Drum Corps scholarships

[Michael Boo]

Instead of fixing the programs that are bankrupting the country, your generation played the "why should I make a sacrifice to fix this problem?" card, just like you did in your post. Maybe you guys should consider not spending money that you don't have. Who bought houses that they couldn't afford? Who complains that other people "took advantage of them" when their adjustable rate mortgage changes rates because they are too stupid to realize that "adjustable" means "it can change"? Who scams people out of millions of dollars with pyramid schemes? Who ruined Harvard's endowment and is now ruining the US economy? Hint: it's not the people who are trying to march drum corps in 2010.

It is NEVER a good idea to generalize everyone in a particular generational group. Please re-read my post. I don't see at all where I played the "why should I make a sacrifice?" card. I do not spend money I don't have. I don't have an adjustable rate mortgage. I don't even have a mortgage. I bought I house I could afford and took years to make it into my dream house as I could afford it. I don't scam people with pyramid schemes. I had nothing to do with Harvard's endowment. I am not ruining the US economy.

I'm not advocating the older generation hands over jobs. I'm advocating they stop with the "me me me" stuff to maximize their personal money in short term situations at the expense of the long term stability of their organizations [and future jobs]. And then instead of losing their money, your generation demands more money from the government. Money that the younger taxpayers and future taxpayers are going to be paying off for their entire lives, all because you won't accept responsibility for your irresponsible decisions.

I see my generation (I'm 54) as trying to make a living. Period. I've never demanded money from the government. I guess your generation won't ask anything of the government if they believe so strongly in that. And if they do, maybe you should be the moral conscience and renounce all government subsidies and handouts so that your gesture shines a light on the situation for others to follow in your path.

I am sick of listening to the entitlement generation from the 50s and 60s who sat around and smoked pot while they protested the war instead of contributing positively to society turn around and call people born in the 80s and 90s "lazy". It's utter ########.

I have never once smoked pot and I haven't called anyone lazy except myself on days I didn't feel like mowing the lawn.

Why do you even work for DCI if you think the kids are lazy and entitled?

See above. I don't think kids are lazy and entitled. But there are economic realities that perhaps we don't always get what we feel we deserve. I'm the poster child for that. But I'm not blaming others. At times, I hoped to change my own realities and I hope you can change yours if you feel there is a need to do so. That's initiative. I highly support it.

And, to tie this all back to drum corps... this is the same thinking that the DCI leadership has. Pass rules that require more expensive equipment to be competitive now? Pass rules that put finals in the same place for 10 years because it seems like a good idea without thinking it all the way through? National tours all summer? The promotion of a few corps at the expense of 40 others? All short sighted and will result in the loss of corps and fans, and in the process driving up the price for those corps try to survive, which results in the need for increased fees, which is directly related to the scholarship topic of this thread.

If you don't like how the directors acted on certain things, then by all means talk to the director of your corps of the corps you wish to march with.

And if you're offered a scholarship, stand up for your right to not accept it.

[s3si1u]

Sorry but I’m in a no whiner’s mood today! What is the deal … does everyone want everything in world given to them? If you want to march in drum corps do what countless others have done … get a job and work your little fingers to the bone and save money. I sold chocolate bars, donuts, orange boxes, you name it I peddled it to make money. I mowed grass, plowed fields, and slopped the hogs, cleaned up horse manure, washed cars to make the money I needed. What have you done thus far?

How many people on DCP that marched in corps in the 70s and 80s worked every odd job they could to scrap together enough money to march? I did it! Some corps even offer discounts if you do work for them. Madison used to almost pay for a young mans entire fee if they worked in the Bingo Hall on Friday nights.

Also, you gotta be realistic. If you live in Milwaukee WI and want to be in a corps and you think SCV is the only place you should be … get a clue! Look around, Pioneer is a fine drum corps right their in your back yard. Look around some of you whiners and go to corps that is local to you. You’ve never marched in corps, so how do you know that you’re going to like SCV over Pioneer? I will bet you one thing; you’ll know everyone’s name in Pioneer at the end of the season. You may know the names of everyone in your section at SCV at years end.

Young people of today … quit your whining and get to work. If your not part of the solution your part of the problem!

If you want to march drum corps you will find a way to get the money together by working hard. This way you will feel that you’ve earned your way in and this will make you work twice as hard as being the best corps member you can be rather than someone giving you a blank check and you quitting when the summer gets hard.

Maybe I’m old and jaded, but so many young people today are looking for a hand out and won’t get off the couch and get out and earn your ride the old fashion way … WORK!

yes you are. I'm working two jobs to pay for MARCHING BAND. i'm not even of age yet...i am working my butt off, trust me. I'm still never going to get to march a DCI corps, scholarships or not. My family's economic status does not leave me in a position to even be able to afford marching band, let alone any luxuries that those couch potatoes who aren't marching corps have. I'm not a whiner, I just don't like generalizations. I don't like being thrown in with the kids who "won't get off their couch."

[s3si1u]

maybe I am young and jaded, but it seems to me that the problem with the country is that all the old people are looking for handouts and other people to pay their bills through social security and medicare... two government programs that old people demand more and more from that are completely bankrupt and relying on the young generation to fund, when those same services will not be there for them. Not to mention old people have ruined the economy with their "me me me" attitude so there aren't many jobs to be had right now. Just because there is color tv and internet doesn't mean the younger generation is lazy. You will be lucky when we are fixing the mess that you guys have left behind.

thank you!

To all you baby boomers, half my paycheck will be going towards paying your bills in a few years, so please let me enjoy my money while I still have it. If I had enough money (which I don't, obviously) to march the corps that's an hour from my apartment, then I would. If I decide to spend that money on airfare to my dream corps halfway across the country knowing that someone is kind enough to help out with the rest of my fees, then I would do that as well. People who want to help will, others won't. Let them be, please. We'll leave all you drum corps purists alone too.

[Michael Boo]

thank you!

To all you baby boomers, half my paycheck will be going towards paying your bills in a few years, so please let me enjoy my money while I still have it. If I had enough money (which I don't, obviously) to march the corps that's an hour from my apartment, then I would. If I decide to spend that money on airfare to my dream corps halfway across the country knowing that someone is kind enough to help out with the rest of my fees, then I would do that as well. People who want to help will, others won't. Let them be, please. We'll leave all you drum corps purists alone too.

Every generation helps support the generation the precedes it just as that generation helped support the generation that preceded it and just as your generation will be supported by the generation that comes after you.

How you decide to spend your spending money is entirely up to you. I've always advocated youth to march when they can. My standard line is, "You're only young once. You've got your entire life to make money."

[Michael Boo]

yes you are. I'm working two jobs to pay for MARCHING BAND. i'm not even of age yet...i am working my butt off, trust me. I'm still never going to get to march a DCI corps, scholarships or not. My family's economic status does not leave me in a position to even be able to afford marching band, let alone any luxuries that those couch potatoes who aren't marching corps have. I'm not a whiner, I just don't like generalizations. I don't like being thrown in with the kids who "won't get off their couch."

No one is benefited by generalizations, just as I point out a few posts above that it's unfair to blame baby boomers for all of society's ills.

I wish you the best that your dreams to march do come true.

[summernowplease]

SHAME ON ANY KID who pays to fly to be a bigdog, and then extends a hand for someone elses hard earned money. If you can't afford it DON'T DO IT. I think I read on here how all us old people extend ourselves too much then ask for a handout. What is this entire thread saying about the youth of today. "I want to fly thousands of miles, its my money, now give me your money so I can march too ...."

OK, I find this argument to be so strange... Let's take some examples.

I'm starting my fifth year in a non-finalist corps that is 45 minutes from my house. I'm also in my third year of participation with a winter guard that's about an hour and a half away. Combined, this costs me about $4,000 per year. After winterguard dues, drum corps dues are always hard to come up with by the time we leave for tour. Because of that, I work part-time all school year while going to college and teaching marching band and winterguard(s). I don't think anyone that has spoken to me or knows me would say that I'm not trying. I know that it will work out because it already has for two years, but each year when Spring rolls around I wish that I had a little extra help with money. Would you be willing to help me? (Seriously. PM me. hah)

Would any of you be more willing to help someone that DOESN'T march winterguard?

What about my friend from across the country who flies out twice a year for auditions and move-in to march this non-finalist (non-SEMIfinalist) corps - on top of winter guard dues, too? She's "helping out" and "staying loyal" to this corps, not ringchasing. Would you help her out?

Or what about another friend I have, who decided to take a year off of marching this non-semifinalist corps, and her finalist world class winterguard, to save up to march her dream corps, that just happens to be Top 6. However, since she also has to pay for her schooling and her apartment, cell phone, etc, she falls short paying for her plane ticket in May to move-ins? Would you help her with a hundred bucks to march her dream corps for her age out?

I just don't understand what exactly you all are looking for. A high school aged kid whose band director told him about DCI and to go check out a camp, gets a spot at the 13-22 place corps down the road, works after school to try to pay for it, and still doesn't make enough? Sorry, but I think there may be more deserving people than that kid.

[glory]

... If I had enough money (which I don't, obviously) to march the corps that's an hour from my apartment, then I would. If I decide to spend that money on airfare to my dream corps halfway across the country knowing that someone is kind enough to help out with the rest of my fees, then I would do that as well...

And when the time comes, if you can afford the nearby corps but not the corps of jet planes and your dreams, will you march the corps that's closer anyway?

HH

[84skyrydr]

OK, I find this argument to be so strange... Let's take some examples.

I'm starting my fifth year in a non-finalist corps that is 45 minutes from my house. I'm also in my third year of participation with a winter guard that's about an hour and a half away. Combined, this costs me about $4,000 per year. After winterguard dues, drum corps dues are always hard to come up with by the time we leave for tour. Because of that, I work part-time all school year while going to college and teaching marching band and winterguard(s). I don't think anyone that has spoken to me or knows me would say that I'm not trying. I know that it will work out because it already has for two years, but each year when Spring rolls around I wish that I had a little extra help with money. Would you be willing to help me? (Seriously. PM me. hah)

Would any of you be more willing to help someone that DOESN'T march winterguard?

What about my friend from across the country who flies out twice a year for auditions and move-in to march this non-finalist (non-SEMIfinalist) corps - on top of winter guard dues, too? She's "helping out" and "staying loyal" to this corps, not ringchasing. Would you help her out?

Or what about another friend I have, who decided to take a year off of marching this non-semifinalist corps, and her finalist world class winterguard, to save up to march her dream corps, that just happens to be Top 6. However, since she also has to pay for her schooling and her apartment, cell phone, etc, she falls short paying for her plane ticket in May to move-ins? Would you help her with a hundred bucks to march her dream corps for her age out?

I just don't understand what exactly you all are looking for. A high school aged kid whose band director told him about DCI and to go check out a camp, gets a spot at the 13-22 place corps down the road, works after school to try to pay for it, and still doesn't make enough? Sorry, but I think there may be more deserving people than that kid.

Once again we are back to OVEREXTENDING ourselves. Everybody can't do everything. Life goes on. Do what you can afford to do, that is all so simple. If people want to help people who overextend themselves, then great, but I am not up to making sure anybody can do EVERYTHING their heart desires. I still want my BMW, but I won't buy it, because after paying my auto loan and auto insurance and school bills and and and and and......... I CAN'T AFFORD IT. I won't expect anyone to afford it for me just because I think it would be nice to have. I think what you are doing is great, but there comes a time when you will find that you can't do everything you want, and life......will still go on.

[chaos001]

Once again we are back to OVEREXTENDING ourselves. Everybody can't do everything. Life goes on. Do what you can afford to do, that is all so simple. If people want to help people who overextend themselves, then great, but I am not up to making sure anybody can do EVERYTHING their heart desires. I still want my BMW, but I won't buy it, because after paying my auto loan and auto insurance and school bills and and and and and......... I CAN'T AFFORD IT. I won't expect anyone to afford it for me just because I think it would be nice to have. I think what you are doing is great, but there comes a time when you will find that you can't do everything you want, and life......will still go on.

This is TREASON you anti-American!!!

[s3si1u]

And when the time comes, if you can afford the nearby corps but not the corps of jet planes and your dreams, will you march the corps that's closer anyway?

HH

yes i would. of course i would (in fact, if anyone would be willing to help me, it would be much appreciated ). I wasn't trying to defend or offend anyone (though i probably did...sorry about that) I just figured that some people have a different point of view on this subject. But for me, just having that drum corps experience is satisfactory, and I have enough common sense to know what I would be getting myself into if I flew out to another state

whether it be City Sound, the Mandarins, Pacific Crest, or any other corps, I'd grasp the opportunity to march if it was presented.

Edited December 22, 2009 by s3si1u