No more Tour Fee Excuses

[garfield]

Well, OK, Surf is not letting kids march for free, but they sure are making it easy for those with limited budgets and the marching bug.

http://www.jerseysur...Tour/Page1.html

This is a great idea and, if you read the announcement closely, you'll find that MMs are not getting off scott-free but, rather, are offered numerous ways to march for whatever they can afford, and work on their fees by contributing to fund-raising activities.

It seems to me that a corps that's making marching costs affordable to MM's is worthy of support from the fans at large. (Hint, hint)

Gotta give Jacobs and crew a lot of credit for thinking outside the box and doing what they can to make marching affordable for everyone.

I'm hoping that the kids who are on the edge of being able to afford marching will look closely at the opportunity that Surf is offering them.

Edited April 2, 2011 by garfield

[soccerguy315]

this could be good, or it could be terrible... need more info before I can decide.

What if all the members say they can only pay $10? What would happen?

[garfield]

this could be good, or it could be terrible... need more info before I can decide.

What if all the members say they can only pay $10? What would happen?

Seems to me that with enough fundraising activities that need bodies to do well - raffles, door-to-door in the neighborhood, pankcake breakfasts, car washes, etc - that a hard-working staff and volunteer group could use the kids' efforts to raise what the kids can't pay.

And in Surf's model, it sure seems like a great way to get all the kids pulling for each other to reach a goal beyond just a trophy. I think the teamwork effort would pull the kids together for a common cause of getting talented kids in who would otherwise consider the money to be too much of a barrier.

"Sweat equity" comes to mind.

Would you sponsor a kid at a buck a car in a day-long car wash-a-thon?

I think it's a great idea that takes the emphasis off money and puts it on pulling together for a common cause and for those less able.

Isn't that a key tenet of marching drum corps?

I say "Yay" for Surf for putting the emphasis on teamwork instead of a trophy.

[GUARDLING]

HMMMM I really hope it works BUT it seems like a push for membership which in the announcement also seems to be an issue. Unfortunately, I have seen summer and winter progrms attrack members with this thought of providing ways to fundraise , and YES they do get members but has always been a diaster, mainly many say they will participate and most don't. Many kids, especially with talent think they are doing you a favor and if they marched before in ANY program,including HS I would almost bet if you look back they owe other programs also.

I'm sure it will work to get membership, but at what cost. I've been in this position a few times providing a place in the activity for kids who feel a sense of entitlement and NEVER come through on the promise. Usually the ones who do fundraise and make an effort will be the one who will come through for you and the excuse maker with all the issues in the world will screw ya in the end like they have others.

I do wish Surf well and good luck, I hope you are the exception to the rule.

[MelloHorn13]

If Surf was located in an area that was easy for kids to find a part-time job.... I could find them LOTS of brass players.

[lindap]

Seems to me that with enough fundraising activities that need bodies to do well - raffles, door-to-door in the neighborhood, pankcake breakfasts, car washes, etc - that a hard-working staff and volunteer group could use the kids' efforts to raise what the kids can't pay.

And in Surf's model, it sure seems like a great way to get all the kids pulling for each other to reach a goal beyond just a trophy. I think the teamwork effort would pull the kids together for a common cause of getting talented kids in who would otherwise consider the money to be too much of a barrier.

"Sweat equity" comes to mind.

Would you sponsor a kid at a buck a car in a day-long car wash-a-thon?

I think it's a great idea that takes the emphasis off money and puts it on pulling together for a common cause and for those less able.

Isn't that a key tenet of marching drum corps?

I say "Yay" for Surf for putting the emphasis on teamwork instead of a trophy.

AAG had a similar scenerio. MMs were given a form to solicit corporate sponsors. We had raffles, the prize was usually a vehicle. If you worked at the raffle booth, your fees were lowered, we tracked MMs and staff hours. When there was a big fundraiser, all staff, FMMs, MMs and parents were notified via a volunteer telephone call lists, each with about 20 people to phone. The one day blitzes were the best, walk-a-thon, door-to-door as long as the event was advertised. During tour, if a MM sold souvenirs, she'd get a 10% cut. I worked the raffle, the one day blitz, sold souvenirs to reduce my out of pocket costs and was an instructor. Fundraising is forms, marketing, people, perseverence and worth the effort. Thank you. Teamwork is good and works :-)

[GUARDLING]

AAG had a similar scenerio. MMs were given a form to solicit corporate sponsors. We had raffles, the prize was usually a vehicle. If you worked at the raffle booth, your fees were lowered, we tracked MMs and staff hours. When there was a big fundraiser, all staff, FMMs, MMs and parents were notified via a volunteer telephone call lists, each with about 20 people to phone. The one day blitzes were the best, walk-a-thon, door-to-door as long as the event was advertised. During tour, if a MM sold souvenirs, she'd get a 10% cut. I worked the raffle, the one day blitz, sold souvenirs to reduce my out of pocket costs and was an instructor. Fundraising is forms, marketing, people, perseverence and worth the effort. Thank you. Teamwork is good and works :-)

Just curious. When was this? So many corps and winter programs have had issues with money and kids paying or fundraising. A different world from years past, thats for sure !

[Jeff Ream]

If Surf was located in an area that was easy for kids to find a part-time job.... I could find them LOTS of brass players.

uh yeah, the Philly Metro region is so hard to find a part time job

[Stu]

Bob Jacobs has a loving heart, no doubt!!! However, with all due respect to Bob, and I really mean that, the best way to "look out for the kids" is to keep the corps financially solvent (not) try to offer a musical national DCI tour experience without first having viable funding. This is a huge, real huge, risk because if 120 - 150 kids cannot raise enough operational revenue through the various funding ideas he proposes, and they all only pay dues on "what they can afford", they will end up being out on the road with no money for food, fuel, and insurance. Moreover, this has a high probability of causing jealousy friction amongst members because of the lack of equability of membership dues (member A pays $2000 while member B only pays $50). Again with all respect to Bob, this is "not" how to run a business, which is the demise of most corps', and therefore "not" the best way to look out for the kids.

[charlie1223]

Seems to me that with enough fundraising activities that need bodies to do well - raffles, door-to-door in the neighborhood, pankcake breakfasts, car washes, etc - that a hard-working staff and volunteer group could use the kids' efforts to raise what the kids can't pay.

And in Surf's model, it sure seems like a great way to get all the kids pulling for each other to reach a goal beyond just a trophy. I think the teamwork effort would pull the kids together for a common cause of getting talented kids in who would otherwise consider the money to be too much of a barrier.

"Sweat equity" comes to mind.

Would you sponsor a kid at a buck a car in a day-long car wash-a-thon?

I think it's a great idea that takes the emphasis off money and puts it on pulling together for a common cause and for those less able.

Isn't that a key tenet of marching drum corps?

I say "Yay" for Surf for putting the emphasis on teamwork instead of a trophy.

Just to be clear I'm sure that you aren't saying that this kind of model is more "prefered" than the current model of "pay your dues". I don't think that just because surf is using this kind of model that we shouldn't think that other members of corps aren't also pulling together for a goal "beyond just a trophy". I just think that all corps put an emphasis on teamwork. However, I can also see why you think this emphasizes a different aspect of "teamwork" in supporting the corps financially.

Anyway, that being said... We can probably see how this kind of method would not be preferred because of the great amount of risk there is in starting a season in the red. The revenue stream in the future is uncertain and I only hope that the fundraisers at the end of the year are more than successful. As "selfish" and "heartless" acceptable business practices are, they are extremely important and necessary. I don't think less of those corps that tell their members to pay a predetermined amount in order to march.

Overall, I think surf should do anything it can to fill its ranks because as many people as possible should have the opportunity to march. I'm just really hoping that this plan is extremely successful for them because it can be seen as being fairly risky.