Linda Slocum

This is how it seems to work with the high school kids in our region: For kids predestined to join a particular corps so they can follow in their parents' footsteps, whether <insert corps here> has had major staff changes or other disruptions is generally not a concern. It's still "their" corps, and the kids have been indoctrinated from birth (almost) that this is where they'll go. Those who don't have parents with prior corps experience will often follow in the footsteps of their peers or their school instructors. If School A tends to go to Corps A, then there won't be many who will choose to go elsewhere. Although, if there is a more local corps, even if it has less "prestige", some will choose to stay more local for a while before making the jump to their favorite corps.

Seems many corps have already posted their major staffing changes as well as their 2009 show themes. DCP has been announcing these in new threads as the info rolls in.

Hmmm... seems your logic is bass-ackwards here. Since the Scouts announced the use of synths FIRST, then everyone else would be the apes by definition.

Overlords or Superheroes? Works for me either way! Too funny that this discussion has already reached 7 pages... what better way to create some spirited conversation than to throw a few bones DCP's way early in the season! First the early announcement of the show, then the synth, next...? GO SCOUTS!!!!!

ha, ha, TB... Can't say I'm any less surprised than the rest of you. We'll just have to trust that the program design team knows what they're doing. Guess you can't have a show about superheroes without sound effects, right? Only so much you can do with horns that wasn't repeated ad nauseum with different corps last year. Was interesting with the first corps of the night, but after 3 it became booooooring... Regardless, my son will be on guard, not synth, so no worries here. Brings back memories of my high school days when we used to sit in on recording sessions for movie soundtracks... synths aren't all bad, just depends on how (and how much) they're used. GO SCOUTS!!!!! <-- note the required color, font size and bold, TB

The Visa Buxx card (debit cards funded by parents) can by used as ATM cards as well. Just say "debit" when at the fast food place and enter your PIN, then select Cash Back to get some cash for snacks at the shows. Rolling duffles are easier to use than suitcases. Go to eBags.com for inexpensive ones that won't fall apart (go through the iGive.com mall to donate to your corps at the same time).

We weren't given a choice... police went door to door ordering everyone to evacuate. Better that way for police and fire - fewer cars to block the roadways, and nobody to worry about leaving behind. Glad all homes in our area have tile roofs!

We were evacuated during the Santa Clarita fires last year... amazing what you don't take with you when it comes down to leaving in a hurry. Hopefully you have someone with a key to your place who can get your cats out if needed. The fire crews in this area really do a good job, so hopefully your area is spared from any damage. For those in fire zones, there is plenty of info on fire safe landscaping that is worth reading. Google "sustainable and fire safe landscapes" or "SAFE landscapes". The fire department and others held a great workshop on this after the SCV fires, and you'd be surprised at which plants can create major fire hazards. I can scan in a resource list for you if you want it... just PM me.

Before you overpack, remember that if you're flying your kid to move-ins, there's the airline weight limit of 50 lbs per bag to consider, and extra fees for additional bags on most airlines. And of course your kid will have to drag all that extra weight on/off the bus every night once they hit the road as well. Same goes for sending heavy stuff through the mail while they're on tour - someone has to drag it to them, and if it's too heavy or bulky, it likely won't reach it's destination. My son bought one shirt and one pair of jeans on tour for free days after he'd lost some weight. Socks were thrown out before he headed home, and he said he could have used more than 12 undies since laundry days were sometimes farther apart than expected. Much of the time he didn't wear a shirt for practice, and practice shorts (nylon running or basketball shorts) are easily washed out in the shower if needed. Parents, if you're visiting your kids on tour, they'll love it if you bring Gatorade for their section!

iGive has a search engine as well... http://isearch.igive.com. They pay $.01 per search normally, but often have double credits - they're paying $.02 per search currently. Their search is powered by Yahoo! Be sure to check the rules on these searches - in order to "count", an iGive search cannot be for a domain name (i.e. Amazon.com), but "Amazon books" would be a valid search. Bottom line is that all of these little efforts add up, so please don't forget to support your corps in any way that you can.

Don't forget to take the little steps that can add to a corps' funding without costing you a dime, like shopping through sites like iGive.com. You'll find that the iGive "mall" includes stores that you normally shop at, as well as hotels and other services. Office Depot, Staples, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Overstock.com, iTunes, Circuit City, Best Buy and many other popular stores are part of the iGive program. I joined iGive at the end of December last year, and so far iGive has given the Scouts about $34 from my online shopping. Not a huge number by itself, but when multiplied by 1,000 or so members, fans, alums and family members per corps, it can add up ($34 x 1,000 = $34,000). To support the Madison Scouts through iGive, use this link to register: http://iGive.com/MadisonScouts

Get each of them a Visa Buxx card... works like a credit card, but is authorized, funded and monitored by the parents. You can see what they've been spending and what the balance is, as well as add additional funds to the card from your computer. Keeps the guesswork out of how much to send them on tour with. Funding can take up to 3 days or so to be available for them to use, so make sure to monitor and add funds before they get too low. Food: Free days, bus snacks, sometimes other meals and snacks when there's something close by and they don't want to eat what's on the food truck. Clothing: They may buy an item or two for free days as they lose weight on tour. Don't overpack for free days - there aren't many. Pack plenty of socks and undies. Bathroom stuff: Will need to replenish at least once, depending on size of products they buy. May need to replace electric razors, iPod headphones, and other small items as well. Medical: If they get sick or injured, they will need to pay for an office visit to an urgent care center, and possibly a prescription as well. Plan on at least $200-$300 per child.

Seems the OP was announcing the 2009 Madison Scouts show title, not starting a pi$$ing contest as to whether Madison's 2008 show was better than Xmen's or not... Doesn't matter which show you preferred at this point... the judge's have spoken, and 2009 is still on the drawing board. [edited for typo]

It's also the name of a comic book superhero, which sounds much more promising...

Downtown Indy Interactive Map

Is it such big news that the CA politicians are owned by those who pay for their campaigns? The majority of our elected officials voted for this bill... only a few had the cajones to vote against it. CA Indian Gaming = CA Mafia, no big surprise there. Bottom line is that a lot of charities are going to be scrambling for funds from the private sector, since they won't be getting anything from the gov't and they now won't be getting much from bingo games any longer. Not that the bingo games weren't private sector dollars in the first place... there just needs to be a new way to tap into those funds. Let's be real here... two drum and bugle corps are a small drop in the bucket compared to how many charities will likely be affected by this bill. This has nothing to do with the "autonomy" of the so-called Indian Nation. Many of their people are still living at near poverty levels, while a small handful rakes in the big bucks and schmoozes the politicians. So, if you're in CA, don't go to the Indian casinos or bingo halls. To do so would be giving your blessing to the fact that this bill has passed. And write to your local politicians AGAIN, letting them know that you'll not vote for them again (if you did in the first place) if they continue to vote in such pathetic legislation. Seems this could make good election fodder for those who decide to run against the incumbents next time around.

From what I understand, most of the CA corps do not use bingo, nor do many of the non-CA corps. There are other ways to fund corps activities other than raising dues to $6k, and going into panic mode isn't one of them. BD and SCV are going to have to become more creative with their fundraising, and I'm sure they started planning for this outcome a long time ago. Indian gambling interests have been after the bingo games for a long time... technically, the use of electronic devices had already been banned by previous bills, although the ban was not yet being enforced. Meanwhile, I agree with taters: Boycott Indian Gaming! No sense in feeding the hand that bites you.

Here are the details of the Southwest Rapid Rewards program for college students: https://www.southwest.com/rrenroll/college/ * Only open to college students age 18-23 * 4 bonus rewards at enrollment (16 required for a free round trip ticket) * 1 extra bonus reward for each leg * Get 1 free round trip after flying 3 round trips (using the signup bonus of 4 credits) * NOT available for anyone under 18 * They will ask for some sort of verification of current college enrollment ALSO, they have youth fares: * NOT cheaper than Wanna Getaway fares, but cheaper than other fares * These are only available when the Wanna fares are sold out, and you must call to book (not online) * Typically only a little more than the Wanna fares Southwest is the only airline not charging a gazillion fees either, so there's no 1st or 2nd bag fee, nor any fees for changing travel plans. For flights booked with their Rapid Rewards program (rewards flights), they just reinstate the rewards and refund the taxes (other airlines charge $100 or more). For paid flights, they charge no fees for the cancellation/change, but you must use the fare within 12 months. If your Rapid Rewards coupons expire (good for a year), you can reinstate them online for another year for $50.

Arnie didn't vote this in, he just failed to veto it. Vote the LOCAL incumbents out of office who supported this. Seems most didn't bother to read the full text, and thus didn't have a clue what they were voting for.

From George Runner's Office : Thank you for your correspondence expressing opposition to Senate Bill 1369 (Cedillo), which authorizes charities, mobile home communities, and organizations associated with school districts to conduct "remote caller bingo." I co-authored this bill because I believe it clarifies the legality of electronic bingo machines, which are oftentimes undistinguishable from illegal slot machines. The bill will also help charity bingo become more effective at fundraising for schools, hospitals, and community organizations. Recently, charity bingo has dwindled due to competition from other gambling outlets, namely horse racing and Indian casinos. SB 1369 passed the Senate by a vote of 24-9 and the Assembly by a vote of 66-3 and currently awaits the Governor's signature or veto. You may monitor the status of this bill at www.sen.ca.gov/runner. Again, thank you for taking the time to inform me of your concerns. Although we don't agree on the merits of this bill, please do not hesitate to contact me in the future regarding legislative issues of concern to you. It is an honor to serve you in the California State Senate. Sincerely, GEORGE C. RUNNER, JR. Senator, 17th District

Madison Scouts

Congratulations to all who volunteered with the Madison Scouts this year and contributed to their success! We would like to receive some feedback from those who worked as volunteers with the Madison Scouts this year, in an effort to improve our volunteer program for upcoming years. The latest Madison Scouts Volunteer Newsletter can be viewed here. You'll find information on the upcoming banquet and silent auction, photos of many of our volunteers, and a preview of plans for the 2009 year. If you volunteered for the Madison Scouts this year, please take our online survey here. It's short and sweet, and will provide some valuable input to be used for planning volunteer operations for next year. Thank you! Linda P.S. Don't forget to contribute to the Join the Corps fundraising campaign - we're still a bit shy of our goal!

Agreed... this whole Indian gaming monopoly has gotten out of control. The issue here is not just drum corps like BD having to seek other sources of funding, it's about all the other small charities that will no longer be able to serve their functions. There's not enough going from the Indian gaming to the state of CA to support these many charities with government money, nor will there be if this new bill gets signed, simply because the Indian legal eagles were smart enough to write into all such legislation that any contributions from them to the state of CA were purely voluntary. So, if your granny's Senior Center suddenly shuts its doors or ceases its Meals on Wheels programs that were previously supported at least partially by Bingo, you'll know where to point the fingers. Not at corps like BD, but at the Indian gaming monopoly and those who allowed it to be created. Hey, I'm all for the Indian community being able to support themselves, but this goes way beyond being "support" and well into GREED. BD and SCV will recover, even if they do have to stick to a tighter budget for the next few years. Other charities won't. Period. Meanwhile, just say NO to Indian casinos/bingo/gaming and send the money you'd have gambled away directly to your favorite corps or charity, where it will actually do some good.

Although CA is supposed to receive profits from the tribal gaming, it isn't guaranteed. It's more of a "voluntary" thing. I agree that more effort needs to be placed on finding alternative funding programs, and this really should have been done a few years ago when the last set of bingo-related rules were passed. Meanwhile, if you don't agree with the tribal monopoly on bingo/gaming, then don't visit the casinos!

There's clearly been a change to the registration of the domain name, but it doesn't appear that it expired. Registrant: Axis Web Host 5766 Balcones Dr. Suite # 103 Austin, Texas 78731 United States Registered through: mydomainaxis.com Domain Name: CROSSMEN.ORG Created on: 13-Jun-06 Expires on: 13-Jun-10 Last Updated on: 06-Sep-08