What if you owe tuition money ?

[Peel Paint]

I think it's pretty obvious what the right thing to do is.

OK... so What corps would want to take on any potential member who didn't understand [the moral obligation to have settled past debts]?

I'm sorry, but there can't be an excuse, or leeway, here, in my mind. YMMV, of course.

[drumline9]

Your friend fails, whoever he is.

If I were a corps director and you still owed money to another corps, I wouldn't take you. What says you're going to pay us?

this is just a hypothetical......

[DCIHasBeen]

I see the word "tuition" related to being a member of a drum corps, my blood runs cold, and I want to throttle somebody.

Edited November 11, 2008 by DCIHasBeen

[kickhaltsforlife]

I see the word "tuition" related being a member of a drum corps, my blood runs cold, and I want to throttle somebody.

thats what most call it these days... i hate the term, i hate paying tuition for two semesters.... then add drum corps, so its really three semesters.

anyway... i am pretty sure within a season, if you transfer, you are not allowed to march unless all debt is paid off to the corps you are leaving. I know it was in my contract from this past summer, and the three corps i auditioned for all asked on their sheets if we owe any corps money.

i personally know someone who owes YEA! money, but he was allowed to march somewhere else. I think if you owe money after the season, it is just a personal thing between the corps and the person in debt.

[JayM]

I see the word "tuition" related to being a member of a drum corps, my blood runs cold, and I want to throttle somebody.

You might wanna have that checked.

[Marching Mallets]

Most corps will work out a payment plan with you if you are behind. But this is one of the many problems all corps face. Some corps can have up to $100,000 outstanding going into the next season. Why? Because the corps directors and management team allows it to happen. What are you going to do, tell one of your lead trumpets or center snare that they can't come to practice because they are behind on dues? It rarely happens and this is why corps are owed monies by members.

Pay your fees and lead by example

[roosevelt]

Sure you can go to another corps auditions.

But its not cool to pay tuition for another corps before you even finish off tuition from last year's corps.

You don't go to a restaurant and only pay 70% of the check.

It is a little more than not cool. It is against the rules. You cannot march if you have debt to another corps.

[xmenjeffb]

I think I was just asking if this was a rule, how it is enforced etc. What if someone was in a smaller open class corps in 07 didn't pay all and then went on to world class 08 . Does the World Class ask if you are paid up from 07 ? What if it slips by and come mid june at a show the opne class director says - Hey that guy owes us $$$$. What do they do ?

I think it's pretty obvious what the right thing to do is.

If said corps has good records and produce the records showing you still owe them from another season , you would be held out until you pay up .I have dealt with this on many levels and it is one thing DCI directors respect from other corps.

If you did not disclose you owed money then it would cast a very bad light on you, for many obvious reasons, if caught marching during the season.

In one case the amount was small and the directored payed it on the spot and the member now owed him . In another the member was held out for a week until his mom sent the money in a money order .And in one other case payments were arranged and a note signed by the member and the 2 directors stating that if payment was missed he would be pulled .

In all 3 cases they were caught during the summer . IN most cases if you are up front and tell them you owe money else where they will contact that director to varify the amount and asked to be notified when payed .With holding a member ship contract until you are payed up .

Chances are you will be caught no matter what size corps you marched . Someone you marched will know you and see you on tour or hear that you are marching .

I strongly suggest you make arrangements to pay what you owe prior to auditioning . If the corps has big turn out and you make it that means some one that didnt owe got cut . Make it less stressful on yourself and make arrangements so you can audition with peace of mind .

[Michael Boo]

I see the word "tuition" related to being a member of a drum corps, my blood runs cold, and I want to throttle somebody.

In our day, the term was "dues," and if someone didn't pay after taking advantage of being in the corps, well...you know.

[DCIHasBeen]

In our day, the term was "dues," and if someone didn't pay after taking advantage of being in the corps, well...you know.

Yeah, somebody got throttled.

When I first joined St. Andrews, I think the dues was something like $.50 or a buck, max, per week.

The enforcers were a couple named Mike & Martha Mindiak, who had three sons in the drum line: Mike, Donald, and Edmund (or the "Flying Mindiak Brothers" as DeLucia once called them.)

Mr. & Mrs. Mindiak were an inescapable force. They worked the corps in tandem, Mrs. Mindiak recording every transaction while Mr. Mindiak acted as "the hammer."

"Dues? You got dues, HasBeen?", Mr. Mindiak would ask, his German accent which, although tempered by decades of living in this country, was still pronounced, adding gravitas to the weekly questioning.

They were really successful on their collection activities as well ... Nobody ever messed with Mike & Martha. And nobody ever wanted to get on their bad side. They were nice folks, but always managed to command respect.

Good times!

Edited November 11, 2008 by DCIHasBeen