greg_orangecounty

I don't know what state you are licensed to practice law but this statement is 100% inaccurate. As is the O.P.

That was evident from the title of your initial post.

It depends how their corporation is formed, but generally three consecutive years of not filing is the max and then the state may suspend (not revoke - yet) their non-profit status. Even if they get whacked and lose it entirely they can still get it back by submitting the late audits & forms. Also, they may luck out and get more time as the CA bureaucracy is still catching up from COVID. Certainly not a good look or trajectory, but they're not "operating illegally as a non-profit" at this point.

You're addressing this to me but I was not speaking to you when I used the term "over dramatic". It wasn't about you. And thank you, I know what "delinquent" means in the context of a non-profit in CA.

"Delinquent" means they haven't submitted a form (RRF-1) for a particular fiscal year along with the required audit. They're still able to operate as a non-profit (including solicit donations) and this is a warning shot from the state. Now if they don't comply they will lose their non-profit status, but even before that happens there's still a couple more steps. Clearly not a sign of a well-run organization, but I also think you may be overdramatizing a bit. SCV can rectify this.

Let me preface this by saying I don't remember what I had for breakfast this morning....., but I'm pretty sure the video above is mislabeled as "1972" when it is really 1973, and the first year they did the "bottle dance." They didn't play "Young People's Guide" in 72 either. That didn't come until 1973.

This is odd to read about the second worst sports moment of my life on a Drum Corps message board. I was there. We were 1 strike away (twice) from going to our first World Series when Donnie Moore gave up that run. It landed less than 50' from us in left field. We spent that night sleeping on the ground in Anaheim Stadium parking lot to buy tickets for a World Series that never happened. Boston (not the Crusaders) still sucks! RIP Donnie Moore.

Hmmm, not sure I agree with your assessment of that era & prelims vs. finals. Performing during the day was definitely a factor but staff was not as savvy back then. They tended to work "us" to death without realizing the correlation between rest and peak performance. Modern corps have figured that out (e.g. Concord).

I hope Boston can give Concord a serious run for their money this summer.

Great question. From my personal experience and observation I'd estimate up to 1/2 the time Finals is not a corps best performance. I believe fatigue has a lot to do with it.

HE IS RISEN! Happy Easter Drum Corps Planet.

It was an opinion and this is a discussion forum. Those of us of a particular age, any age really, don't have monolithic thought. We all like/love the activity (I think) or we wouldn't be here.

School busses notwithstanding, you say it like it was a bad thing. I thought it was awesome.

I'm liking this thread more and more 👍

Could not agree more. Basic.

Ralph Hardimon managed.

If you don't like weather, host DCI Finals somewhere in one of Southern California's many suitable outdoor stadiums. The downside is it's too expensive, and for that reason keep it in Indianapolis.

Horn line execution matters and I LOVE 2-7. It was the difference. And had Bayonne a better guard.......

The marching members "expect" a much higher level of instruction now days (& more of them), or could it be its foisted upon them....? I happen to believe it's more of the latter. It's like an arms race where more bells, whistles, and instructors are added and added and added. You believe that's been driven by the marching members? I don't. And it has driven up the cost for lower income and middle class kids and made it virtually impossible for a start-up corps to grow and compete in the upper echelon and meanwhile upper echelon corps are disappearing before our eyes. Drum Corp was intended to be for any kid off the street to be able to learn a musical instrument, enjoy camaraderie and learn life-long skills, not a Masters program with tenured professors. But that's what Drum Corps wants and it's helping speed its own demise because of it. You get what you pay for - until you can no longer afford it.

I’ll frame my argument from another perspective. Blue Stars published how they spent their funding for 2022. About 1/3 of their budget was spent on show production which includes staff salary, so I’ll assume that’s roughly the same percentage for all corps. Take that 1/3 in spending for “show production” in 2022 and cut it by 50% for 2023. Everything else falls into place accordingly. Accountants exist for a reason and Drum Corps should listen to them more and the design people less. Much less.

I “care” in as much as I’d like to see the activity survive long-term and exist for more than just a handful or elite corps. Give kids that can’t afford $5,000 or more the same opportunity to march as we did. Drum Corps is dying before our eyes and for a chance to survive it needs to find a way to do business differently and cut expenses. There’s probably not much opportunity to cut expenses in housing, food, and transportation, but the size of staff…….? Plenty of opportunity in my opinion and the product won’t suffer, nor will the audience.

Thank you, Lab Master. I see by other responses too all 13 instructors (Cav guard) are not necessarily present at the same time and getting paid for the entire Summer. That still seems odd and I wonder how continuity of instruction is maintained. The expanding number of instructors "required" to produce a modern Drum Corps show reminds me of a bloated government agency - way too many unnecessary and overlapping positions. But the kids ARE being fed better and receiving better medical care, which I'm happy to see.

An iconic World Class Corps like the Cavaliers can't find 2 or 3 (at the most) qualified full-time guard instructors to go on tour for 11 weeks? You're probably more connected than I am on the running of a modern Drum Corps, but I just find that very odd. Our guard was self-taught except for bringing in Stanley Knaub for a couple weeks a season and they did just fine. Completely different eras and styles - I understand - but something seems out-of-whack to use 13. But if they're UNPAID interns.....then no problemo.

This is something I'll never-ever understand about contemporary Drum & Bugle Corps. Even more so now considering the astronomical cost of housing, transportation, food, insurance, etc. Why does a Color Guard alone need 13 instructors!!?? Is that many really necessary? Maybe they're not all full time, but they must be getting paid something? If you want to cut overhead, assuming you do, seems like an easy place to start would be to cut the number to two, maybe three guard instructors, and I bet no one in the audience would notice. Makes me wonder who the activity is really for sometimes.

Post-pandemic and the current economy, I'd say what you're proposing is a necessity. You have your own football league why not Drum Corps?