The World Series of Drum Corps

[oldschooldbc]

OK, so we see the financials for this tour. That has changed very little from the PPT that came out in the spring.

But what about the other abominations that came out of that original PPT? Is the G7 still insisting on that?

1) Are they still calling on severe cutbacks from DCI's headcount and budget?

2) Are they still demanding control of the board, and demanding more votes than the other members? (The A corps would have 0 votes, under the original proposal.)

3) Are they still proposing this ludicrous scoring system, where the fan reaction would could towards the scores?

4) Are they still insisting that the OC corps leave, and form their own "regional tours", as originally called for?

Does this all really boil down to a money grab, and not a power grab, as we originally thought?

[Peel Paint]

OK, so we see the financials for this tour. That has changed very little from the PPT that came out in the spring.

But what about the other abominations that came out of that original PPT? Is the G7 still insisting on that?

1) Are they still calling on severe cutbacks from DCI's headcount and budget?

2) Are they still demanding control of the board, and demanding more votes than the other members? (The A corps would have 0 votes, under the original proposal.)

3) Are they still proposing this ludicrous scoring system, where the fan reaction would could towards the scores?

4) Are they still insisting that the OC corps leave, and form their own "regional tours", as originally called for?

Does this all really boil down to a money grab, and not a power grab, as we originally thought?

Evidently gone. From a practical point of view, since the G7 directors are no longer on the DCI board, those proposals were a dead-on-arrival nonstarter, anyway. I mean there's obviously no chance any of those proposals could pass, right? So why leave them in Round Two of the proposal?

[skywhopper]

Evidently gone. From a practical point of view, since the G7 directors are no longer on the DCI board, those proposals were a dead-on-arrival nonstarter, anyway. I mean there's obviously no chance any of those proposals could pass, right? So why leave them in Round Two of the proposal?

Depends, really. This document is just the formalization of the world-series portion of the original powerpoint. The other parts may be in other documents we haven't seen yet.

[Peel Paint]

Depends, really. This document is just the formalization of the world-series portion of the original powerpoint. The other parts may be in other documents we haven't seen yet.

I suppose. And if they really want to play the realpolitik game of provoking DCI into kicking them out, as suggested earlier in the thread by a couple of posters, to deflect blame for what happens to DCI, I can't think of a better way to do it than run the power-grab proposals up the flagpole, too. This part may be unacceptable enough to the other corps as is, though.

[byline]

The Cadets: 12,730 "likes" (I presume this is what they mean by "friends"-taken from the Facebook links on corps' webpages)

Yup, a while back Facebook changed "friends" to "likes"; pretty clunky terminology, but that's never stopped them before.

[BOBSMYTH]

Evidently gone. From a practical point of view, since the G7 directors are no longer on the DCI board, those proposals were a dead-on-arrival nonstarter, anyway. I mean there's obviously no chance any of those proposals could pass, right? So why leave them in Round Two of the proposal?

The G7 group is not a coordinated group with a consensus on all points of their proposals. Each of the G's has their own unique needs, unique agendas, unique thoughts and ideas on how to proceed.

The current document we are looking at now was probably written by a different G (say G1) than the individual who wrote the original powerpoint (G2, perhaps). Just because G1 does not mention some of these items in their writings does not mean that G2 has changed his mind at all about what should be done on these subjects. If G2's vision of the future includes a solid commitment that his ideas are right and valid and the best way to proceed into the future, you can bet big money that we have not seen the last of those ideas.

Is that cryptic enough for you?

[tommytimp]

Sorry that this has nothing to do with the proposal per se; I had to (absolutely had to, yes) jump in and say that "World Series of Drum Corps" is not the stupidest name they could have given this new proposal.

That would be "Stilton Cheese, Ironing Boards and Fishtanks of Drum Corps." "World Series" comes in second. Just as stupid as "Summer Music Games" was*, and you can't blame DCI for this one!

*I once did a phone interview with Ken Honsberger and one of the things I asked about was the choice of "The DCI Summer Music Games." He rhetorically asked me, in his best marketing-speak, "Can you think of five better words to describe what we do?" To which I responded, "Drum Corps International World Championships."

[Cache_Money]

It's good to see that the most egregious elements of the original proposal have been cut. But the ferocious response the proposal elicited from DCI and the non-G7 corps may make compromise on this new proposal difficult.

As it is, there's no way the G7 will be allowed to compete with DCI while still remaining part of it. The idea is less outrageous than those on the original G7 power-point slide, but it's still pretty outrageous. If DCI and the rest of the corps don't want to compromise (and this may very well be case), then the G7 faces two unpleasant alternatives: The status quo, or leaving DCI. And I don't think they will really leave. Hopkins' power point showed us what the G7 really thinks of the non-G7 corps, but it also showed us that the G7 feel that they need the DCI safety net.

So it is DCI, I think, that actually has the upper hand here. If they wanted they could stonewall the G7, and win. Negotiation would be better, of course. IMO the ideal outcome would be 4-5 Murfreesboro type shows within the DCI tour with a competitively determined lineup (base on results from the current season, not previous ones), plus a true national tour that includes the West Coast. The ideas for the G7 super shows could easily be incorporated into this format.

Now if the G7 really, truly wants to leave DCI and do their own thing, then great. These organizations -- DCI and the corps -- are ultimately businesses, non-profit or no. For decades DCI has competed with other circuits for corps and audiences, so it is completely within the rights of these corps to form an organization to compete with DCI. There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing that. Unfortunately, the G7 have this notion that it's possible for them to have their cake and eat it, too . . . to stay in DCI while experimenting with a new circuit, thus avoiding much of the risk involved. But this will not (or at least should not) be allowed to happen. Either they stay within DCI and attempt to move the organization forward according to its own rules and tenets, or they leave. There is no middle ground.

Hear, hear!

[cajal]

I'm glad the G-7 will do so well on their own. I hope DCI doesn't give them the transition year, that decision will be interesting.

On a more positive note, since they'll be doing so well, that frees up funds for souvie purchases and donations to other corps that aren't so well off.

[BOBSMYTH]

Sorry that this has nothing to do with the proposal per se; I had to (absolutely had to, yes) jump in and say that "World Series of Drum Corps" is not the stupidest name they could have given this new proposal.

That would be "Stilton Cheese, Ironing Boards and Fishtanks of Drum Corps." "World Series" comes in second. Just as stupid as "Summer Music Games" was*, and you can't blame DCI for this one!

*I once did a phone interview with Ken Honsberger and one of the things I asked about was the choice of "The DCI Summer Music Games." He rhetorically asked me, in his best marketing-speak, "Can you think of five better words to describe what we do?" To which I responded, "Drum Corps International World Championships."

That works for me.