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Kingston Grenadiers


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Grenadiers have really never had a problem getting through the border. Planning was always well taken care of by the appropriate staff. Being an alumni and looking at things from the outside I'm going to assume the issues are money, gas prices, lack of membership and the lack of quality music programs in Canada. Music in schools has been on a major decline in Canada for a lot of years now. Governments just refuse to support arts and focus on core academics such as English, Math and Science. While this is ideal, the lack of focus on arts and trades is concerning. Being an active member from '97 to '05 I witnessed the staff wrack their brains to the point of pure exhaustion. They were thinking of every avenue possible to draw members from. They tried the Montreal connection, Upstate NY schools, the MAJOR hotbed of ODCA/DCI alumni in the Toronto area as well as recruiting from the streets. I have always believed it took much more effort to get Grenadiers on the field than any other corps. I guess one had to witness the BoD and support staff involved in such turmoil.

Knowing the nucleus of Grenadiers as well as I do I know they won't give up. It was a valiant effort to get the corps back on the field in 2008, since then the corps has been highly successful. A tad on the smaller size, but now you know exactly why.

Salient points all.

I need to ask a couple of questions based on previous comments and this one as well, but I need to get a meal and head to work. I hope I'm not prying when I ask, I tried to get info from Scout House regarding last year about the subject for my presentation but got no response. I had to go with what was reported here, which was enough. Have to go, running late, will be back.

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So Sorry to hear that Don... Very sad news for sure. Hurry Back Grennies!

Leslie Amico

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Jeff, Gary, this is more of a serious issue than people realize. It takes serious planning to do any cross-border activity now. Planning needs to take 6 months or more before in some cases.

Did a presentaion on this for a Music Business Course this spring, and it ain't pretty. I started it with the issues Scout House and Les Dips had last year, and it went from there.

I knew it was serious. That's why I mentioned it

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I can say maybe a few too many questions, but never any problems going in and out of 1000 Island crossing. The one guard even took a look at my drill book last year and said it looked pretty cool and wished us good luck with the season. I hope to part of the next phase of Grenadiers for they are a great group of friends.

Not having marching band programs like we have in states does hurt on getting kids that understand the logic and concept of the whole field marching thing.

Hope for the best.

dd

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Unfortunate news indeed. We will certainly miss the Grennies this year and hope to see them on tour again in 2012!

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Just to be clear, the Grenadiers have never had issues with crossing the border for shows. It was all handled professionally and our border crossings were smooth.

I figured as much. Too much at stake with US federal bureacracy and stuffed shirts to risk fibbing. A previous poster suggested that Les Dips should have fibbed last summer... In this climate, doing that could result in some seriously overblown and nasty actions placed upon individuals from USCIS. It's just not a very good idea. We all know that Drum Corps people aren't terrorists (maybe loopy but not terrorists), but given how the USCIS is put together and wound as tight as it is... no, trying to fib... no. Now for the serious questions.

1. In the case of the Grenadiers, they would have received prize money as per the DCA contest rules for contests they participated in, whatever that amount would be. Also, one would assume the Grenadiers would be a Canadian equivalent of a "non-profit organization" here in the US. I frankly don't know if there's a different term in Canada for that sort of set-up.

2. That all being the case, and I don't know exactly how the relationship between Canada and the US differs from years past- Did the corps and its staff-ground crew have to get some type of performance visa to enter the US? My guess is that if so, it'd have had to have been using a "cultural exchange" or "unique organization" angle? Or-- did you have to produce some kind of official documentation stating your organization was a non-profit equivalent?

3. Did all of this have to be planned for many months in advance to avoid serious additional processing fees from USCIS?

I'm wondering what and if there are any differences for Canadian performing groups entering the US, or whether they would have had to have done the same paperwork and prep that say... The Inspires and Kidsgrove would have had to have done, and what that would have to involve. I wasn't able to get definitive information on something like that for my presentation, but I was able to get that type of information for professional bands and musicians through my research.

Any information would be very welcome, even though the semester's over and I got my 'A'. My professor was really enthused and would also like to learn more at this point.

It's one of those things that have radically changed since 9/11 and I'd like to know specifically how it's impacting non-US corps trying to compete or exhibit here, and maybe... just what can we do to try and help make it an easier process by complaining to the right congressmen.

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