DCA, Ohio Brass Factory showed up for prelims, wearing yellow hard hats and blue shop coats, over an already gaudy uniform that featured no less than 5 different colors! They should have left the hard hats and over coats on, for the entire show. Unusual #2: Steel City Ambassadors in the same season, had a very basic uniform. It consisted of black pants and a black military styled dress shirt, with a cummerbund and a cross sash. Somebody in the corps thought the uniform "needed something". They took (from their hotel I assume) white bed sheets and pinned them to their uniform and from a distance nobody was the wiser and they had nice flowing white uniform capes! perhaps the most cost effective uniforms of the mid 70's were those of Rochester Phoenix! I'll let somebody that wore the uniform, describe it. I can't leave out the uniforms of the Jolly Jesters! Clown suits. Satin material. red and white, if memory serves.

Hello Kevin! Yeah... it's come to that. :) 1986, SCA plays Stormy weather in their show, while Sandy McNeal dances around the pit with an umbrella in his hand. Sandy is always "close by" and with me in EVERY performance. The "umbrella" was for him.

"It's good to be retired". :)

Larry, your 9 hour average is right on the money. Cincinnati to Rochester: 9 hours.

Before a DCA show can be considered here in Cincinnati, the local DCA Class A corps needs to continue the growth it has experienced in the last three years. Geographically, Cincinnati is a good location, in the middle of three regions of DCA. There are other things to consider that are far more important than "location". Finances, logistics and an audience base, for example. There's a GOOD reason why I travelled east for many years to compete in DCA! Quite simply, that's where the action was and still is. To get yourself in the mix, you will have to get in your car and drive there. That has changed somewhat since the early 1980's, with the creation of DCA Central and South regions. Today, somebody who lives here in Cincinnati has more options available than I did, from 1980 through 1999. The best case scenario is that a prospective member residing in Cincinnati, joins the local DCA corps. It's a cost effective decision. It's here, It's affordable and it's growing. The other less enjoyable option is to spend a lot of money commuting east, south or northwest. From personal experience, the cost of doing so is considerable and that's putting it mildly.

There ARE still corps from "upstate": Excelsior, White Sabers, St. Joes, Ghost Riders, Prime Time Brass and the Hitmen. Still plenty of performing groups there and still an interest in the activity.

At a DCA regional show last year, This "guess who" feature made the following comment: "This is the last DCA contest to use cassete tapes for the judges comments. 50 years from now, You will be able to say you were there when that historic event happened!" I remarked that as I was 60 years old, I likely won't be around to say so, as I'd be 110 years old. (This conversation took place on the field at the directors meeting, prior to the contest) Now, there IS a clue here, for those who know where to look.

I have "no dog in the hunt" because I recently retired from the activity. That said, Cincinnati happens to sit right in the middle of three regions of DCA. There is an audience base here that knows DCI corps, but knowlege of DCA is still somewhat sparse. (There is a GOOD reason why I commuted elsewhere for almost 30 years, to march in DCA Corps) I know of maybe 15 folks who commuted from Cincinnati to march in DCA Corps, over the years. They are the ones who will sit in the audience, Knowing what DCA is. Add to that, the current members of "C.T." who have recently competed in DCA and there's your total "Knowlegeable" fan base. (Yeah, those numbers are estimates only. Relax.) Can this city support a DCA regional show? With the proper marketing and a show chairperson with experience, possibly. If anyone remembers the Dayton Ohio DCA show held in 1989 or the Chicago shows held in 1988 and 1989, they were not well attended. The current DCA "regional model" didn't exist back in those days. Now that it does, It may be a successful venture. What I find amusing is this: The reasons listed by others here, for why an East region DCA corps does not travel west, are the same ones that I personally dealt with as I commuted east for all those years! Using ALL my vacation days, calling in sick, dead or dismembered on a Friday, so I could depart early enough to make a rehearsal BEFORE a 6 hour bus ride, spending obscene amounts of money on gas, food, etc. It costs time and money to go anywhere, east or west or south. The real arguement here is: Who is going to spend their money? My general rule of thumb for ANY DCA corps is that the corps should travel no further than thier budget allows. THAT is in the best interest ot the activity, in my opinion. My days and nights on the Penn turnpike, N.Y. Thruway and I-79 North (and south) are over.

I can't repeat what Bucky said to me when I met him, just before this photo was taken. But It's funny as.... :)

I think I gave all I had, competatively speaking, back in 1996. I was tired and eager to get in my car and drive home. Viewing the top Corps at DCA Finals, cemented that feeling! I didn't watch all of them. Of those that I did see, this is what caught my attention: Minnesota Brass was amazing to watch. The drill was frenetic! (The equivalent of running around the field at 90 miles an hour with a Volkswagen on your shoulder!) I didn't know what the show was about and trying to figure that out for myself, was difficult. Empire Statesmen: If there is a right way to retire a drumcorps, we all saw it Sunday night! That show had everything I consider to be what DCA was all about, during my competative days. It's one thing to have a top corps with a few "showmen" who know how to work a crowd. It's quite another, to have a top Corps where ALL the members know how to work a crowd! Cadets2: I saw a portion of thier competative show. They are a cut above, in style and content and most noticably, in decorum. (During the retreat) The drumline was the standout section of their corps, in my opinion. Bucs: The ladders caught my attention throughout the show, particularly when they were used "percussively" at one point. Guard uniforms were interesting. I see a WGI influence in todays corps. (It takes a while for an old guy like me to catch up with current trends) They seemed to manage their drill a bit better than the other corps. All of the Class A Corps have stepped up their game this season, particularly Excelsior. I like the Blues, so I enjoyed Shenendoah Sounds show. Govenairs are still the model for how to do small drumcorps. White Sabers paid attention to that fact and deservedly won. Not many Mini corps this year, but a good show regardless. Ghost Riders played the audience like a violin! I performed in my first Alumni Spectacular show with my "Home Corps" (Steel City Ambassadors). We went on first at 10 a.m. Music from the 1986, 87, 88 and 1989 competative seasons of the corps still resonate in my mind, to this day. Watching some of the Open Class corps on Sunday night, I realized that even if I had the notion of competing once more, I wouldn't last 30 seconds of the drill. I'd have a heart attack. You gotta know when to throw in the towel. I'm okay with that. So, what caught YOUR eye?

O.T. Alert! I announced my retirement from drumcorps this past weekend, after DCA Finals. I will however, retain my membership here on the "Guess Who" Thread. Yes, The Rubber Chicken was roasted on a hot aluminum podium, but only for 15 minutes or so. Not nearly enough to cook it. I enjoyed seeing many of my friends in Annapolis, got a parking ticket in D.C. while visiting the Wall (I have three friends there), my favorite lasagna emporium in Annapolis went out of business and the Stadium refreshment vendor wanted to charge me $3.50 for half a cup of ice. (NO thanks). Visiting Rochester next year is a toss of the coin. The last time I was nagged into visiting Rochester, was back in 2006. Cozy Baker was unrelenting and I ended up back in the fold, for the next 7 years. Back to the topic at hand! :)

My favorite Empire Statesmen show: All of them. Thanks for the memories.

Cincinnati Tradition scedule: Eat, pack, load, depart Racine. Arrive in Cincinnati in the wee hours of the morning, sleep at Harrison H.S. Housing site, then rehearse as usual. Nice weather predicted for Sunday. :) Been fun hangin' with yinz, here on DCP! Don.... have some popcorn tomorrow. :)

Waiting on a phone call, text, carrier pidgeon.....