Gator Eagle

Tru dat. But it's not hard to find out if you dig down. Annual reports, yo. Family foundations also have to disclose their donations on their filings. I'm a fundraiser...I can find out easily with our research tools.

They would be better off at another organization and learn from a leader that doesn't think we are all backwards here in the glorious South. Don't you want your kids learning that all people - Mississippi people included - are considered equal?

Depends on how the Board is nominated/selected/voted in/terms of service. Maybe they recycle themselves themselves over and over. Term limits on the Board? Don't know. If he were accountable to shareholders and made the statements he did he'd be out of there like Vladomir. I might look up the major donors to YEA on the 990 and send them a personal letter telling them why their investment is foolish given his comments.

I don't know who you are but thank you very, very much for your hard work for the corps - all of them. I feel your pain and all these people not getting our angst need to realize that bi*ching about a bad housing site in the South is shooting themselves in the foot. You Cadet apologists: Try living and going to school at those places you think are "inferior" in the South full-time. Our taxes pay for those facilities, as "bad" as they are. Our kids go to school there - and like us make their memories there that will sustain generations. We volunteer our hours there as PTA participants - at the concession stands on football Friday nights - and at the band contests on Saturdays. Those are our facilities, our gymnasiums, our practice fields...and our kids that we are darn proud of. Fact is we'll run circles around you all week and twice on Sunday.

No. Cadets are a little part of YEA. It's still a relatively minor non-profit, in the grand scheme of things. I'm part of a multi-million one myself. It can get incestual with someone with an inflated ego with no checks & balances if you're not careful. Especially one that makes disparaging remarks about a part of the country THEY ARE CURRENTLY IN.

I think we both know there is much, much more to it than that. George Hopkins, as we've seen time and time again (especially the last few days) needs to realize that he is not emotionally stable enough to lead the entirety of DCI. He can have his little cadets and YEA. That's enough.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/BUSINESS/08/12/drum.corps.trouble/index.html

Please feel free to stay at the local Hilton next time. BTW, those are palmetto bugs, not roaches ;-) It's the South, DUH.

When he is truly genuine in his apology & actions, so will I be. His reputation precedes him, and even us genteel Southerners have been taught: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

Actually, most people in the South don't give a frog's fat a** about anyone north of I-40. Or I-20, for that matter. C'mon down and I'll get you some crawfish and a beer. Mississippi is actually one of the nicest, most genuine friendly states in the South. Most people here actually love the perpetuating stereotype about the State because it keeps us from becoming the next Florida or Atlanta. Poor but proud is not a bad thing, to be honest. It's only an issue b/c he's a polarizing figure in DCI and honestly, I hate the guy to begin with. I'm glad it happened and it serves him right.

I've succeeded quite well in life in spite of those "horrible" infrastructure issues in the Magnolia State. Jimmy Buffett, Brett Favre, John Grisham, Cat Cora, Anderson Cooper, all seemed to do ok in life as well, huh? How about you just lock it up now son.

And you can STFU. This is a terrible response and even more insulting to us Mississippians than the recent comments of the director of the cadets, IMO. You are digging the grave even deeper.

The activity has changed enough for me not to want to pay to see it in its current form. I'd rather enjoy the sights & sounds from my 20+ years in the activity (87-2008) that I have in my library. I last attended an event in 2011 and I left feeling bland and nonchalant. Not disparaging anything, just saying the truth. As an adult; and one that has disposable income - we do need some connection to the past to begin again making an investment in that which we feel comfortable. One only needs to look/hear/feel in the stands to see that this is the truth. The old people have the immediate connection and the disposable income and has an an affinity for the traditional corps. While 1993 Star was groundbreaking from a design & execution standpoint, other corps had a better crowd reaction and more alumni/fans that were impacted by their performance. 2008 Blue Devils may have been more technical and had a bigger "operation" behind them, but 2008 Phantom Regiment brought the house down like Blue Devils have never done in modern times. The crowd doesn't care about judges or their opinions. The directors need to realize that the crowd doesn't care about them either, as it relates to the product they are receiving from the field. The crowd reacts to the product, pure and simple. And the crowd isn't just the ones in the stands in today's world. It's the people on the internet, the alumni, the parents, the booster club, the Board, etc. The good thing about drum corps is that competing units are fickle. You can up and be gone in an instant. I like that kind of immediate gratification - creates urgency. Hence, if one (or several) units decides that they have a better model; can stick it out long term on the open road; and can reap the benefits of being the next Star (or circuit of Star(s) - then go for it. Good luck friends. I truly hope you can find the elusive golden ticket that continues to pay dividends. Because if you find it on your own, you will be forever credited with not sharing it with the youth that you were founded to serve in the arts except for those that were rich enough or super-talented enough to grace your doors as the lightning struck when you were on "top." The feeder corps that have long provided you with seasoned talent will no longer direct kids to your door. The "remaining drum corps" will serve as teaching and mentoring organizations that feeds and leads impressionable young minds with an interest in our weird little niche that has led to so many great things for those disciplined enough to make it through the gauntlet of performing for the corps to go on to leadership roles in the "real world." The fact is that very few people outside of our nerdy little realm have ever heard of George Hopkins or Dave Gibbs or give two turds of their opinion. Their name nor any drum corps' name carries any weight in the real world, and you would be tough to find Fortune 5,000 business leaders that really give a frog's fat a** or know anything about drum corps. Truth be told, even in my tenure in the higher ed world, there exists very much animosity for drum corps in the realm of music education. Some of it certainly is related to jealousy or exclusion, but the fact remains - we are not doing our jobs and certainly aren't seeing eye-to-eye enough to make this niche activity truly thrive. Who will lead the charge to fix it? It won't be those that create the chasm of divide and exclusion of the less fortunate, that is fo 'sho. Edit: Can't believe I didn't start with this one. DCI needs to hire a fully functional fundraising staff and start an organized campaign. This would benefit all corps - including the more mature ones - more than anything as donors could restrict their support to specific corps while still supporting the good of the overall organization. Fundraising is the biggest achilles' heel of DCI as a 501©3 and I would hope this is the impetus of the G7 pushing for new leadership within the organization.

I never met Bill Cook but I sent him a thank you note for what he did for the Cavies when they were in need (after the Star DCI days) and he came to the rescue. He sent me a very nice personal letter back and I obviously immediately realized what a good man he was. I have never marched DCI but have always been a fan. I think he identified with my situation based on the tone of his letter. God speed to a good man.

Southern Miss - "The Pride of Mississippi" North Texas Maybe: Univ. of North Alabama BITD but not anymore: Univ. of Memphis