Jeff Ream Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 Hey Tom, Though I agree with most or all of your points, I have to ask you one question.What committee were you on that started the class A division? The DCA class A was the brainchild of Dan Rippon, Then director of the Westshoremen. Dan asked me if I was interested in helping him get a rule change passed at the fall congress for the formation of a class A division and I said "yes". Both Dan and myself worked the phones and Dan wrote the by law change/addition for a class A division for the upcoming season. The membership voted unanimously for the addition and the rest is history! I read so much about how everyone loves the class A division and I really think its time that Dan Rippon gets the recognition he deserves for having the vision so many years ago. It was and still is a great idea that has helped make the DCA a wonderful organization. Jay A retired DCA Director um...Dan stepped down after 1994. Class A started in 1997 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 We had eleven Open Class corps this year. Assuming all eleven come back in 2012, we could have fifteen with Kidsgrove intending to return, Cadets 2 forming, as well as Brigs and possibly Sky coming back. What about Cru??? I don't think we are far from having a fifteen-corps prelims in both Open and Class A..... a better economy would help, too. Joe Dz in NJ Cru is dead. filed bankruptcy, i think they sold everything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scerpella Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 Looking at the DCI side of things there are what like 20+ corps? And they whittle it down to what 12 on finals night? Using that method of finalist status your looking at about 50% of the corps get in and 50% sit out. If DCA were to apply that same method that would be a top 6 for finals. Looking at the Class A side of things if we added 2 more final spots for a total of 5 we would have 11 corps on finals night. Ed that is a completely arbitrary number. Yeah nowadays there aren't many corps in World Class, but in 72 the first year of DCI there were 39 corps vying for 12 spots. In your reasoning this would translate to 3 corps in DCA Open Finals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sayre Kulp Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 members or # of members doesnt mean a corps is OC or A class material. Ummm... yeah - that's exactly what it means. 35-65 = Class A, 65-128 = Open Class. when you merely look at a number to determine quality or placement something is wrong..IMO...small can be as good as large if programed correctly and the flip side of that also applies..just beacuse you have a full corps doesnt mean it was done well. But 2 good snares and 10 good snares are not the same. It takes a lot more to get 10 snares clean than 2. And for that matter, 60 horns have more capability of generating effect than 12. Even the best 12 you can find. Credit has to be given where it is due. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted September 9, 2011 Author Share Posted September 9, 2011 (edited) Ummm... yeah - that's exactly what it means. 35-65 = Class A, 65-128 = Open Class. But 2 good snares and 10 good snares are not the same. It takes a lot more to get 10 snares clean than 2. And for that matter, 60 horns have more capability of generating effect than 12. Even the best 12 you can find. Credit has to be given where it is due. Ya know youre right..it says it on paper so it must be theres been some pretty crappy corps that were quite full over the years and also some small excellent quality ones....a # doesnt say you are good enough to be an OC finalists no matter how you wanna slice it. Thats like saying I choose \to go Open Class so Im better than those in A Class...... Edited September 9, 2011 by GUARDLING Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegalEagle50 Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 I'll almost agree. if a corps stayed under 65 members because the budget wasn't ready yet for more uniform expense or more equipment purchases, then by all means, I think it's a no brainer Agreed. I don't want to see a corps floating on credit for expeditures to be in Open, and fold the following year because they couldn't pay off their purchases. Especially in this economy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegalEagle50 Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 Thats like saying I choose \to go Open Class so Im better than those in A Class...... Because that's never happened before. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camel lips Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 Ummm... yeah - that's exactly what it means. 35-65 = Class A, 65-128 = Open Class. But 2 good snares and 10 good snares are not the same. It takes a lot more to get 10 snares clean than 2. And for that matter, 60 horns have more capability of generating effect than 12. Even the best 12 you can find. Credit has to be given where it is due. So much of what's on the sheets is about visual and field coverage. Look at the top 5 in open. They are all large top to bottom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
audiodb Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 It is my belief - and I'm speaking for myself, remember I retired - that at least 2 corps this year should have competed in open class. I'm assuming they will in 2012. I found it a bit convenient and ironic that both of those corps marched exactly 65 performers. No, they didn't....at least, not at DCA Championships. Largest class A corps were: Windsor Regiment 28B/12FP/8PP/13G (61) Carolina Gold 25B/14FP/8PP/14G (61) Fusion 23B/14FP/9PP/13G (59) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.C. Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 I've got money that says we'll have 15 open class corps next year... just a guess, but an educated one... The entire Class A/Open Class system was predicated on the desire of Class A corps to grow and improve. It is critical that there are enough carrots dangled to get all corps to strive to improve... this is critical to the fan base... I would allow an exception for a group that has "extenuating circumstances" to plan their program to stay in Class A (Govies is the obvious one due to there being in the middle of nowhere)... plus they entertain like mad... which is a key factor here... Somewhere along the line the intent - no, our intent as I was on the committee that founded Class A - of Class A got set a bit aside... it was to create MORE open class corps and more corps in general... the perfect examples of how class A was intended was both Atlanta Corps... The secondary intent was to allow corps that have fallen on hard times to come back in an affordable way and give them time to grow without getting ridiculous low numbers discouraging membership... Sky back when, Sun and others fall into that category... Making Class A the equal of Open Class would be a dangerous slope. It is my belief - and I'm speaking for myself, remember I retired - that at least 2 corps this year should have competed in open class. I'm assuming they will in 2012. I found it a bit convenient and ironic that both of those corps marched exactly 65 performers. I've said it before and I'll say it now, any corps that turns away a competent performer to stay at 65 people has completely missed what the activity is all about. Further, allowing these corps to get comfortable with the smaller budgets and "leaner" recruiting deprives the activity of the tremendous potential for entertainment that these corps possess. The bottom line is that we have to see the economy bounce back or we're all in troubled waters anyway... So NO, reducing the number of open class corps in finals would be a HUGE mistake and of course it will never happen unless the activity shrinks so bad that it can't support the 10. Here Here! I agree 100% with everything in Tom's post. Thank You Tom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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