kansasDC Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 Yeah, I have to call BS on most of your argument.I'd attribute the holes and under-filled corps due to time commitment and expense of participation. Look at the overall number of corps who participated in Class A prelims in 1977 vs. today ... Then add to that, class B/All girls, and the thousands of little corps all around the country that didn't even compete. DCI drum corps is a hollow ghost of an activity compared to that, and earlier, eras First off, the "time commitment and expense of participation" in corps like Blue Saints and the all-age corps are no more now than they were 20-30 years ago (obviously adjusting the $$$ for inflataion). So, that excuse does not fly. Second, explain to me how "DCI drum corps" forced circuits like Garden State, Eastern Mass, CYO, etc. to fold? As far as I know (and I lived with a member Director for many years), all of these are separate organizations that controlled their own destiny. DCI did not have any regulatory power over these other circuits. Yet, virtually all of them folded due to lack of members. So, how is that different than my argument above? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairbear Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 I disagree with this statement. If this were truly the case, then why are so many corps marching less than the maximum number of members? There were alot of corps in Indy this year with less than 100 members, and even a few with barely 30. There are also quite a few all-age corps that have not even been able to compete yet because they have not even made it to 35+ members. The opportunities to march are there, the kids just need to be a little less picky. The attitude I hear all the time is "if I can't march in a top 6 World Class corps, then I'm not marching". I am sure that corps like Blue Saints and Spirit of Newark would love to have the opportunity to train more kids. I know Prairie Sound in KC would love to have them too because I've been there. Hopefully, that attitude is not widespread! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocko the Wonder Llama Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 I don't think that the old days were so bad. Back then I weighed 155lbs and had a full head of hair. Now days, my 5 month old grandson and I are about tied in the hair department. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paq Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 Well all you guys whining about your pee antics have no idea what happens when 100 girls gotta pee at the same time. Other corps would honk as they drove by and saw dozens of teenage girls squatting in a scatter formation in the high grasses of the chosen field. We were all praying that some kind of weird rodent or snake wasn't gonna jump up and bite. And as for the smelly uniform ... Girls rule ... boys smell!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnZ Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 Well all you guys whining about your pee antics have no idea what happens when 100 girls gotta pee at the same time.Other corps would honk as they drove by and saw dozens of teenage girls squatting in a scatter formation in the high grasses of the chosen field. We were all praying that some kind of weird rodent or snake wasn't gonna jump up and bite. And as for the smelly uniform ... Girls rule ... boys smell!!! somewhere on the PA turnpike coming back from our 'tour' to Michigan (Flint, for one) 1972ish - I can still see the silhouettes lined up on a hillside above the bus, full moon in the sky - and a few on the hill too! it was either stop along the road, or our triple player (1) threatened to pee in the bus driver's shirt pocket. gotta love youth....sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SomeOtherJoe Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Well all you guys whining about your pee antics have no idea what happens when 100 girls gotta pee at the same time.Other corps would honk as they drove by and saw dozens of teenage girls squatting in a scatter formation in the high grasses of the chosen field. We were all praying that some kind of weird rodent or snake wasn't gonna jump up and bite. And as for the smelly uniform ... Girls rule ... boys smell!!! Man, what a let down... I expected you tough Kingsmen chicks to pee standing up... with perfect angles! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puppet Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 OK. I read the first two pages - I'll catch up after I post this. Obviously we weren't called the Cinderella corps for nothing. We made money, we spent money on our corps. So (even as St. Joseph Patron Cadets) we went pretty much first class. I remember a trip to Dobbs Ferry historically spoken of by members that was a disaster. As St. Rita's however, we had new instruments, new uniforms and all the rest. The good old days were the good old days because we never had less than we needed - the staff and the instructors (of whom I have talked about often on these pages) were of the best quality and storied HOF individuals. We didn't have to eat at Mc or BK because there were no such things. We slept in Motels and we were clever enough to get to venues early enough to scope out the local High School with a football field. Stops were regular on long trips and the buses were as comfortable as the times could provide (BITD) I am sorry you have such a crappy memory but perhaps you should not dwell on the journey as much as the destination. Winding up in places like Miami and Kenosha, Racine and Lynn were real eye openers for many of the very young (13 - 16) young men and women who populated our corps representing just about every ethnic and socio-economic strata of our NYC community. Wow! how shocked we were to see that the Madison Scouts were kinda like us?! Drum Corps was (still is and can be in the best of all possible worlds!) a true learning experience if we let it. We are saddened that there are so few children exposed to it no matter what the reason. I might add that my experience in the three corps I marched with was without the need of any outlay of money on our part. Our uniforms (and their cleaning) was provided for for the most part. I first played a pretty bad French horn but Hy and Carmen taught us something called "pride of ownership" so you cleaned it and when restored, even the oldest piece instrument can be made to play - if you have the ear and the dedication - I was allowed to play during the famed Calliope section of our Entry of the Gladiators off the line -when there was such a thing. No better feeling then to be singled out by the great Hy Drietzer. Do I have great memories? Yeah, you're right. they weren't all that good ... they were great! Respectfully submitted. Puppet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puppet Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 Why then, did you participate? Just retorical, but if you had so many bad times it wouldn't make sense to continue. True enough, I experienced alot of the examples you listed, in my corps days.But Those were trivial, when I compare them to other experiences, soon after my Jr.corps days ended. Viet-Nam comes to mind, as an example. When I compare the feeling of sitting in a bunker in the middle of the night wondering when the rockets and sappers would come, while also wondering about poisonous snakes, scorpions and such.... and feeling like I have a "bull's eye" painted on my chest.... Missing my family, home and all that was familiar, all before I reached the age of 21....well ..... Kinda puts things in perspective, doesn't it? I would have LOVED to sleep on a gym floor, pee out a window, eat a BUCKET of cold hot dogs ( WAY better tasting than the fare I had, in Nam)... really, this might be an extreme comparison, but the concerns you listed are trivial, dude. They are however, a very important part of the COLLECTIVE experience of Drumcorps! Really, when I think about my own experiences in Jr.corps: good, bad, doesn't matter! I enjoyed ALL of it! NOW: About peeing out the bus window..... We had a hole rusted out in the floor of our old school bus that worked just fine for this! Well said my vet bro. Most who post here - perhaps the poster himself - do not know what to complain about. Puppet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puppet Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 Wait a minute! I remember your gosh awful busses!!!! You used to have to push the darn things to get them started! True that! It's taken me this long to realize that BR was poorer than us kids from the real inner city! God Bless them for the performances they put on - especially early '71 & '72! Love you people BITD and now but my God weren't there gas stations?! Puppet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
endsnare Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 Seems many of us only remember the good times when we marched oh so many years ago. I think there were alot of bad times. Here are a few of my not so good memories. My Ludwig french horm was junk and fell apart alot. My uniform stunk from the last guy that used it who sweated alot. The guy that got my solo always cracked the notes in the show. The school bus seats were hard as rocks. I was hungry most of the time since we didn't have chuck wagons. Several times we practiced in old corn fields. Since none of us could read music we had to learn it by rote, that was boring. We slept in the most god awful places and ate cold hot dogs. We routinely got beat by all-girl drum corps. The daggone drummers beat on the back of my bus seat. My shako didn't fit. We marched so many parades, I still have nightmares of stepping in horsecrap. Just trying to keep it real! AND I WOULDN'T CHANGE A THING. IT TAUGHT ME HOW TO MAKE THE BEST OF WHATEVER THE SITUATION WAS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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