BigDale Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 good point,but I think a real potential member would join regardless. Although I did join because it was alumni and they took friendly, experienced, non-ringbearers like myself! As a kid starting out in a baton corps on drums from the green fields of NW Ohio, it is fullfilling a dream to wear that coat and hat and get called to attention by Jim. Every little kid dreamt of finally making that big corps, which I did, but not in the way perhaps that I had planned. Alumni corps allowed me to reach the stars. Actually, thanks to Jerome and Jim, I was able to take my second trophy in drum corps earlier this season! and without ticking Jimmy Russo off!!! Hmmm...back and strength returning (was almost totally wheelchair bound 3 years ago--could barely walk from car into classroom and had to sit most of the time), weight...sort of coming down, attitude....well I can only improve one thing at a time... Alumni corps has sort of saved me too! Besides, I look good in that uniform! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROSSMENCORPS30 Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 Although I did join because it was alumni and they took friendly, experienced, non-ringbearers like myself! As a kid starting out in a baton corps on drums from the green fields of NW Ohio, it is fullfilling a dream to wear that coat and hat and get called to attention by Jim. Every little kid dreamt of finally making that big corps, which I did, but not in the way perhaps that I had planned. Alumni corps allowed me to reach the stars.Actually, thanks to Jerome and Jim, I was able to take my second trophy in drum corps earlier this season! and without ticking Jimmy Russo off!!! Hmmm...back and strength returning (was almost totally wheelchair bound 3 years ago--could barely walk from car into classroom and had to sit most of the time), weight...sort of coming down, attitude....well I can only improve one thing at a time... Alumni corps has sort of saved me too! Besides, I look good in that uniform! You sure do Big Daddy!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROSSMENCORPS30 Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 Another attempt at keeping things light... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeromeyBush Posted June 3, 2008 Share Posted June 3, 2008 Another attempt at keeping things light... MAKE OUT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 (edited) good point,but I think a real potential member would join regardless. Even if they thought a non-Alumni joining an Alumni corps was breaking the rules? (That's the folks I was thinking about when I posted.) Dang, I'm gonna call MIT and ask if I can become an Alumnus as that will look good on my retirement paperwork. Now what state is MIT in? Seriously, when you're connected to a "less than world famous" corps part of your recruiting is targeted to people who know very little or nothing about drum corps. And they would not know that "Alumni" corps allow non-Alumnis to join (with few exceptions). But they do know what the word Alumni usually means. So someone like that hears the corps, might be interested in finding out more but then hears the dreaded "Alumni" term. They might believe you have to have a previous connection to "something" to be able to join. Judging by some of the comments caught on the parade route, some people think we all graduated from the same school and formed a band to do parades on Holidays. This year the corps was shown for a few seconds on the local news during coverage of York, PAs St Patricks Day parade. Weird part was the commentator was saying ".. groups included the York High School Alumni Band..." while we on. No mention of the Lancers D&BC so either we were missed or the TV people thought we were the York HS Alumni Band (not sure if that groups even exists). Sure bunch of people at the parade were saying "Oh that loud group in green was a bunch of HS band Alumni". Seeing how York is near Hanover the parade/concert is a recruiting tool, coverage like that we could do without. Edited June 4, 2008 by JimF-3rdBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaminbenb Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I'm just tweaked that WSM are one weekend wonders...I'd love to do the occasional thing, but Lancers are too far to drive, Bucs alumni is the same... I know Jeff...no one would show up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I didn't know that.We just say, "Oh you guys, again" I get what you're saying. I think most people know your gig by now and accept it as such. Once and done for the year. That's cool, but not really what I mean here. I'm talking about how it affects those corps that are trying to maintain the present and build for the future. here's one thing to keep in mind, and it may or may not help your argument. a lot of the "alumni" corps today are from corps no longer competing, and many of them go back decades since they last got a score. as such, many of those alumni are too old to do it, too far away, etc. in time, based on how it seems you want a "true alumni" corps to be labeled, it will be a very small handful of corps that can do it your way. and, even when you look at like Cabs or Bucs....their alumni corps have people that never marched the field corps. So what should they do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Ok, my apologies. You obviously read the post, but not my intention - that's my fault for not being able to articulate it clearly enough.It may be "splitting hairs" and irrelevant to those in the participating organizations, but that's not what I'm trying to discuss. Why, in god's name would I want to denegrate or question the reputation, membership, or existence of any corps? I get your point about the membership of Bridgemen being a variety of alumni/non alumni/ and new to DC people. I think that's cool. However, outside of our genre of drum corps, "alumni corps", carries a stigma, to many, of being a bunch of has beens reliving past glories and I don't think that's the case whether a corps plays previous corps' standards or new charts. If that perpetuates, then finding future members could become a problem. There are various organizations that are not alumni corps and never have been that are lumped in with alumni corps because they do not compete on the field. etc, etc. Does being associated with alumni corps affect them? I fully realize that some corps have open membership and some would rather limit it to former members. That's OK, too. I know within our own group of current members, we don't care about such distinctions. So, what's in a name, you ask? The question predates, "Romeo and Juliet". Unfortunately, other people's perceptions define/redefine what's in the name. Sometimes it doesn't matter, sometimes it does. When it does matter is it worth addressing the issue? Someday, we will all be too old to march and if the "alumni" label hurts recruitment of new members and we want the organizations to survive, is it worth figuring out another name for our type of groups in order to facilitate the continuance after originators of the group are gone? In other words, sometimes the argument over whether music stands should be used on stage gets pretty heated. At our current rate it won't be long til the argument over stands on stage turns into an argument over walkers/wheelchairs onstage. (I'm OK with them, BTW) no offense, but alumni anything has the tag of has beens reliving their glory to the younger set in any activity. and, if there is one thing I can give DCI kudos for, it's been their usage of alumni corps as a big part of finals week.....Kilties, 27, Royal Airs, Cabs, SCV, Madison and now Cavies. they market it well, and they definitely, at least publically, denigrate those corps for being has beens. and, if you look around, a lot of alumni corps are getting younger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 Just gotta tell ya (without any malice) . . .My final year competing with the Buccaneers was 1971. There was some sort of political upheaval following that season, many folks decided not to return, for a variety of reasons. My reason was college, marriage, and a soon to follow teaching career. At the time, and probably since the early 60's, a group known as the Old Bucs was functional. They had specific attire, regular meetings, and appeared in parades, although not with brass and percussion. Some of those guys are still around. My contemporaries still wanted to meet with each other, although not do the more demanding competitive thing. We met with the Old Bucs at their West Reading hideout, decided we wanted to do something more in support of our corps. We agreed to get together and called ourselves the Reading Sportsmen's Club. In reality, we didn't do much of anything except see each other at shows, etc. In 1981, those same people came together and created The Buccaneer Alumni Association. The Old Bucs were still active, so we knew we couldn't call ourselves that. We choose to use the term "alumni." That was 1981. Don't know why that term was selected, could have been from another drum corps group with similar purpose, but I can assure you, our group started its "alumni" ID in 1981. I'm thinking, maybe, the Caballeros Alumni had an earlier start than this. Anyone know? I know in the early 80's Westshore had an alumni association, but no design on being a corps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted June 4, 2008 Share Posted June 4, 2008 I'm just tweaked that WSM are one weekend wonders...I'd love to do the occasional thing, but Lancers are too far to drive, Bucs alumni is the same...I know Jeff...no one would show up! well you would Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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