Have you Sponsored a Member this season?

[boxingfred]

Yes, There are so many kids that could really benefit from the drum corps experience that just can't afford it. I'm thinking about sponsoring two.

[soccerguy315]

How many parents in here only spend $40/week on food for children who live with them of any age?

That's how much I spend on food every week... I don't eat less now than I did 4 years ago.

[Blackstar]

To your first point: the direction of DCI is not the fault of the kids who want to march. Those kids don't know what us 80's marchers did. They can only experience DCI the way it is now.

To your second point: Scientifically speaking, the executive functions of the brain (i.e. what makes us more and more "grown up") are not fully formed into well into the 20's. Junior corps is a fantastic way to help fortify and stretch that particular function.

While many people don't "grow up" until thier late 20's early 30's I still don;t see many kids in the top 12 anymore.

60K in Topeka or Boise is not the same as 60K in Austin or Seattle. And then there's the question of how many kids, or aging grandparents needing support, or outstanding medical bills, etc. 60K doesn't really mean anything without a context.

If things are so tight then way even try to march. When I was in high school they took a trip to Europe. I didn't go because my mom couldn't afford it. Am I mad, no because thats life and she's gave me a great life. I realized my financial restrictions even at age 17. When I first joined Crossmen I had to quit because of once again financial reasons. I was working and thought my money would better help my mother with household bills. I marched only because I was given a chance of a lifetime by Mr. Robinson.

As for people flying to camps: it's the way of DCI now. I think it's a bit extreme, but I have no say. DCI corps have to be competitive to succeed, and that means hunting for members with the needed musical skills and physical capacities from all over the nation (and/or world). Gone are the days of most DCI corps taking kids off the streets, teaching them how to play something and working with the talent and guts they have on hand. (Yes, I know Pioneer still does it, and kudos to them for it! I dare anyone in top 12 at the end of this season to give that a try next year and see how it goes.)

And thats the shame of this activity. They started putting winning ahead of helping. Alot of Corps started as a means to get kids off the street. Know thier started to win a championship. I amde an example of a kid flying out to Crossmen and Cadets were mentioned. What about Surf, Raiders or any of the "smaller" corps on the east coast. No everyone want to march with a winner.

[kac]

How many parents in here only spend $40/week on food for children who live with them of any age?

I have a child that is eating me out of house and home. If I broke it down to a per day cost, yes, it is probably $6-8 worth of food daily. So $42-56 per week. But he is EIGHT. He hasn't had that huge teen growth spurt yet- and when that happens I expect the food budget to at least double.

By the time a person is a sophmore in college, their growth spurt has finished and their food costs should also taper off accordingly. So I can easily see how a person can have the same $40 budget for food after they are done growing.

[kac]

Oh and to answer the original question-

I have sponsored a number of people over the past five years.

This year I've sponsored three already by either helping a little with airfare costs or audition fees. Two of the people that I helped with the audition fees are not marching, but at least they had the chance to give it a try. I also bring care packages and give them to random people (usually people I don't even know) on tour.

I've been receiving emails pretty much weekly since mid-March from members, staff, and former members asking me to sponsor people this year. I've had more requests than any other year so far.

My rule of thumb has always been that if you march indoor drumline or guard, I will not be sponsoring you b/c if drum corps was that important to you, then you should not have marched in the winter & picked up an extra job instead.

I am doing more tax deductible donations this year instead of individual sponsors. It's a bummer for the kids, but that's what the tax man said needs to be done, and this isn't a year for me to be blindly writing checks without first carefully considering where the $$ goes. Don't let anyone fool ya- donations designated to individual members are not tax deductible.

So I've done what I could for this year. Will I be able to help any of the people that have sent me emails this year? I really doubt it.

[TAFL]

No. The unemployment bug has a firm grasp on my ### and I'll need some time to recover once I get it shaken off. I'm aiming for next year.

[Carl306]

And thats the shame of this activity. They started putting winning ahead of helping. Alot of Corps started as a means to get kids off the street. Know thier started to win a championship. I amde an example of a kid flying out to Crossmen and Cadets were mentioned. What about Surf, Raiders or any of the "smaller" corps on the east coast. No everyone want to march with a winner.

This isn't the olden days when corps were started as a means to get kids off the street as there is a plethora of other activities today which serve that purpose. Do all kids take advantage of them? Probably not, but they do still exist and have filled the void somewhat. You mention how it's a shame that corps have put winning ahead of helping, and I have to ask what exactly is wrong with that? Would you not agree that those corps at the top placement wise are typically (note: not all of them) better off financially and membership wise? How they aren't struggling to get enough members each and every year? This is a competitive activity and people are most likely seeking to win when participating in a competition.

Another point to bring up would be your smaller corps example. Honest question, but are you able to make it out to finals very often? When you do make it to finals, where are you earlier in the day before the Div 1 shows? Do you attend the Div 2/3 shows in the afternoon or are you at your hotel or taking in the city before the evening performances? Personally, it felt pretty bad my last year marching when our finals were in Camp Randall in the afternoon with maybe a little under 2,000 in the stands, but then low and behold for the evening show the place was jam packed. For you to be singling out kids for wanting to march with a winner where they'll hopefully be more appreciated is absolutely unfair in this case.

I'm not trying to bash on you or anything like that, but just using what you've said as an example. I think it's also up to those lower placing Div 1 and Div 2/3 corps to be able to draw an audience to their shows and give people what they want in a performance.

[BozzlyB]

This isn't the olden days when corps were started as a means to get kids off the street as there is a plethora of other activities today which serve that purpose. Do all kids take advantage of them? Probably not, but they do still exist and have filled the void somewhat. You mention how it's a shame that corps have put winning ahead of helping, and I have to ask what exactly is wrong with that? Would you not agree that those corps at the top placement wise are typically (note: not all of them) better off financially and membership wise? How they aren't struggling to get enough members each and every year? This is a competitive activity and people are most likely seeking to win when participating in a competition.

Another point to bring up would be your smaller corps example. Honest question, but are you able to make it out to finals very often? When you do make it to finals, where are you earlier in the day before the Div 1 shows? Do you attend the Div 2/3 shows in the afternoon or are you at your hotel or taking in the city before the evening performances? Personally, it felt pretty bad my last year marching when our finals were in Camp Randall in the afternoon with maybe a little under 2,000 in the stands, but then low and behold for the evening show the place was jam packed. For you to be singling out kids for wanting to march with a winner where they'll hopefully be more appreciated is absolutely unfair in this case.

I'm not trying to bash on you or anything like that, but just using what you've said as an example. I think it's also up to those lower placing Div 1 and Div 2/3 corps to be able to draw an audience to their shows and give people what they want in a performance.

Agreed. To quote Sean Connery, "Loosers always whine about their best. Winners go home and #### the prom queen."

[Willie85]

This isn't the olden days when corps were started as a means to get kids off the street as there is a plethora of other activities today which serve that purpose. Do all kids take advantage of them? Probably not, but they do still exist and have filled the void somewhat. You mention how it's a shame that corps have put winning ahead of helping, and I have to ask what exactly is wrong with that? Would you not agree that those corps at the top placement wise are typically (note: not all of them) better off financially and membership wise? How they aren't struggling to get enough members each and every year? This is a competitive activity and people are most likely seeking to win when participating in a competition.

Huh... yeah, perhaps it is going in that direction. But, based on your description I'd be as likely to support drum corps as I would poor, deprived NCAA basketball.

[Blackstar]

Carl 306 wrote

Another point to bring up would be your smaller corps example. Honest question, but are you able to make it out to finals very often? When you do make it to finals, where are you earlier in the day before the Div 1 shows? Do you attend the Div 2/3 shows in the afternoon or are you at your hotel or taking in the city before the evening performances? Personally, it felt pretty bad my last year marching when our finals were in Camp Randall in the afternoon with maybe a little under 2,000 in the stands, but then low and behold for the evening show the place was jam packed. For you to be singling out kids for wanting to march with a winner where they'll hopefully be more appreciated is absolutely unfair in this case.

I don't get to shows at all since I really can't afford it. When I did go to a show it was DCI East and I went to the then D2-3 shows also. I feel in love with what they are doing. When my son wanted to march I pushed him towards Raiders or Surf instead of Crossmen or Cadets both of which he could have made. My daughter thought about marching and we had the same conversation.

This isn't the olden days when corps were started as a means to get kids off the street as there is a plethora of other activities today which serve that purpose. Do all kids take advantage of them? Probably not, but they do still exist and have filled the void somewhat. You mention how it's a shame that corps have put winning ahead of helping, and I have to ask what exactly is wrong with that? Would you not agree that those corps at the top placement wise are typically (note: not all of them) better off financially and membership wise? How they aren't struggling to get enough members each and every year? This is a competitive activity and people are most likely seeking to win when participating in a competition.

Whats wrong with helping people over winning? This is way America has the mentality it has now. Not helping people in your daily lives. Putting money ahead of everything. If you put winning ahead of almost everything else what have you taught that "kid" in your corps? Over and above everything else thats what I HATE most about this activity. I like the corps in the top 12 but I love Pioneer, Raiders, Surf, Spartans and many other small corps.