Solution to the G7 Dilema

[OldStyleCorps]

Well, if nothing else, incorporating some of the non G-7 corps could result in some Friday & Sunday DCA events!

Yes, this is the way to go. BUT add Sat also.

Do it REVERSE of the West Coast. They Allow the DCA Corps to compete " AT " the DCI shows as a group in a Different Division.

This way the "DCI groups Stay DCI", and "DCA stay DCA" . But ALL would have More places they MAY be able to use.

So if it is OK with DCI to Allow DCA groups at West Coast Shows. Why would it be a Problem to Allow the DCI groups to be at a DCA show in the Mid West, South or North East?

(On the West Coast DCA groups compete at DCI Shows. Lets face it. almost ALL DCA judges are also DCI "Adjudacaters" or what ever they are called now. So they KNOW how to use BOTH sets of Score sheets.)

Edited May 26, 2010 by OldStyleCorps

[idontwan2know]

THIS!!!

I have had this conversation with Roman Blenski many times. Kids want to tour and that is why they do DCI. I see this whole thing as a chance to reform DCM, DCE, DCW et al,...the non G 7's will be more localized to their areas for the first tour. The second tour will be all of the major regionals as we know them leading into championships. So Blue Stars are DCM Champions, Boston is DCE Champions, and Mandarins or Pacific Crest are DCW Champions. Whatever the others corps want to do until mid July, go ahead and do it. There was nothing wrong with that system that somehow was not exceptable to DCI anymore.

Pioneer has kids from South Africa, England, Japan, Mexico, Austria, Holland on some years and many other far away lands. These kids wouldnt want to come to stay in someones house for the summer and not drum, march or play the horn all day. They want to rehearse and then travel to shows on long grueling bus rides LOL. The kids that come from Texas, Nebraska, Alabama and Tenesee that are still good performers and musical athletes would stop their participation in drum corps totally if they couldnt make it in the elite groups.

DCA could begin looking at having regional contests that allowed two divisions. That would possibly work out well for everybody. Bring back DCM. DCE. DCW. They, that are too good for that, can go do what they want.

Donny

Good points, Donny.

I think the question is whether there would be enough corps left over in any of the regions to have a viable circuit once you removed the "G7" and their hangers on.

[Ron H]

I am not one bit surprised by this. When I was involved in negotiations between DCM and DCI (as were most other midwest corps directors), it was made perfectly clear to me by one of the major DCI directors that they fully intended - even back then - to shrink the number of drum corps for the benefit of the top corps.

Their attitude has not changed. They believe that drum corps has evolved into a semi-professional activity that is no longer community based. All they want is a traveling road show with 8 corps in an 8-week season and do not care one bit for the activity as practiced throughout the decades prior to now. Basically, they want to re-create "Blast" for football stadiums and to hell with any corps that gets in their way.

This will not "save" drum corps. It is an attempt simply to "save" DCI and no one else.

[Jeff Ream]

Ron you should say that in the junior forums thread

[J.C.]

Good points, Donny.

I think the question is whether there would be enough corps left over in any of the regions to have a viable circuit once you removed the "G7" and their hangers on.

Good question Alan.

It got me thinking about what a post-G7 DCM-like regional circuit might look like in the Midwest.

It also got me thinking about the result of not having a DCM-like regional circuit in the Midwest

and how it has affected the number of junior corps in the area.

2003 was the last year that most of the division 1 corps still competed in DCM.

In 2003, DCM consisted of 26 corps:

Cavies

Bluecoats

Phantom Regiment

Madison Scouts

Glassmen

Colts

South Wind

Capital Regiment

Pioneer

Minnesota Brass

Governaires

Chops Inc.

Kilties Sr.

Capitol Sound

Blue Stars

Glory Cadets

Eklipse

Dimensions

Americanoes

Lake Erie Regiment

Bandettes

Racine Scouts

Scenic City

Joliette Kingsmen

Colt Cadets

Decorah Kilties

If you subtract the G7 corps and add in a couple of new DCA-Central participants,

you could put together a month worth of decent shows with a circuit that looks like this:

Blue Stars

Madison Scouts

Colts

Pioneer

Minnesota Brass

Governaires

Kilties Sr.

Racine Scouts

Colt Cadets

Lakeshoremen

High Country Brass (for a few show)

Vigilantes (for a few show)

Chops (Hopefully they'll be back in 2011)

I know I'm getting WAY ahead myself here, but it's fun to think wishfully sometimes.

[MiniSopGuy]

So I have not read the entire proposal, but does the G7 actually exclude the rest of the corps from DCi? If so, here is a thought. What if ALL the corps excluded by G7 decided to move over to DCA? We would have more corps in more places throughout the country. Someone said something about housing the members on their 4 days off each week. Who says they would have 4 days off? If there were more DCA corps around the country, there could be more DCA shows in more areas around the country and there could still be full touring corps. We would then have 7 day a week corps competing in DCA just like DCi. Is that bad?

It is always said that DCA corps are lower quality than DCi corps(agree or not, that is the comment I have heard). If DCi corps were suddenly in DCA, wouldn't there then be "better" corps in DCA? If the shows were billed right, and the general public were educated properly, they would know that the DCA shows now have the same corps that used to be in DCi shows. People would still go and see the familliar corps. No, not the top 7, but how many shows always featured the top 7? Suddenly DCA shows could become the premier shows around the country.

The question would be is if there were a DCi G7 show and a DCA show with 16 corps in the same area on the same weekend, which would you go to? Personally I would choose the show with 16 corps. It will probably cost less and have much more diverse entertainment. Of course the simple solution would be not to have a show the same time in the same area as a G7 show.

The only thing that would have to change for the DCi corps that come over to DCA is they would have to leave their plugged in instruments at home and conform to the DCA rules. Not too difficult to do. If this really happens and the G7 corps create a division line from the rest of DCi and those corps decide to move to DCA, suddenly there would be 6 to 10 more corps out west and we could have a complete DCA schedule.

G7 will probably go through and planned for correctly, DCA could have the opportunity to be there to pick up the pieces.

---Bob---

*****************edit*********************:

Since this is such a hot topic right now, I probably should say that these are my opinions only and do not reflect the opinion of staff or management of any corps that I am affiliated with.

Edited May 26, 2010 by MiniSopGuy

[OldStyleCorps]

First off I am NOT a DCI FAN at all. Haven't been to one in more than 10 years. (and I lived within a one hour drive of the DCI Championships one of those years) But to each their own.

However:

I do know , if say the "Grand Prix" the Cabs have would do the following. They would most likely need a BIGGER place to hold it. Bringing 4 NON G7 groups and 4 DCA groups, and 2 Exhibition groups to "The Show"

Here goes for The "Grand Prix" 2011

Opening Exhib. The "Bridgemen"

Then:

Troopers

Blue Stars

Madison Scouts

Boston Crusaders

short INT.

Then:

Conn. Hurk's

Empire Statesmen

Hawthorne Cab's

Reading Buc's

The Cabs Alumni Exhib.

Bringing some of the best of BOTH Worlds togeather. You can not tell me that would not fill a nice size Stadium to the max.

[Blackstar]

Why can't there be DCA weekdays shows. If a "JR" corps is a DCA member then seniors don't have to participate at every show. Having regional tours does not preclude having only weekend shows.

[Jeff Ream]

Why can't there be DCA weekdays shows. If a "JR" corps is a DCA member then seniors don't have to participate at every show. Having regional tours does not preclude having only weekend shows.

I can see a few reasons.

one, the judging pool is shared by both places.....and it will make it tough to get enough judges that dont do both to get out there on week nights

two, DCA does not have the infrastructure to support a touring model. in fact the way corps are paid in DCA is very different from DCI

[muzzicman1]

First off I am NOT a DCI FAN at all. Haven't been to one in more than 10 years. (and I lived within a one hour drive of the DCI Championships one of those years) But to each their own.

However:

I do know , if say the "Grand Prix" the Cabs have would do the following. They would most likely need a BIGGER place to hold it. Bringing 4 NON G7 groups and 4 DCA groups, and 2 Exhibition groups to "The Show"

Here goes for The "Grand Prix" 2011

Opening Exhib. The "Bridgemen"

Then:

Troopers

Blue Stars

Madison Scouts

Boston Crusaders

short INT.

Then:

Conn. Hurk's

Empire Statesmen

Hawthorne Cab's

Reading Buc's

The Cabs Alumni Exhib.

Bringing some of the best of BOTH Worlds togeather. You can not tell me that would not fill a nice size Stadium to the max.

(I'd rather see Bayonne than Cabs Alumni, not that Cabs Alumni isn't spectacular, its just that Bayonne would personify what a Junior corp would look like if it decided to be an All-Age....)

But this whole subject is ridiculous, to what benefit does DCA gain in the end?....DCI is kids stuff, they think like kids, act like kids and can't hold their liquor anyway.....

PLUS it sounds almost as STUPID as having the Super Bowl in New Jersey in FEB....lol.....