How did Troop come back so strong?

[roosevelt]

I have been reading the posts on other corps about corps taking a year and coming back (like Southwind hopefully will) and I started thinking. What is the best way for a corps to do so and what steps should corps making a comeback take from now until 2009?

I was in amazment this past year when I saw The Troopers. I was not really a fan of them before. I thought their shows were not well designed and not very well executed. So, when they took a year off I fully expected them to be at about the same level they were before at best. To be honest I thought they would limp out on to the field and be pretty rough, culminating in them closing the doors for good. Boy I am glad I was wrong!

So, my question is how did they do it?

1. How did they get the financial things worked out?

2. How did they recruit so many members?

3. How did they end up performing at a higher level than the years immediately preceeding their hiatus?

[Crayola8]

I can respond to #2 and #3:

#2 - Troopers recruited members because they decided that they were going to recruit a lot of members. It was active recruiting that did not stop until after the Quarterfinals performance. Brass caption head Scott Atchison set out to march a full hornline and did not rest until it happened (and even afterwards, he was always on the lookout to fill potential holes). He sent thousands of emails, made tons of phone calls, and COMMUNICATED with auditionees. He tapped into various parts of the country, knowing that 64 solid horns were not going to come from Wyoming. Kids were actively recruited in Tennessee, Texas, Colorado, Las Vegas, and other areas. ACTIVE recruiting. Sending out posters doesn't cut it.

#3 - Once they had the kids, the staff took care of the rest. And not just the instructional staff. I would dare to say that the admin and design staff had more to do with the corps' success than the tech staff. The members were given a great product to perform that was appropriate for both the corps and the members. Most importantly, the members were taken care of. There was one minor bus hiccup all summer. The kids ate better than at the top 5 corps I marched with. And the veterans of the corps were SO strong in leadership roles. Having a corps with such a strong history went a long way in creating a family atmosphere where the kids were comfortable - and therefore more apt to good rehearsing and performing.

Obviously, it wasn't a perfect summer. I'm sure that the corps staff has numerous things that they're looking to improve for 2008. But it really was a model summer for putting a corps back on the field.

[lazarustoo]

"I was in amazment this past year when I saw The Troopers. I was not really a fan of them before. I thought their shows were not well designed and not very well executed."

Obviously you did not remember the Troopers of the 60s-70s or you would not have made such a statement. Sure, they had some rough years, try to name a corp that hasn't, but they also had an almost mythical quality and a fan base that would not let them die.

[TerriTroop]

As a Trooper alum, I'm thrilled about how 2007 turned out. I am by no means speaking in any official capacity. This is my take on the situation:

1. Finances: I don't know diddley there. I do know that I personally contributed more $$ to the corps than I had in previous years via simple fund raising techniques. (I mean REALLY simple - a jar in my house for collecting loose change got the corps $85 more bucks from me last year) I imagine there were a lot of donations from like-minded folk. Also, I have the impression that the BoD got the right constellation of people moving on straightening things out, pronto. Additionally, doing so while not trying to field a corps was a great help. Taking 2006 off saved the Troop from going to the great corps hall in the sky, IMO.

2. Recruitment: STAFF STAFF STAFF STAFF. They obviously had a great appeal to potential members. This has a lot to do with #3 below...

3. Performance: Again, staff and vision. While I have nothing but love for previous directors that followed Jim Jones, it was Fred Morris of this year that finally brought the REALLY BIG picture back to the Troop. And I'll have to add that having the exec director Jim Ottoes didn't hurt either. He's got a great head on his shoulders. On top of that, there were a lot of behind-the-scenes operational helpers that made themselves fully available to Jim and Fred (per conversations I had with Jim)

I do hope that the entire drum corps community will rally around Southwind like they rallied around the Troop. I think the support the corps received from around the entire nation had a lot to do with the success of 2007.

As a former staffer, I definitely agree with your evaluation of recent design and execution problems. Heck, the year I taught was pretty much a train wreck in both of those areas, truth be told. Not many folks will step up to admit that, but I think it has to be said if a corps is going to move away from slow death by poor design.

Anyway, I really hope Southwind comes back strong. They are a breath of fresh air on the field and I will miss them greatly this season. I've got my Southwind jar next to my Trooper jar. We'll see how much spare change I can wrestle out of my pockets this year!

[roosevelt]

"I was in amazment this past year when I saw The Troopers. I was not really a fan of them before. I thought their shows were not well designed and not very well executed."

Obviously you did not remember the Troopers of the 60s-70s or you would not have made such a statement. Sure, they had some rough years, try to name a corp that hasn't, but they also had an almost mythical quality and a fan base that would not let them die.

True. I dont remember the 60's, becuase I was born in the 70's. :P ...I am sure that they were great back then, but they were pretty rough before they took the year off though. Not just "a few years" of being rough....we are talking a decade where they were in trouble. For exanmple, I know they almost went under in the 90's.

How come they had hornlines in the 30's and then all the sudden they are at 64 like the big boys? That is probably the thing that baffled me the most. How did they get kids to come to a corps in a place as remote as Casper?

[TerriTroop]

How come they had hornlines in the 30's and then all the sudden they are at 64 like the big boys? That is probably the thing that baffled me the most. How did they get kids to come to a corps in a place as remote as Casper?

Well, as a couple of us have said it had to do with Scott Atchison and his extremely focused attention on communication and retention.

I have to say that rehearsing in Casper, especially when I returned after my rookie year, was kind of magical. Then again, I was always a big fan of western films so I love the expansive country around Casper blended with mountains and that small community feel. Also, the weather can't be beat, along with the sunsets. Ahhh.... I miss the sunset breaks we used to take at evening ensemble rehearsals.

[mellodcd]

How did they get kids to come to a corps in a place as remote as Casper?

Who doesn't want to see it snow in June!?!?!?!?!?

[A27Lancer]

Well, as a couple of us have said it had to do with Scott Atchison and his extremely focused attention on communication and retention.

I have to say that rehearsing in Casper, especially when I returned after my rookie year, was kind of magical. Then again, I was always a big fan of western films so I love the expansive country around Casper blended with mountains and that small community feel. Also, the weather can't be beat, along with the sunsets. Ahhh.... I miss the sunset breaks we used to take at evening ensemble rehearsals.

Wyoming is probably my favorite state for scenery, however what I saw of Casper did not fit the image I had in my head. (I guess I wanted to see cowboys and dance-hall girls in saloons and people riding horses through the streets). Blame it on the reverence I had for Troopers back in the sixties.

[Tom Brace]

The key for the Troopers will be if they have the resources to sustain things. Look at all th support that ran to Magic the first time they folded the tents. It was not sustained and Magic, sadly, left again. Most likely never to return.

So, how exactly is this situation different? I'm really interested to know.

Is their an organized alumni and fan database with annual donors to any degree?

Is their the beginnings of an endowment to sustain the corps?

Are the necessary sources of continual income in place to successfully budget and grow year to year?

I'm interested as well. The tough road to me, seems to occur after the first year back.

[TerriTroop]

So, how exactly is this situation different? I'm really interested to know.

Is their an organized alumni and fan database with annual donors to any degree?

Is their the beginnings of an endowment to sustain the corps?

Are the necessary sources of continual income in place to successfully budget and grow year to year?

I'm interested as well. The tough road to me, seems to occur after the first year back.

I can't answer any of those questions, but maybe I'll do some detective work and see what I can find out.

And I'm waiting on pins and needles for an announcement that needs to come really, really soon or my head's going to explode. I don't know any details. All I know is that it's supposedly good news. (pesky BoD friend won't give me the inside scoop! Smart guy, he is. :P )