Imperial Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 (edited) I was just kidding about the government comment. I do believe that most corps should go back to a weekend only concept although I realize that it won't be as easy as the 70's. In NY we could travel all summer long to a NY city (Greece, Elmira, Vestal, Fulton, Oswego, North Tonawanda, Hamburg, Batavia, Syracuse, Corning, Endicott, etc). Then add a few shows in PA and Ontario...there was your season. Oh yea, spend a few days in Marion, OH and Butler, PA. Fun times. We are recreating the old days..... Even though this grass roots thing is very challenging and I wish things would move at a faster pace, it's so cool to operate the way we do. Allow me to digress.... I was in old-time drum corps back in the 70's with Pembroke, saw that corps fold because of money and I transitioned into the 80's Marching North Star then teaching Boston with more touring and bigger stakes. Followed it into the 90's with Boston until I got married. Then, watched as Boston hit the big-time. But now, because I'm raising young children and time is limited, here I am back at the grass roots resurrecting my old corps. Now it's like Drum Corps of yore.... we have an old truck, which was donated to us by Light Brigade & we lovingly restored it to respectable running condition. It's paid for. We have used equipment which is paid for. We barter for rehearsal space by doing a parade for a parade committee chairman who has an empty clean building he lets us use. I drop my returnable bottles and cans off to him every week to help his parade fund. We have dedicated volunteer staff who run a music studio and they let us do sectionals there. We have some paid staff and we augment their pay by bartering services for their services. We compensate younger students in our group by sharing parade money with them. Our uniforms are paid for. We even have a small amount of money in the bank. We are not in debt. It’s humble, but solvent. We are tiny but we are growing slowly and improving. We make do with what we have. The management team sleeps at night, knowing there are no collection notices to deal with. This is so much like the old days…. Mom & Pop management with a delivery truck, some equipment and a dedicated membership! It’s becoming more and more enjoyable. Nostalgic too! One thing we have that the corps of yore didn’t have is the internet. I really believe the internet was huge in reconnecting people and stopping the activity’s decline. But, I do believe the DCI business model is severely flawed. Unless a corps has a sugar daddy, and is able to generate loads of cash raising money, the whole thing is unsustainable. Spending most of the time involved in a corps raising money –to me- is not fun. Unless you can stomach going through bankruptcy every 15 years or so or ulcer causing money worries the DCI experience is all consuming. Our vision is to be part of the community and only take a trip when we can well afford it. Also we perform more to the general public than a drum corps audience, so we do our part to make the general public know what a drum corps is. Everything we decide upon is within the constraints of staying financially solvent…. Thus sustainable. Edited March 8, 2010 by Imperial Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCIHasBeen Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 I'd love to share some stories of the good old days, but the best stories can't be told because: a) The statute of limitations for the crimesactivities involved still hasn't run out b) It would violate the terms of several participants probation c) You can't talk about that kind of stuff on a family board Some day ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 I'd love to share some stories of the good old days, but the best stories can't be told because:a) The statute of limitations for the crimesactivities involved still hasn't run out b) It would violate the terms of several participants probation c) You can't talk about that kind of stuff on a family board How true!!! A few years back, some of us alums were talking to several then-current members of our former corps... DCA's Sunrisers... and they asked us to share some back-in-the-day "war stories" with them. "OK"... we said.... "but before we tell you anything, you gotta promise us that you will NEVER, EVER do what we are about to tell you!!" LOL Fran Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dljones Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 How true!!! A few years back, some of us alums were talking to several then-current members of our former corps... DCA's Sunrisers... and they asked us to share some back-in-the-day "war stories" with them. "OK"... we said.... "but before we tell you anything, you gotta promise us that you will NEVER, EVER do what we are about to tell you!!" LOL Fran yeah.....Like Allentown 1977 DCA prelims......One drum major trying to duke it out with 5 or 6 guys from another drum corps.......Didn't last last long after a corps director prompted his corps to go help the one man army.......I'll not be the one to mention corps names or the drum major involved.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrunchyTenor Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 Maybe we can push the government to sponsor drum corps, one in every city. Go back to weekend drum corps and the week before DCI Championships allow all corps to tour. With government money comes equal opportunity. In other words, are you ready to see Cavaliers and Scouts open their ranks to females? Because if they accept government money, they accept EOP. Garry in Vegas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHall Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 4 words....Boy Scouts of America With government money comes equal opportunity. In other words, are you ready to see Cavaliers and Scouts open their ranks to females? Because if they accept government money, they accept EOP.Garry in Vegas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommyfromhowardst Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 I'd love to share some stories of the good old days, but the best stories can't be told because:a) The statute of limitations for the crimesactivities involved still hasn't run out b) It would violate the terms of several participants probation c) You can't talk about that kind of stuff on a family board Some day ... This..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walter Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 With government money comes equal opportunity. In other words, are you ready to see Cavaliers and Scouts open their ranks to females? Because if they accept government money, they accept EOP.Garry in Vegas 4 words....Boy Scouts of America Let the Girl Guides of America start their own drum corps !!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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