Did They March?

[sopchick_01]

Move in to finals.

period

Well, see..here I disagree. I talked to one of my friends who marches a div 1 during prelims and she told me that someone quit the day before they went on. Now everyone doesn't count that person as marching that year. So yeah, I don't agree.

[DarrenE]

Move in to finals.

period

My problem with that is that it really belittles the contribution of somebody who fills a hole in June. Somebody who marched every single show of the season isn't considered a member?

Are they also treated as outcasts and not talked to all season because they are scabs of some sort? This doesn't sound like a fun group of people to spend any time with IMO. :(

[crh5]

Move in to finals.

period

Wow. That's tough. So the guy who tears an ACL between quarters and finals isn't a real member? Or the guy who replaces the guy who tears the ACL? I know we could come up with "what about the guy who..." scenarios all night which I think points to the fact that there probably isn't one *right answer. It is entirely subjective based on one's personal experiences. I would guess that those who have marched what they consider to be an entire season are a little more black and white about it than those who have not, and I think that's fair.

[Jared_mello]

nope.

[festive]

Hmmm.

I value everyone I ever marched with, including people who didn't march the whole season. I consider them my brothers and sisters in drum corps. And I begin to wonder about the humanity of the activity that would approach people in a way that differs from that. I do understand the "member" thing...but applying this "move in to finals" thing leaves so many of us out. And that just seems, um, rude. Maybe arrogant. Maybe wrong? I dunno. I do think it devalues the contributions of a bunch of fine people to this great sport/art of ours, and I don't much care for that, for what it's worth. of course, it's my opinion, and we'll leave it at that, with others free to disagree as always.

But you know what? This might be OT but I don't feel like opening a thread. If some mod wants me to, then they can smite me for it.

I was thinking about how Regiment really needed its alumni a couple years back (like 98 and 99). I remember quite a few of us were around through it all and those people are always going to be around, regardless, because they love the corps and what it stands for. But you know who else was around? All these other great people who never marched. And more recently, there are some great (truly wonderful) people around Regiment who love corps like it is their own. And they never marched a day with a chevron on their sleeve. Yet, they treat the corps better than some alumni, in terms of supporting it. So, I guess my point is, yes, you are a member, and you've got that forever, when you've marched (let's say it's move in to finals...whatever the definition is). But then, you have no obligation anymore, right? These other people feel obligation to something they were never officially part of, though, as far as marching.

They are officially a part of it, of course. There's the performance thing and then there's the harsh reality of a nonprofit youth activity in a cold, unforgiving world. When I see people who support Regiment I welcome them, as an alum, as part of my phamily. Much the same way as I would someone who marched with me or with the corps some other year.

And I don't need the corps to make a rule for that. Because the rule is this (I just made it up): if they take care of your corps, you take care of them. If they love your corps that much, then they belong. Get a bigger tent, as they say.

What's wrong with letting people belong? Absolutely nothing. Regiment loves its supporters...I'm well aware of that. And we're all getting older every year, us "members." And some of us members don't even support the corps or check in anymore. And that's terribly sad. I wish they'd see how much they could help these kids who are in the corps now.

It's not something you can buy. It's something you can have. Corps can and should be a welcoming thing.

Another example...I wandered into the BD tent at finals, and was welcomed with open arms as a supporter. Felt like I was "part of the corps." All I do is send a check every year, but wow...that made me feel great. Maybe I imagined it, but BD became a happy family and I was part of it. I won't ever forget that.

Thanks for indulging my off topic... gahhh....

Edited August 21, 2007 by festive

[raphael18]

There are much longer answers to this question, but a few general thoughts.

If you never marched in uniform in a show, then no, you did not march the corps. You need to at least put on the uniform, and do at least one show.

If you march a show, then yes - you technically did march the corps in the specified year. However, it seems unethical and just plain wrong, to claim without further qualification that you marched that year. Saying that you marched a year implies that you marched the entire season.

Therefore, do at least one show before you say you marched somewhere, and have the self-respect to admit that you didn't march the entire season for whatever reason. There are a multitude of reasons to not march a full season, some better than others, but "stuff" happens.

Edited August 21, 2007 by raphael18

[CVQuesty]

Well, I think a common thread I'm seeing here is just to be honest. If you marched a show, SURE you marched with corps X. If you never marched a show, say so. If you marched one show, say so. If you were injured midway, just say so.

There's no dishonor in it, in fact the fact you made the cut and (in some cases) through move in and alldays, you were in that corps. Just be perfectly honest as to the nature and duration of your involvment, and I think it's all good. Just don't claim something you didn't do.

[kac]

You certainly did march, and marched one of the greatest shows of all time, and you helped Crossmen earn a finalist position, therefore your efforts didnt go unrewarded and your efforts were indeed 100% legitimate and you made the vids/dvd's !! LOL..oh, and you beat the Blue Devils in Allentown and won DCE championships.

You know how much I love this show !!

~G~

G, thanks! Yup, I know how much you love that show. :)

And that's why it is not black & white about the answer to "did they march?". Yet someone who wants to define it as from "move-in to finals" would say that NO, I didn't march 91- which to me makes no sense since I was there and did do all of the things that you posted above.

So with that definition, I didn't march in 91 because I missed the first week of tour and didn't do death camp ....... yet somehow while I was spending my summer "not marching" in '91 I was on the field and beat BD in Allentown, won DCE championships, made the video, and have a medal to prove that I was there. I can't see how anyone can look me in the eye and tell me that I was any less of a member from that season because I didn't do the full summer.

I agree with CV- just be honest about it, and if you are going to make claims of marching, then you had better be in accordance with your alumni assn's guidelines or have proof to back it up.

[StuStu]

I, unfortunately, have some first-hand experience to add to this one.

In 1988 I suffered a ruptued disc in my back while at Ramapo College in pre-season rehearsals with Garfield. I went home for a couple of weeks, then lied to my doctor about how I was feeling so I could go back on tour.

After about 10 days, though, I realized I wasn't doing myself or the corps any good, so I pulled out without having marched a single show.

At the end of the season, I sent George Hopkins a letter asking that I be allowed to age out. I didn't want a patch or a medal, but I did want to be considered having done all I could to march while I was still of age to do so.

In no time at all, I got a return note from George that happily included me in that year's age-outs, and at the banquet I was pleased and honored to join my friends in becoming an alum.

So, in my case, I didn't actually march in '88, but I did age out that year.

In my opinion, if you did all you physically could, then you can claim you were a part of the corps. I didn't feel as though I could wear a finalist patch on my jacket, but if someone else made that decision I wouldn't fault them for it.

[Supersonic]

Yeah, I always kind of wonder this about one of my best friends. One of my best friends marched several years ago until he went home one of the last days of June because his family was declaring bankrupcy. They said he could go home for a few weeks and return if he wanted, but he declined. However, he said he declined because he hated it there, not because he felt like he needed to stay with his family.

Callous as it may sound, I don't really consider him to have marched, though he does. Just because he has a corps jacket, doesn't mean he really got everything out of it that he would have had he got a more full experience. Many of the "life-lesson" type realizations I got out of drum corps, I learned in mid-July. MOST of my friendships that I made really started taking off in July. Much of my physical abilities in terms of playing the show developed in July. Maybe I'm slow, but if I had left on the same day of my season that he had left during his season, I wouldn't have even gotten 1/10th as much out of the season as I did from marching the whole thing. As bad as I feel about his family's situation at the time, if he didn't feel like he actually needed to stay home and was staying because he didn't like corps, then... I have to not really consider him to have marched.

Edited August 22, 2007 by Supersonic