RetiredJedi Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 I've read the posts in this thread and cannot imagine how I would react if this happened to one of my sons. I'd like to offer a "lemonade" thought to all of the members of Revolution who lived thru this lemon experience: You got thru it. I'm not minimizing this in the least. Actually, I hope that you realize that it's made you a stronger person for living thru it. You did what you had to do. The next time your friends ##### and moan about how hard their life is because their cell phone battery died or later on when you have kids and they cry about how hard they have it you can say "Oh yeah? Let me tell you about when I was a 1,000 miles from home and was basically abandoned, not knowing where our next meal was going to come from, and our group had to figure out how to get home. THAT was hard!" This situation sucked but you adapted and didn't let it beat you. That says something about your character. I respect the strength and determination that you guys and gals exhibited. Well done. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasgroh Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 I've read the posts in this thread and cannot imagine how I would react if this happened to one of my sons. I'd like to offer a "lemonade" thought to all of the members of Revolution who lived thru this lemon experience: You got thru it. I'm not minimizing this in the least. Actually, I hope that you realize that it's made you a stronger person for living thru it. You did what you had to do. The next time your friends ##### and moan about how hard their life is because their cell phone battery died or later on when you have kids and they cry about how hard they have it you can say "Oh yeah? Let me tell you about when I was a 1,000 miles from home and was basically abandoned, not knowing where our next meal was going to come from, and our group had to figure out how to get home. THAT was hard!" This situation sucked but you adapted and didn't let it beat you. That says something about your character. I respect the strength and determination that you guys and gals exhibited. Well done. Yah, it ain't good right now, but this is the stuff of reunions! Have heart, Revo, 'cause it *is* YOUR corps...and you were dam good! cg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 And if your experience with Revolution has been less than satisfactory, then why allow your child to march with them year after year after year after year? Because the dis-satisfaction only occured this year mebbe??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielray Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 (edited) I think that this is the uni the the Cavaliers guard should adopt for next year. Anything would be an improvement over this year's guard unis. In the 90's, I was flying into a small airport in Ukraine. I had brought along some Sea Monkeys as it seemed like a unique gift for the young daughter of some friends. The dialog with the customs official went something like this. Customs: Excuse me, what is this? It is a powder? What is it for? Me: Those are Sea Monkeys. Customs: Sea Monkeys? Me: Yes, Sea Monkeys. Customs: Is it narcotics? Do not lie --- Me: Of course not... !! They... they.... are Sea Monkeys... small -- Customs: In America, they teach you monkeys live in the sea? Me: Umm... no... Customs: So, it IS narcotics... you must be taking some now then to think monkeys live in the sea Me: NO! I told you, they are small animals that you --- Customs: Animals? Well then, we have a $100 charge to import animals Me: $100??? They are not even alive.. they are... Customs: So, they are dead? You can't import dead animals. Me: No... No... they are not alive yet. Customs: Oh... ok... then $50. Anyway... no idea why Sea Monkeys came to mind. Edited August 18, 2011 by danielray 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
margaret Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 I have been following this thread, as my daughter is a member of Revolution in the guard. I have to say amidst these posts-I will be forever grateful to John and his staff this year. My daughter fell ill very early in the season and was in the hospital, without John-I would have brought her home immediately. I completely entrusted her care to him . He was there when the hospital delivered some very bad news and he was on the phone with me within seconds, he brought to me comfort, calmness and rationality and limitless care and support for my 17 year old. He went to the hospital faithfully and kept me updated at every moment. He followed all recommendations for her post hospital care and was more than willing to take her to another medical centre for a second opinion and a follow up appointment for additional testing (which he did). It turned out that she was just fine, but if it were not for him I don't know what I would have done. I was absolutely hysterical. Clearly, there are issue that need to be worked out, but when all is said and done, I can not tell you as a parent how thankful I am that she is healthy but more importantly how John handled the entire situation when I was almost 2700 km away from her. Thank you to everyone in Revolution who watched out for her well being! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiodb Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 I'm all for a model where corps in a specific class tour regionally with a focused trip to finals (not a tour to finals, but trip)... more like WGI. Well, that's downright old school. Many in the "legacy" crowd have been calling for this for years. We used to have this model. Unfortunately, the activity (under the leadership of top corps) decided (for the better interests of the top corps) that they needed to move away from regional focus shows to a single tour of major events, and away from regional circuits to regional divisions under one DCI umbrella. In the process, regional championship shows were eliminated; logical tours within regions dissipated as inter-regional touring took priority; and access to major events became subject to arbitrary restrictions that left the corps we now call "open-class" with few (sometimes no) options for a worthwhile regionally-focused experience. Since those changes came 10-15 years ago, we've lost so many corps that I would question whether there are enough left to create regionally-focused experiences sufficiently worthwhile to cause open-class corps to change their touring behavior. Never mind the challenge of getting world-class DCI to adjust their priorities and restructure major events to accomodate open-class. But if you're that serious about it....then let's do what DCI's 5-year business plan suggested, and make growth the top priority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielray Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 Well, that's downright old school. Many in the "legacy" crowd have been calling for this for years. We used to have this model. Unfortunately, the activity (under the leadership of top corps) decided (for the better interests of the top corps) that they needed to move away from regional focus shows to a single tour of major events, and away from regional circuits to regional divisions under one DCI umbrella. In the process, regional championship shows were eliminated; logical tours within regions dissipated as inter-regional touring took priority; and access to major events became subject to arbitrary restrictions that left the corps we now call "open-class" with few (sometimes no) options for a worthwhile regionally-focused experience. Since those changes came 10-15 years ago, we've lost so many corps that I would question whether there are enough left to create regionally-focused experiences sufficiently worthwhile to cause open-class corps to change their touring behavior. Never mind the challenge of getting world-class DCI to adjust their priorities and restructure major events to accomodate open-class. But if you're that serious about it....then let's do what DCI's 5-year business plan suggested, and make growth the top priority. I do think that correction was, unfortunately, necessary. But, now new corps can be created with a more stable foundation. One of the unique opportunities that the internet presents is to now create a sort of shared infrastructure for small corps, with pretty much everything they need in a templated fashion... sort of paint-by-numbers, fill-in-the-blank kit for the various activities involved in small corps administration. Basically, a turn-key startup operation... just add the unique creative aspects of the org. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 I have to agree with you. This is nuts! I started the thread, but never thought it would garner this much attention or stray into all of the areas that it has. I came here demanding an explanation, that I wasn't getting through the usual channels, and ended up getting a whole lot more... the beauty, and sometimes perils, of a free society. We don't all agree, but we all spoke our piece. Kudos! this is tame compared to the Capital Regiment threads a few years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldschooldbc Posted August 18, 2011 Share Posted August 18, 2011 this is tame compared to the Capital Regiment threads a few years ago. Or when the Spartans imploded in 2009. I was thinking a lot about that situation, and the similarities with what is occurring right now with Revo. Both corps faced a split between the director and staff. Both corps were under severe financial stress, for various reasons. Spartans managed to get it together again, but just barely. Let's hope that Revo can do the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drumdad Posted August 18, 2011 Author Share Posted August 18, 2011 I think you got exactly the reaction you were looking for by bringing it to a public forum. Why not go right to the directors via email or snail mail? If that didn't work, then go to the next step and take it up with DCI. The tour just ended, so even if you went through the usual channels, it seems that you would be a bit more patient to get the answers you were looking for instead of posting it here. And if your experience with Revolution has been less than satisfactory, then why allow your child to march with them year after year after year after year? I won't waste my time responding to what you think and don't think. It's of little consequence to me. I will, however, answer your questions without regard to your satisfaction. I was there, as these things were happening. It did not occur to me, as I don't believe it would occur to most people, to say, "Perhaps I'll wait until next week or send a snail mail to try and find out why the staff was fired, why the battery is protesting and why they are being left to fend for themselves as a result of their protest". I began seeking answers immediately. But getting those answers, directly from the horses mouth (so to speak), was not happening... despite the number of methods I used to try to obtain them. And, again, I was there... watching my son, his friends and certain staff members go through this mess. What's more, the people responsible for it were miles away... on their way back to Texas... accessible only to those to which they chose to be accessible. In my opinion (and there's nothing humble about it), they hit and ran. So, the morning after I returned to Texas, I went looking for answers and I got them... right here (post #19). Do I believe them? Not really, but that's for me to deal with. I knew what happened, but I know MUCH more now about how and why things went down then I did when I first wrote the post. So do other Revo parents who shared my outrage and cocern. It, in a sense, removed the muzzles from the mouths of a lot of reputable people. My son marched and played for Revolution, in 2008, because he wanted to get started in drum crops. My son returned to Revolution in 2009, 2010 and 2011, solely for Carlos Botello and the rest of Revo's now former percussion staff. Where he marched and who he marched for has always been his choice. That said, just about anyone who has been through Revolution can tell you it's not perfect... and no one should expect it to be. Revo had many of the same issues this year that it has EVERY year. It was what happened in the last four days of the season, and how it happened, that we had never experienced before and that I hope Revo members and their parents never experience again. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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