No housing in San Diego

[perc2100]

Perfect example of my point. Thanks.

Michigan City, IN - population 32,900. Atendence, in excess of 3,000.

San Diego, CA - population 2.8 million. Attendence, approx 400.

Again, not disputing the promtion aspect, which I agree if critical. Just observing the lack of butts in the seats from a highly populated state with a lot of drum corps folks begging for late season shows and not attending them once they have them.

This is a ridiculous arguments I've read on here. Just out of curiosity, do you live in San Diego? Have you gone to a large number of shows in San Diego over the years? I have, and I can tell you that everyone one (but this season's, apparently) is well attended, close to selling out (if not selling out), and a pretty big success. I've been teaching in the district that Mt. Carmel belongs to now for over six years, and I can tell you that the lack of promotion this year compared to in the past is astounding. Usually there have been many fliers sent out to hang up, at times a corps rep. would come and hype the show to students, and there has even been a percussion clinic the day of the show to 'drum up' attention for the show (I know: a horrible pun). This year, there was nothing. Knowing what the construction situation has been like at the Mt. Carmel for the past few years (especially right now: it really does look like a mess, not unlike my high school), I have no doubt that several people probably saw what the campus looks like and assumed that there was no show there after all (not a horrible assumption give the lack of promotion). I didn't go for the first time in awhile due to the construction nightmare. I thought about it, and almost went at the last minute, but I wasn't in the mood to deal with the lack-of-parking lot issue (with the marching band season starting up in the near future, I get enough of that stuff all fall at band shows).

But to make the statement that because this one show was ill attended, obviously San Diego fans to appreciate drum corps and finals in Cali is a mistake is just asinine. When I lived in the mid-west, I attended plenty of shows that were not well attended (or well organized, for that matter), so I guess mid-westerners don't support drum corps either.

[ScribeToo]

i'm not painting the whole california finals with a big brush here because of san diego. merely suggesting that when things like this happen it brings out questions of policies and procedures.

one show is a failure because of poor promotion? it doesn't happen all the time, but is it okay for it to happen at all? what can be done to prevent this?

housing issues happen all the time? does that mean we shouldn't take a look at making sure that it doesn't happen?

you make it seem like it was okay because all this just happened this one time. i say what can be done to make sure it doesn't EVER happen. don't settle for these things happening "just a couple times here and there" instead move the line of thinking towards eliminating them completely.

Let me set the record straight.

It is NOT okay for it to happen but to take that paintbrush, even if it isn't as wide as the whole canvas, as wide as it is, and try to use this one show in a city that's been struggling to re-establish it's connection to drum corps for well over 15 years as the example of the sky falling is invalid.

As ONE of the examples, yes.. but include examples like the Racine show a few years back where corps didn't know where they were staying until they pulled into the show parking lot.. among numerous others.. and do your best not to use it as an example of DCI "failing" it's corps.

DCI did it's job. They established a contract in good faith. They said in the contract, "Show Sponsor must do this:" and listed the things the show sponsor was responsible for. They also said in the contract, "DCI must do this:" and listed the things DCI would provide and be responsible for. When both parties signed that contract, in good faith, they did their job.

How they respond to the breaking of that good faith agreement is another part of this equation but quite honestly, that is between the contracted parties and it will likely NEVER (and SHOULD never) be publicized.

IF a San Diego show happens next year, it will be a contract between THAT show promoter and DCI, IN GOOD FAITH.

The existing process works well about 90 - 95% of the time. It's within the remaining approximate percentage that the problems like we are hearing about in San Diego this year occur.

That DOES NOT automatically mean the whole system is broke. What it means is the ratio of good:bad is pretty heavily leaning towards good.

It doesn't excuse the bad but that's not OUR business. DCI had a contract signed by sponsors to protect their interests. What happened, happened and the corps have all moved on and are taking their next day as it comes. After the season, I imagine conversations and words will be exchanged about this BETWEEN THE CONTRACTED PARTIES.

I refuse to agree with you that the process needs fixing. It DOES work when both parties act in good faith. You can't make the system responsible to catch the errors of those who enter into an agreement falsely and without good faith. That will "break" the system for the rest of those for whom it does work.

Stef

Edited August 7, 2007 by ScribeToo

[dsaeger]

OMG thank you for coming in here talking sense!

And for the record, memories seemed to have cooled by the time we had to house corps for our first outing with the SD show.. after that show, we did have some issues, though -- sadly, it was the school where we had housed that same orange county corps :( ..

Stef

What corps stayed at what schools? Someone should record that for future reference.

Why does the wheel have to be re-invented for every show, every city, every organization? I know that it's not, really, as DCI has a pretty decent start-up package but it just seems that a lot of the details are left up to whom ever's lap it ends up in. It seems to me that there is quite a bit of successful information that can be shared.

Dan

[Captncontra]

Lets not forget that this show was 'hosted' by Esperanza, a corps that folded and currently consists of 3 board members; 0 staff, 0 students, 0 boosters. I'm willing to bet that this was 99% of the problem.

[crfrey71]

Yes, I went to that show last year. Everything seemed fine. There was a big crowd. What happened this year?

Also remember, this show has always been a part of the Western Corps Connection weekend of shows, all the years prior to this year (San Diego, Riverside, and Walnut). All 3 shows always had great attendance with usually only regional corps attending the shows, and they are early in the year. With those 3 shows, a corps could possibly stay at one housing site for the entire weekend.

This year, it was not a part of the Western Corps Connection. The Riverside and Walnut shows were in their typical weekend, late June, timeframe. The San Diego show was split up and was scheduled this year for a Sunday night, last show, before Finals. Only one California corps performing (PC). When you have something that was always promoted like it has been and usually happens the same exact time of year, every year, with the usual corps, things really need to be followed through. If you have a change of normalcy and you don't have any promotion, what can you expect?

The fact that this show went on and was not canceled shows true drum corps passion in San Diego.

[oldsoprano]

LOTS OF TOUR EVENTS have housing problems EXACTLY LIKE THIS ONE.. the only difference is they happened in the east or the midwest and didn't get the kind of coverage San Diego did because it happened the week of DCI in California for the first time ever.

Stef

Actually, no they don't. Some shows do have housing problems - and they get worse every year - but the problems aren't EXACTLY LIKE THIS ONE.

The difference is, while a show might have had difficulty finding housing for corps until the last minute, they were always good about staying in touch and updating the corps on the progress being made or not made on housing.

I've been playing the part of "tour coordinator" for Spirit for about 25 years, and have NEVER encountered a situation like the one in San Diego this year, where you could reach NO ONE involved in running the show, and no one would return e-mails or phone calls.

Even finals week in College Park, Md., when Spirit didn't find out their housing site until about an hour after their quarterfinals performance, wasn't as bad as this. At least that year, DCI's housing guy was in constant contact with us.

But no, the whole San Diego mess should not be in indictment of California shows in general; it was indeed an exception to the rule, I'm sure.

Edited August 8, 2007 by oldsoprano

[ScribeToo]

But no, the whole San Diego mess should not be in indictment of California shows in general; it was indeed an exception to the rule, I'm sure.

That's the point I've been trying to make. Thanks.

Stef

[JARS]

I was a member of Esperanza the last three years and I can probably tell you this was more of Esperanza's fualt for letting down dci and not being there to host a show even after our lame director who likes to blame his fualts at everyone else didnt do anything to let dci prepare to host a show in San Diego.

This is mainly the Directors fualt of Esperanza! He just was a huge coward and left the organization. The with short notice I believe Pacific Crest was trying to do everything they can do to prepare for the show and host it. And it was true that Mt. Carmel High school didn't get much information about housing and advertising the show.

I am truelly sorry for those who suffered even after all their hard work and commitment!

Luv ya all who are involved and fans of DCI!

You know, its interesting to note how quick people are to negatively judge an organization as well as an individual when they are not standing face to face.

Coward? I don't think so. I'd like to see you try to start a division I drum corps from scratch. Its not easy work, Bingo.

Was it his fault that you had the opportunity to march for three years without having to really leave San Diego County? Was it his fault that you MORE to eat than just PB and J on tour? Was it his fault that we had a truck so you didn't have to ride the bus with your baritone on your lap? Was winning div II in 2003 really his fault? WAS PROVIDING A 10 YEAR OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUTH IN SAN DIEGO TO PARTICIPATE IN WINTERGUARD AND DRUM CORPS REALLY HIS FAULT? Just remember, Alan Cox provided that opportunity for YOU.

Its unfortunate that there are so many people out there have not heard of Gestalt. Esperanza was not the place to "prove" that an individual corps member (or staff member, for that matter) was more special than corps as a whole, so if anyone feels that they were mislead or personally attacked by Alan the individual its probably because they were expecting to get a "special" or "exception to the rule" tag. Get over it... the real world doesn't hand out kudos because your parents told you that you're special.

Would anyone really blame Alan for not returning phonecalls and emails after the feces spread widely across the internet following the announcement of Esperanza not fielding a corps? Would YOU want to return phonecalls after people have left you voicemails telling you that you are lower than dirt?

In regards to the housing situation, there are alot of things that people speculate that really they know nothing about. Unless you are a DCI official or band director in the San Diego/ PUSD area, I highly doubt than anyone here has any clue as to the specific politics surrounding the reasons that things happened the way they did. So stop placing blame where you THINK it should go. I feel sympathy towards the corps left without housing (I've experienced that), however as stated by many others this is not the first time in DCI history that this has happened. And, in fact, San Diego is a particularly difficult place to get housing anyway.

To sum it up, just because it seems fun to kick a man when he's down doesn't mean that its right.

Edited August 8, 2007 by JARS

[ScribeToo]

To sum it up, just because it seems fun to kick a man when he's down doesn't mean that its right or that you even should.

I tend to agree with the overall point you're making here.. but there's also something to be said for behaving professionally (even when you're getting phone calls saying you're lower than dirt and feeling pretty bad) and returning phone calls asking for information. Not all the calls he got could have possibly been 100% negative.. and many calls and emails appear to have been unreturned/unresponded to.

Alan is a man with big vision, there's no doubt. He gave a lot of local kids an opportunity they wouldn't have otherwise had.. that cannot be denied.. but he should also accept responsibility for errors he made, as well.

No situation is 100% the fault of one person/organization.. but taking responsibility/heat for errors goes hand in hand with taking acclaim/kudos for doing things right.

Stef

[rkmusic]

Just my 2 cents...

It seems that the Esperanza organization knew months before the show that their director had left and that there would only be 3 board members left. If those 3 board members felt that they could not put on the show, why didn't they call DCI and say that either someone else would need to take over hosting or just cancel the show. I'm sure people would have been disappointed, but not returning calls or just not doing the job was not the best tactic to take. I'm sure people would have understood cancelling the show which was being hosted by a non-existent organization. All it would have taken is a phone call. And if that call was made early enough, maybe PC or some other organization could have taken it over and ran it more smoothly.