In light of the retreat discussion

[byline]

I shoulda known if i posted somthing people were gonna bash it anywho oh well.

No bashing here, just a question: Have you happened to utter the phrase, "OMG we crossed a yard line at a marching band competition," in front of any of your alumni? If so, I would be interested in their reaction.

[StuStu]

The fact that Green Trumpetier refers to DCI finals as a "marching band competition" speaks volumes to me.

[Leland]

I think the majority...by a lot..of the posts in the thread revolve around three things...

1) Goofing around in the ATB performance...is that ever acceptable

2) Alleged drunken corps members...is that ever acceptable

3) The Cavie member encroaching on the Cadet's block...complete with photograqphic evidence of Hoppy standing over the guy....is movig into another corps space ever acceptable?

Outside of those things, I have not read too many posts about the idividuality exhibited by various corps. Just think how many less posts there would have been if the Cavie member had fallen within the Cavie block.

1) Nope. I'd say to get rid of it since the members that make up the face of DCI can't handle it. It worked in DCM in '94, and sounded great in '95-96, but then people stopped caring enough to get it right. The corps killed it, so let it be dead.

2) Nope. Slogging around in a drunken stupor is the depths of immaturity, let alone pushing members of other corps. While waiting in the tunnel for retreat back in '91, some of Northern Aurora's members were making cracks at the Ventures and their perceived sexual preferences; one of my guys only had to give them a dirty look, and they shut their mouths. While marching into that same retreat, one of SCV Cadets' bass drummers started accidentally encroaching into our file, then caught himself, said, "Sorry..", and got himself straightened out.

3) Nope. If this were another era, that Cavies kid would've lost some teeth. You just don't cross that line. A friend of mine yelled at East Coast Jazz at II/III finals in '99 when they were toeing the line to their right, "East Coast Jazz, GET OFF THE LINE!!" Even though we were far up in the stands, the kids listened and scooted a few inches off.

Apologies to the Cavalier member's mom who posted way back in this thread, but this "kids blowing off steam" nonsense IS nonsense. Marching members of past years were never any older than the kids now.

The maturity level, however, is really lacking. I'm happy that at least a few corps have retained some sense of decorum. I'm sad that it's only down to a few.

[CuriousMe]

Dave no your not that old your only 25 or so. I myself am 21 and though you have been around the activity a little longer than I have I started my DCI experiance in 2003 and have gained respect for all of the orginizations. Ive marched with the small corps such as Revolution from san antonio tx to the middle groups or low end of the div1 such as magic and finished with a very good organization ageing out in The Cavaliers. Im sure we would even invite people over into our blcok and heck we would give em jolly ranchers. It just seems that an activity with so much value for the members and such good experiances its kind of childish in its own sense to sit there and recap the whole season to hey look a cavalier crassed a yard line. Theres so much more worth while things to be talking about, and bashing corps and people is also childish.

I'm really glad that you enjoyed your summer and that your Ageout year was such a success. (no sarcasm here, I mean this).

I think the point folks are trying to make though is that respect is more than respecting what you think other people should find offensive....it's about respecting what you know someone else will find offensive, whether you find it offensive or not.

Bad language could be an analogy here. I grew up in New York, and I gotta say, my language was not appropriate for church ;) later in my life I moved to a small town in SW Georgia. Nobody cussed there (something I found out...the hard way.... once I arrived). I could have approached this in two different ways...I could have said, " well these folks are getting bent out of shape about nothing...my cussing doesn't make me less intelligent or mature," or I could have said, "well, these folks are very offended by bad language, I should probably work to change my speech patterns a bit." You seem to be saying the first option about retreat, while others were hoping for the second.

I've marched in corps that have very different ideas about retreat behavior....but no matter the corps I was in, we knew who took retreat seriously. Folks are upset because: 1) It didn't appear that at least one of the Caveliers respected the Cadet's right to maintain their traditions and 2) once that happened, instead of saying "our bad, sorry for that" we hear..."get over it, it's just marching band on grass."

I wish you the best in your future.

[louderisbetter]

Indeed--this isn't the behavior of young people "just having fun", or we would have seen it at every retreat ever held. It is the ripening product of a society that pushes "fun", "good times", and "good feelings" over thoughtful consideration.

If marching corps was just about having fun, then you'd spend less time rehearsing and riding buses, and more time playing Wii, sleeping in big, comfy (non-inflatable) beds, and going to the beach. Retreat isn't about fun time: it's about receiving acknowledgment from the judges and the audience, and acknowledging the audience in return for their support.

Retreat doesn't have to be spent at attention to be respectful, and 98% of the members I saw out on the field that night weren't crossing the line, in my opinion. However, those 2% who made those poor decisions will probably encourage similar behavior in years to come. The sentiments reflected by some of the previous posters ("It's just marching band", "Loosen up! It's just a little fun!", etc.) sound too much like the excuses made at frat parties, rather than statements made by a member who is thankful for the great times and experience gained from a year with one of the greatest organizations in the country.

[GreenTrumpetier]

All of the alumni I met this summer were very respectable men and I felt so honored to be able to meet almost everyone Important to our organization. And they also kicked some major ### in there performance and we couldnt have asked for a better Alumni association. IF there mad about us crossing the yard line let them be. But I heard stories from back when corps used to physically hurt eachother in fist fights and street brawls. How can people have such hate for us when we clap for everyone we get a chance to, and congradulate them and make freinds with every corps?

[Leland]

I think some of us are a little worried and/or skeptical that DCI wants to or will take any real action to address such problems. I imagine if each corps played their corps song instead of ATB they would be a little more reluctant to totally sodomize it.

Ah, good point.

[Leland]

This has probably been mentioned too, but --

How many full retreats do corps even do anymore?

[byline]

All of the alumni I met this summer were very respectable men and I felt so honored to be able to meet almost everyone Important to our organization. And they also kicked some major ### in there performance and we couldnt have asked for a better Alumni association. IF there mad about us crossing the yard line let them be. But I heard stories from back when corps used to physically hurt eachother in fist fights and street brawls. How can people have such hate for us when we clap for everyone we get a chance to, and congradulate them and make freinds with every corps?

Speaking only for myself, this is not "hate" . . . though I can see how some of the more extreme reactions might come across to you that way. And I don't think that anyone questions the fact that in general, most corps members behave in a way that is becoming of their corps. However, people are pointing out some very specific instances of behavior which we believe are not in keeping with the respect and decorum that corps historically have shown one another (with some exceptions). You, and others, seem to want to say, "Look at all the great things we do. How can you find fault with this one little thing that you don't like?" But think about this: If an Olympic bronze medalist, for example, stepped up uninvited onto the podium next to the gold medalist, bumped that individual over and hogged some of the attention that was supposed to belong to the winning athlete, but later laughed it off, insisting that s/he was just kidding around, it was just a joke, no harm intended, would you feel that disrespect had been shown to the other athlete? Or would you say, "Eh, no big deal. It's just sports!"

Edited August 17, 2008 by byline

[Leland]

Did you really not hear the playing during and after America? I'm not getting on you, I'm just asking. I was on about the ten yard line WAY up high and I'm a self proclaimed "dumb drummer" and it was painfully obvious to me.

Same here. I was out of the stadium by that point, so I didn't hear it live, but even the Youtube videos I've seen showed some pretty rotten playing. Naturally, I can't pick out which hornlines were the worst offenders, but that doesn't even matter -- it's the fact that they showed their #####.