rfrancis

Thanks, I appreciate that. I don't spend enough time out here. Raising 4 kids - between winter guard, dance, marching band and.. well you get the idea. Agreed. I can remember marching Bluecoats in '90, when we beat Madison about 3/4 of the way through the season it was a huge deal, and I can remember circling up after retreat and learning that was the first time Bluecoats had beaten the Scouts - ever. It wasn't ego, it wasn't anything more than, take the moment in and consider what you accomplished. This strips that opportunity away from the whole equation. You would be hitting a glass ceiling, so what point would there be in trying. I also noted a post, I think in this thread, mentioned that talent would trickle down from those top 7. Has anybody noticed that numbers drop significantly when you get past the top 15 or so? Those that go for the big guys exclusively and don't make it do not go to Pioneer, Jersey Surf, etc. they just stay on the side lines (and in many cases that is for the best - we don't need any better-than-this attitudes in the corps that are fighting to survive). There are a lot of reasons for that currently, everything from recruiting efforts, staff reputation, perceptions of not having a chance (I mean honestly, Pioneer is always bringing up the bottom of the pile). But, if those 7 go, we will see membership in the rest of world class drop like a rock because those same perceptions will immediately be placed on all of those left out of the 7. I'm guessing all of this has been raised already, but have to share my thoughts on this one. I will be a Bluecoat for the rest of my life, but I can't support the current leadership in this decision.

I haven't read through this entire thread so this may already be mentioned, but one not need look far from DCI home in downtown Indy to find something similar in history - just a different sport - motor sports. In 1996 CART and the Indy Racing League (IRL) split into separate organizations because of different visions for the future of the sport, the costs, etc. As a result both organizations stumbled along for several years, the fan base dropped to almost non-existent (not including the Indy 500 which is packed due to the historical nature of the event), and ultimately CART was absorbed by the once up-start IRL in 2008. There is no way that this "World Series" proposal ends well for anybody - the fan base can't support it. I did wee a poster say that nobody cares about the first XX number of corps. Well, I for one do. And do the G7 realize all of the factors that go into the seats being full when they perform? Do they realize just how many of the people watching them perform are members, family members, and staff from the rest of the corps that performed that night? Or in the case of championships earlier in the week? There are a lot of members, fans, and staff from those Open Class corps, and the 8th thru 22nd World Class corps that won't be there watching them. I marched a division II corp back in the late 80's and 'coats in '90, and I must say as a member I think the structure back then was better than what they are proposing.