Richard Lesher

Corruption surrounds itself with incompetence for corruption to continue to exist. To my critics, time is up. I just have to sit here and wait. I explicitly said the new CEO was lying at his last official statement saying SCV was in compliance. Now I have proof. 16-NOV-2023 DOJ notice. They had a whole month to avoid that letter from getting sent, and they did nothing about it. All that letter seems to address is they need to submit a new form and another $50, and they couldn't even do that. The biggest takeaway about the latest DOJ letter is that the DOJ has placed the next decision point in the laps of the California Franchise Tax Board. What is not pointed out in the letter is the reason for the escalation to the Tax Board is the chain of notifications going back to 2020. So what I understand from the DOJ notice is that the DOJ is done with this nonsense and sending the next step in the process to the Franchise Tax Board. Why is every single communication from SCV down playing the problem followed by an escalation from the State of California.

TruthInDrumCorps.com SCV managed to get me to give up using VMAPA.org, but I moved all my content to TruthInDrumCorps.com I'm a little behind with this current stuff, but I'll get around to updating it. If anything.............. I repost the DOJ notifications and 990's and provide a single source of documentation there by taking a major step out of the process for folks trying to make heads or tails of this. All these documents have to be pulled from multiple sources.

That ironically is the current CFO of SCV itself. The Board President is a CPA herself. SCV is well staffed with capability, just not competence.

It's probably only going to take one to stick to cause a overwhelming financial burden to terminate the organizations. Hence probably why the NJ approach. It would be very hard to discount that of all the events that happened none of them were in NJ.

Exactly, I really don't think the Cadets have the financial resources to pay out enough make a positive dent in the lives they have negatively altered AND still go forward with existence. It's not about the money. The money is the means to the end result. I will admit, when I get push back and ostracized from my own alumni group of enablers it steels my resolve. I can only imagine this group of victims fury now fueled with NJ laws, and a realization the "gangsta" like intimidation being thrown their way is merely from a group of band nerds who's lives never advanced much beyond the success of their marching days. If all that comes out of this is the attorneys actually get all the money and nothing is left but a path of destruction then so be it.

As someone mentioned, the punishment is the process. CAE has been gutted of resources and the means to acquire more resources. Latest 990's have them with only a few hundred grand in liquidity (which really is nothing), and the vast majority of the post GH scenario has left them with very little in way of future revenue. *************** Honestly............ at this point, if there is a passionate group of funders about the activity in the geographic region of where CAE operates out of they may as well just try and start something from scratch.

What is saving the activity is their lack of money to go after, offenders' and victims' geographic locations, and an uncommon location and jurisdiction of the offences (when on tour).

I thought of doing this. A money ball type calculation. Dollars spent all divided by scores per caption. But that would need payroll data at an individual level. Dollars spend on props all divided by General Effect score. etc.....

Even I admit that. They are the SEAL Team Six of Vanguard. Problem is real SEAL Team Six guys see them as nothing but band geeks and the closest thing they probably associate with DCI is the USMC Drum and Bugle Corps. ****************** What I can complain about now, and this is the whole activity, not just SCV, is the geometric growth of the staff, and the less and less they provide. Is is better to have 20 staff come in and out of the season per section, and hand off the continuation of instruction from where they left off with everyone having their own little spin on how to train, or is it better to have say 3-5 instructors per section for the duration of the season and maintain the continuity of how things are taught towards a common purpose. Previously Section Leaders (back in my grumpy old days) took on the responsibility that the subsections (first, seconds, third trumpets, etc) got their show down. I guess it started with the Percussion Caption. They really had more instructors per marching member than any other section (at least in SCV) as far as I remember. ************** Whatever............................ I've been harping on about a lot of laws, ect......... but nothing outruns the laws of economics. Anyone think they are going to be able to tap the same creditors/vendors they burned with short term borrowing that were never intended to go beyond a month? I have a feeling the SCV of today is trying to pull a Cadets A&E of 2023 and come hell or high water they are going to go out onto the field after a shaky recovery regardless of what is left the following year.

I like to be overly simplistic with my explanation of things. When I was Treasurer my go to slogan was "Less Wheels on the Road". All costs revolved around that. How many members, how many staff, all those mouths to feed, the support vehicles and drivers to get them around, etc...... The less set of wheels is on the road has a multiplying effect. My military career path is literally Logistics. One of the platoons in my company I commanded were just cooks, and kitchen trailers (not nearly as nice as the corps use), but in unfolded into a cooking and serving station and could service 1/2 a combat division. Anyway............ in my tenure SCV really never got control over travel expenses. It's one thing to travel a lot, it is another to travel a lot LAST MINUTE. I have a very low confidence level that SCV will be able to coordinate when they will be, how that corresponds to where they will be, and proximity to air travel, and who on their staff will commit to the planning far enough ahead in the schedule flights and transportation to the practice location. That is unless, the staff already happen to live in the vicinity of where the corps will be as they tour along in a manner that no logistical planning is needed. Hey, we are driving by Bob's city, and he will meet us at rehearsal, and we will meet up with John next week as we pass by his place, etc...... What I think is realistically going to happen is despite their best efforts in planning where they bought Bob's flight 3 months prior he wont be able to make it, and then John will have to be flown in from Australia a week earlier than he planned to return from vacation. They will give him a direct flight from Sydnee to Tulsa in 1st class as an incentive to change plans. Then they will send him back to finish vacation. Bob and John are also only the 3rd trumpet tech staff members.

They started out of the gate with the inability to solicit donations. While still a delinquent non profit organization with the state of California they are working with as much as $500K less than they could have. If the new CEO would just focus on getting compliant, he would pay for himself and be the most productive employee of SCV in the last 5 years.

It certainly costs them a lot to fly them there and back.

Yes, it is actually. I walked away from my years of marching as the most influential event in my life. Then some 15 years later I became part of the oversight of such an organization and tried to make the message we project to the kids the same one we conducted ourselves as a professional organization. I walked away from my years on the board with a feeling of having done the most productive thing in my life. ******************** Then this time last year it all started to unravel. Behind the scenes is a group of people that have vastly conflicting personal agendas and motivations divergent of the mission objectives of the Corps and DCI. So few of us actually have the experience of having been instructed by individuals we can look up to, and CONTINUE to look up to decades later (presuming they don't have dark secrets that are now popping up). People are attacking myself and Ghost. Oh you toxic folks will never be on the boards. That's right. The risk is astronomical now. If I was handed $10M every single year forever I don't see how a perfect pervert free well run Drum Corps could be built from the ground up. Where are these people? There are a few of them out there, but certainly not enough to staff an entire corps let alone all of DCI. We used to look up to the field technical staff who lorded over us young teenagers, but the hard reality of life is many of those losers didn't have a plan of where to live and sleep past DCI finals. These are not people we should be looking up to. Many of them latch onto the fact they have a ripe young population ready to follow. That observation plowed over me like a train when I was in Army Basic Training at the age of 39. The young soldiers were so compliant to be indoctrinated by the Drill SGT's. ************** The Member Corps really need to look deep at the problems, but I think they are infiltrated by too many offenders and enablers, because for too many the championships are the priority, or the willingness to protect a target rich environment for predators is too enticing.

That's probably where the money is going. But you know, they were not registered as a charity so they shouldn't have been asking for donations. The upside is they are on the IRS's list of approved non profits. SO when you put in their tax ID on your own return as a deductible it will not cause a red flag.

Folks need to think ahead a few chess moves. Cadets are actually very lucky (so far). Somewhere, someone is going to step up that is still inside the window of criminal statue of limitations in regard to actions against a minor. Right now, only money and the existence of the organization is on the chopping block. Criminal cases do not have mediators or arbitrators.

Well, well, well........................ The moment I posted about Cadets not being registered as a Charity with the PA Dept of State hell fire came down upon me from DCI and Cadets AE representatives. I had anticipated this from my SCV dealings that I only acted when I had in hand communication from the State itself confirming my claim. THEN!!!!!!!!! I get an email from Dan Acheson only MOMENTS from my submitted complaint to the DCI Ethics channel that Cadets are in the clear based on what they said, THEN I get an e-mail from the Cadets Media representative asking why I am spewing lies about Cadets. THEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!! indirect posts come up on DCP clearly trying to dilute anything negative about Cadets. WRONG GUY TO PUSH BACK THAT WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyway, I dug around with state registry stuff, and found that none of the Hopkins conduct ended up in the disciplinary history of either YEA or Cadets AE. Soooooooooooooo............. I submitted a formal complaint and all the proof of Hopkins history to the state in an effort to ensure that conduct was tied to the previous and current Tax ID in the disciplinary history database of Charities. Now it turns out.............. all that is small potatoes ******************** The reason why Cadets A&E changes its Tax ID and business address so often is because they are running from their sexual abuse and assault conduct. That is the reason. Anything other reasons are lies, and attempts by enablers to allow an abusive organization to continue to exist. No other corps does this. Correct, Corps change names, even my beloved SCV changed to VMAPA, and BD is technically BD Entertainment, but neither of them changed Tax ID's nor moved addresses, nor LEFT THE STATE!!!!!!!!!!! At this rate Cadets AE will have more Tax ID's than they do DCI championships. ********************** I've entered a period now where I don't know why I continue to care. When I was in banking I had a window seat to the collapse of the mortgage market. As a corporate financial analyst I could see my particular bank was collapsing. I thought it was ONLY my bank. Then a year later I realized, oh, IT IS EVERYONE!!!!!! The whole system collapsed. There is the SoA lawsuit, and it ties in DCI, now there is the Cadets lawsuit, Academy recently got rid of their CEO only a month after he was hired (BTW, his California Teaching credential was revoked for disciplinary reasons, and you can look it up yourself). Then going back, SCV director in the mid 90's who was fired ended up getting arrested and losing his Psychology license (investigator found porn on his work computer and work printer. I have the state legal judgement on that, it's an awesome read). Then my whole issue with SCV. I get it, it's like banging on the door of the Vatican and screaming your priests are raping kids. No one is going to listen. That's why all these examples I've mentioned above have taken the conversation OUTSIDE of the organizations. DCI is irrelevant, the boards of these corps are irrelevant, fans, and stake holders of these corps are irrelevant. The conversations now include Regulators, Law Enforcement, the Courts, and Lawyers.

SCV Treasurer resigned mid August 2023, as rumored in protest to his objections to touring in 2024. CA DOJ submits new notification that SCV is now delinquent for FY 2021 at the end of August 2023. SCV submits for registration for FY 2021 and it is rejected by the CA DOJ. Wrong audit was submitted and was a duplicate of 2019. It was subsequently removed. Additionally, the wrong form was submitted with the wrong registration fee. So the FY2021 registration is still entirely outstanding, wrong form, wrong fee, audit not included. Now, what is confusing regarding SCV's status with the DOJ is it appears FY2022 has been started with "In Process". Good news I would imagine. It was submitted OCT-20, but FY2021 was submitted SEP-18. So a whole month passed without addressing the corrections that needed to be applied to FY21. ************** It appears the CA DOJ Charity Registry is processing things inside of two weeks now. ************** Anyway, SCV Treasurer resigns out of protest, SCV continues to have strange and conflicting registration submissions to the state, and SCV Treasurer ends up on BD board a few months later. ************* I'm curious why he didn't complete a full (and first) term on the SCV Board before bailing and then joining the BD Board.

There are just less corps to go around. That's what's causing this. Auditions are not the issue. BDC for example doesn't audition. Age is the factor, not talent, but they learned, BDC is the back bone of their parental volunteer base.

https://bluedevils.org/about/bod/ The best of what SCV could be is always manifested at BD.

Not technically. When I was on the board there were only a few minors that marched in the A-Corps, but few I mean one or two. Now there are effectively none. When I was marching 1/2 of the horn line were high school kids. The Vanguard Cadets were now late teens instead of having sub 10 year olds. BDC for example now has an age minimum of 8 when they were taking them as soon as they could walk and hold a drum stick. The activity is getting older by way of fewer corps and the member talent being older and more practiced to get in the corps. No one sees it, but that's how it is. I remember SCV got rid of a bunch of aussies (hats) because they didn't fit the members anymore. A parent said how are kids heads so much bigger these days. I pointed out that they are all 3 years older on average now.

A year has passed. DCP was never an expected outlet to move the needle. I guess early on I thought I might embarrass the SCV Board into just doing the minimum required compliance. I was wrong. Forums like this are not the means to execute action. Regulators are. I have committed astronomical amounts of time to this subject, and elsewhere outside my efforts were fires brewing with Cadets and SoA, and now they are all converging. The Boy Scouts have addressed this problem. The Schools have addressed this problem. The YMCA has addressed this problem. The Churches have addressed this problem. The Military has addressed this problem. All of the above are still dealing with growing pains. DCI hasn’t even come to the realization of OMG, how to we address this. There is a history of documented evidence that the community on an organizational level ignores it. It is coming home to roost. Additionally, Drum Corps are alienating the Jr High and High School age kids. That age group of talent is moving into WGI and BOA. If DCI folded all together it wouldn’t be that difficult for the remaining Corps to simply alter their programs to provide something for WGI/BOA.

Members and Fans of DCI organizations should be aware of the DCI Code of Ethics regarding firearms. There is a zero tolerance policy for member organizations. Not picking a side of if that is good or bad. That simply is the policy, and more than expected given DCI's own mission. So while touring across the country various states might allow a greater degree of self protection, organizations participating in DCI activities will be held to the DCI standard. Prepare yourselves accordingly. There are resources out there how to react in active shooter situations. I suggest if folks are interested in applying them to their member organizations they look into such recourses from websites that end in Dot Gov Here are a few links below: https://community.fema.gov/ProtectiveActions/s/article/Active-Shooter-Run-Hide-Fight https://www.cisa.gov/topics/physical-security/active-shooter-preparedness ******************* One of my additional duties in the Army was the physical security officer, and I am also a Level 1 (introductory) Anti Terrorism Certified Trainer. Basically, what it comes down to is realizing there is no 100% certainty we can protect ourselves or those around us, but if we do our part the offenders will move onto a different target of opportunity.

You got me looking at DCI's 990's This is interesting Dan Acheson's reported income FY 31-Dec Reported W2 Other Comp Total Comp YoY increase Increase/2016 2016 114,458 18,762 133,220 2017 117,924 20,040 137,964 3.56% 3.56% 2018 130881 21,631 152,512 10.54% 14.48% 2019 134575 22,858 157,433 3.23% 18.18% 2020 115097 27,082 142,179 -9.69% 6.72% 2021 199769 30,939 230,708 62.27% 73.18% 2022 241,034 31,748 272,782 18.24% 104.76%

I know what a charity is per PA. The Solicitation of Funds for Charitable Purposes Act, 10 P.S. Section 162.1 et seq Cadets fall under this because on their IRS 990 filings they have income amounts for Contributions and Grants in the Section I Summary and further detail of those amounts in Section VIII Revenue of their 990's. Yes, yes, yes. I am yielding. Cadets Arts and Entertainment is properly registered as a Non Profit. They are again.......... not however registered as a Charity and the $1,000,000 raised on their IRS990's now comes into question as a violation of The Solicitation of Funds for Charitable Purposes Act, 10 P.S. Section 162.1 et seq Now, on the surface the Cadets can probably push back on $700K of that $1M, but no less than $300K of that is clearly donations that in all likelihood that were solicited and fall under The Solicitation of Funds for Charitable Purposes Act, 10 P.S. Section 162.1 et seq

YEA use to be registered as a Charity, and ceased in 2018. The Cadets as they are now are not registered as a Charity. Here is the full letter from the PA Dept of State. I was very explicit in trying to get clarifying information from the regulating entity with authority over the Cadets. This got censored prematurely because people are not reading everything closely. Non Profits are so an organization doesn't have to pay taxes, and those that donate to them can write off the amount on their taxes. Charities are so non profits can go outside the organization and raise funds. I understand this complicates the statement that is supposed go out from the Cadets Board of Directors. They need to slow down and look at what they are doing and not follow SCV down the toilet.