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Tim K

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Everything posted by Tim K

  1. I would add a huge word of caution: for drum corps you want a grant writer with a proven track record and a track record with an activity similar to drum corps. I would go so far to say that I don’t think there are too many grants for drum corps out there but I’ve never had the need to research it. I know a friend who has worked for three different non profits, one as a development director for a small college, another with a homeless shelter, and a third with a visiting nurse association. She has also served on advisory boards for two Catholic schools and a senior service agency. She is now semi retired and advises groups about advancement and fundraising. She advises if you hire a grant writer, the grant writer not only understand how to write a grant, but the specific lingo of what the person or organization awarding the grant wants to hear. She uses her experience with the homeless shelter to point out that a person who writes for a grant for housing may not be the one for medical care grants or job training. Each has nuances and specifics. This is especially the case with government grants. It’s my impression from talking with her (I heard her speak at a conference I attended and we had a mutual friend) that many people who offer to write grants may not know how to do it but can talk a good game and blame it on the government or group awarding the grant.
  2. Cutting costs and sticking to a budget are both important, but a significant culprit is not having revenue to cover the costs in the first place. In the case of Cadets, the official statement mentioned fund raising as a problem. Whether you call it fundraising, development, advancement, corps need to find long term sustaining ways to fund corps. Hitting up alumni or going hat in hand to businesses is a very limited source of revenue and at a time when non profits are hurting, if you’re a business being hit up for funds, is a flashy and expensive drum corps going to be as worthy a candidate as let’s say the day camp for underserved children? Which looks better? Which can use the funds more effectively? Which serves local people in a local community?
  3. My understanding is that alums have been hit up quite a few times to save the Cadets. There’s only so many times this can happen.
  4. One of my earliest memories of Cadets is singing “Amen” at the end of “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” long before singing was allowed. So many great shows, many of them groundbreaking. I was surprised that Cadets was able to field a corps in 2018 and thought after 2019’s challenges which involved finances, leadership, and all sorts of off field issues, I did not think Cadets would survive the pandemic. I’m glad I was wrong. 2021’s exhibition and the solid shows of 2022 and 2023 made me think Cadets could survive anything. That being said, inflation is hurting non profits overall and the increased expenses of drum corps make this a very difficult time. I hope Cadets return.
  5. After last year’s show, I thought we’d see Southwind move closer to Gold and Spartans in 2024. It saddened me to see a Facebook post which I was sure would be an announcement about auditions to have such somber news. For me, what makes this different, and I would add sadder, is the finality. There’s no talk of hiatus or reorganization. I am sure they are being realistic and where they were inactive for a while understand the challenges of returning to the field, but it is too bad.
  6. I understand about background checks for volunteers and agree they are necessary, but I never mentioned that in my comments because I believe it is already the case with most corps. Regarding staff and volunteers, I believe it is important to keep staff and volunteers to a manageable number for supervision and having clear boundaries is crucial. The application process I am referring to is for marching members. I know no process is fool proof, but when you hear that someone who exhibits problematic behavior in one corps marches with another and often better corps the next year, bullying behavior was ignored because of talent or connections, or a person who just can’t handle the experience and often becomes a target, I wonder how some marching members are vetted. I do believe that the majority, I would even venture to say well over 90% of kids who march are hard working, talented, motivated individuals who attend top colleges and universities, and from what I see these kids are usually polite and friendly, these folks will have no problem with a thorough application process. That being said, something has to be done to discover potential problems. We’re not doing any kid a favor by ignoring problematic behavior just to win a show or accept someone just to fill a bus seat. It’s not fair to the other marching members and it’s not fair to the young person in question.
  7. Just a note before I begin. My knowledge of this area comes from familiarity with church settings, Scout settings, and elementary (K-8) and Middle/High Schools (7-12). I understand that some of what I say may not fit drum corps exactly but can be modified for the activity. I’ve read the posts in this thread as well as other similar threads both past and present, but as I read “hire a team,” that’s all well and good, but something else has to happen too. Best practices guides say predators love getting “lost in the crowd” so to speak. Corps often have large instructional staff, with assistants who help, not to mention volunteers that help the instructional staff and staff and volunteers doing a host of other tasks. Monitoring these numbers and specific tasks is difficult. Drum corps can be an ideal place to be unnoticed and “get lost in the crowd.” Hire a team if you think it will work, but streamline staff and volunteers. I know the argument for 165 was bus capacity, but if bus monitors are needed, decrease the number of marching members if need be. Not all predators are staff. Some are marching members and it is not always a situation with an 18-22 and a minor. A thorough investigative process is not easy with the age of kids in drum corps, but applications, while not fool proof, can be a deterrence to those with problematic behavior. I understand the audition process, or I think I do, but how does a marching member apply and who verifies the application? I’m sure it involves more than name, address, and phone number, but do those who want to march have to submit references? Does anybody verify the references? Are potential members interviewed to make sure drum corps is a suitable activity for the person? The band director being friends with the percussion caption head is not good enough. Getting a good vibe while watching a member of a corps rehearse and perform and then recruiting the person is not thorough enough. Most bad behavior is not done for the public to see. Have across the board applications. This may already happen with some corps but I don’t think it happens across the board.
  8. I just saw on Facebook that Southwind has announced they will cease to operate citing the cost of touring as the major reason. I under This is a World Class forum but the reasons have been discussed in many threads. I always hate to see a corps fold, especially one that has made steady improvement. It is also sad to hear it is so final.
  9. I’m sure the adjusting of scores played a role in the ways scores were announced. Some scores were announced earlier in the day and if you were in Indy you knew which corps from earlier in the day would compete in semi’s, though we may have had to look online. When you think about how close some groupings were, especially 2-4 and 5-7, as well as 9-11 and the contention of who would place 12th, holding off in case adjustments had to be made is logical, at least to the judges and if you think they should be able to adjust numbers.
  10. You have to go back in time, but some of the issues between BAC and Crown are similar to when staff from 27th Lancers went to Garfield Cadets. Though financial issues plagued the corps in its final days, 27th lost its competitive edge after so many staff members and marching members went to Garfield. Garfield also had a strong fan base here in Boston which at the time didn't help matters but time healed at least some wounds. I know some 27th alums who marched about that time who love Cadets. I am a Boston Crusaders fan and have been for years. Though I know alums and people associated with the corps, I do not have any formal connections to the corps, so I base what I say more on observations and scuttlebutt. I know some folks associated with Crown, but not well enough they would share inside info with me. I do know that at least in 2017, Crown boycotted BAC shows. Crown did not keep that secret. Gino C's and Colin M's departure from Cadets was not a huge surprise, but the Crown guard staff departure was a surprise and the departure was bitter. That would have been at a time that corps like Crown, Bloo, and Spirit came to the Northeast, set up camp, worked on their shows, competed and took part in parades. A free day in Boston around July 4th was a huge plus, and fans were very receptive to Crown. 2020 was cancelled but prior to changes were made in the tour that have remained which made the Northeast leg of the past impossible, so I think scheduling has as much to do with Crown not coming East as hard feelings.
  11. In 2017, Crown competed in early season shows at Beanpot and Cranston (formerly Bristol). It was rumored they were not going to compete in the BAC show that usually took place at the time that depending on who you ask was either cancelled because Crown and Cadets would not compete (Crown version) or not scheduled because BAC was doing a different tour (Boston Crusaders version). Carolina Crown competed in East Coast Classic and Beanpot in 2018 and placed 2nd in both shows and in 2019 they competed in CYO Nationals tribute and placed 1st. They have come to New England and have competed in Boston Crusaders shows.
  12. My understanding is that is exactly what he did. There was a change in the way many corps were managed after he came on the scene and while you don’t hear him credited as much today, fifteen to twenty years ago his business management suggestions were quoted all the time. He was pretty open about what corps needed to do to thrive. Also like many successful leaders he knew what he didn’t know regarding drum corps and learned from those who could teach him.
  13. He met with WC leaders yesterday but nothing leaked out? That may be a first for DCI!🙂 Though his bio does not list drum corps experience, he may have knowledge of the activity itself from a fan point of view. My guess is if he doesn’t, he still attended shows this past summer and Flo Marching was his best friend. One of Dan Acheson’s strengths was he knew many of the founders, marched in DCI in the early days, and knew the next generation of which he was a part. That was needed in the 1990’s but given the changes in the times and activity, it’s not what is needed today so an outsider with trusted allies who know the inside could be a great combo and hopefully he has the allies. I’m thinking that his credentials make him qualified for the safety issues as well as keeping DCI solid financially. Dealing with the cast of characters in DCI will be interesting. All the best to him.
  14. It’s been suggested quite a few times and has been rejected on these pages and my understanding is by some corps. Now, the fact that a very successful person in the business world known to many in the drum corps community personally and others by name, not quite Bill Cook successful but is quite accomplished and is highly regarded for his civic involvement, has made this suggestion many times and it has been rejected. This leads me to believe the idea has merit but corps are so competitive, working collaboratively is viewed as giving up control. Working together to cut costs is something every corps knows is a great idea, and they love the cutting costs aspect, it’s the working together that is the challenge. Sometimes it requires baby steps or perhaps a few corps working together for change to take place. A new director facilitating endeavors such as this would be great.
  15. I had heard some scuttlebutt regarding Cavies that fall, though I probably didn’t give it too much thought and if I look back on predictions for 2012, I would probably not had them lower than 5th. Now if you told me in September of 2011 that in the upcoming years the highest Cadets would place is 3rd, they would nearly implode, place as low as 9th, then begin to rise again, I would have disagreed and predicted at least another title during that time.
  16. I’m not expecting Blue Devils to have a down cycle any time soon, though that’s not to say they will win next year. Though it’s back a ways, Blue Devils did have some 4th and 5th place finishes. What is true about a blue Devils in 1976 when they won their first title to today is they understand how judging works. In 1976, being clean is what mattered and if you watch that show, it is precise and exact. Today it’s about design and they know it.
  17. Your words are so true about band directors, or at least the ones I know. Yesterday I was at “The Big E” which is New England’s largest fair. There is a Mardi Gras style parade and yesterday’s featured the Budweiser Clydesdales and a local hitch the Hallamore Clydesdales and four high school bands. One band is a local champion, one a rising group from an urban school with little support from the school district, and two smaller groups that had heart even though they were not the size of the other two. I know one director (so do some of you who follow DCP, I know of another. Two I do not know. In each group you could see the leaders, some trying their best, and all sorts in between. Because it was not a competition, you just enjoyed the groups that helped make up the atmosphere and I was reminded of my younger self and how in so many schools the band is the catch all group. The band director in many schools has to bring together a group that includes the best snd brightest, someone looking for a place to belong, and everyone else in the high school pecking order. Band directors often play a critical role and as we know, can be the first eliminated when the budget needs to be cut. I probably would not have given all this much thought but shortly after the parade finished, I received a news alert on my phone which told of the accident.
  18. That could be true, and I recall these threads in years past. But if I remember correctly, there were quite a few comments that many of these same folks would not have made the cut of their non-dream corps. Now this would have been back in the days when some of our more colorful “call ‘’em as I see ‘em” members were in their glory. I do remember a thread years back where a young person who marched with a corps they loved that had a good reputation for being close knit, I think it was The Academy though it may have been Jersey Surf, asked for opinions about marching with a corps expected to make finals for their age out year. This young man or woman got clobbered. I don’t recall responding, but I probably thought “march the final year with the corps you love rather than audition elsewhere.” Today with the expense of marching, add inflation and some young people trying to cut expenses to avoid future student loan debt, not marching if you don’t make your dream corps makes sense. To get back to Santa Clara, there could be some potential members who want to audition not because of the glorious past or the potential staff of the corps, but the desire to be part of the corps in its rebuilding stage. For a graduate with a music education degree, being part of a rebuilding effort could be a plus on a résumé. As people who have applied for teaching positions can tell you, how you spent your summers in your younger years can be a huge plus in getting hired.
  19. I have no idea of what Dan Acheson makes right now, but given DCI’s budget and the responsibilities I would guess the salary of a new director would be between $300K and $450K. To put it in perspective, the average salary of a high school principal in Indianapolis is $129K, the average salary of a college president in Indiana is $300K according to a quick Google search.
  20. Personally I thought the tribute Dan Acheson received at finals was well done and well deserved. At the time he was hired DCI faced many challenges and its survival was questionable. When drum corps folded in the late 70’s to 80’s, many of the corps had seen better days, music instruction in schools had improved, and there was a wider variety of sports and youth activities available. The decrease in corps was understandable. When it continued in the 90’s and newer corps were few and far between, I really thought the end was near and when attendance at shows kept decreasing, I was certain the end was near. I am very happy to say I was wrong. In a very 90’s/early 2000’s leadership manner, Dan Acheson got the activity on solid footing. He could be very diplomatic and handled the tumult of the G7 threats well or so it appeared to me. That being said, how more recent challenges were handled was problematic, namely safety issues and abuse issues. Perhaps if he had more authority things would have been different. The person selected will be important and there are excellent people out there, some who have been named in this thread and other threads, some not. I do think moving forward that we need to look at the job description. The director needs to have more teeth especially when the unforeseen situations arise. There were times Dan A should have taken more decisive action, but there were also times where it seemed his hands were tied. In an activity that is competitive and where quite often each corps looks out for its own interests first, the director’s position needs more authority but without becoming a dictator.
  21. I’m not sure they will make the Top 4 though I wouldn’t bet against it. I did not expect a 6th place finish this time last year, but I did expect higher placement. In 2021 it seemed as if Mandarins had a game plan for the future and were experimenting a bit for 2022. While placement did not improve in 2022 from 2019, we did see something new. 2023 built in the good work of 2022. I assumed 8th was where they would end up.
  22. If souvenir booth scuttlebutt is an indicator, word from a BAC cashier is that the three corps that had the most inquiries about auditioning for next year are BAC, Troopers, and Mandarins. I’m sure this is speculative and I have no idea of how it is measured, other corps may disagree, and every kid who is under the age of 21 who attends Indy and probably Allentown, San Antonio, and Atlanta/NightBEAT wants to march even though not all will even formally inquire speak less of audition. That being said, I think it’s safe to say Mandarins auditions will not be ghost towns.
  23. He was a great showman in all the right ways on the field and if you caught up with him at a show he was a friendly guy too. He also won the Jim Jones Award for his DM and leadership skills, especially meaningful since he was a Trooper.
  24. In 2021 when the shows were not judged, we did get to see every corps on all three days. However, we also saw similar attendance patterns from the judged years. Crowds were minimal as the shows began and grew as the days went on. If you’re at prelims at the start, attendance is sparse. I’ve heard the numbers are as low as 200 ticketed attendees. As the day continues the attendance builds. At semi’s the early numbers are better, but not overwhelmingly better. This happens in judged years and it happened at the exhibition year too. Though I would most likely attend, I’m not sure there would be enough of an audience to warrant it, not to mention problems with competing with the SoundSport DrumLine Battle audience and stadium availability on Saturday with DCI All-Age. Another consideration is Open Class departures. Some OC corps leave as soon after finishing their prelims performance.
  25. I believe that last year, Spirit was scheduled for shows in 2023 prior to their membership being approved. I heard last summer that DCI wants to keep roughly the same number of shows but wants the rosters to be larger. They also want to see some all age corps in some of the shows which would impact OC shows since WC has San Antonio and Atlanta/NightBEAT on two of the weekends and the Northeast corps would probably not make the trip to those locales. I would think including SCV in the mix would make scheduling easier but it’s not a guarantee of participation.
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