MikeN

Maybe they should be making this presentation to the State rather than their peers. Mike

The talk in '09 was that Troopers "Western Side Story" had a lot to do with the crackdown, but I swear there was also a band at BOA Grand Nats that also went far afield with their adaptation. Mike

In Texas, just about everyone already has a dance / drill team. Most bands also have a color guard. For decades now, band directors think they've reinvented the wheel by having the drill team replace the guard, but they have usually made the dancers learn flag work. Like most fads in TX bands, this too shall likely pass. There are 3,240 high schools in Texas - it takes decades for the whole ship to change course. Mike

Had to go look it up. The victim reported it in August, the investigation was concluded in October and no response regarding the recommendations in the report was given to the victim by DCI or Spirit. She went public on January 8, 2022. https://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/forums/index.php?/topic/176402-sexual-assault-spirit-of-atlanta-2021/#comment-3916475 DCI/Spirit reply was only 8 days later, on Jan 16, 2023. https://dci.org/news/spirit-of-atlanta-withdraws-from-2022-dci-tour "With the assistance, guidance and encouragement of Drum Corps International, the Spirit of Atlanta organization will withdraw from the 2022 season to reflect, reorganize and plan for a stronger organization in 2023 and beyond.: Sorry for the aside, just pointing out that it took public pressure to make DCI move. Mike

Spirit's investigation took ... 3 months? (trying to remember), and no penalties were levied until the accuser went public. Then Spirit was taken out of the lineup within days. Mike

This is a cool thing - I’m glad the Spartans jumped in to help keep their legacy alive. Mike

There's a bit of a legal argument going on about that, based on the records available. Mike

That may conflict with some states' laws regarding mandated reporting. One <good> thing we ran into in Texas while I was writing ours was that like 99% of our instructors were already teachers, and they are mandated reporters by statute. It was an easy leap to include that in our own rules then. Mike

The suit is against both the org and 10 individuals (I saw someone on Reddit allege it was the BoD members at the time, including Hopkins). I'm assuming Ms. W. is alleging that both the individual actors *and* the system they created (the corps) are at fault. Mike

That's one of the arguments to be decided in this particular arbitration / mediation. In much bigger settings, USA Gymnastics and the Catholic Church could not get them separated. And I assume that's also why this suit names the ten individuals it does separately as well. Mike

By "local" touring do we mean fewer miles or shorter length? I haven't negotiated a bus contract in a few years, so I can't recall specifics of what the larger cost factor entails. I'm guessing fewer miles over the same amount of time is still going to cost near the same, if the buses are still "on the road" and drivers are dispatched then it costs money. Off the top of my head, maybe a split tour - 2 weeks spring training, one or two-week mad dash regionally, followed by 2 more weeks second training then one week mad dash leading to Indy week - might be more viable? Makes it an 8 week season with transportation needed for four. Shorter multiple spring training chunks may make housing cheaper. Mike

Back when I was working in Open Class, after the Hopkins dismissal DCI required all corps to have a policy addressing allegations and investigations, and I think they also gave us required elements. I wrote the one for our group, but I had a good template to work with based on hospital compliance. I think DCI also has one they use internally, but I don't remember specifically after all of these years. Mike

Counterpoint (and not aimed at you specifically) - at what point does their trauma and justice stop mattering? Just because an org has ignored, covered and deflected for so long, do we just throw our hands up and say "nothing else to do"? Mike

DCI has steadily detatched on field results from membership requirements, and that's a great thing. Membership in World Class should absolutely be based on infrastructure, finances, and ability to participate. The rest of the stuff is just window dressing. Mike

I have to say, based on my experiences in DCI, this plagues all but the few best run corps. Mike

YEA was, CAE is not, based on a search. CAE is IRS registered in PA, and they say they're state registered as a charity in PA, though it's still in process and hasn't shown up on the website yet. Mike

Disclaimer - not a lawyer here - but it looks like CAE is arguing that they're not responsible for the actions of Garfield Cadets or YEA. CAE created a new Tax ID in June of 2020, backdated to April 2020, that predates the complaint. (I'm assuming for this very reason, as everyone had to know that Post-Hopkins this was a possibility.) On the other side, Ms. W.'s attorney argues that when YEA dissolved, the Charitable Distribution Agreement that moved all of YEA's assets over to CAE includes their previous liabilities as well. From the CAE attorney's filed request for mediation (which they say both sides agreed to), it sounds like in mediation the judge may have more time and leeway to examine the evidence further than they would in arbitration. Again, though - not a lawyer. (edit: The Board's published statement echoes the filings - they refute that they're legally tied to Garfield's or YEA's actions.) Mike

BD BOD is the gold standard for DCI, and every corps out there should be hitting them up regularly for best practices. Mike

I just don't know what brand strength you're gonna be capitalizing on here. It was a pretty ugly end. I guess hoping nobody remembers? Mike

They could if they wanted to, sure. There's a whole host of other organizational things they require in the name of being allowed to participate in their sanctioned events. Mike

Yeah - in modern marching, this is kind of a non-starter. The ecosystem of HS/BOA -> WGI -> DCI throughout the year is pretty well entrenched at this point. Very, *very* few schools are going to schedule a concert band trip at the end of the school year then turn around and compel kids for a summer circuit, especially after the academic year has ended. Mike

Not for you specifically - just for casual readers, here's the link to the Cadets Board statement: "The drum corps season is quite challenging with respect to the timing of member fees and the ability to anticipate actual expenses. The next season—2024, in this case—begins the minute DCI Finals scores are announced. Immediately, prospective members for the following year start purchasing audition packets under the assumption that the drum corps will be competing the following summer. Meanwhile, the reconciliation of last season’s expenses is not realized until the final bills arrive in September and October. It was only within the past week that the CAE Board reviewed the final results for the year and reached the painful conclusion that our income was insufficient to cover our expenses and that we had less cash on hand than our current debts and obligations. The moment that conclusion was reached, the board had an ethical responsibility to stop accepting money for the next season. The CAE Board made that decision Friday night, and we will now need to refund already collected fees for next year, in addition to addressing existing obligations."

I'll try to find the link, but I swear DCI survey results showed WC was like 60% music and music ed majors. Mike

No worries - just trying to add some firsthand experience. Also, it’s a cost that’s been pushed to members, so it’s a balance sheet neutral item really. -Mike

It’s not $300 - we were paying ~$100 (ish) at Guardians for digital uniforms 4 years ago, and the contract had a discount clause year on year. Mike