Official DCP G7 Proposal Discussion Thread

[hughesmr]

Does anyone remember the restaurant "Bill Knapps"? The vast majority of their consumers were people of the elderly age. Then they changed everything up, started making everything more "kid-friendly" changing the menu, creating commercials geared towards younger audiences. What ended up happening was the younger generation weren't flocking in to the newly renovated restaurant, but the elderly were driven out because the company wasn't serving them anymore. Soon after the changes, Bill Knapps went bankrupt, and they are no longer around. Anywhere.

I hear you.

The same argument also applies to many mainline religious denominations. Decades of dumbing down service and religious music, introduction of praise bands, etc, as "alternative" forms of worship never took off in traditional mainline congregations ... all this the idea of uninformed clergy coming out of seminaries convinced that the only way to "keep up with the Jones'" (=evangelical mega-churches) was to try to shape themselves into THAT (i.e. shape themselves into something they were NOT). The result? The new "hip" flocks they tried appealing to never showed up, plus they chased off a lot of the older generation in the process (along with their money).

Edited May 25, 2010 by hughesmr

[nukeme70]

Anyone else see the irony in slide 23? "We need to be like our peers and stop insisting that we are different and better."

I interpret that statement in context to mean that G7 has already thrown their lot in with the marching bands and have washed their hands of drum corps.

[madalumni]

"Divide and conquer!"

Kind of reminds me of this quote from Pastor Martin Niemöller...this is more about the response than

the tactic. Also, it's an exaggeration of what has happened in DCI

"THEY CAME FIRST for the Communists,

and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

THEN THEY CAME for the Jews,

and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

THEN THEY CAME for the trade unionists,

and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

THEN THEY CAME for me

and by that time no one was left to speak up."

[chasgroh]

Personally I dont like the man BUT Brace yourself Drum Corps as we know it WILL change like it or not

...at the risk of being repetitive, I think it'll be a great thing for all concerned, maybe after some "growing pains" for sure, but in the long run cooler heads will prevail. There are a bunch of good people not of the G7; Mark Arnold comes to mind, and Greg Orwoll...Ray Mar is a Steady Eddie. And there are more (think Roman would like to take a few swings?)...bottom line is somehow providing an affordable option for the have-not kids out there. I think this imbroglio may just churn-out a few viable options.

cg

[Scoutnout]

...at the risk of being repetitive, I think it'll be a great thing for all concerned, maybe after some "growing pains" for sure, but in the long run cooler heads will prevail. There are a bunch of good people not of the G7; Mark Arnold comes to mind, and Greg Orwoll...Ray Mar is a Steady Eddie. And there are more (think Roman would like to take a few swings?)...bottom line is somehow providing an affordable option for the have-not kids out there. I think this imbroglio may just churn-out a few viable options.

cg

HMMMMMMM affordable? In this age? WHO, sign me up even the lowest of Div 1 corps is over 2 grand I believe

BUT I do agree with your growing pains statement and cooler heads, for sure

[bstar82]

I cannot help but think of some of the lines from one movie.

"When I get a hold of the SOB who leaked this, I'm gonna tear his eyeballs out and I'm gonna suck his f#*&@!g skull!"

"I create nothing. I own. We make the rules pal."

"Now you're not naive enough to think we're living in a democracy, are you buddy?"

"It's not a question of enough, pal. It's a zero sum game, somebody wins, somebody loses. Money itself isn't lost or made, it's simply transferred from one perception to another."

"I am not a destroyer of companies, I am a liberator of them. The point is ladies and gentleman, that greed, for a lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed in all of it's forms; for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind."

"I came into Egypt a Pharoah who did not know."

"If you're not on the inside, then you're outside."

"It's all about bucks, kid. The rest is conversation."

"Why do you need to wreck this company? Because it's WRECKABLE, all right!"

"It's not always the most popular person who gets the job done."

"What's worth doing is worth doing for money."

"Read Sun-tzu. The Art of War. Every battle is won before it is ever fought."

"You're walking around blind without a cane, pal. A fool and his money are lucky enough to get together in the first place.

Wall Street 1987

[bstar82]

I noticed on page 43, the G7 would propose having events in Texas June 17th-19th which is usually opening weekend for most corps. Are all the G7 corps going to be ready with a full show, pre show etc.. by then, and then return to Texas July 22nd-24th? Will BD, SCV,Crown and Cadets all travel to Texas that early and see this as profitable? I'm sure other shows are scheduled for them on their return trips since I cannot see them on the road the entire time until the next big weekend in Nebraska. I also noticed the Nebraska date for July 10th which falls on a Sunday but no preceding Friday event. That Saturday is usually DATR's and the Blue Knights home show. I also didn't see anywhere about two of the non California G7 corps heading to the west coast. I wonder what this will do to the so called AA corps who depend on G7 corps to compete in their home shows i.e. BK, Colts, Academy, Blue Stars, Glassmen etc...

[3rd_Star_Brigade]

"Corps are NOT the same. Those who drive sales through excellence and entertainment ability deserve to be rewarded."

Hey G7, blow it out your #####!

This smacks of self-preservation. Remember when corps used to help each other out instead of trying to stab each other in the back over a stupid competition.

I like to think what George Hopkins, he who last year stated when his corps was in 4th place, that The Pursuit of Happiness was more than the game on the football field, that it was about the brotherhood, entertainment, legacy, etc. thinks of his own idiosyncratic hypocrisy.

I guess George cares more about the paycheck to get him boarded on weekly flights and dozen Starbucks coffees from his YOUTH ORGANIZATION with the wine and golf fund raisers than he does about the kids in Open Class that have no other activity that keeps them safe and productive (SpiritNJ, Blue Saints, Dutch)

Yeah Cadets kiddos, your BAND director is a nice guy.

[thirdcoast]

Well that was creepy. Read all 66 pages, at least did that. Was bummed the whole way through, abused for 66 pages. Leaving the MADISON SCOUTS as just MADISON. Very disrespectful. Going thru that whole thing and then seeing that MADISON SCOUTS uniform and we are not even involved, shows the short comings of this project right off the bat. You all may want to go back to the drawing board, maybe something less expensive, for DCI. Something that helps everyone. Bye the way, were is the love for PIONEER? Its spelled PIONEER. What the hell does PIONEER? Imply? Very disrespectful. CREEPY.

Edited May 25, 2010 by thirdcoast

[BigW]

"Corps are NOT the same. Those who drive sales through excellence and entertainment ability deserve to be rewarded."

They are rewarded by high placements at Finals and World Championships, and all that entails, such as the better recruits and sponsors.

I guess more esoteric things like that aren't what's driving these groups anymore, it's more about money and control. Championships don't matter and the struggle and hunt to excel and compete are effectively worthless to these people because they don't keep the corps in the black.

Not sure what to say about it other than I feel rather disappointed, sad, and disillusioned about these groups. Not sure where I stand in attitude towards them at all now.

I do know if they'd break off, I wouldn't shed a tear and would support those corps who would stay and continue on an honorable path and tradition. They'd have my respect and admiration. The G7 don't have mine right now. In one 60 page document, they burned out every bit of that feeling I had for them and have had for 33 years.

Edited May 25, 2010 by BigW