Shouldn't they be better than the real world?

[mophilda]

There is this workshop I read about on some newspaper site that allows children as young as the age of 5 work with power tools building things in the shop. Their reasoning? The removal of risk from modern children's lives is why they are "what they are" today. The fact that kids are sheltered and babied WELL beyond the point that a child should be sheltered or babied is why dealing with young people and their unwarrented sense of entitlement can make your head spin. These kids are allowed to, with close supervision, make silly mistakes that will hurt them but not really put them in danger. They are allowed to figure out "the hard way" why they should always use a pocket knife that is sharp, cut away from their body, and keep their limbs away from blades and life lessons like those.

If you can manage to get to rehearsal on time with 45 minutes to find the food truck, eat, brush your teeth, get dressed, find the equipment truck, get your equipment, find the field and make it to rehearsal with all the stuff you should have. You will have NO problem being a shining star at a fastfood joint and meeting their unrealistically easy deadlines and time limits. You will have no problem taking more than a full load of classes while balancing your social interests and academic demands in college. My time management and ability to multitask have benefitted me SO much in my regular life.

These are all things I wouldn't have learned without the occasional "family unfriendly" situation. Sure, I had instructors that used bad language. It made me realize that my poop did infact stink. Sure I saw some things that were X rated. It made me realize there was A LOT more going on than I realized. I may have had unrealistic demands put on me, but it made me realize that no one was going to give me something I didn't earn. In the 14 years prior to my first year of drum corps my parents taught me how to act and what was right and wrong and I didn't do things I shouldn't have done. Well, mostly.. ;-)

But really, if a kid does some things that aren't "right" (but aren't dangerous). What is the harm? It is a lesson learned. Better when they are young and to get it out of the way rather than watching thousands of dollars of college tuition go down the tube. Watching a rookie in the pit my first year throw up her life after an off night on the Canadian side of Niagra Falls (where the legal drinking age is 18) and then all of us riding the next 6 hours with her vomit was enough to curb my interest in alcohol for a long time.

I look at drum corps as the same kind of super-saturated real world experience that foreign language students look for when they want to work on their conversational skills. You drop yourself in a country where you don't speak their language you'll figure it out REAL quick. No matter how old you may be, you are expected to get your stuff done on the same level as a 21 year old. You grow up quick.

I think that is a really good thing.

[wvu80]

I have 3 years or marching experience and am now involved with another corps. I have NEVER witnessed or heard of outdoor, group showering. (27/soa post #4)

on the shower thing: i HAVE heard a story where some kids went out into a field and showered in the sprinklers. (Kekkles Post #17)

++++++++

4.) Hooking up??? are you serious?? after running around on field for 16 hours, i dont care how horny you are. SEx would be the last thing on your mind. (Josh161 post #10)

4. Yes, hooking up occurs. That happens when the males and females of any mammal species come together. Is it encouraged? Of course not. I've never heard a director say in a corps meeting, "Okay everybody, make sure you have lots of sex on the bus tonight...all of you!" 90% is a grossly exaggerated figure for any corps. (Goldingna Post #12)

+++++++++

Y'all need to get together and get your stories straight! Apparently, at least one of you is seriously confused.

Or, could it be, that Ms. Crown1 had legitimate concerns?

+++

Since there seems to be such great confusion in the DCP community, allow me to tell you about Ms. Crown1, even though she and I have never met:

1. She is a deadly serious parent (that's a good thing)

2. She has morals and values

3. She's looking for a good experience for her child, and she's doing her research to see "what's out there" in the drum corps world, before she exposes her child to it.

4. She knew she would get hammered by the more immature posters on DCP, yet she choose to air her concerns anyway. That tells me she doesn't mind taking a risk, and that she's a communicator.

Bravo, Ms. Crown1. You are not what's wrong with parents today.

Edited August 24, 2008 by wvu80

[Bari-Player]

Ahhh!!! Finals are over here come the bad topics. Cya in 9 months folks!

[2000Cadet]

Y'all need to get together and get your stories straight! Apparently, at least one of you is seriously confused.

Or, could it be, that Ms. Crown1 had legitimate concerns?

+++

Since there seems to be such great confusion in the DCP community, allow me to tell you about Ms. Crown1, even though she and I have never met:

1. She is a deadly serious parent (that's a good thing)

2. She has morals and values

3. She's looking for a good experience for her child, and she's doing her research to see "what's out there" in the drum corps world, before she exposes her child to it.

4. She knew she would get hammered by the more immature posters on DCP, yet she choose to air her concerns anyway. That tells me she doesn't mind taking a risk, and that she's a communicator.

Bravo, Ms. Crown1. You are not what's wrong with parents today.

There may be some confusion here yes, but the thing is, most of the people who are speaking are probably speaking from what they have HEARD or are speaking from what happened in the corps THEY marched with. So you can't say people need to get their stories straight because they are not speaking for every drum corps. Sure, she has a right to be concerned, but not everything she's concerned about is happening in EVERY corps.

Edited August 24, 2008 by 2000Cadet

[KCCrown1]

I have 3 years or marching experience and am now involved with another corps. I have NEVER witnessed or heard of outdoor, group showering. (27/soa post #4)

on the shower thing: i HAVE heard a story where some kids went out into a field and showered in the sprinklers. (Kekkles Post #17)

++++++++

4.) Hooking up??? are you serious?? after running around on field for 16 hours, i dont care how horny you are. SEx would be the last thing on your mind. (Josh161 post #10)

4. Yes, hooking up occurs. That happens when the males and females of any mammal species come together. Is it encouraged? Of course not. I've never heard a director say in a corps meeting, "Okay everybody, make sure you have lots of sex on the bus tonight...all of you!" 90% is a grossly exaggerated figure for any corps. (Goldingna Post #12)

+++++++++

Y'all need to get together and get your stories straight! Apparently, at least one of you is seriously confused.

Or, could it be, that Ms. Crown1 had legitimate concerns?

+++

Since there seems to be such great confusion in the DCP community, allow me to tell you about Ms. Crown1, even though she and I have never met:

1. She is a deadly serious parent (that's a good thing)

2. She has morals and values

3. She's looking for a good experience for her child, and she's doing her research to see "what's out there" in the drum corps world, before she exposes her child to it.

4. She knew she would get hammered by the more immature posters on DCP, yet she choose to air her concerns anyway. That tells me she doesn't mind taking a risk, and that she's a communicator.

Bravo, Ms. Crown1. You are not what's wrong with parents today.

Thank you for understanding where I am coming from. By the way, I am not an outsider to this organization by any stetch of the imagination. I have been to practices, I have supported several corps and I have been around these youth before, during and after a season of drum corps. True, some of the things I stated were things listed in this forum but many of them were actual events I heard about from the kids themselves. The nude showering seems to be the one getting the most flack - I did not imply they were showering together inside but I heard of several occassions where sections were showering at the school using outdoor hoses. Whether this is male, female or coed it shouldn't happen because it is in the public view.

[KsCookie]

KCCrown1- You are right to be concerned about your daughter. As a parent, that must be our primary concern. Should you change your mind, and eventually allow your daughter to participate, remember that she will enter the activity with the values that you have taught. If you have taught her well, and instilled in her strong values, she will carry those with her and be fine. She will find a second family in corps. I think she will fine in any case. In the long run, only you can know when she is mature enough to join this activity. Nothing is perfect of course.

Drum corps offers a wide range of experiences, and you obviously need to be involved in her selection of a corps should you change your mind and allow her to participate. Not every program is the same. Look around, ask pointed questions about the different corps. Maybe a World Class corps is a bit to much to start in. Not everyone needs to, or can, start in a top 12 unit. An earlier poster suggested an advance visit, and that is a great suggestion (but not just an hour walk through). I go out and follow my son's corps several times during the season, and go to about half the pre-season camps. Volunteer to help and see the behind the scenes corps. You can be a valuable asset to a corps as a volunteer through the year, and it is a great way to see what is really going on (not to mention meeting a super bunch of people). But, give her space.

Don't deny your daughter a great experience based on what you read here. If this is your only source of information, you are not doing yourself, your daughter, or drum corps, justice. Kids WILL be kids, and some adults will still be kids, and sometimes stories get blown all out of reality.

Use your common sense and think of how many posts that are on here, and how few of those are really concerns. Talk with folks - "Kick the Tires" a little before you close your mind please. Sorry for the lenghth

[wvu80]

There may be some confusion here yes, but the thing is, most of the people who are speaking are probably speaking from what they have HEARD or are speaking from what happened in the corps THEY marched with. So you can't say people need to get their stories straight because they are not speaking for every drum corps. Sure,

Apparently, you need a course on what those goofy, smiley emoticon thingies mean. The :tongue: means "tongue-in-cheek", and I used it in an obviously futile attempt to indicate some small humor on my part. Some people just don't get good sarcasm!

(I feel like I can pick on you just a little bit Mr. Cadet2000 because I like your stuff, you always make good common sense. So don't take this post as a flame, because where I'm from, we only pick on people if we like them. )

Your points are well taken.

Edited August 24, 2008 by wvu80

[KsCookie]

KCCrown1- Sorry, I wrote mine while you were posting yours, so I am a little behind. But, you are still right in concerns that you have. Every good parent is. Have fun searching the corps sites, and talking to folks, and I hope that you can allow your daughter to join, if that is the choice that you and she make.

[KCCrown1]

For the record - I am not a newbie at Drum Corps although I did not march. I have been involved for a few years now. I have done my research. I am not an "uptight" mom who needs to let her daughter grow up and experience life. Every one has different values - for those of you who are totally bashin g mine - it doesn't really matter. I never stated that this stu ff happens all the time - I stated certain examples which were concerns.

[KCCrown1]

KCCrown1- Sorry, I wrote mine while you were posting yours, so I am a little behind. But, you are still right in concerns that you have. Every good parent is. Have fun searching the corps sites, and talking to folks, and I hope that you can allow your daughter to join, if that is the choice that you and she make.

Thank you.