JimF-LowBari
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Posts posted by JimF-LowBari
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10 minutes ago, Jeff Ream said:
agreed. though 2 of those i thought were the best had a little issue this year that led to someone being removed from tour in July
Good news was someone was removed. Bad news was something happened that caused the removal.
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3 hours ago, craiga said:
A well written post...as usual. However, I do take issue with your comment that only SOA has safeguards to adequately protect its members. Due to their misdeeds and subsequent scrutiny, they may be the highest profile organization at present, but I would argue there are other organizations that have been employing best practices for years.
SoA appears to have busted their tail by taking a year off and evaluate how to handle their problems. Hope they get it right but will wait and see how future problems are resolved
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2 hours ago, MikeD said:
I think the person must be convicted of a relevant crime to be placed on the list.
My thinking also. Know of one where being put on the list was part of a plea bargain. Person needed heavy medication to function and either missed doses or needed levels changed. He supposed said something to a youngster and doesn’t remember it. Instead of trial and possible penalty he was put on the list to keep him from kids. (Guy is scary looking and acting anyway so who knows what happened)
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2 hours ago, IllianaLancerContra said:
The problem as I see it with a database is how is it decided who gets put in it? There are all sorts of due process concerns; if someone is put in who disagrees & lawyers-up, taking DCI/Corps to court, they are from a potential financial standpoint right back where they are now - needing to pay for legal representation as the case moves through the courts.
Thinking about it - the whole idea of a ‘Registry of Creepy Adults Involved in Youth Activities’ (for lack of a better term) is something that the State or Federal Legislatures could adopt for ALL youth activities (arts, sports, science, church, scouting, etc) and to pass legal muster it would probably need to be set up that way.
How is someone put on the “Megan’s List”? From the people I know on the list (2 from workplace, 2 distant relatives) believe they had to be found guilty. Of course for this to work on the corps (or any other youth activity) the groups have to do their #### job and report to the authorities for this to work.
And other problem is at what point does creepy as bleep become criminal?
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1 hour ago, scheherazadesghost said:
Thank you. And ah yes, we're getting into legal maneuvering that is way above my pay grade.
I think it comes down to the concern I've always had. If there is no mechanism by which anyone can be held accountable for the past, then no one will be held accountable. There is no justice or relief for the survivors in most cases. AND we are still seeing instances of violations crop up, even with the attention and best intentions of those involved.
And to add to the mix: when did “mandatory reporter” start in these jurisdictions? Think that was part of the problem with the Penn State/Sandusky cases. There wasn’t mandatory reporting so certain people were off the hook legally.
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14 minutes ago, scheherazadesghost said:
Yeah no worries. Didn't think you were arguing or being disrespectful. Just explaining as usual. My apologies, as apparently I come off more gruff than I mean to. 🍃
Anyway, yes, agreed entirely.
Nah you didn’t come off as gruff. I just worry I come across as insulting or unclear when texting.
Psychologist could have a field day with me on some of my “quirks”. 🤪😆 (Shut up Ream 😆😈)
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19 minutes ago, scheherazadesghost said:
Totes. I get it. There are no easy answers here. I intentionally didn't demand a public statement, just curious how long they'll hold out without one. If I'm honest, any statement that could pass the lawyer test would be very bland, little more than an acknowledgement of the cases. Still, I think that would be better than nothing.
Although, with the info above, I guess there is the tactic of literally saying nothing until they're dismissed. That doesn't feel transparent or honest of a nonprofit at all though.
Understood and wasn’t trying to argue or disrespect what you posted. And true it’s one thing not to discuss a future court case. But it’s another not to even acknowledge there is one coming up. Especially when your future is continually getting new members and trust is a big part of getting them.
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17 hours ago, scheherazadesghost said:
One can only assume. But silence will make it worse after too long.
Well is the concern of how silence looks to the public or how speaking out could affect any trial or penalties
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47 minutes ago, Richard Lesher said:
If SCV loses the nonprofit status, and with it Bingo I don't know how they would get it reinstated.
I suspect they wouldn't know how to get it reinstated either, because keeping it would have been the much easier pathway.
IIRC I read SCV has Bingo 4(?) nights a week. If they lose those nights it’s possible other games could get SCV customers. Even if SCV regains those nights that’s no guarantee they will regain all of the old customers.
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46 minutes ago, Richard Lesher said:
Well......... physically............. nothing is stopping a bunch of people from getting on busses and touring around the country with instruments and marching around on a football field until they run out of money lord knows where. It wont be the first time that has happened, and apparently, that almost happened to SCV in 2022.
I totally see a scenario where the bingo plug is pulled, the delay of that information is a month or so to the rest of us and SCV decides to go on the road anyway with whatever they have in financial resources.
I presume (wild guess) they could take a line of credit against the Bingo Hall which is worth several million as a parking lot alone.
The priority is image.
Legal compliance is a distraction.
Understood, I didn’t spell it out but was thinking the money spigot could turn off at start of season. After that it’s a matter of having enough in reserve to finish 2024 on one extreme or stop quick to preserve what they have at the other extreme.
Saw it with other groups but get this creepy “we’ve been around this long so we must be ok”.
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12 minutes ago, Richard Lesher said:
Well, from the looks of it, no one cares what SCV does. Not anyone with enforcement authority.
The DOJ continues on it's time line, and SCV is currently on a trajectory to be delisted as a Non-Profit. This effectively will disqualify them from operating Bingo. From there all other things collapse.
The latest DOJ notice is dated 16-NOV, with a warning the Tax Board will be notified to remove SCV as a nonprofit.
At the end of 60~ days should follow a notification with "Intent to Revoke" nonprofit status, and then another 60~ days to response.
Should those notices go unheeded then a notification of "Cease and Desist" will be issued, and it is at this point that's that.
So 4-6 months from 16-November is when that should unfold.
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One needs to consider from the DOJ's perspective they will take into account the totality of the circumstances that started the persistent delinquency going back to 2020. The most heavy of those circumstances being the organization has millions of dollars available to it through Bingo sources. So why is the most basic of compliance, and annual registration so difficult despite having millions of dollars available to it?
Thanks, so basically kills Bingo… which months ago the BoD thought of running another night to make up the money shortfall.
And 4-6 months from 11/23 possibly. IOW start of the season 😱
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On topic: what happens to SCV if they don’t get their paperwork together? Other than not being non-profit and (I believe) taxable on income.
Off topic: I need some of Terri’s cards. I only have my “No I Will Not Fix Your Computer” t shirt
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4 hours ago, olddrummer34 said:
I am just creating an account to tell the 3-4 of you that continually post about NOTHING in the thread to PLEASE STOP. Take your grievances to your DMs and let the rest of us talk about the 2024 corps.
🤷🏻 to what and who you are referring to. There is more that goes on besides what is put on the field as with any other corps.
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1 hour ago, Richard Lesher said:
That is correct. In 2020 before things fell apart the board count was 17 (per the 990).
The board membership hasn't been this low since the Bingo Fraud of 2005.
Are there openings or do bylaws allow size of board to change? Wondering as my old church (since closed) almost couldn’t conduct business due to not enough people on council. Had to have a special congregational meeting to change bylaws about size of council.
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8 hours ago, keystone3ply said:
One of my favorites during their first contract year was the sideline camera zooming in on the guard equipment exchange behind the flats. Guard member was kneeling down behind the flat for a flag swap & happened to look up at the camera. Her face was like 'what the hell'? 🤦♂️😂
1975 DCI Finals carried by PBS. First corps on was Troopers and had a great view from backfield of the corps warming up just before they started. That was the only corps they showed so can imagine someone said “no no not part of the field show 🤦♂️”
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42 minutes ago, RiverCityAndTroopersFan said:
Veering back on topic, I have talked to several people involved in other corps and their response to SCV’s demise has been “Covid hit corps hard”. What do you all make of that?
Did they say where it hit? Earlier thought I was reading that decline on Bingo was given As a big cause. Then next statement was to improve the bottom line was “more Bingo”. 🤦♂️
Still doesn’t explain how the paperwork has been befuddled (messed up) for years
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1 hour ago, Jeff Ream said:
example...Jubilee Day here in Mechanicsburg. Used to be the largest one day street fair in the country. then the largest on the east coast. now...not sure if it's even the biggest in the state. Despite this being one of the fastest growing areas in PA, the crowds are down. why?
it's a headache to get into town and park. it's June so it's usually hot, and seems like every other year a thunderstorm rolls in. too costly to get even semi famous local names in to perform at the stages. it's not a 9-5 world anymore, so people have to work. i could go on and on. life has changed.
Don’t even want to get near Mechanicsburg that day. Went once years back. John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown band was headlining and sister was a fan. They did “Eddie and the Cruisers” soundtrack and… uh… guess other things.
As for local groups no longer sponsoring corps shows. They were smart and looked for better fundraisers instead of “tradition”. Just like PBS
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6 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:
many local festivals are also hurting for the means to sponsor a show and are suffering from a lack of revenue just to do their festival.
Mid 70s used to go to local shows sponsored by ambulance/fire companies, local chamber of commerce and the ever popular “Bicentennial Commitee”. Costs (mainly gas) went up and corps needed bigger payouts. Basically killed shows with lesser Red Carpet Association corps as tickets were cheap and so was prize money. Higher ticket price meant less audience so the sponsors found something more profitable to run.
On the other hand I don’t miss drives to PA hard coal country (Frackville.. bah)
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1 hour ago, Richard Lesher said:
As a reservist for me it's not like that. I am doing funerals for Korea and Vietnam era veterans (sometimes WW2).
If someone passes while on active duty they get the whole 9 yards.
If someone some decades later after they were in passes, and next of kin wants gramps to have military honors then I'm that guy.
So yea, I'm lucky, I'm not passing a flag to a bereaving parent of a 20 something. I'm passing it to a 50 year old child of the deceased.
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What happens is the funeral director will ask the family if the deceased was a veteran and then the funeral director takes care of the rest, and my team and I show up.
That said............ I was furious once, as the funeral home CHARGED for the flag, when in reality they are supplied for free from the Post Office (with proof of service and death certificate).
Father in law passed and his buddy from the local VFW asked the older daughter if she wanted military honors. She said yes but the guy didn’t explain the ceremony to her. Came time to hand her the flag she just sat there with a shocked look on her face. Felt sorry for her as I knew it was going to happen.
Then there was my dad (Korea vet) who hardly discussed his service time. We asked if he wanted military honors when it was his time. “You do and I’ll come back and haunt your ###”. “Ok we will take that as a no”. However we had the local American Legion include his name in their annual Post Everlasting ceremony
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2 hours ago, OldSnareDrummer said:
Hell, I'm 66 and am told regularly I have the maturity of a 21 y/o. Mind is still young, the bod no so much.
My age also and I try to keep moving and do things to keep the mind going. (Taking classical guitar lessons and older than most students parents. 😆) And plenty of comedy and Looney Tune type DVDs to keep laughing.
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9 minutes ago, OldSnareDrummer said:
Well, you're still special. The only corps that ever tried to recruit me from my current corps were our cross-town rivals and they sucked worse than we did.
Lol we had 2 or 3 people from my high school in our senior corps. HS assistant band director was with another corps. My corps thought he was recruiting for his corps at the school. Finally had to tell them “band director is retiring soon and he wants the job. He doesn’t want to screw up his chances so he never mentions drum corps”.
My buddy and I didn’t even know he was with another corps until we saw him at DCA 😳-
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1 hour ago, RiverCityAndTroopersFan said:
Yeah. I was thinking of marching colts when I graduate HS but like I’d rather go do colt cadets for a year (I’m a WW learning trumpet) and then go do like Madison scouts or troopers
Sounds like a doable plan, good luck 👍
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35 minutes ago, Jeff Ream said:
it's majority older alumni who complain about anything after (insert year here) they stopped marching
lol my favorite is the guy who told me I never marched “real drum corps” because we didn’t have the start and finish lines. Next year will be 50 years 🤮 since my first season.
and to go with contraguard05: Don’t Panic 😆
on topic: learning some things here.. thanks
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1 minute ago, Brian Tuma said:
“People are saying.” 😂
Sounds like my conspiracy spouting nephew “I read on the internet”. I hear that and start looking for someone else to talk to… or the nearest door… outside
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Santa Clara Vanguard 2024
in DCI World Class Corps Discussions
Posted
Can’t remember the writer (Drum Corps News probably) who had Our Lady of the Single Valve. 😆