REVO NEEDS HELP!

[BostonRocks]

Very sad. I feel bad for the kids that paid.

[oldschooldbc]

As a mother of one of those Revo members that have paid their dues and fulfilled their contracts, I find it a bit disturbing that people are discouraging others from helping out a Corps. I will be donating more of my hard earned money to Revo even though we have paid our dues in full. Even though the adminsitration may have made some bad decisions, I have met all of these people personally and know without a doubt that they have always had the best interest of these talented kids in mind. Please keep in mind that we are talking about kids from all over the United States as well as other countries that will be the ones that will suffer if we do not step up and make a difference in these kids lives. I understand and appreciate that this is a free country and we all have the right to voice our opinion, but now is the time to take action. Let's not just sit on our butts and type words, let's help these kids out. A big thank you goes out to those of you that have already helped Revolution out by donating. No amount is too small.

I too am a Revo parent. And I too made a donation, beyond what I have paid for my child's dues. (I paid the dues before the tour started, in full.) And if necessary, I will contribute again.

I believe in this organization, and its philosophy of doing business. And I should know. When I was a teenager, I marched DC, back in the 1980's.

I see the difference that this corps, and its management, is making in the lives of the young men and women who belong to it. They have taken on a lot of kids that other corps probably wouldn't touch - many of whom come from less than wealthy backgrounds. (Unlike some corps, at a Revo camp, you do not see rows of Mercedes and BMWs in the parking lot.)

They run an extremely disciplined and motivated unit - it is much better than the organization that I belonged to, when I was a teenager. The corps that I belonged to permitted all sorts of shenanigans - I won't get into the gory details here. I see none of that with Revolution. Every there knows their place, and everyone follows the rules, and respects the leadership.

The management at Revo really care for the kids. Maybe that led them to take on a few kids that couldn't pay. But that isn't something that they should be blamed for - it is something they should be credited for. For many of these youth, they would have <<zero chance>> of marching DC if it was not for Revo. So de facto, this season will be the only chance for some of these kids to ever see the DCI Finals - from the field, or in the stands.

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The corps that I belonged to back in the 1980s folded after a few years. That was sad for everyone. But it was predictable, given the less-than-stringent moral standards of that corps, and its management.

I do not want to see the same thing happen to Revo. Revo is actually the reverse of what I saw when I marched: focused, organized, disciplined, and committed to its members. Revo is helping these young men and women, and for that, they deserve our respect - and our support.

I will continue to support them - even if others decide not to. It is your money, so do with it as you wish.

Disclaimer: Yes, I have a son in this outfit. Yes, I do have an interest in this corps finishing this tour. Yes, I freely admit that my opinion is is partial and biased. No, I do not care. My opinions are my own. I am not an employee or manager of this organization. My opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the management or staff of Revo.

Edited July 7, 2009 by oldschooldbc

[Jocko the Wonder Llama]

<SNIP> Even with trying to be responsible in 2008 by pulling from two shows, only resulted in a stiff fine from DCI that had to be paid before we could tour this season.

Maybe I'm not the smartest guy around here, but does it make sense to anyone to fine a corps that is having to drop out of shows in order to save money? I would think that

DCI should try to work with the corps, and get them back on a firm financial footing. To take money from a corps already in financial trouble seems counterproductive.

[magicdirect]

The Bottom line is the students are the ones that get hurt in the end regardless.

[txtubadude]

Drumcorpspops

I assume that you have been with the corps at some point in time. Mind shining some light on who you are and what you mean?

Edited July 7, 2009 by txtubadude

[Richard]

Maybe I'm not the smartest guy around here, but does it make sense to anyone to fine a corps that is having to drop out of shows in order to save money? I would think that

DCI should try to work with the corps, and get them back on a firm financial footing. To take money from a corps already in financial trouble seems counterproductive.

You could get into some really messy situations, as you'd have a hard time defining whether a corps drops from a show to save money or not. Hopkins could say "well the Cadets aren't going to tonight's show because we're trying to save some money". Obviously that would be a load of crap and they would probably be cleaning some new drill or something or he just felt they needed a full rehearsal day, but it's pretty easy to say that the reason is "to save money". And when big time corps like Cadets/BD/PR/Crown/Cavaliers etc start pulling out of shows then the audience will start reacting negatively. The fines are necessary for this reason, and I believe DCI trusts corps to book shows intelligently.

[Star93Fan]

OMG! Sorry Magic Man! GM left the corps with a $45K deficit that they've been trying to recover from for years. OMG! Get off the Magic train.

Wow, "BlueCavie"...sounds like somebody hit a nerve? Real sorry to hear about the hard times. Wasn't he with the corps in 2006? What have you all been doing the last 4 yrs to ensure the corps was in good finances shape? I feel bad for the kids this season...hope they can pull it out. I'll donate what I can

[DrumlineMom]

I'm really divided on this. I only even created a log-in to this forum to send someone a thank you about an unrelated matter.

I'm a drumcorps parent, but not Revo.

I personally would be wary of taking a bunch of kids out on the road without knowing that I could swing it financially, and be able to take care of the emergencies that arise- because they DO. No one can foresee everything, but it sounds like the tour started with the corps already in a weak financial position. I will not, however, pass judgment on the group because I do not know all the circumstances, and when people get on public message boards and start conjecturing, it's how nasty and unfair rumors get started. Hence the word "sounds" - I don' know this for sure.

Speaking of which, someone mentioned Memphis earlier in this thread. Yes, my kid is in Memphis Sound. I've spoken to him several times and while he says it has NOT been easy, they've rented a truck to replace their semi that juuuuust barely fits all their equipment, and takes forever to load. But, and these are HIS words, "it's what we can afford and it is technically getting the job done. We just have to deal. Oh well."

Then, he also said that they are eating VERY well. Though not a picky eater, my kid definitely has food preferences and eats a TON. He realizes that either of these circumstances could definitely have pulled his tour to a screeching halt, but it hasn't. The administration is dealing with it and the kids are dealing with it. Matter of fact, my kiddo told me that this will only make him a better corps member next time- he's had to deal with a lot and doubts another tour will ever be this trying!

Whether Revo "deserves" a "bailout" really isn't for any of us to decide. If you want to donate, GREAT. If not, GREAT. If you've got facts, post em. If not, don't start rumors.

Edited July 7, 2009 by DrumlineMom

[treadstone]

In all of this folks, a majority of organizations end up playing "and end-game" with collecting tour fees. For some the margin is small, for others more significant. If every corps waited for ALL fees to be paid before tour - many more would stop touring. Of course organizations need to set percentage milestones and use those as a guide. What makes all of this more difficult is that most corps HAVE to start their planning process on projected member numbers BEFORE all the fees are paid.

The groups that manage to avoid disaster find that middle ground and also plan from historical data on their margin for error. These are tough economical times and that much has changed radically in the past few years. So there are more members, legitimately, that have problems paying. The sad part, however, is that many others are using the economic situation as an EXCUSE. The same thing is happening in high school band. Individuals say that cannot pay, but manage to have plenty of money to go the ColdPlay concert.

One practice that is not a CURE ALL, but will help things is to financially screen members.

Jason

[Richard]

I will not, however, pass judgment on the group because I do not know all the circumstances, and when people get on public message boards and start conjecturing, it's how nasty and unfair rumors get started. Hence the word "sounds" - I don' know this for sure.

I respectfully disagree. I think it's our responsibility as part of the drum corps community to question groups when information like this comes to light. That's not to say that people should go on here and post hearsay as fact, but asking questions is totally legitimate. A well-run corps should have reasonable explanations for the types of questions these situations raise.

Also, in past experiences when people come on these boards and say "Don't spread rumors, let's give them the benefit of the doubt and wait and see what happens!", the 'rumors' turn out to be accurate and the corps folds/goes inactive shortly thereafter. I'm saying that I don't think Open Class corps deserve the benefit of the doubt any more. Let's ask the questions and wait for them to provide the answers. They don't have to provide those answers to us by any means, but, as I've said, if they have good explanations then providing them to the public shouldn't be a big issue. Too many people on here are too optimistic and take the silence of a troubled corps as a sign that all is well, when really that silence means impending doom.

Lastly, my words are not directed towards Revolution specifically, and I hope they are able to finish this competitive season for the sake of their members. Afterwards, I hope they take a long look at their financial situation before they make any plans for next year. I also hope they keep in mind that going "all-in" for one season that could wreck the corps financially is probably a bad decision (just ask ECJ 2006: they sold their equipment to get home that year and left at least one bus impounded in Madison. Was essentially dismantling the corps worth that one successful season? I'd like to think their answer would be "absolutely not").

Think for a minute if in 2006 it came to light that ECJ was in rough financial shape and in danger of not finishing their tour and the season. There would be an outcry on these boards to support this great corps and blahblahblah. However, after the season the corps would essentially be no more. How many of you would have opened your checkbooks to help this corps destroy itself? Think about it.