kwitmer Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 Idess, in response to your post I am guessing you are not yet a parent I don't think the intent here is to in anyway harm Drum Corps, or more specifically Drum Corps in Texas but having stood in a parking lot until almost 1:30AM, watching a group of devastated young people prepare for an uncertain journey home after an exhausting and yet exhilarating summer, I can tell you first hand that there was no one in charge of this Drum Corps, and that is just plain wrong, any way you slice it, there are no explanations or excuses that make that OK. As far as the post being right or wrong, if I were a new parent looking for a Corps to send my child to march with I would certainly want to know about the history, stability and safety of such a Corps. If this spells the end of Revolution, I agree that would be terrible, but if this information saves this kind of thing from happening again than it is worth the cost. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Idess Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 Not yet a parent however I did march capital regiment in '09 and revolution in '10. From everything bad people hear about both these corps once you've been there first hand none of these problems ever are as bad as they seem to people on the outside of the corps. I remember several times last year when we were locked out of our buses or had no housing sites or no idea where we going and how we were getting there. We spent several mornings in california just chilling in walmart parking lots looking for somewhere to rehearse and shower. Point is this stuff happens all the time and while people are saying no one was in charge I dont believe for a minute Bryan would just abandon the corps without a supervisor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitedawn Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 Anybody who would leave a kid in a parking lot 1000 miles from home for ANY reason is an incompetent manager, and arguably a criminal. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florida Sun Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 (edited) Sounds like thier where problems leading up to seasons end .If these kids marched all season they should be permitted the ride home .How can anyone in there right mind leave them to fend for themselfes. You brought them there you see them home.Plain & Simple. Edited August 15, 2011 by Florida Sun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piper Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 I'm not advocating or soliciting anything, but I've always felt that Xmen and Revo in the same town could be counterproductive. Maybe they could work something out. I don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Idess Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 So the fact that all of these members signed a contract saying they could be kicked off tour and responsible for getting home themselves if they did something like refusing to perform means the mangement is incompetent? I think it means the members were just too comfortable with doing as they pleased with no respect for the organization and the management was right in not allowing them on the bus. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post danielray Posted August 15, 2011 Popular Post Share Posted August 15, 2011 (edited) Clarification: Yes the corps had problems with the bus company on a small remaining balance of over charges and the bus company was making threats to terminate early. Under the recommendation of staff I did allow them to solicit funds from members to help those that were unable to pay their tuition to finish contract and many stepped up and did salvage the season to go beyond Open Class Finals. Every year the corps struggles because we can never fully collect a tuition that is already low for the amount of touring we do but we always manage to make things work this year was just more difficult. As I told the kids that night the last time this happened back in 2006 it was a much difference situation and I forced those in charge to resign and even though this was different I would still follow suit and remove myself from the day to day in order to find someone who could be more tough and hard lined when it comes to collections and other issues. Just for info the balance was @9000 and there was 11000 in tuition still outstanding. Once again thanks to all that stepped up to contribute to those families unable to pay their bill so we could pay the bus company. Also for the record I never let that balance affect the food lines and due to a great response at the beginning of the summer to our canned food drive and the work of our food staff, the corps never went without a good meal all summer. After world quarters, that night I left $50 for food staff to do a Milk run in the morning and took a student to their flight arrangements and made plans to stay in Indy that night rather than drive back (1hr) in the dark in my car (the corps was housed out in Trafalger). There was some miscommunication and some thought I had left and only left $50 which was not true. Those that knew the plans were not aware of the some staff judgements and were asleep and unable to correct these assumptions until the morning. Friday came and since we have no cook truck and we are not allowed to cook in the lot and with our housing assignment 1hr away, we made sure to leave more food rations at the bus said our goodbyes as the plan for our departure on Friday afternoon was part of the plan since Day 1 and left a 4 year senior staff member who had asked to step up to a Admin position the instructions and direct contact with me for their ride back to San Antonio and instructions on using souvie funds to continue to feed the corps heading home but most meals as it has been in the past on Free time would be on their own and food would be at busses for those that need it. I fired no one. A discussion I had with another staff member was mis-interpreted and he communicated to the staff that I had fired them. I have never been with the corps on the ride back in every year since my return in 2007 as I am not a paid position and have a full time job that has me due back first thing Monday AM. Vacation time only takes me so far and this year I have school orientation and a very important Dr. visit which after my battle with colon cancer the past two years I do not miss. Saturday morning I get a call saying that the percussion staff had left cause they were fired and the battery decided it would not do the parade. I did tell Bryan that the parade is a required performance and anyone not willfully participating would have to find their own way back since the average age of the battery was 20 I was not going to let that defiance ruin the trip back because if they did not follow directions here I did not want Bryan to have to deal with their behavior on the ride back and give the younger members reason to ignore the rules. As stated the pit members who had no loyalty to caption just their tech decided to step up and complete the parade. We have had problems with this bus company since day one and it did not surprise me that they left to their hotel early and locked the busses. This has been an issue all summer from running over tubas and luggage to locking busses, smoking on school grounds and going into forbidden areas at housing sites. Bryan tried to contact them to get back over to busses to re-open but they had turned their phones off. We sent and email to the owner and got the driver to open the busses but at that they had heard the rumor that all staff was fired and worried that the trip back would be unsupervised even thought they knew bryan and other staff were still there. That evening the bus company decided to finish the tour in Arlington and told the kids this as they were loading up the busses because a 3650 over charge balance was still due. After several calls to the owner and our lawyers a settlement was reached and the busses are due in San Antonio this morning. So even while I am not on tour I have been working to resolve the issues. We have had a great long tour and it is sad that it ended this way. The busses are traveling back with the Genesis busses just in case the bus company tries to do anything else (Bryan made these arrangements with Chris Magonigal) and I was just informed that 1 bus has a radiator problem and they are packing all remaining members into the other bus to finish off the ride. I just love how no good is ever exposed on this forum when in regards to Revolution but when something goes wrong, it explodes. I walk away from this knowing the truth and that is my comfort. On to the next chapter in my life. Enjoy your rantings I will take part no further. John R. John, Where to start? I have 2 nieces and a nephew living in San Antonio, all planning to march next year. I care very much for their well-being, so this is of more than a minor interest to me. All I can do is share with you what I have learned over the years, in working in an admin role in drum corps and as a founder/CEO/whatever of several businesses since. 1) The only money that is real is money in the bank (and money that you owe). Uncollected receivables are not real money (you have $11,000 not paid.. that is not money... it is paper, but the $9,000 you owe... as you clearly discovered, that is real money), but simply the best case scenario. You cannot make any decision based on collecting these, anything past 30 days you should adjust to consider as loss. 2) Never let yourself get below a quarter tank... EVER. Sometimes you may have to readjust expectations to new realities. This is difficult, especially when you are dealing with kids and not wanting to disappoint. But it is much better to leave a kid without hopes of stepping out with friends on a championship field than sitting alone in a parking lot hundreds of miles from home. LIVE BELOW YOUR MEANS! 3) Don't create drama to demonstrate strength or personal sacrifice. I'll use a personal example here... years ago, I had founded a company, the economy hit a rough patch and the company had to scale back. I knew there would be better times ahead after a bit of a correction, but I worried that if I demonstrated uncertainty or made cutbacks too visible, confidence may have been shaken with partners or employees to where the company would not be able to come back. I needed to make cutbacks in a quiet, undramatic way. After consulting with my board (in your case, if you had a proper board and consulted with them, I cannot fathom you had made the mistakes you had... 1st strike you for not properly consulting a board.. 2nd strike you also, for obviously not having a proper board in place to guide you), I came up with a plan where I would cut back on ancillary spending that would not be immediately visible to most staff and would not shake their confidence. One of the cutbacks was letting go the cleaning staff. As a result, I arrived at the office at about 6 each morning to perform cleaning duties, slopping through toilets each day before going to work. This was NEVER made known to ANY staff (which was in the dozens at the time), as it would have severely shaken their confidence. The storm was weathered, the company subsequently grew and prospered after a difficult period. 4) It is ALWAYS you. If you run it, it's yours. Any failure... you own it. If it is the action of another, you hired them, retained them, enabled them, whatever. NEVER pass the buck. Finally, I do get that you have likely sacrificed quite a lot to be able to do what you do. Running a drum corps is not exactly the most lucrative gig out there, and I certainly wish there were more that found it within themselves to take on the task. I challenge you to own this moment, play more offense than defense and consider options in the best interest of the youth and parents that put their trust in you, second the health and future of the organization, and lastly yourself. I believe in taking this approach you will find it to be the best future for all. Admit mistakes, own them, make apologies, find great mentors, put the organization on hiatus if need be, make realistic plans, find sources of revenue outside the activity, come back strong. I'm always around... for more than criticism or simply advice. Best of luck, Daniel Edited August 16, 2011 by danielray 24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drumdad Posted August 15, 2011 Author Share Posted August 15, 2011 I'm pretty sure there is a section in the member contract where it states members can be thrown off of tour and required to find their own transportation home for things like refusing to perform. Since every member has to fill out this paperwork (and parents too if the member is under 18) then the members and their parents already knew if they refused to perform then they could be kicked off tour and required to find their own transportation home. You're "pretty sure"? Don't be. That is not how the contract reads. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
84BDsop Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 Drumdad...I understand your concerns....but I have one word for you....libel. You could be opening yourself up for legal action here, since this is a public forum....just sayin'. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 Drumdad...I understand your concerns....but I have one word for you....libel. You could be opening yourself up for legal action here, since this is a public forum....just sayin'. Ditto on that thought... Not only from corps management but the bus company. Leaving people, especially minors, stuck in the middle of the trip can have legal ramifications for any transport business. Haven't read all pages but seeing some guess work on the bus companies actions. (Hey sue me, my family had a taxi business some years back. My old mans still getting legal notices about crap from 40 years back.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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