mjoakes

There's a certain obsessiveness here that can't be healthy.

Haha. Up early because of meetings. Fridays at university have turned into no class, all meetings.

Not at all. I'm not typically targeting people on DCP, as I think my posts illustrate. Certainly didn't intend to here, so apologies if it came across like that. I mean it more literally: The noncompliance isn't so important to me. But some people might want certain outcomes that are served well by highlighting the noncompliance. I've no idea what those outcomes might be. I don't know enough about the personalities involved, including RL's, to criticize motivations. And as a general principle, I think discussion of all the various angles is a good idea. Milton's letting truth and falsehood grapple. That sort of thing.

Because I have no knowledge of turf stuff and, with the help of early Friday morning coffee, feel like being one of those petty posters: Props is a countable noun and should take "fewer" instead of less. BUT (1) Grammar has been dying a long death anyway and (2) I agree that prop reduction would be great.

Vanguard, Cadets, Spirit, Troopers, Madison, Pioneer, Legends... This stuff is really hard to manage and get things right. We should be super appreciative of the smart folks at BDPA who have done things so well for so long (even if not always flawlessly). (I actually shook my head a bit in disgust when I typed Pioneer.)

As many others have proposed, the important issue is whatever mismanagement and failed leadership has taken place at VMAPA. And then what steps are underway now to correct all that. The noncompliance with state reporting or operating requirements, for me anyway, is a lot smaller. First, it is likely a function of the more important management issue. Second, it isn't so unusual for nonprofits to be out of compliance with state rules. The rules are usually lower priority for nonprofit leadership, which often is managing an organization starved for attention and resources related to their missions. (Lower priority not necessarily intentionally, just due to so many other issues seemingly higher priority.) Add in the voluntary nature of most board seats, board turnover, and then board members so often well versed in mission things but poorly prepared for operational and financial management – and you have, again, not unusual situations causing a nonprofit to have missed some compliance issues. State web sites can be slow to be updated, and reliance only on that for current info is not as credible as you might think. My comments aren't meant to give VMAPA a pass on being noncompliant. Just saying that this part of the mess they are in isn't uncommon. For me, the specific compliance issues aren't worth so much angst. But I can understand how noncompliance is something to grab onto if you feel disenfranchised from the organization or have other reasons for using it as leverage to pursue some outcome.

Thanks to the mods for the warnings. I truly don't understand why a few posters get so personal on DCP. Or take such great offense when someone questions them. It's just an online forum about drum corps. Also appreciative of posters who have quality insights or information of substance. Gonna be a long several months of seeing how things evolve with SCV.

Don't leave. DCP needs your good thinking and voice. Not a great thing for another poster to reference your age (though I think that person didn't intend to be offensive about the age). As these pages aptly demonstrate, wisdom isn't a function just of age.

Pretty sure all DCP participants would be expecting a call from BD to flesh out some of our opinions. We're that wise and important here, right?

Isn't this thread about staff changes? Maybe the relentless SCV discussions can go to the SCV forums. Unless SCV news affects staff changes.

Nice post and good thinking. I get bummed out now and then at some of the plain junky stuff on the field. (Madison's almost inexplicable rolling speakers this year; Blue Stars dumping into their show each year every possible prop, often to little marginal effect.) But when done well, and as part of a fully coherent show design, all the new things you speak of are brilliant and entertaining. It's probably none of the "things" that cause me to frown during performances. It's that they are often poorly used. Like movies, I think. Some great story ideas in movies are often poorly executed. Because making a film is a collaboratively creative process, it is super hard to get it right. I think we want it that way, BTW. It further spotlights those films that do it all very well. We should support innovation, even if it challenges convention, and applaud those who get it right.

I agree.

I don't know anything about how this ward is determined, but you have an excellent point to make here. Last night, I heard counting almost immediately after the silence from the pit, and I briefly wondered if it was some kind of known issue - like a restraining order from the license holder or something. That seems far fetched. If the DM switched right away to a vocal cadence to keep things together, then yes, what poise and good leadership. Nice idea.

Glad to have this corrected. I took the rankings from CorpsClash, which has The Academy at 11th, Madison 12th, and BAC 13th. 2016.

Yes, getting there early is good. There's plenty of spaces to hangout. I'm not there this year, but attended all three days 2011 to 2019. I usually took a book and sat in the way sidelines reading and watching people. My thing, probably not for many others.

It's been a good year for drum corps overall, though I am sad for any struggles by individual corps. It's worth noting that in 2016 - five competitive years ago? (ignoring 2020 and 2021) - Mandarins, Troopers, Colts, and BAC were finished on Friday night.

BD's performance last night was super (as was several other corps'). My response to their show when it ended was to drink the last of my wine and take the dog out for her last tinkle of the day. Now prompted by the OP, I am properly ashamed of myself.

I didn't get it, either. Maybe others did and liked it. That's me being open and tolerant on DCP. Dialing down tolerance I'd agree it was plain dumb.

That’s beautiful.

Exhausting.

I’ve been weary of BD shows in the past, too. (Love the last few years.) Just one of those personal preference things. I also don’t like strawberry ice cream.

This is completely unfair and not a comment on the performance: I’m just weary of the Bluecoats shows.

That UDB stuff was just dumb. And out of place this night.

I know it's been said here before during this season, but I am glad to see more head gear returning.

Great, enjoyable show from the Troopers. Love the ballad.