camel lips

In North America ? You mean the North East ? with the exception of a few isolated parcels outside the NE NO ONE knows about DCA for the most part . See now where DCA missed its chance ??? i won’t hold my breath waiting for a answer

Hurry up and get the woodwinds I say.

When you got nothing,,you got nothing.

Of course no one in DCA is worried. Everything is just roses. Havent you been listening the last 19 years???? Its Just the way they want it. They are getting everything they want.

Or lack of interest depending on your point of view.

I really don't know the answer to ur last question. It does not appear there are ANY Cadets2 Models waiting in the wings like everyone had hoped for just a few years back. The Electronics issue makes it really hard for a start up corps to get going on a grassroots budget without some serious funding or corporate backers. Not to many of those waiting in the wings now days. Bingo is pretty much a dead source of income for most so that's gone too. . . So it appears DCA in self destructing before your very eyes. DCA had the chance to expand and grow back in the mid 2000 when there were lots of smaller to mid size corps up and coming that were enthusiastic about the activity and were making their way to shows. . It chose it course to stay a niche activity in the NE and not foster growth. Now when the alarm bells are sounding people are starting to listen to all that crazy talk that I had about having championships in Indy along side DCI Championships several years ago. Everyone said I was crazy,,that it would not work. That you could not possibly change the date from Labor day. That you could not possibly alienate the Alumni Corps. That there would be no room for I@E or Mini corps. They said to mind my own business to stop the noise. DCA remains a DYING NE Niche activity. They got EVERYTHING they wanted and are still fighting for it. Its like driving 100 miles per hour strait towards a brick wall knowing your going to hit that wall but you don't let up on the accelerator knowing where the brake is at.

Pretty much what Fran Alluded to. Without some travel from some of the top corps outside the NE there was no growth in the activity. Its a proven fact now. The activity is dying. The activity had its chance and they blew it. So many chances to grow the activity to other regions and have it flourishing with new corps and new markets...instead..this is what you have.

Right there with you Hairbear. Watch many a year sitting on the sidelines... Hard to convince membership just one more year and you were in when the handwriting is on the wall when you see a product on the field that you KNOW is no where the quality that you put out a good percentage of the members of your corps can see that too. But it is what it is.

Alot of noise in this thread. Not much talk about expanding DCA out of the NE market.

There are still units out there trying to do their thing on a shoe string budget. Competitive? No. But they are being active.

When I first read that they were considering voting on the electronic issue I knew the activity was not going to survive. Not too many C2 models out there waiting in the wings that can come in and magically have a full creative staff loaded upfront with the backing to have a full horn line guard equipment and a electronic ensemble and staff to run it. It did not take a rocket scientist to figure out that one out. Your run of the mill SR corps of yesteryear could have started up on a volunteer staff with a shoestring budget with membership paying dues and get by a season or two and be somewhat competitive as a bottom feeder. They could fund raise to buy equipment and build and start to become stronger and climb the ladder. Today??? Not so much.

Exactly ! If your striving to have a competitive circuit which DCA is attempting to have . At some point you can not appreciate effort and it becomes painful to watch.

Call it what you want but when you have nearly a 4 point spread between 1st and 4th at some point the performance standard starts dropping off pretty fast and its noticeable from a fan standpoint too. Sometimes dramatically. You use the word "watchable" . That's like saying you have a very nice corps there sir.

The other big turn in the room that no one wants to talk about is the identity of these groups. Once upon a time you could tell who the group rounding the bend was because of the corps proper uniform. Nowdays with costuming its anyone's guess who is fixing to tell the field without a program or a announcement. Ditto on the programming. You could count on say Empire to come out with a certain style of Program that was recognizable and programmed to their identity. Ditto to Cabs and many of the other groups. Nowdays?? Good luck with that.

C2 gone MBI gone Empire Gone . Renegades Gone! You only really have 2 other groups that are even attempting to put out a competitive product . The rest are just show fillers doing what they do . one of those programs decides to pack up their shine box and go to another setting and DCA is done .