Wulfegang

For a good laugh do what I did and contact CBS Sports.com and file a complaint. The guy I spoke to was just as dismissive as that hack who wrote the blog (I refuse to call it a sports article). Was basically told to get over it, let it go, it was over 2 weeks old, and deal with it. He said it was his 3rd phone call of the day (including one from "some Drum and Bugle Corps guy in Pennsylvania") and had received many other complaints since then. He spoke to Mr. Dodd and told him he won't be writing about marching bands anymore and even replied in a mailbag. I informed him the mailbag replies were as offensive as the article itself. I know I am just fueling his ego and they are laughing at us and probably should let it go by being the better person and just walking away, but I am tired of people portraying us this way and want them to know it made quite a few people angry. Tell the operator you want to file a complaint against one of their cbssports.com writers and let these idiots know how we feel. 2200 West Cypress Creek Road Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 Phone: (954) 351-2120 As for the incident itself, I am an alum of the Marching Thunder at Marshall University and was at the Houston game. What happened to Mr. Edwards was terrible and I wouldn't wish it upon anyone, nor I am trying to push blame on him or anyone else, but what people fail to mention is the defender who was running right beside him and managed to jump over the cart to keep from hitting it. Marshall has paid for all of his medical bills and Mr. Edwards received a lot of support and well wishes from coaches, players, and the Thundering Herd community by visiting, calling, and sending letters to him in the hospital after it happened. I just don't want people to think Marshall University or the Marching Thunder said "Ooops, sorry about that" and washed their hands of it. I don't know the rules and legal issues of how something like this is handled, just want to step up and make sure something very close to my heart is not villainized and painted in a terrible picture, just like I am going to defend the marching musical arts and DCI against wanna be Perez Hiltons of the sports world like Mr. Dodd.

Just found out which corps we are hosting today but don't wanna say until I make sure it's OK (I know it probably is fine but I want to make sure all of my bases are covered before I go blabbing things all over the place). As we work with the corps director, I will try to post updates as to what we are doing in preparation for their arrival and hopefully this will serve as a small guide to any others that may have the same questions and circumstances we are in! Thanks again to everyone for their words and advice, they have helped a ton!

They have a photo of the entire uniform up on their main page now.

I thought about that and honestly, would people believe you if you said you were housed at a school for the Poca Dots unless you had some kind of proof! If it were possible and I knew how many I thought it would be cool to get them some kind of souvie from our school to maybe help nip any temptation in the bud. It's not that I don't trust the kids, I just know human nature and have been in that position myself. Still would be kind of cool to maybe have some corps wanting to be housed at "The Poca Dots!" for the summer and become our own little legend in drum corps circles as one of those wouldn't believe it till you see it things. Wanna make sure they get photos of our mascot painted on the gym wall!

Right there with you!!!!!!!!

Wow, I go see a movie ('The Hangover' if anyone is interested, great guy flick!!!!!!!!) and come back to this. This is so much more than I could have asked for and am taking notes left and right. I am going to talk to the band director this weekend and see if we can get started on the things we can work on right now with what little details we have, ie. what can we do for the corps in regards to some fruit/ice cream/sandwiches or whatever. I am hoping the principal of the school will work with us and let us kind of take over the school for at least those 2 days in regards to putting up the signs for sleeping areas, getting extra TP and cleaning supplies where needed, making sure the parking lots are clear for the buses, where the food truck can park and hook up, and having the field in the best possible condition for the corps. I am really glad someone mentioned lining the field as I was going to consider it, but it makes sense that they might want to do it themselves. Unfortunately Poca is a very, very, very small town in WV and there is not much in the area. Most everything is about a 15-45 minute drive but that includes the show site so that is a positive. I am going to try and make arrangements to shuttle staff and members that need anything wherever they may need to go. I can't speak for the band director, but I plan on finding out approximately when the corps will be arriving and getting to the school about an hour before hand to make sure everything is ok so they can just pull up, unload, and get some rest. I can't even begin to thank everyone enough for all of the ideas and suggestions. Hopefully we will be great hosts for whomever will be staying with us and that will make them want to come back for future visits. I would suggest anyone interested in hosting a corps come check out this thread as the information in it is priceless!!!!

The photo on the front of the page was just the kids that made all county band. You can get a better indication of how big the band is in the photo gallery. You can even see me holding my snare sticks at a football game wearing my Phantom Regiment bowling shirt!!!!!! (Photo of the bass drummers with me in the background holding snare sticks). I cannot think of any kids that have went on to marched DCI in the recent years mainly because of where the band has been before the current band director took over. Last year was the first time they have been to competitions for about 5 or 6 years since the previous band director didn't want to do them. (Shameless plug for the drum line: A few seond place finishes finishing up with a huge 1st place percussion at the last and largest band competition we did that year, beating out some schools who beat us earlier in the year!!!!) I myself marched half a summer in 1993 with Dutch Boy in the pit and keep trying to explain to them how special and fun it is, but it's hard to convey something like that with just words. Hopefully this will let them see what it's like and they can appreciate it more. We have had a few express interest in going to audition for Southwind next year when they field a corps again though! The director actually wrote drill for me and the band director back when we were in college at Marshall University so we have a little insider info and contacts there. One other thing, do the corps' usually mind if people take non-flash photos? I can understand them not wanting video shot but would like to get some photos if possible as a sort of scrapbook.

Noted good sir!!!!!

Great thread, and congratulations! Which town? We are in a small town called (no laughing because we have heard every joke possible) Poca, WV! Home of the Poca Dots!!!!! Yes......that really is the school name and mascot. A giant "Dot"..... (Insert shameless plug for the band: Poca High School Marching Dots) 5. Here's a longshot, but worth it: if you have a strong parent booster club, try to arrange for a home cooked meal for the corps. It can be as easy as breakfast taco bar or something like that. If not that big, aim for a fresh fruit snack break. If you do wind up doing something like this, check with the corps ahead of time about the timing of meals as well as dietary restrictions and special needs. All corps will have something for those on special diets, but giving the food truck a complete break is absolutely worth it. (I did a fundraiser to provide a bbq dinner for Troopers last year and I also made sure I got something for the vegetarians as well as a gluten-free member. It was great to see Mom Gilbert sitting in a chair reading a book during dinner!) Awesome idea!!!! We have a *great* new band booster president who is very active with the kids and what we are trying to accomplish at the high school so I am sure he will help us get some stuff together. If you have any idea approximately how much it would cost to do this (even if it is just sandwiches or fruit trays) please feel free to reply or PM with the details. Until we know which corps we get, I won't be able to get specifics from the corps yet but when I do I will contact them ASAP. 6. Have a fuel fund drive. Prime the spectators before the corps arrives and let them know you'll be passing around a collection bucket to give money to the corps for fuel. Remind them of how many thousands of gallons a corps needs every week. (you can maybe find out the stats by calling the corps office. If they have a development director, they will probaby know an estimated gallon count because that's one of those things you can put on a "wish list" for your donors.) I would love to do this, but unfortunately with the economy and area we live in, it is very difficult for us to come with the funds for our own band more or less something this ambitious. Don't get me wrong, that is not going to stop me from doing it!!!! I just have to not get my hopes up too high and expect more than I should Keep em coming folks and I will keep checking back and updating as much as possible letting everyone know how everything is going!!!!!!

Awesome! Thanks for the advice so far everyone. I hope people keep replying here and maybe this can serve as a small guide for others that are new to hosting a corps. I really appreciate everyone taking the time to post and giving me some good tips. I will start mapping out the best routes/locations for any groceries or supplies they may need, how long it takes to get there, etc. Unfortunately, we are a small AA high school in WV and there aren't a lot of things near it. We have a few Walmarts that aren't too far away but it would still take about 15-30 minutes to get there depending on traffic. I would even go there myself to pick up what they need to maybe make it a little easier on them so they aren't spending all of their time doing the little things. But as you said, I will try to remain as transparent yet helpful as possible. I will also check with the band director and school officials as soon as possible (as soon as I know which corps, when they will be arriving, how long they are staying, etc) to make sure they are aware of what is going on and give them a heads up on what to expect. Unfortunately there was a situation a few years ago where a corps showed up to a different local high school only to find no school officials waiting for them and the place locked up tight. Me and the other drum line instructor will probably personally sit down with drum line and explain to them to not be idiots like they usually are and set the rules if they wanna come watch rehearsals and explain to them that if they do not follow the rules then *WE* will ask them to leave. Anyways, thanks again everyone and I look forward to hopefully keeping everyone updated as to who we will host and how everything goes. Maybe a small running blog type thing with news as I get it. Take care!!!!

I help instruct the drum line of a local high school and got a phone call from the band director this evening. He informed me we were selected to host a corps for a DCI show this summer!!!!!! We weren't told which corps it would be yet and even though I really really really want to be a certain one, I am happy and pumped about hosting any corps. We want to get DCI promoted more in our community as well as with kids in our area and think this is a great way to do it. I am hoping the corps that we host will let individuals watch rehearsals and such so the kids I help instruct can see what is possible for them if they work hard enough. That and see how easy they have it at our practices But the main reason for my post is I am wanting to make the stay for the corps as comfortable, enjoyable, and pleasant as possible and was wondering if anyone had advice or tips on the best way to do this in hopes we will be able to continue to be hosts in future years. The band director at the high school as well as myself are huge DCI fans and will probably be there before they arrive to make sure everything is in order (school gym is open, ample places for buses/equipment trucks/food trucks/etc) and just generally make sure they have everything they need. I am even willing to stay the whole night or at least arrive very early in the morning to volunteer with anything the corps may need (even....gasp...the food truck!!) just to show how much this means to us. I know how hard the volunteers that travel with the corps work as well as the marching members and staff and they deserve help and a break sometimes too. Anything anyone can tell me to help these folks out and make them enjoy their tour even more would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Not sure if anyone else has posted this (I did not see any recent posts yet about it) but Phantom Regiments website had a small announcement about their new uniforms and partnering with Fred J. Miller Inc. Clicking it is just a rehashed article about them going with the company and Cesario designing the uniforms and so forth. I was wondering why they would post this without a photo of the new uniforms unless they just wanted website filler until they could report more about move-ins or had more news, so I decided to visit the FJM website (http://www.fjminc.com/) to see if there was anything on it there. What I found was the main image up now announcing an unveiling is coming soon!!!!!!!!!!!!! It has a silhouette of what I am assuming is going to be the new uniforms and just says, "The Unveiling is Coming Soon! Welcome Home". So if you are as anxious (and nervous) as to what we will see on the field next year for Phantom Regiment you may want to keep an eye out on either website! Edited for grammar and spelling issues I have at 2:30 AM apparently.

I don't know anything about your condition unfortunately but just wanted to leave a message saying thoughts are with you and hope everything turns out to be ok. Take care and best wishes/prayers!!!!

Ashland, KY Me and a couple of friends that I was in college marching band with will be taking about 4 other friends as well as around 5 students. It's about an hour and a half away but these kids have not been exposed to drum corps very much (last year being their first show at Drums Across the Tri-State and now they cannot get enough!!! It's a long drive and a couple of the shows I am "eh" about but it's still gonna be great sitting there with others who love and appreciate it, having a good time and showing these kids what they can accomplish if they put their heart and soul into anything they do! P.S. Sneak peak at Phantom Regiment doesn't hurt either!!!!!!!!!!

Wow um ok I didn't mean to cause such a stir just by asking a question, but I guess it's my initiation into DCP huh? Anyways, I am sure there are a lot more people more knowledgeable than me about what Corps' are doing what music, I just don't like to say "Corps A is doing this specific music for certain" until I hear directly from the Corps itself. Yes you are probably right about their show title and music and have better information than me, but it's just the way I am. No matter what the show I am still gonna cheer the Regiment till my throat revolts and goes on strike and refuses to work anymore!!!!!!!!! Good luck to all of the Corps' this summer and I look forward to seeing as many as I can and cheering on these great musicians!

A show based on the music of Steve McDonald called the Sons of Somerled. The album is Scottish music and delves into the history, battles, and lore of Scotland and specifically the Clan Donald. Here is the description of the album according to Amazon.com: "Album of the Year Winner! ... "The musical equivalent to Braveheart" (Billboard Magazine) Steve McDonald's celtic contemporary music soars with cinematic tales of Scottish history. Enhanced CD includes musical video. No Clan exercised such a powerful influence in early Highland history as the Macdonalds. Somerled emerged early in the 12th Century as a leader to expel the Vikings from Southwest Scotland. His marriage to a Norse princess made him a formidable adversary to the Scottish king. Somerled's grandson, Donald, became the founder of "Clan Donald" - literally the "children of Donald" - giving his descendants and followers the name Macdonald or "son of Donald"." I'll include a link to the Amazon page where you can listen to samples of the songs if that's ok and is allowed. Steve McDonald - Sons of Somerled

Hi everyone! New here and just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed lurking over the past few weeks getting to know alot about the board and stuff. Anyways back to the topic at hand.... If Phantom Regiment does decide to do a Red Violin or Carmen show as has been rumored, will anyone (besides me) still be anxious to see the show but also a little sad they aren't doing a 20th anniversary tribute to the New World show of '89? I can understand them not wanting to do it since they have just put another throwback show on the field with a salute to Spartacus but still......how awesome would an up to date Symphony No. 9 have been coming off a championship year? Thanks for having me and hope I can contribute to the community in the future!!!!!

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