Corps Status Checks

[Jeff Ream]

thrilled to see conversations are happening, even if thingsmay not yet be where everyone wants them.

a hell of a lot better than crying on DCP and RAMD....because little has ever gotten done that way

Without revealing details (as I am on the managing team with my corps), yes, there have been conversations with DCA to resolve our concerns. At this point, resolutions we sought are not forthcoming. That's not to say that anyone was anti Texas corps, just the rules in place don't allow for what we felt would be a helpful scenario. I know our corps is working internally to bring suggestions and solutions to the table for discussion in the Fall that will help more than just our corps. As Tom mentioned, the DCA guys are working with us and I would venture to say pulling for us. It's just a process and nothing happens overnight.

But as I mentioned before (with my official hat OFF) I think we have to see some changes to address the concerns of corps facing stronger challenges (in all areas of the country). DCA (and its member corps) cannot operate as it did in previous years with the landscape of our country and economy in a much different state.

So I am clear - I am not necessarily against the 35 member rule. I understand why sponsors would expect that level of product. But in the hinterlands and growth areas of DCA, the show sponsors ARE the corps. I would like to see the show sponsors be allowed to make a call on their own. Perhaps DCA allows corps to get a score (so long as the show sponsor is paying all the costs associated with running a show and acquiring judges) but with the restriction against competing at Nationals? Because as I mentioned before, that is what folks want to experience - they want to march, earn a score, and compete.

All that said and back to the original topic at hand - Vigilantes are not in danger of the 35 member rule at this point. We have scratched and clawed to recruit as many members as we can to put a high quality product on the field. We like our progress and feel good about what we will bring to the field. We'd just like to have some more Texans competing with us!

[quegrawks]

I had forgotten about this until you just brought it up!

Not sure what happened with that, but thought it was in name only-a central "advertising" website- and not actually a foundation of any sort. Maybe making it one would be beneficial and encourage others to participate?

There was a Texas focused "league" that started a year or two ago. What has happened with that? That sounds like it could be the foundation to bring together the various groups to start doing their own shows in towns around TX.

[BigSev]

I had forgotten about this until you just brought it up!

Not sure what happened with that, but thought it was in name only-a central "advertising" website- and not actually a foundation of any sort. Maybe making it one would be beneficial and encourage others to participate?

I think come October we should revisit this in person. Prior to that if there are some ideas on how to reach out to people who have a serious interest in having their organization, current or future, involved in the "league", we can start a communication program ASAP to generate interest.

Edited July 1, 2010 by BigSev

[Shadow_7]

hey Shadow.......go get corps 35 members each, then host a show.

your problem is solved, granted you do something to make it better other than whining on here and on RAMD.

oh and it isn't DCA's fault. it's the fault of the corps that can't get enough bodies

Not to be so anti-Jeff... But,..

I don't get stopped at the end of my driveway, and told not to bother going to work today because I don't have 34 passengers. DCA with their 35 minimum effectively does EXACTLY THAT.

The 35 minimum ENCOURAGES corps to be BE NON-COMPETITIVE. Which raises the basic question of ------ IF ALL CORPS ARE NON-COMPETITIVE "WHO WILL PERFORM AT PRELIMS". End of story, GAME OVER. DCA has LITERALLY given corps, NO OTHER CHOICE. It has NOTHING to do with a "CHAMPIONSHIPS". And has everything to do with without competitive status, one HAS TO travel 5K+ miles to compete just "THREE" or "LESS" times. If you cut the number of competitive corps in HALF, you DOUBLE the distance between COMPETITIVE CORPS. Which is BASIC 3RD GRADE MATH.

Meanwhile I've bought several THOUSANDS in "GEAR" / horns to help facilitate DCA's "35" minimum. WITHOUT success. And IF I have to sell every last one of those horns at $100+ in LOSS, then DCA effectively cost me $3K and I didn't even get so much as a dial-tone / SCORE to show for it. In terms of Verizon / Ma Bell, YOU SUCK. END OF STORY.

I actually have an opportunity to GO TO DCA this year. BUT.... I AM VERY HESITANT to take it. WHY???? Because IF I do, I go knowing that at least 60 (or more) of my brethren / alumni ARE NOT GOING WITH ME. Plus all of the other joys of DCP incarnate that I'll likely experience there. Not to mention the $100 A WEEK price tag such an endeavor demands. You doubt my MATH? 5K miles $3 per gallon, plus lodging, not to mention food. A "9" week season that cost in excess of $1K. Am I the only one in this genre with a calculator?

[Jeff Ream]

then get off your ###, and join the folks here who talked about an all Texas circuit.

see Shadow, drum corps was never meant to be one size fits all. Even back in the day, you had some corps only CYO, some only Legion, some only VFW.

i appreciate your dedication to wanting to do drum corps. I really do. But I also shake my head at you refusing to take the tons of advice offered to you, especially on how to go about winning people to see your side of the argument...because, you hurt yourself and your friends every time you type.

Not to be so anti-Jeff... But,..

I don't get stopped at the end of my driveway, and told not to bother going to work today because I don't have 34 passengers. DCA with their 35 minimum effectively does EXACTLY THAT.

The 35 minimum ENCOURAGES corps to be BE NON-COMPETITIVE. Which raises the basic question of ------ IF ALL CORPS ARE NON-COMPETITIVE "WHO WILL PERFORM AT PRELIMS". End of story, GAME OVER. DCA has LITERALLY given corps, NO OTHER CHOICE. It has NOTHING to do with a "CHAMPIONSHIPS". And has everything to do with without competitive status, one HAS TO travel 5K+ miles to compete just "THREE" or "LESS" times. If you cut the number of competitive corps in HALF, you DOUBLE the distance between COMPETITIVE CORPS. Which is BASIC 3RD GRADE MATH.

Meanwhile I've bought several THOUSANDS in "GEAR" / horns to help facilitate DCA's "35" minimum. WITHOUT success. And IF I have to sell every last one of those horns at $100+ in LOSS, then DCA effectively cost me $3K and I didn't even get so much as a dial-tone / SCORE to show for it. In terms of Verizon / Ma Bell, YOU SUCK. END OF STORY.

I actually have an opportunity to GO TO DCA this year. BUT.... I AM VERY HESITANT to take it. WHY???? Because IF I do, I go knowing that at least 60 (or more) of my brethren / alumni ARE NOT GOING WITH ME. Plus all of the other joys of DCP incarnate that I'll likely experience there. Not to mention the $100 A WEEK price tag such an endeavor demands. You doubt my MATH? 5K miles $3 per gallon, plus lodging, not to mention food. A "9" week season that cost in excess of $1K. Am I the only one in this genre with a calculator?

[BOSMarcher]

Not to be so anti-Jeff... But,..

I don't get stopped at the end of my driveway, and told not to bother going to work today because I don't have 34 passengers. DCA with their 35 minimum effectively does EXACTLY THAT.

The 35 minimum ENCOURAGES corps to be BE NON-COMPETITIVE. Which raises the basic question of ------ IF ALL CORPS ARE NON-COMPETITIVE "WHO WILL PERFORM AT PRELIMS". End of story, GAME OVER. DCA has LITERALLY given corps, NO OTHER CHOICE. It has NOTHING to do with a "CHAMPIONSHIPS". And has everything to do with without competitive status, one HAS TO travel 5K+ miles to compete just "THREE" or "LESS" times. If you cut the number of competitive corps in HALF, you DOUBLE the distance between COMPETITIVE CORPS. Which is BASIC 3RD GRADE MATH.

Meanwhile I've bought several THOUSANDS in "GEAR" / horns to help facilitate DCA's "35" minimum. WITHOUT success. And IF I have to sell every last one of those horns at $100+ in LOSS, then DCA effectively cost me $3K and I didn't even get so much as a dial-tone / SCORE to show for it. In terms of Verizon / Ma Bell, YOU SUCK. END OF STORY.

I actually have an opportunity to GO TO DCA this year. BUT.... I AM VERY HESITANT to take it. WHY???? Because IF I do, I go knowing that at least 60 (or more) of my brethren / alumni ARE NOT GOING WITH ME. Plus all of the other joys of DCP incarnate that I'll likely experience there. Not to mention the $100 A WEEK price tag such an endeavor demands. You doubt my MATH? 5K miles $3 per gallon, plus lodging, not to mention food. A "9" week season that cost in excess of $1K. Am I the only one in this genre with a calculator?

So you know of 60 people that would love to march that you would feel bad for leaving behind? I am failing to see why you can't get at least 35 members...

As for your money lost. We all take chances in life and some of them pay off... that doesn't mean you should blame other people for failures. For the record, there were some corps this year that decided not to field AND they met the DCA 35 rule.... the rule alone does not keep groups from fielding. They had their reasons, but it wasn't because of being less than 35. You can't lump everything into one basket just because you feel this one rule is the sole reason your group can't get off the ground.

[Jeff Ream]

illegal use of logic, BOS, 10 yards, loss of down

[Sayre Kulp]

Not to be so anti-Jeff... But,..

I don't get stopped at the end of my driveway, and told not to bother going to work today because I don't have 34 passengers. DCA with their 35 minimum effectively does EXACTLY THAT.

The 35 minimum ENCOURAGES corps to be BE NON-COMPETITIVE. Which raises the basic question of ------ IF ALL CORPS ARE NON-COMPETITIVE "WHO WILL PERFORM AT PRELIMS". End of story, GAME OVER. DCA has LITERALLY given corps, NO OTHER CHOICE. It has NOTHING to do with a "CHAMPIONSHIPS". And has everything to do with without competitive status, one HAS TO travel 5K+ miles to compete just "THREE" or "LESS" times. If you cut the number of competitive corps in HALF, you DOUBLE the distance between COMPETITIVE CORPS. Which is BASIC 3RD GRADE MATH.

Meanwhile I've bought several THOUSANDS in "GEAR" / horns to help facilitate DCA's "35" minimum. WITHOUT success. And IF I have to sell every last one of those horns at $100+ in LOSS, then DCA effectively cost me $3K and I didn't even get so much as a dial-tone / SCORE to show for it. In terms of Verizon / Ma Bell, YOU SUCK. END OF STORY.

I actually have an opportunity to GO TO DCA this year. BUT.... I AM VERY HESITANT to take it. WHY???? Because IF I do, I go knowing that at least 60 (or more) of my brethren / alumni ARE NOT GOING WITH ME. Plus all of the other joys of DCP incarnate that I'll likely experience there. Not to mention the $100 A WEEK price tag such an endeavor demands. You doubt my MATH? 5K miles $3 per gallon, plus lodging, not to mention food. A "9" week season that cost in excess of $1K. Am I the only one in this genre with a calculator?

So if you have 60 or more brethren / alumni at home, even with a whopping 20 missing due to school, graduation, jobs, unemployment, weddings, bar mitzvahs, etc., you still have 40 making it to the show. You would still exceed the required 35 by 5. According to my abacus, you'd have enough to compete.

Now let's work some more math, since that's the way you want to debate today:

CorpsVets took 3 years from inception to get to DCA, Renegades took 5. That's an average of 4 years from birth to competition. The whole process takes time. But I promise you, both these corps spent those 4 years working their tails off to get from 7 people and a ham sandwich to Open Class Finalists. They didn't sit on the webbernets and belly-ache about how DCA is telling them to just stay home. There are probably half dozen other examples in DCA right now: Govies, Chops, Cincy Tradition, High Country Brass, etc. These are all corps that existed locally for several years and are just recently coming to DCA Championships. This just serves to illustrate that it's not impossible, in fact it happens more often than you realize. There is more to drum corps than competing and getting scores. If that's all you do it for, I hate to break it to you, but you're doing it wrong.

[Jeff Ream]

illegal use of logic I already used, Sayre, 15 yards, repeat first down

[Gary Matczak]

Not to be so anti-Jeff... But,..

I don't get stopped at the end of my driveway, and told not to bother going to work today because I don't have 34 passengers. DCA with their 35 minimum effectively does EXACTLY THAT.

The 35 minimum ENCOURAGES corps to be BE NON-COMPETITIVE. Which raises the basic question of ------ IF ALL CORPS ARE NON-COMPETITIVE "WHO WILL PERFORM AT PRELIMS". End of story, GAME OVER. DCA has LITERALLY given corps, NO OTHER CHOICE. It has NOTHING to do with a "CHAMPIONSHIPS". And has everything to do with without competitive status, one HAS TO travel 5K+ miles to compete just "THREE" or "LESS" times. If you cut the number of competitive corps in HALF, you DOUBLE the distance between COMPETITIVE CORPS. Which is BASIC 3RD GRADE MATH.

Meanwhile I've bought several THOUSANDS in "GEAR" / horns to help facilitate DCA's "35" minimum. WITHOUT success. And IF I have to sell every last one of those horns at $100+ in LOSS, then DCA effectively cost me $3K and I didn't even get so much as a dial-tone / SCORE to show for it. In terms of Verizon / Ma Bell, YOU SUCK. END OF STORY.

I actually have an opportunity to GO TO DCA this year. BUT.... I AM VERY HESITANT to take it. WHY???? Because IF I do, I go knowing that at least 60 (or more) of my brethren / alumni ARE NOT GOING WITH ME. Plus all of the other joys of DCP incarnate that I'll likely experience there. Not to mention the $100 A WEEK price tag such an endeavor demands. You doubt my MATH? 5K miles $3 per gallon, plus lodging, not to mention food. A "9" week season that cost in excess of $1K. Am I the only one in this genre with a calculator?

This is just a little samba

Built upon a single note

Other notes are bound to follow

But the root is still that note

Now this new note is the consequence of the one we've just been through

As I'm bound to be the unavoidable consequence of you

There's so many people who can talk and talk and talk

and just say nothing or nearly nothing

I have used up all the scale I know and at the end I've come

to nothing or nearly nothing

So I come back to my first note as I must come back to you

I will pour into that one note all the love I feel for you

Any one who wants the whole show dó-ré-mi-fá-sol-lá-ti-dó

He will find himself with no show better play the note you know