supersop

excellent points here. I also wanted to add my shock at how little the US Grant system is used. I think it comes from a lack of creative thinking. Although you run a drum and bugle Corps AKA a non-profit Youth Organization, that doesn't mean you are limited to just grants for education. One of the easiest grants I've ever been awarded that was repeatable year after year was for public education supplies pre-k through 12th grade. The grant is usually $40,000 to $50,000 and specifies very clearly that you are to spend the money on school supplies in order to help supplement the dwindling budgets of our Public Schools. Out of the money won for the grant you are eligible to use some of that money for operating expenses. Usually between 5 and 10% although some grants allow an even greater percentage to the recipient of the grant. Often times this is not just one Grant. There are usually several grants for the same thing that you can apply to in each quarter of the year. And this is just one simple example of being a non-profit applying for a grant where the funds are to be used for education or poverty or whatever. So you don't get the full amount of the grant. Big deal you're still getting some of it and you're helping out your local community by Distributing the funds of the grant. That's good PR. That gives more people interested in your organization. That gets more funds donated to your organization. In other words, hire a grant writer. Most grant writers will actually work for free and only take their fee when a Grant is won. Food for thought

Psst.... it was just s little sarcasm.

I wasn't trying to make it sound easy. You definitely have to have an excellent pitch person to get the results you want. You also have to consider that there is a large enough donation made to your organization you very well may end up with liquid assets and cash at the end of your fiscal year which you can then use to buy equipment or you could make the promise to your donor that any funds left over would be spent on inner city programs or programs for the disadvantaged or disabled or whatever. As long as you know all the angles before you make the big ask... You'll do just fine

Just a thought but there are still plenty of Fortune 500 companies that operate within the state of Michigan and are headquartered there. There are also massive endowment organizations like the Stewart Mott Foundation that have plenty of money to throw around at the end of fiscal quarters. Not many 501c3 organizations have the guts to go knocking on the doors of the big boys but the fact is... They HAVE to make donations to nonprofits in order to help themselves come tax time. Don't be afraid to knock on the front door of Dow Chemical or General Motors or Ford. They honestly have a very hard time getting rid of cash for tax purposes every quarter.

I was just being snarky at that point. I fully agree with your statement.

With regards to point 3.....Legends have at least 20 organizations in the state of Michigan they can turn to. The SAGINAIRES aka northcoastacademy.org, for one, would be a good start. Plymouth Canton is another. Corbin Hutchison at Grand Blanc High is another. The list is extremely long and very distinguished. To be completely honest, I've always questioned the leadership at Legends based on many many years of previous experience in dealing with them. This goes much further back than the birth of Legends. I'm not entirely sure whether they would get assistance from the people I have listed because they have either burned to many bridges or are too proud to admit that they need such assistance. Disclaimer, if the management running Legends has changed since their Inception then I retract my previous statement. Further, there are immense opportunities to raise funds in the state of Michigan because of their fundraising/501c3 legislature. If they get their act together they can easily raise the funds needed to continue to field the corps next year. All I can do at this point is wish them the very best. As a former marching member of a Michigan drum and bugle Corps...... way before Legends were born.... it does my heart good to see that there is still an active drum and bugle Corps in the state of Michigan. Now get your act together so that you won't be the last. If you have to downsize I'm not so sure that sound sport is the way to go. There are several successful models for WGI winter percussion ensembles and music ensembles and mcgc.net (Michigan color guard circuit) also has several performance ensemble categories. Some of the other points in the quote are a bit overboard. I appreciate the thought that you put into this but you're not trying to run a Fortune 500 company. It's just band...

I know some will take issue with my previous post. Some are going to tell me that my questions have already been answered because that's the true design of the show. All I can say is I don't buy it. It's a convenient excuse for weak design.

OK.....I've been hiding for a while. This is only the 2nd time I've weighed in this year. Hopefully, someone at Crown will read this. Here goes..... Concerns: 1) Vocal singing a) The First Act of the show contains no vocalization. Hence, you have a continuity issue in the story line and the flow of the show. b) The young lady performing the singing portion of the show is doing a fine job for what she is being asked to do. However, I'm not so sure that the Broadway/Disney style she's being asked to portray is the best fit for the show. 2) The addition of the broken yard lines that have been added to the show are very effective. However, you now run into the issue of "losing your sense of direction" but, the drill does not portray that in any way. Moving clusters through the broken line just doesn't cut it. I would suggest that if you're going to leave the drill the same then you, at the very least, need to change the orientation of the cluster and the upper body direction of the performers. You know, like they've lost their sense of direction. 3) I know you! Why? You started with no storyline then introduced the storyline with the singer about losing her sense of direction and you close the show with her recognizing someone. My first issue with this is why? Is the show title really IT IS ALZHEIMER'S? Secondly, how does this help tie the show together and bring things to a conclusion? For all the incredible playing that your corps is doing, it just seems a shame that the visual program has so many holes and flaws in the concept. Maybe these concerns have already been brought up by the judges. Who knows? If they haven't, then I hope this gives you a fresh perspective to think about for the second half of the season. I've always been a fan of your corps and plan to be Honking very loudly by the time finals arrives. I just pray you get things worked out. Btw, I'm digging some of the recent music changes. Keep up the great work!

First things "1st" - Happy Anniversary Vanguard! Second: Loving the show and how clean you are visually already. Third: Suggestions and complaints - S] Please go back and listen to 2009's "Ballet for Martha". The way you used your amplification was sublime, artistic and balanced. I believe that by not being so heavy handed your show will continue to lead toward a championship. C] Staging for the amped brass parts hurts ensemble timing and draws the eye to a place on the field where the performers are Not. V] I have to beat the dead horse. Uniforms are fine enough but please bring back the Aussies! You've lost that SCV mystique. The exposure of the performers face may be what the activity or judges are looking for, but the cloaking effect of the Aussie is entirely what makes you... YOU! Who cares what the cool kids are doing. The chin down shade of assassin badassery IS hallmark Vanguard. This activity has sincerely lost its individuality over the years. There are so many similarities between show designs, body movement requirements, marching technique, unwarranted double triple flipple tonguery, Etc... It's all the same. Why throw away this completely awesome and identifiable tradition? FEATHERS UP? oh wait...... no feathers

Hop specifically ...... was not elevated to ED of YEA. He took over the corps in the middle of the season in the early 80's when they were about to fold and cut and file bankruptcy. Basically .. that's the jist. I think because of that .. .and the job he did in an EXTREMELY small window of time ... Hop feels intitled to buck the trend, share his visions, push his agenda ... etc etc etc. However, when I was on tour with the corps in 2005 .... myself and a few other alumni on tour were not very happy. There were a few traditions in the marching technique that were missing. That's the only issue I'll speak to. Late at night on the way to Colorado (600+ mile drive) we took it upon ourselves to play Cadet trivia on the CB's. When was the last time the Cadets used the elbow pop on reverse slide? <------ this was just one of the questions. It was not planned out ... but I think it was our way of talking about our frustrations on the long trip in a way that wasn't confrontational. 4am in the middle of nowhere .. and Hop was awake and listening. He was always awake and listening. The next day .. the elbow pops were back in the basics and being addressed on every set. Hop does listen to the staff, supporters and alumni. You just have to go about it in a slick way ...... but in the end ... he makes the final decisions. That is what a leader does.

I've always had a theory about the "West Coast" inflation ... long before NO corps ever went West ...... yes there were the EXTREMELY rare few back in the 80's who did so. I always thought that the DCW judges had a lighter standard compared to the DCI judges ... back when there was a DCW. I also thought ... if Garfield/CBC or PR or Star et. al. went West and gave those judges the opportunity and exposure for 2 weeks ... it would be very clear where that corps really stood when they came home for DCM or DCE championships. That would also give everyone else a true feel for where they stood. I can't say I'm totally surprised that the corps who recently went West beat BD for a championship. I'm not saying there is ALWAYS someone better than BD. I AM saying that given the opportunity to sample the products back to back on several occasions in the early season ... and if the corps that is not BD proved themselves to be a slight notch ahead .. that precedent would carry thru the rest of the season. Afterall, there are very little surprises these days between early July and Finals. Kind of sad actually. Think about it ... I'll use 90 as an example. as DCI South SCV beat us .. The Cadets. 2 weeks later at DCI Finals ... SCV was 6th and we won. When was the last time a corps made a move like that? All of these G7 Super Weekend shows kills the climax that Finals week should be. They perform in order and often end up in that very same order. Those corps who move west and challenge BD head to head have a distinct advantage by the time the TOC/G7 shows start to take place. They had the chance to prove themselves to the judges on the same night with the same panel. I'd rather see 1 or 2 go West .. or incentivize BD, SCV and BK to take turns coming East early. But in the end .. the G7 shows ruin the theory. It's all plotted out weeks before Indy. Yeah I just talked in a circle .... it just shows how the model is broken. Regions made sense. When they folded is was because of the top corps being greedy. Most are the same corps in the G7. Wow I'm ranting ........... ugh. FWIW .... I love 1 or 2 corps going West. When I actually follow DCI these days ... at least THAT makes things interesting in the early season. The rest is a snoozefest.

I still see people confusing Hops statement about education. The corps educates .. DCI should not. DCI is a company ... the corps are the educational product. It's just that simple. And Hop was saying .... DCI don't mess with doing seminars or whatever you're planning ... that's OUR job. Simple. I also love seeing these threads that have a sliver of proof from those in the know ... and 99% conjecture from those of us who are trying to poke the bear cage and get someone to come out of the woodwork and tell us what's really going on. Fact is, that will never happen. They will disclose the end result when it happens ... or they won't. Meantime ... yah.

Honestly ... from 82 on up .. it's most of what's available. They're all top 10. The list above is pretty great but it has some gaping holes. If I'm really being honest .. there are some paperweights in 82 - 84 ... but from there on up .... GET THEM ALL!

The retirement of Jenifo is a pretty big hit to the SCV staff. I'm interested in seeing who they acquire to fill her shoes. As for the additions to the Cavies ... I worked with Alan decades ago. He was a brilliant designer then ... and has only gained experience and chops since then, along with a ton of accomplishments that have been cited earlier in this thread. I'm anxious to see how the new team melds and the product they create. I think it's a great addition and should give the Cavie fans much to cheer about once the show hits the field. Nice work from the admin staff on making this happen. Let's see who else they get!

Cadets marched flugels for 3rd sops for a very long time .. most of the 80's and early 90's at least.... along with a full mello line. But there is something special about mixing in some frenchies with a full mello line as well. See PR of the 80's, Madison 88 is a perfect example and SCV of the same era. Honestly, I've never heard a brass line with no mello's and flugels in their place. It just seems like the middle would sound very bright.... or vacant.