MikeD Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 Hence a difference in philosophy. Are they in it for themselves or for the greater good? And you can not lump everyone into the same basket but ask that question some time when you see the votes and changes coming down. Why would a kid...any kid...join any activity and spend the time and $$$ needed to participate, for the 'greater good'? ...if that is the 'they' you are talking about, at any rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Brace Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 Perhaps another way to look at it would be in 1996 there were 183-62 = 121 Non DCI shows. In 2008 there are 48 more DCI shows than in 1996, so DCI has covered less than 40% of the shows that were lost by the demise of the other circuits. Your math makes it sound like only 73 shows were lost when it was 121 shows. So wait....for the math challenged among us...please answer the following questions... 1. How many total shows in 1996 for DCI corps...from the list? 2. How many total shows in 2008 for DCI corps...from the list? 3. How many of the 1996 shows were DCI shows? 4. How many of the 2008 were DCI shows? Then I believe meaningful numbers can emerge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Denzer Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 The loss of regional circuits such as DCM had little to no impact on World Class corps. The Open class corps have been killed by the loss of the regional circuits. The loss has been in performance opportunities. As a performer in Division 3 in the early nineties we got a full tour with almost as many shows as a Division 1 corps. Since the loss of the regional circuits some Open Class corps get less than 10 shows in a summer. Imagine how hard it is to attract members to a smaller corps that works hard in rehearsal and only goes on the road for 1 - 2 weeks during the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiodb Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 Not sure what the confusion is, as Chris' numbers were correct. But OK....my answers are in bold. So wait....for the math challenged among us...please answer the following questions...1. How many total shows in 1996 for DCI corps...from the list? 183 2. How many total shows in 2008 for DCI corps...from the list? 110 3. How many of the 1996 shows were DCI shows? 62 4. How many of the 2008 were DCI shows? 110 Then I believe meaningful numbers can emerge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Brace Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 The loss of regional circuits such as DCM had little to no impact on World Class corps. The Open class corps have been killed by the loss of the regional circuits. The loss has been in performance opportunities. As a performer in Division 3 in the early nineties we got a full tour with almost as many shows as a Division 1 corps. Since the loss of the regional circuits some Open Class corps get less than 10 shows in a summer. Imagine how hard it is to attract members to a smaller corps that works hard in rehearsal and only goes on the road for 1 - 2 weeks during the summer. I hate to say it...but isn't the answer for the corps to...I don't know...GET BETTER? Look at Blue Stars and their turn around. It is possible to go from Div. III to Open Class to World Class in a few years. You as an organization just have to be committed to GETTING BETTER. See, although some might not like me saying this...we have had smaller corps directors involved in some organizations just because it was a nice little shelter for some of their other interests and they got to feel like they were doing the community some good and that they were helping some kids enjoy an experience like when I marched. That's no longer a good enough reason. Not for Profit Youth Organizations are easy to find and many do not need to travel or expensive instruments or uniforms or anything else. If you want to be a quality drum corps organization, first you have to start out with a model of an outstanding community youth organization. This can't be "Hey, you all wanna do some drum corps?" anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Brace Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 Not sure what the confusion is, as Chris' numbers were correct. But OK....my answers are in bold. so we are including those shows sponsored by corps as DCI shows both in 1996 and 2008? Just going to be crystal here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold_Bond Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Actually - because DCI had run the DeKalb show in 2003, it had first option for the stadium in 2004. DCI chose not to exercise that option - but that choice did not have anything to do with any threatened legal action. The reason that DCI does not go back to DeKalb for any kind of major event is that the stadium is great but the hotel situation in DeKalb is not sufficient to support a major show. The best (and largest quantity) of hotels are located about an hour away in the western suburbs of Chicago. That limits the upside potential for any show at NIU. Really? Because as I remember the deal DCI stepped in to "temporarily" run DCM in 2003 and part of the deal was that if DCM voted to take back operations in 2004 DCI was supposed to step out of the picture. Seems to me that any "options" would have fallen under that agreement but then I am not a lawyer. Hotels are a straw-man argument IMHO. Who was Division 1 in DCM? Half of the big-guns were based within 90 minutes of DeKalb. Did supporters of those corps really let "lack" of hotels immediately in the DeKalb area keep them away? I seem to recall the stadium being full whenever I attended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBSMYTH Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Really? Because as I remember the deal DCI stepped in to "temporarily" run DCM in 2003 and part of the deal was that if DCM voted to take back operations in 2004 DCI was supposed to step out of the picture. Seems to me that any "options" would have fallen under that agreement but then I am not a lawyer.Hotels are a straw-man argument IMHO. Who was Division 1 in DCM? Half of the big-guns were based within 90 minutes of DeKalb. Did supporters of those corps really let "lack" of hotels immediately in the DeKalb area keep them away? I seem to recall the stadium being full whenever I attended. Yes - really. Thanks for asking. When the DCM membership voted to have DCI operate the tour on their behalf in 2003, DCI would have been the organization to sign the contract with NIU for the 2003 DeKalb event. When the time came to set up the 2004 season, NIU came to DCI first. (And, before anyone asks about the 2003 vote - it was not just the Division I corps that voted to go with DCI in 2003. If it had been just the Division I corps - less Pioneer, of course - they would not have had the votes to pass the proposal.) As for the hotels - a typical attendance ran about 4,000 (to as high as around 6,000) depending on the year. The lack of hotels puts a ceiling on that attendance. DeKalb is an iconic drum corps location much like Allentown. If Allentown can have a 2 night event that ranges from 8,000 (up to as much as 12,000) for each night, why can't DeKalb? IMHO, lack of hotels is a very real constraint on the upside potential growth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronsell Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 My family loved to meet at DeKalb for the DCM Championships. The last year I could convince them to attend a finals show was in Pasadena when the use of amplification was the last straw. The drum corps activity has lost at least 40 tickets a year from my group who no longer enjoy the activity. I feel very bad about this but, the activity I once could rave to all about, no longer exists. I appreciate all your comments and analysis re DCM but it's really history. Corps are not what they once were and bringing them back to a favorite venue is not going to change that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Brace Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 I have heard DeKalb may be out of the picture since NIU wants little to do with drum corps since the football incident. DCM had them over a barrel, however, no more DCM, no more barrel. Cavies use DeKalb each May...they rent it. No football teams or students around at all since it's after the spring session ends and before the summer session begins. In short, NIU wants zero interruptions for their football watchamacallit thingy they do there to lesser degree each year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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