"You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting" best line from A Knight's Tale when the good guys finally prevail.
EAC12, Stu, Aquanet (wth?) you all have made some very valid arguments. Ernie and Roger have tried to defend Mayra & Troy valiantly. The topic gets jumbled when people go off on tangents about the 'direction the corps is going in now' 'the alumni don't like new members' (which has NEVER been true btw) 'new corps, same old name' the bottom line is that the corps has had money issues from the beginning (fact - unless Mayra was not being truthful about the loans they have taken out to pay Corps bills, and the house Troy once owned) by a couple that are not business majors (fact - supported by their own bios), only 1 of them has some drum corps experience (fact - Troy marched VK), there has been a neglegent amount of nepatism on their BOD (fact - since 2010, Mayra and Troy have remained 2 of 3/sometimes 4 BOD), and they have basically been dodging 'drum corps forclosure' for a number of years now (total opinion based on mentioned facts). Sadly I have direct experience.
Ernie, I know and respect you, but you're wrong when you say that Mayra only has to answer to the parents and the BOD. By Mayra and Troy taking over, not only the name VK, but the face of Jack on their souvies, they are propagating the image of the fun-loving and quirky group that crowds have come to know and love. By undertaking this homage, they have become obliged to not only the crowds that see them on the dci tour sched and get their hopes up (fact by this topic surfacing in multiple locations), but also to the alumni, and most importantly the current members. I know you get what I'm saying, but if this were happening with Impulse I think you would have a little more empathy (total opinion). However, for those that don't understand what kind of family/fan relationship bonds are formed when you march, perform, or teach, this notion is completely lost. If the issue were only about why VK would even flirt with the idea of going on a full tour completely based upon member fees, then you would have a valid point about the timing. If it were about the amount of effort Troy & Mayra put out, or their own money that they have put in, then again you would have some very understandable points. I'm sorry, it's not. It's about the dishonesty, the mistreatment of many wonderful members, staff, parents, and fans, the mistreatment of funds and the incomprehensible advertising of something they simply are not. When Jack Bevins' own daughter feels that he has been completely abused by Mayra, in his own words (and hers), when DCI intervenes and not only makes a committee to oversee all the allegations against her (fact), but tells her she needs to step down as director and it's announced at the 2011 RCC show(fact), then on some level people have to start wondering what the heck is going on. She maintains that it's 'haters' 'a few key people' that are causing her trouble, but it seems to be coming from more than a few directions. If you have seen something different in the time you've spent there, then that's a good sign that maybe they are starting to turn things around. Members receiving a refund and staff being paid would be a really good sign.
I don't think anyone wished any ill will to the name, the members, the group as a whole, IMO. It's just heartbreaking to see talented young musicians being led astray at the whims of someone that in Roger's own type of analogy 'only has a ticket to get into Disneyland, but has never even been inside the gates, and now wants to run the park'.
