84BDsop Posted March 8, 2008 Share Posted March 8, 2008 Be patient...it'll come after I get home from work.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John M. Johnson Posted March 8, 2008 Share Posted March 8, 2008 ...waiting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted March 8, 2008 Author Share Posted March 8, 2008 (edited) Actually, things slowed down enough here at the office to get the info out. Some background: En Garde started out with a pretty good turnout at Open House, considering the weather conditions and the fact that the school forgot to open that gate that we'd marked for people to come in! The corps as a whole has remained a little small...typical for a first year group, especially in the Sr ranks where there are SO many fence-sitters out there who would rather join once the corps is established instead of helping to build it. After the DCI meeting in January, however, we received some news that put a little bit of a damper on things...recruiting concerns from DCI. DCI is, frankly, afraid of the Sr activity...they seem to feel that a new corps like En Garde will recruit people away from the local Jrs. Now that may be true to a SMALL extent, but with one exception, the kids marching En Garde can't afford the time or financial commitment of a corps like Impule, VK, PC, etc....we're the low-cost/low time alternative...so these kids are not in the DCI talent pool to begin with. Never mind, also, that there are 9 -- count 'em -- NINE drum corps in various stages of operation within a 60 mile radius (SoCal Dream and Kingsmen in the Sr ranks, En Garde, Impulse, Gold, Mystikal, VK, Incognito, and PC in the jrs), all competing for members...some of them are almost on top of each other. This is the most dense population of corps in the world....one small startup isn't going ot make much of a difference in recruiting, especially considering the population served by En Garde. DCI, however, doesn't see it that way, and there could have been repercussions against not only En Garde, but SoCal Dream and Renegades if we continued to actively recruit Jr aged kids. Those factors, along with others, caused the corps as a whole to decide at the last camp to drop the three Sr aged people from performer to staff (including myself, I might add). Thus, as of last weekend, En Garde is now an Open Class DCI jr corps. This way we don't rock the Sr boat (although it DOES take a corps out of the mix to get a DCA West region sanctioned....but Kingsmen Sr will fill that slot), and we can continue to operate...in fact, the day after we made the switch, one of the guys who got moved from contra to staff recruited 16 new people from the band program at Kennedy HS, where we rehearse. In addition, recruiting efforts were made at other schools. The age range will be a little young, but it will allow the corps to function. Eventually we could probably move BACK to the Sr ranks -- some of the kids were looking forward to performing with someone like me, with previous DCI experience -- but they understand the necessity. So....there we are. We are setting up a couple more brass practices to get the new guys on board musically....I will post details when we nail the date. Nothing else has changed...we still have the same fees and tour plans....so if you wanna check us out, drop me a line! Edited March 8, 2008 by 84BDsop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vagabond Skyliner Posted March 8, 2008 Share Posted March 8, 2008 (edited) [quote name='84BDsop' date='Mar 7 2008, 09:35 PM' "After the DCI meeting in January, however, we received some news that put a little bit of a damper on things...recruiting concerns from DCI." "Thus, as of last weekend, En Garde is now an Open Class DCI jr corps." "We are setting up a couple more brass practices to get the new guys on board musically....I will post details when we nail the date." ---------------------------------------------------------- Soooooooooooooooo. What's the deal? Gasparilla just did the same thing in Florida. If True. A pattern is forming. Is DCI got something on their mind about DCA? Maybe they (DCA) need to address this issue! As with Gasparilla of Tampa, FL. Need to move your Posts to the DCI Open Forum. Edited March 8, 2008 by LucysSkylinerAlumni Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCIHasBeen Posted March 8, 2008 Share Posted March 8, 2008 Sam: Regarding DCI's concerns: What a crock o' shiite. P.S.: You have a PM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocketman Posted March 8, 2008 Share Posted March 8, 2008 Slammy: Since when does DCI tell corps what they can or cannot be? SCREW 'EM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted March 8, 2008 Author Share Posted March 8, 2008 Soooooooooooooooo. What's the deal? Gasparilla just did the same thing in Florida. If True. A pattern is forming. Is DCI got something on their mind about DCA? Maybe they (DCA) need to address this issue! As with Gasparilla of Tampa, FL. Need to move your Posts to the DCI Open Forum. Well...obviously I don't know Gas' situation....I have not been keeping up on their status. Interestingly, both situations happened in areas not traditionally Sr corps areas.... don't know if this has been an issue in the Northeast. DCI has been slow to accept the Sr side of the activity, especially out West...took years for us to be taken as serious competing units instead of a bunch of old farts trying to relive their past glory. In SOME ways I understand it. Until Renegades started up there was no tradition of Sr corps out west -- unlike back east, where DCA predates DCI. The California Srs are outsiders to DCI, and it's taking a little longer than perhaps we'd ALL like for DCi to adjust it's thinking and realize that we're all out there for the same reason. Unfortunately, until DCA West crops up and is stable, DCI shows ARE the only game in town for the sr groups....so they kinda have us over a barrel in some regards. Now that En Garde has gone Jr we won't have the same worries, but I still support a sr corps' ability to recruit whoever it #### well feels like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted March 8, 2008 Author Share Posted March 8, 2008 Slammy:Since when does DCI tell corps what they can or cannot be? SCREW 'EM! Since DCI runs ALL the shows out in California that we wanted to do.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Another Sop Posted March 8, 2008 Share Posted March 8, 2008 DCI is, frankly, afraid of the Sr activity...they seem to feel that a new corps like En Garde will recruit people away from the local Jrs. Interesting they have issues with you doing this yet the Kingsmen A-A website states: Dear fans of Classic "Old School" Drum Corps, The Kingsmen Drum & Bugle Corps is now open to new members. We will be fielding a 128 member all-age corps in exhibition in 2008. Come and be part of it! --> We have openings in all sections: brass, percussion and guard --> Six weekend camps and one five day camp --> $400 membership fee/Camp fees TBD --> 128 member drill written by David Weinberg --> Traditional Kingsmen music book and style --> Open to all ages 14 and up --> Season from June 28 to July 5 --> Full Color Presentation with National Squad I guess they dont have problems with them doing it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted March 8, 2008 Author Share Posted March 8, 2008 Interesting they have issues with you doing this yet the Kingsmen A-A website states:I guess they dont have problems with them doing it? I don't know that Kingsmen are on the DCI radar yet....I don't think they sent a rep to the Orlando meetings, and if they didn't, they aren't getting into any shows...at least WE sent someone. They will have to go through the evaluation process just like any new corps does...and Kingsmen as a competing Sr corps is different than Kingsmen as an exhibition corps. So until AK is actually going to hit the field as a competitive unit, I don't think DCI is going to care about their recruiting int eh same way they did about ours... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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