stevedb1975 Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 You're missing the entire point here No, I get it just fine. ... which is related to both continuity and intellectual property. LOL! I'll give you one thing. You are entertaining. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 You're missing the entire point here... which is related to both continuity and intellectual property. The Blue Stars organization (though there was a bit of a sort of reorg at one point) is, for the most part, the same organization, with a continuity of players and a clear ownership of intellectual property associated with the org. New VK has very little connection (at least in terms of management) to the original org, has zero continuity and zero true assignment of intellectual property. But, it is not the model that is the point... it is the execution. They have not executed on the level (management team and board.... not kids... kids go where they dig) that is on par with the old VK.... and let me tell you, that was a pretty low bar. Let me use a very practical example.... Years ago, as part of a venture capital firm, a guy approached the company with an opportunity to produce a line of computes that would be targeted to word processing with the Smith-Corona name.... an absolutely brilliant idea at the time and a solid opportunity... but... It was passed on and never happened because of two points... 1. guy had a great idea and was a great founder, but there was no plan in place to succeed him... with talent that could take it to the next level... that would have ended up entirely on us. 2. there was no continuity with the brand, it was simply a license of the name... and none of the retained talent that had made the original org great... applied to the new sphere and generation. There is something to be learned from and applied here. VelvetKnights is a brand. There is brand equity there. It seems to not be utilized according to the full potential. I am only calling this out so that they (board) will step up and do what is necessary to reach this potential... which is a realization of the different skill set between a founder and what takes it to the next level. It seems the board should be PUTTING A PLAN IN PLACE and searching for talent to take it to the next level. question... given comments you have made in the past about Drum Corps leadership not reading DCP because it's full of crap.....what good does you calling this out on a place you yourself mock do? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevedb1975 Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 rare that it is that I defend Daniel on ......well.....anything....one thing he is correct on. Blue Stars did have a good retention rate, and many of the kids that were D3 were there when they finally cracked the top 12. Other than that,feel free to fry him. Oh I believe you....but still....They had their share of hard times too. Either way, Daniel's statements about why VK does not exist and shouldn't use the name are completely invalid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevedb1975 Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 (edited) If guys are having to learn from their mistakes and do the whole trial and error thing... not really sure they should be running a drum corps. You MAY have at least a halfway valid point there. However, back to Blue Stars....where would they be today if it were not for the previous years that were less than currently desireable. No matter how hard you try, you cannot ignore those years? I'll anser it for you, they would be a current finalist with a different name. So much for a "resurrection" we can now cheer for. Edited April 9, 2012 by stevedb1975 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFZFAN Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 "Completely different situation"? "Kids STAYED"? Seriously? You really believe that? The last time Blue Stars made finals prior to their return to finals in 2008 was 1979. HOW MANY YEARS went by in between. LETS COUNT THEM....... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28,....29......29 YEARS!!!!..........................between the Blue Stars last year of making finals and their return to finals in 2008. Are you REALLY telling me that you truly believe that in ALLLLLLLLLLLLLL those years in between, the Blue Stars NEVER had any problem retaining membership? Are you REALLY telling me that the Blue Stars never had a "stalling point" in all of those (count em again)....29 YEARS in between? I DOUBT IT! The fact is, the Blue Stars struggled just as hard to retain membership as VK is currently (or maybe even worse at times)....BUT.....people believed enough in the Blue Stars to KEEP THE NAME ALIVE and and press on (despite obvious "stalling") and finally when the time was right, The Blue Stars returned to what we now know as a GREAT GREAT Finalist drum corps. Don't tell me the situation in those years between 1979 and 2008 were "completely different". For one, you have NO way of knowing that because you were not there for all of those years and TWO....the OBVIOUS should tell you that they DID stall and struggle to retain members or they would not have gone from a once full 128 corps to an "A-60 corps".....leading them BACK to the big kids playground where they are now. You are WRONG....and UN"factual" in your comparison. Please try to show some passion in your posts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielray Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 rare that it is that I defend Daniel on ......well.....anything....one thing he is correct on. Blue Stars did have a good retention rate, and many of the kids that were D3 were there when they finally cracked the top 12. Other than that,feel free to fry him. This is key. Blue Stars got this point as essential to their progress. They were laser focused on both member and staff retention. They were incredibly successful in retaining members, which was absolutely instrumental in their climb... THEY HAD A PLAN!!!! VK does not have a plan. This is my point here. People can get emotional about this sort of thing all they want. Emotion does not change the facts. Again, i don't mean to be picking on VK. They are just in need of a little tough love at this stage. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevedb1975 Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 People can get emotional about this sort of thing all they want. Emotion does not change the facts. You know what else does not change facts? YOU! Here is a fact for you. The drum corps currently affiliated with the organization known as "VKYAO" IS...."The Velvet Knights". Nothing you say can change that fact. I'm DONE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevedb1975 Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 Please try to show some passion in your posts. LOL! Ok, Might be hard, but I'll try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielray Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 question... given comments you have made in the past about Drum Corps leadership not reading DCP because it's full of crap.....what good does you calling this out on a place you yourself mock do? DCP is the crazy uncle that spouts about black helicopters, ufo's, chemtrails, yet dives into some rare spot on assessment of the current opportunity in Chinese palladium futures. DCP is about the signal to noise ratio... and personal calibration. There are loads of gold nuggets on this forum, you just need to hold your nose and wade in #### to find it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielray Posted April 9, 2012 Share Posted April 9, 2012 You MAY have at least a halfway valid point there. However, back to Blue Stars....where would they be today if it were not for the previous years that were less than currently desireable. No matter how hard you try, you cannot ignore those years? I'll anser it for you, they would be a current finalist with a different name. So much for a "resurrection" we can now cheer for. I'm not ignoring those years at all... I am simply suggesting they didn't progress during those years because they didn't have a proper plan in place or the management to execute on it, which is exactly where VK is at this point. Bringing up those years actually validates my point. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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