Crossmen Color Guard Uniforms ?

[Bevinator]

After reading the Chronicles on the issues with the delivery of the uniforms I can thoroughly understand.

[oldsoprano]

I'm sure it's been frustrating for the members to have to go out there and perform their first several shows without uniforms/costumes.

But my first thought after seeing that picture posted earlier in the thread is that the wait was totally worth it. Very nice uniforms!

As for a refund, I'd say the only ones due a partial refund would be the Crossmen, from the tardy uniform company.

[byline]

While I expect to be attacked by such an analytical approach to this post, there is a lot of research that suggests that the circumstances regarding the uniforms will contribute to a weakened sense of inclusion and belonging.

Yes, I know they HAVE to deal with it - but it doesn't mean they have to like it. For many that would be "on the fence" about continuing with an organization in the future, such circumstances are often the deciding factor.

Jason

Interesting. I remember that in '78, Oakland's flag line had to march the entire season without plumes in our Aussies because there were too many corps members and not enough plumes to go around (and the corps couldn't afford to buy more). It was strange, but even that small detail made us feel "less than" the rest of the corps. Yes, we dealt with it, and we understood the practical reasons why, but we also felt taken for granted. It's just one of those realities that guards often have to deal with because they tend to be perceived as an "extra" section; that was happening even back in my day. In '79, instead of white boots, we had to wear white knee socks and black dance slippers with a military-style uniform because many in the guard could not afford the white boots. I understand that, and I know that we would have lost many guard members had we insisted on the white boots. We needed those guard members, so there you go. Yet, on the other hand, it definitely felt like an "on the cheap" compromise, and I just can't get past that in every photo I see of us that year. And then, of course, there's that '80 uniform for the entire corps . . . but I won't even go into that. Definitely a loss of identity there! So I do think there's something to your analysis, though maybe it's more subtle than what you've put forward.

Edited July 9, 2009 by byline

[CT-Horn]

So.....pretty simple. We sit a month from the DCI Championship finals and the members of the Crossmen's color guard do not have uniforms.

If you were a member of the Crossmen's 2009 color guard, would you demand a couple of hundred dollars back (Refund) from your 2009 tour fee's ? I am sure that if the members don't inquire about this....some of the parents probably will.

Also....is it me or are there a whole bunch of corps that do not have all of their color guard show flags yet ? I don't following the CG closely but even I have noticed the absence of color in the shows I have seen so far. A few issues here and there are to be expected.....but when the exception becomes the rule.....something is definitely not right.

Thoughts ?

Just remember, the Crossmen wanted to stand on thier own two feet and leave YEA! Do you think there would have been a guard uniform issue if they were still part of YEA!

[84BDsop]

Jason sometimes one can over analyze a situation and this is one of them.

Guards not having uniforms is a common thing not only for DCI but WGI and high school bands alike.

To say the organization is not organized is a slap in the face. Unless you have all the details as to why groups get them late, you need not comment.

Waaaay back in the day, uniforms weren't an issue because guards wore them for more than one year. As you know, today's color guards get new unis every year to help with the story line of the show. Even when I marched, we had to resort to old guard uniforms in the first few shows until ours were made.

I think sometimes it's good to keep little nuggets like new uniforms or new flags a surprise to judges from time to time.

It could've also been something abnormal with the manufacturer that was delaying things...something out of the control of the corps. To presume immediately that it MUST be the fault of the corps without knowledge of the facts is the height of chutzpah.

It's happening to me right now. I have several orders for fencing gear that have been paid for and that normally would've been delivered last week, but our nationals are going on right now and won'tbe done for another week....all of the major vendors, including those I buy from, are in Texas with the vast majority of their gear.

[byline]

Just remember, the Crossmen wanted to stand on thier own two feet and leave YEA! Do you think there would have been a guard uniform issue if they were still part of YEA!

Maybe, maybe not, but there may have been other issues, as well. For them, the end result may well have been worth it. For those of us outside the organization, we don't know enough about these details, so as others have noted, it's best not to speculate.

Edited July 9, 2009 by byline

[Taylor]

Just remember, the Crossmen wanted to stand on thier own two feet and leave YEA! Do you think there would have been a guard uniform issue if they were still part of YEA!

Just remember, you are ignorant of the facts regarding the Crossmen's move out of YEA and into Texas.

As to the answer to your question, yes. Because it was not a failure on the part of The Crossmen or Dance Sophisticates. It was the failure of a fabric company that went out of business without telling anyone or returning phone calls. Go read the Crossmen Chronicles on the Crossmen's website to read Fred Morrisson's telling of the story.

Edit: I got it slightly wrong. It was an artwork place, not a fabric company. Still, a subcontractor.

Edited July 10, 2009 by Taylor

[84BDsop]

Just remember, you are ignorant of the facts regarding the Crossmen's move out of YEA and into Texas.

As to the answer to your question, yes. Because it was not a failure on the part of The Crossmen or Dance Sophisticates. It was the failure of a fabric company that went out of business without telling anyone or returning phone calls. Go read the Crossmen Chronicles on the Crossmen's website to read Fred Morrisson's telling of the story.

And that supports my own post. Glad they got it solved.

In fact, here's the pertinent part of the blog:

"The reason they were so late getting to us is that the custom hand painted designs were delayed. First the subcontracted art shop had the fabric for a week and did not return calls to Chad and Denise. To their surprise when they paid a visit the place was boarded up and marked “Closed”. I don’t know how they did it but they found a new artist quickly that got the work done but was fighting the humid conditions in Indy. This slowed the project again. Once Dance Sophisticates got the hand painted fabric back from the sub they turned the costumes around in a hurry."

So.....would the OP like to still propose a partial tour refund?

Edited July 9, 2009 by 84BDsop

[Perry S]

Before I get Flamed I understand it's all about the kids. Just playing a little devils advocate here. I also want to say that I personally wouldn't care. But I would totally understand if someone did care so here goes. I think Corps should consider the customer (Audience) who's paying to see their "product". They (drumcorps) use terms like "the Product" and "The Product We Put on the Field" and such. Some people who love drum corps can only get to early season shows. I could understand where a customer (audience member) who paid money to see a show and all they could get to is an early season show, would feel kinda ripped off if one, or more, of the corps they paid money to see came out and not be fully uniformed and or did not have a complete show. I totally understand why someone paying money to see these shows would feel ripped off knowing that people seeing a show later in the season are getting the full show and fully uniformed corps for their money. Yeah, that's another angle that Corps creating their "product" should look at. I think the audience, no matter what part of the season, deserves the full package for their money. I understand that there will be some performance touches added to shows and changes made to parts that aren't working and such but, to have a half uniformed corps and the last 4 or 5 minutes af a show be mostly standstill would understandably make some paying audience members upset.

Edited July 9, 2009 by Perry S

[Kyle B]

Just remember, the Crossmen wanted to stand on thier own two feet and leave YEA! Do you think there would have been a guard uniform issue if they were still part of YEA!

Wow....first off, before Crossmen moved, they were not their own entity. They were single-handedly owned by YEA! Yes, they had a corps director - who was appointed by YEA!

Remember, YEA! was operating Crossmen at a loss for the last few years before the move happened.

Anyway, this is the first Crossmen show since the move that I kinda like. I just wish some of the hokey synths stuff is removed and that they learn to choke the cymbal rolls after a brass release since it completely ruins the moment.