oc1

Just watched the video from a few days ago.....GREAT WORK. This group has come a long way since a year ago. They will start to compete with some of the groups they have looked up to in the last few years. This is a more mature group, obviously fuller and more presence on the field and just keep ironing out the rough spots and this will be a crowd favorite for sure. Great writing and once the performance comes up to the writing, they'll see much success. as an alum and fan, i'm super proud! Go Cascades!!

Nate, Shawny Shawn here....you better wish us success! I am also working on getting The Ascent off the ground. We are working to support Cascades and all corps in the NW by offering a price point that is much lower then the full costs that the 2 World Class Corps currently offer. We hope to be a competitive group right out of the gate and we feel that with our Tri-Cities staff and support that this will be very successful. Again, Dan mentioned that we are not a drain on Cascades as we are responsible for our own fundraising and resources. We have some of their reserve equipment and they help with the insurance. We are confident that we can put a solid group on the field this coming summer. Shawn

I was at the show tonight! BK did awesome! Scades are bigger then last year(just a little), much more talented group of members (another year of maturity on the vets), great designed show and a chance to place better gun last year! Can't wait to see what they keep doing with this show as te kids get more comfortable with the poduct. It's going to be great season for the Cascades members, family and alumni!!! Shan

World Class: BK 78.90 Troopers 73.70 Cascades 67.20 Open Class: SCVC 75.40 OC 71.90 Thunder 61.30

I'll be there in the lot with Scades. I'll try to post scores as soon as I can.

This is a great addition to the Cascades team! As a Scades alum, Scades supporter and a friend, this is great news!!! Can't wait to see how things turn out!!!!! Great things are yet to come!!! Shawny Shawn

pearl, adams! pearl, adams! pearl, adams! pearl needs another top corps BAD!!! Shawn

What was open, and now known as world......troopers had 61 members one year. The minimum for open class at the time was 61. I think they even added an honor guard to make that number. On a side note, troop is back stronger then ever this year!!!!!

Interestingly enough, volcano score is owned/managed by the corps director of Oregon Crusaders. Would have like to have had scores though. OOH well, I'll get scores live tomorrow night at Hillsboro. Need to see where Scades and OC fit in nationally. Also, I've been to all but like 5 states through 6 years of drum corps. I live here in Vancouver, WA/Portland, OR area. This area is BEAUTIFUL!!! Wes, we marched together. BK 97. I played cymbals. Shawn

Hello DCP community! My name is Shawn. I am an alumni of the Seattle Cascades, from the late 90's. I also helped the Oregon Crusaders move base of operations from Medford to Portland proper in 2001 with the help of many dedicated individuals at the time. I am also an active educator in the Portland area and have been for several years. I am glad that people are taking about the Thunder/Cascades merger . As many have said already, there are good things and bad things with the merger. I hope that more good comes of it then bad. I am hopeful that the turnout will be as good if not better then expected and the Cascades will field a competitive World Class unit that will represent the Cascades of the past (recent and distant) and represent the NW this summer. In my opinion, the success of Drum Corps in the northwest depends on Cascades getting on the field and doing well. If Cascades fold and loose their "World Class" status, I don't feel that DCI will support any shows in this area any more. This will KILL the marching arts in the NW. Every single marching band has taken a hit in this area the last couple years. Without the exposure of the shows and marketing the kids to the shows and to the corps, we could be dead in the water here. In my opinion, I think that Cascades may be on the pathway away from the negativity that has surrounded them in the past. I just hope (as an alumni and drum corps fan) that potential members take a leap as so many of us have done in the past. Most of my fondest memories come from Cascades while at camps/tour or with my drum corps friends. As far as the "new" corps that may be started and Thunder working to field next summer, these are risky things, but with the support of the local communities band programs and alumni where they are based, this can happen with huge success next year. So, good luck Cascades, Good luck Thunder and good luck potential new corps. Thanks for Listening!

So what did Cascades announce at the show tonight? I wasn't in the stadium when they announced something about their future before BD's Performance...???

Hey OC Euph, I believe Travis Moddison, Todd Zimbelman (sp) and some other folks are working with the brass. Mabe even Mr. Quillen still!!! They sounded AMAZING? Nice! Go OC! Todd's a great brass guy! Is this Chris? Shawny Shawn

Mr. Keith Hall, Did you need to include your sarcastic comment on how corps are judged in your reply? I didn't think so. I don't know why it matters where I'm from, but I am from the Pacific Northwest. Specifically I live in Vancouver, WA (we used to have a Spartans here too). I also ran the Oregon Crusaders for a few years, the man who originally created the Southern Oregon Crusaders was a veteran of your Rochester Crusaders. That's where the name came from (the Southern was later dropped when moved to Portland from Medford). What do you call the Blue Devils, Cadets or Cavies during their multiple championships? Cavies "dominated" the corps activity for the early 2000's. Isn't that one way to explain their success? Spartans "dominated" my corps (as previously posted) during 98 and 99 summers. Spartans won multiple titles in multiple years. What would you have had I used instead of "dominance from years past" Mr. Hall??? Again, I know that organizations go through changes and go down different paths. I've already stated I hope the Spartans have an amazing season! Many corps have come back strong from major changes....Cascades have done it, Troopers have done it, Madison has done it, and so has Spirit. Shawn

So many ways to reply to the posts to the topic that I created just 2 short days ago. 1st) I'm sorry I haven't been paying attention to Div 2/3 forum over the last few months. Not exactly a high priority considering I have a 5 month old son at home. 2nd) I wasn't being sarcastic. I was being serious and I wasn't trying to be mean. I didn't do a search to see old topic's, so sue me. I was asking a question about an organization that I highly respect from the years and years they beat my corps (the Seattle Cascades) in the mid and late 90's. 3rd) I know that corps aren't judged on their successes of the past. Give me a break. Most organizations that have sustained success, sports teams and marching units alike, normally have tendencies to stay successful over the long term. As I stated in my original post, I figure there had to have been a change in the organization. I figured someone would have a short answer. Also if you look at some of the other topics since mine, I'm not the only one that noticed something was different. 4th) I know that organizations go through restructuring - Cascades 2008, Cascades 1997, Cascades 2000 (sometimes for the better, they won div 3 that year), OC 2007. Look, yoz, I know how drum corps works, it was a simple question. Since nobody want's to answer my question and waste their time by replying lame posts, then I end my post with this: Good luck Spartans! I know you are working hard to achieve all of your goals! Keep fighting the good fight and heres to a great season!!!!! Shawn

I don't know if it's been discussed on the forum yet, but why are their scores so low? Why aren't the scores reflecting the dominance from years past? It seems that there has been a major change here, and not for the positive (as far as scores go). Shawn