Drum Corps and Religion

[HockeyDad]

Thanks to all that added a comment. I think you all helped to answer my question!

And good luck to you. We Catholics need you!!!!

As an aside - this topic hits REAL close to home. My daughter was in the process of auditioning for and making a corps a year ago, and at the same time, my wife was discussing with our parish priest what his thoughts were concerning the lack of opportunity she would have to attend weekly Mass. That's about all I want to say about it, but, there is a real intersecting of drum corps and religion with some of us, anyway, I guess..

[troon8]

If you're curious what religious persepctive this post is coming from, I refer you to my avatar...and as such, keep in mind that a large part of being in a minority religion is learning to deal with those that profess to know what's best for your soul without knowing a darn thing about you because their spiritual outlook is obviously right and yours is obviously wrong simply because of how they decided to interpret their own holy text.

Anyway, on to drum corps...I would not be 100% opposed to the idea of a corps having a chaplain. More positive then negative things could certainly come out of it. But if (hypothetically,) it was a child of mine auditioning, I would be extremely hesistant to support them joining a corps with one. It would take a healthy dialogue between myself and this chaplain before I would be convinced that they were with the corps in a tolerant spiritual, emotional, & mental support role (with being involved as much or as little with individuals as individuals wanted,) as opposed to an overt preaching, conversion, and as someone else put it, "encourage more prayer, get closer to Jesus etc." role. But after talking with this person and I was satisfied that they'd be more of the former then the latter, I'd be open to it.

To put it briefly...

Corps members decide on their own to form a Bible study group? Great!

A section decides on their own to pray before competition? More power to 'em.

Marchers talk about religion on the bus into the wee hours of the night? Fantastic.

A member is having a tough time and confides in a staff member or volunteer for spiritual guidance? Certainly healthy.

Someone wants to attend a religious service so staff does what they can to allow them? That's cool. (Assuming of course, they'd be willing to help them attend regardless of WHICH religion they adhered to.)

It's when the staff of a corps makes a deliberate and concious decision to place a staff member in a position of authority that you reach a potentially slippery slope between spiritual support as needed and for lack of a better term, preaching. But I know there are plenty of mature and tolerant leaders of faith out there who are of sound enough mind & soul that they wouldn't fall down said slope and try to drag others with them, and these are the kind of pastors, ministers, priests, etc, who would benefit a drum corps with diverse beleifs (including none at all) the most.

P.S. I have always been a little curious about Pioneer. But I think that the post on p. 2 & 4 by Bobby R. Lindsey, former director of Pionner (nemesiscorps) speaks volumes about the integrity and reasoning of their tradition in attending church, and has me satisfied enough that the corps staff is intelligent and respectful enough when it comes to marchers of diverse faiths. In other words, I would be comfortable with my as-yet-to-be-born Jewish child being in their corps.

Edited July 16, 2008 by troon8

[bedford]

...... if it was a child of mine auditioning, I would be extremely hesistant to support them joining a corps with one. It would take a healthy dialogue between myself and this chaplain before I would be convinced that they were with the corps in a tolerant spiritual, emotional, & mental support role.

Good parenting choice for anyone!

But I think that the post on p. 2 & 4 by Bobby R. Lindsey, former director of Pionner (nemesiscorps) speaks volumes about the integrity and reasoning of their tradition in attending church, and has me satisfied enough that the corps staff is intelligent and respectful enough when it comes to marchers of diverse faiths. In other words, I would be comfortable with my as-yet-to-be-born Jewish child being in their corps.

Not the best response after stating the above. Relying on a post is a little too far from the "due diligence" you stated earlier.

Excellent points BTW. More parents (or would be parents) need to take an active approach........regardless of their faith.

edit - Hey Troon - the formatting of that reply didn't come out the way I wanted it. Please read carefully!

Edited July 16, 2008 by bedford

[troon8]

Not the best response after stating the above. Relying on a post is a little too far from the "due diligence" you stated earlier.

Excellent points BTW. More parents (or would be parents) need to take an active approach........regardless of their faith.

edit - Hey Troon - the formatting of that reply didn't come out the way I wanted it. Please read carefully!

(Now you've just got me confused...actually, I do think I see how you meant to format it.)

You make a fair enough point, I suppose I'd want to meet some of the Pioneer staff and talk to them about their tradition first hand.

[bedford]

(Now you've just got me confused...actually, I do think I see how you meant to format it.)

You make a fair enough point, I suppose I'd want to meet some of the Pioneer staff and talk to them about their tradition first hand.

You got it!!!!!

I gotta figure out some of this formating stuff

[Fleur-di-lis]

On this subject...I've always wanted to see a show involving the power/wrath of God.

I'm not a show designer, but I think this could be a winner. O Fortuna from Carmina Burana would be the perfect close.

Anyway, my fandom doesn't get in the way of my faith.

Amen to that brother! I've always thought the same thing!!

[Brassop]

I think there was a thread about Pioneer attending church as a group while on tour.

Roman Blenski still requires every kid to attend church on Sunday during tours or weekends together. You have your pick of Catholic or Lutheran. Atheist, agnostic, buddist or whatever, you still are going to either the Lutheran service or the Catholic Mass ... or it's the highway. Same deal as when I marched in Pioneer 30 years ago.

[bedford]

Roman Blenski still requires every kid to attend church on Sunday during tours or weekends together. You have your pick of Catholic or Lutheran. Atheist, agnostic, buddist or whatever, you still are going to either the Lutheran service or the Catholic Mass ... or it's the highway. Same deal as when I marched in Pioneer 30 years ago.

Catholic or Catholic Lite........................ "fairly" universal?

[drumaw]

My faith in Christ was quite often the subject of conversation with several of my neighboring bus seat pals. They loved to "test" me on different things, to see if I would "give in". I had lots of opportunites to share the Gospel and unfortunately, lots of opportunities to sin. I learned a lot about myself from corps... about how vital my faith was to me, about how weak my flesh is apart from the power of the Holy Spirit... and how it is possible, never perfectly... but striving to be like Christ, to live a life for Him in drum corps.

Very nicely put, and I applaud you for your strong faith. My kid was certainly given the background, and usually takes a new testament along, but I don't think too many of the new things he learned in drum corps had much to do with church

[Taylor]

Roman Blenski still requires every kid to attend church on Sunday during tours or weekends together. You have your pick of Catholic or Lutheran. Atheist, agnostic, buddist or whatever, you still are going to either the Lutheran service or the Catholic Mass ... or it's the highway. Same deal as when I marched in Pioneer 30 years ago.

That's cool that that's their thing; I like Pioneer a lot. However, that would be a deal-breaker for me if I were younger again and thinking of marching Pioneer.