Michael Boo Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 If drum corps leadership comes from drum corps membership, then we should look at this from the bottom up. Does $2,400 dues discriminate against anyone? Yes; it discriminates against anyone who is unwilling or unable to spend $2,400 to march a season. I'd love to live in Beverly Hills, but I can't afford it because the town discriminates against people in my tax bracket. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc oldtimer Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 Likewise, those in the position of power and authority owe it to themselves and their organizations to ensure they aren't unintentionally excluding anyone without realizing it. Then the question is how is DCI unintentionally excluding someone? I personally think this whole topic wraps into the larger issue being discussed; how to bring drum back to a "grassroots" activity and increase the number of drum corps out there. It seems that "back in the day" there were less opportunities for kids to engage in other activities; volleyball, baseball, soccer, etc. Now, with Title IV and all the other options out there for kids, this has shrunk the number of kids that could be turned on to our great activity...... especially if a kid (or his/her parents) has aspirations of making it rich. If you haven’t noticed being a professional athlete tends to pay a tad more then a corps director :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgarside83 Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 (edited) Yes; it discriminates against anyone who is unwilling or unable to spend $2,400 to march a season.I'd love to live in Beverly Hills, but I can't afford it because the town discriminates against people in my tax bracket. So you want DCI to continue to be like Beverly Hills? An activity for the rich only, outside of the common youth's "tax bracket"? Edited September 9, 2010 by mgarside83 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc oldtimer Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 (edited) So you want DCI to continue to be like Beverly Hills? An activity for the rich only, outside of the common youth's "tax bracket"? Ummm... there are cheaper options out there. The question is, do the majority of kids WANT to march the cheaper options. Like Mike said, I want to live in the North Shore of Chicago so my daughter has the best education possible but I am not in that tax bracket ;) Edited September 9, 2010 by dc oldtimer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomgolf8 Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 Ummm... there are cheaper options out there. The question is, do the majority of kids WHAT to march the cheaper options. Like Mike said, I want to live in the North Shore of Chicago so my daughter has the best education possible but I am not in that tax bracket ;) So, if there are cheaper options out there, and the kids don't want to take advantage of that, is that DCI's fault? If you want to march in DCI, you have to pay, earn through fundraisers, grants, scholarships, but you need to pay a big bill. The DCA corps down the street may be fantastic or less than that. It will probably be 50% or more cheaper. Now, it's not DCI, but it is an option. I would love to get more people involved in more corps doing regional tours (other thread). But on this topic there seems to be people suggesting, hinting at, the fact that DCI must design itself to be all things for all people at all times and it just ain't gunna happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomgolf8 Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 So, if there are cheaper options out there, and the kids don't want to take advantage of that, is that DCI's fault?If you want to march in DCI, you have to pay, earn through fundraisers, grants, scholarships, but you need to pay a big bill. The DCA corps down the street may be fantastic or less than that. It will probably be 50% or more cheaper. Now, it's not DCI, but it is an option. I would love to get more people involved in more corps doing regional tours (other thread). But on this topic there seems to be people suggesting, hinting at, the fact that DCI must design itself to be all things for all people at all times and it just ain't gunna happen. Just a side note, 9 more posts and I get a set of plastic steak knives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Boo Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 (edited) So you want DCI to continue to be like Beverly Hills? An activity for the rich only, outside of the common youth's "tax bracket"? First, we need to get past the notion that drum corps is a right. It's not; it's a privilege. Backpacking through Europe during the summer months of college is a privilege, not a right. The same can be said for going on a scuba diving vacation, going to the NASA camp for youth or bicycling across the United States. Being able to march in a drum corps is a privilege...a privilege I wish more youth could enjoy. But still, it's not a right. Edited September 9, 2010 by Michael Boo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Boo Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 Just a side note, 9 more posts and I get a set of plastic steak knives. I hate to be the one to inform you, but the plastic steak knife offer expired on Labor Day. Also, points are not transferrable to the new offer, which is a $5.00 gift certificate to Waffle House. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomgolf8 Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 I hate to be the one to inform you, but the plastic steak knife offer expired on Labor Day. Also, points are not transferrable to the new offer, which is a $5.00 gift certificate to Waffle House. I like waffles. I also like smothered, covered and chunked. However, my cardiologist would prefer I eat some sort of veggie scramble using an egg substitue and turkey bacon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgarside83 Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 So, if there are cheaper options out there, and the kids don't want to take advantage of that, is that DCI's fault?If you want to march in DCI, you have to pay, earn through fundraisers, grants, scholarships, but you need to pay a big bill. The DCA corps down the street may be fantastic or less than that. It will probably be 50% or more cheaper. Now, it's not DCI, but it is an option. I would love to get more people involved in more corps doing regional tours (other thread). But on this topic there seems to be people suggesting, hinting at, the fact that DCI must design itself to be all things for all people at all times and it just ain't gunna happen. Dues are a necessity right now. I get that. But the activity shouldn't be reliant on a dues system to survive. DCI and DCA need much more effective marketing strategies, so the activity can actually pay for itself. When it does that, hopefully a dues system won't even need to be in place, or at least not as expensive. Problem is, nobody sees a problem with an activity relying on $2,400 dues from each member to survive. I know A LOT of youth who would love to march, but can't do it because of the dues. Even DCA is expensive. I paid DCI div 1 dues that were cheaper than Readings. I won a championship with a DCA corps where I didn't have to pay any dues. That was only 7 years ago. Today, even DCA corps are losing a lot of talent due to dues. This isn't an instant fix, I get that. It would take years to put a system in place and turn things around for corps to be able to afford to even think about dropping or eliminate dues, but is anyone even trying? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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