MarkHornGA

I would imagine this is a wish list item that will easily be tossed aside in the collective bargaining process.

Troopers Recap and Announcement video

Here’s the thing…unless an org has multiple banking accounts to handle different revenue and expenditures, which most probably do not, then all of the money that comes in goes into the same pot. If corps X needs $4M to operate, then that is the magic number. It doesn’t matter how it itemizes out. It’s highly unlikely that every incoming dollar is earmarked by category. It’s money in and money out.

A little more digging reveals that the California Nonprofit Integrity Act of 2004 requires any nonprofit with a revenue north of $2M to perform an annual audit and form an audit committee. Vanguard just flat out didn't do this in 2019.

I have worked full-time in nonprofit fundraising and administration since 2010. During that time I worked with four organizations in three states. Every organization VOLUNTARILY participated in a third-party audit every year. Two reasons: 1. Transparency 2. It is required to receive certain types of grant funding. The cost of an audit is usually between $10-20K. I assume most corps have relatively small operating budgets (<$2M) so that would likely be on the cheaper end for the audit. In an ideal world an audit at least every three years would be part of the cost of doing business. A lack of willingness for any nonprofit BOD to perform a regular audit is a huge red flag. If you start a nonprofit and ask people to donate their hard-earned money it is YOUR responsibility to go out of your way to be accountable for every cent. No questions asked.

From the California AG website: https://oag.ca.gov/charities/delinquency#:~:text=This includes not being able,and may result in penalties. “A charitable organization that is not in good standing because it is delinquent may not operate or solicit donations in California. This includes not being able to be listed in solicitations or receive donations through charitable fundraising platforms. If the delinquency is not fixed, the organization’s status will be further changed to Suspended, and/or Revoked and may result in penalties. The Franchise Tax Board will also be notified about the delinquent status and the organization may lose its tax exemption.”

Yes, please. Likely in reference to Keith Tye's absence from the Cavaliers 2024 caption head list...Presenting The Cavaliers 2024 Caption Heads — The Cavaliers Arts, Performance & Education

Presenting The Cavaliers 2024 Caption Heads — The Cavaliers Arts, Performance & Education Cheryl Lee: Brass Caption Head Randy Greenwell: Assistant Brass Caption Head Tom Dean: Assistant Brass Caption Head Josh Brickey: Percussion Caption Head Russell Wharton: Battery Coordinator Lee Allman: Front Ensemble Co-Coordinator Dr. Lane Summerlin: Front Ensemble Co-Coordinator Nick Mason: Lead Audio Engineer John Leonard: Color Guard Caption Supervisor Stephanie Chavez: Assistant Caption Head and Choreographer Markell Allen: Color Guard Designer and Choreographer Brian Soules: Visual Caption Head Austin Greene: Assistant Visual Caption Head

Mike hints at around the 4:30 mark that Aungst will be back in a different role...

Beat me to it! Thanks!

The 2023 average finals score across the top four corps was 97.825 which is the highest ever. 2008 held the record at 97.59 before.

1. Crown - I mean that brass… 2. Troopers - That opener just transports me 3. Colts - All the feels 4. Bluecoats - Visual feast. Bump. Ballad. 5. Mandarins - Take me to church…yes please.

I first want to say that I appreciate the thoughtful and honest OP. Likewise, the myriad of responses and sentiments have added nicely to the conversation without devolving into madness. Thank you all! I also want to add the caveat that I am not and could never be a DCI judge, executive, designer, writer, etc. I am a guy who marched in high school in the early 2000s, fell in love with DCI, and then I chose a path that didn't involve music. I walked away from the activity altogether and 2005 was the last year that I followed DCI closely until this season. I wish that was not so. My reasons for walking away had nothing to do with the quality of the product, but with me wanting to run away from that season of my life and the trauma that surrounded it. After a dinner with friends who I discovered were also closet DCI fans, we spontaneously purchased tickets for the Southeastern Championship and I began to reopen that part of myself that I thought was long gone. Attending that show was like stepping back in time for me. I felt so many emotions that I couldn't keep up. It was profoundly nostalgic and painful at the same time. This might sound crazy, but DCI has become a portal for me to face my past and to reclaim that which was lost. That's why the Colts show this year was cathartic and therapeutic for me. I was finding the courage to heal and to come home to a part of myself that I had determined never to look at again. Isn't that the power of creative expression? Isn't that, after all, part of what this activity is about? I can geek out over scores and captions, but I did my best to appreciate every corps and that attitude allowed me to thoroughly enjoy the artistry of each performance, no matter the placement level. 2023 has brought me back and I'm here to stay. I am now working through catching up on old shows and watching the evolution of the activity. We all have our preferences, but I find that I am just happy to be engaged again. For me, it is anything other than boring.

If you haven’t watched the 2000 Cadets and Cavies showdown in a while, I HIGHLY recommend it. Just watched and man those were some ballsy corps.

The random musings of person who knows enough to be dangerous. 15 Spirit of Atlanta - Continue on their upward trajectory. I think their show this year and the fan support will help attract some more local talent to stay home rather than travel to audition elsewhere. Atlanta is a huge pipeline for talent. Keep building and you’re not far from finals night. 14 PC - Steadily improving. Keep your core intact. Recruiting and developing talent to execute at the level of the design is crucial. They way under performed at times this season. I love the aspirational approach but make sure your members have the support and training they need to deliver. 13 Crossmen - Seem to be flatlining and struggling to get over the hump into top 12 land. I expect some staffing changes to come. Too much legacy to go down without a fight. 12 Blue Knights - Trying to be Bluecoats lite? Show design just didn’t connect this year. Not sure they can sustain that and continue to outpace those just behind them. 11 Blue Stars - Put together an entire show with the same effect as the last 90 seconds and now we’re talking. Color guard consistency to match what they are being asked to perform. Keep that organizational culture strong! 10 Troopers - MUST fix guard issues and fight for a more consistent visual performance across the board. Conceptually they were wonderful, but the execution felt sloppy at times. Musically they can be a top 8 corps although they seemed to have some inconsistencies as an ensemble. Some staffing changes might solve some of these issues if they can find the right people to train up their members on the finer details. 9 Colts - Colts seem to be on a rapid trajectory. It’s hard to imagine how them slowing down. Great org in great shape. I can see them with a recruiting bump after this season. Hinshaw’s drill writing is wonderful. Keep it coming red team! 8 Cavaliers - Brass arrangement and guard were not Cavaliers quality this season. The 2023 show was a nostalgia tour. I don’t know if they really expected to win much with that design. I hope to see them back on the edge of innovation and in the top 5! 7 Phantom - Design and music content seem to be there, but they need to improve their percussion and overall achievement to really put pressure on the rest. Give the staff time to work through some of these challenges and I’m confident they will find themselves climbing again. 6 Mandarins - They have all of the foundational pieces in place. Maintain your core staff and keep building on this momentum. I think they will get even more talent as a result of this year and improvements to the content will follow. 5 Cadets - Cadets get the talent to be in the top four, but they lack the effect that today’s scoring rewards. Show design is going to be crucial if they want to be in championship form. Seems like they are moving in that direction. 4 Boston - BAC had a championship caliber program. I’m not sure what needs to change to push them that 2 points higher. Percussion was excellent but the book was hard. They just couldn’t play it consistently well on the move. Take the Cavies approach of complimenting the ensemble and showing out at the right moments. 5th at finals is a joke. Second only to Cavies. Guard was stellar. More of that! 3 Crown - Musically, Crown is there! Visually they were consistently out achieving their content. Maybe beef up the visual program to match the level of the musical content. Guard was great, but always a step behind the others in the top four. Percussion was a mixed bag. I was underwhelmed by their front ensemble and the battery book was a good compliment but nothing to write home about. Another offseason for Mike Jackson and crew to gel should lead to a strong season ahead. 2 Bluecoats - They were the most unique program by far and did a fantastic job incorporating electronics, narrative, and visual staging. Percussion was a slight weak spot, but that’s not going to win them a gold. I look for Bloo to keep pushing the envelope and stretching the capacity of their MMs. High risk, high reward. Brass and Percussion scores were the only places where they overachieved their content. This is where it comes down to individual members fighting for excellence in every attack and release, every move. I don’t know that they could have designed a better show. It’s the small things at this point. 1 BD - I expect more of the same level of excellence and design. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That’s not to say the others are broken, but when you’re number one you’re the standard.