Fran Haring Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Just saw this thread... very sorry to hear the news. I hope Teal can regroup and come back strong next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corpsband Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Perhaps I'm cold-hearted when it comes to getting a partial refund for the members/parents but the Corps didn't deliver on it's side of the bargain. Maybe not the best analogy but it's the best I can come up with: Say you purchase a 7 week cruise. 2 weeks into the cruise, the captain announces that you're returning home. Finances, debts, blah blah blah etc... whatever. Do you: A: Expect to be refunded for the percentage of the trip you didn't get. or B: Well, golly gee, I hope that poor cruise line gets back on it feet. They should keep my money. Yeah. I'm bettin' you lawyer up and try to get part of your money back. Yes, it does suck for the kids. For them, I'm very sad that they won't finish their season. Bad analogy. The entities are not the same (for profit cruise line vs. non profit charity). The contracts are nowhere near the same. You have no vested interest in the seeing the cruise line continue to exist. Perhaps you do have an interest in seeing Teal continue to exist. As a parent I'd have to ask -- which is more valuable to me? The small percentage of dues I could possibly recover or the continued existence of the drum corps? Or perhaps it's best asked: which is more valuable to my child and the other kids involved? I'm not absolving anyone of anything. I'm just looking at it objectively as a parent -- what's in my best interest.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeN Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Of course this is an awful situation, and one that nobody wants to see. On the field, I loved Teal's willingness to try something new and fun - throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. Off the field, if they did tell everyone on a bus trip as previousliy mentioned in this thread, it likely could have been handled better. But, there's all sorts of moving parts when this type of thing suddenly happens. Ideally, and especially in the modern DCI tour model, I would have liked to have seen Teal end on a weekend. As they said, they'd been in consultation with DCI. If they could have stretched out the tour to the end of this week, announced ahead of time that the big show this weekend was their last show, etc., I think it would have been a fairer service to the kids. (It also would have allowed them to arrange airfare home if necessary, as the big shows are near big cities.) If the corps couldn't have survived until Saturday, then I would have arranged (again, they were talking with DCI about this) for *last* Saturday to be the final performance, with announcements, fanfare and enough hoopla to send the kids off with a small sense of closure for their tour. The DCI tour has been very good these last few years about having "big" weekend shows. But again, many moving parts, few of which are public. More than anything, I'm just sad for the whole kit and kaboodle, kids and staff, administration and volunteers. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFZFAN Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Is it true that their equipment truck was repo'd or is that just a rant from a Teal parent on Facebook? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarimbaManiac Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 This is really a tragedy, and I feel for all of the members who have to head home after their season has been cut short so suddenly. I hope that some good comes out of this, namely that DCI adopts a 2 or 3 year revolving financial review of EVERY world class corps, as a requirement for them to remain in the world class. We've heard over and over that the defining factor for determining world class status is financial stability, and not competitive achievements. However this would appear to prove that once a corps is granted world class status, DCI fails to maintain oversight into the financial affairs of the corps that have to make such large financial commitments to compete in world class. Perhaps if DCI conducts a review every 2-3 years, and then requires corps found deficient to undergo restructuring or forgo their world class status, maybe things like this will cease to happen in the world class. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickhaltsforlife Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 In the contract I signed with my corps when I marched there were refunds up to a certain part of the season. But that is if you left because of injury or other reason. After a certain point there was zero refund, and I don't think it was that far into the season at all. But this is all when the member doesn't hold up their side of the contract. This is the corps not holding up their side of the contract. Honestly, I would want my money back. And these parents have every right to be upset. And Teal could have handled the situation a little better. More information would have been nice. Really, we just need facts right now. And there are none. We have no clue where the money actually went. It may or may not be exactly Teal's fault! But until we get some factual information, all we can do is speculate. Which is not good for any parties involved. Unfortunately it sounds like lawyers will get involved. It's going to be a long road for Teal Sound to get back on the field. 2013 might be a little premature. Whether or not they win in court, having to lawyer up and defend yourself is never a good deal. Unless you can win and hopefully get costs paid for. I really hope this all stays out of the courts and we find a solution to make all parties satisfied in some way. Good luck to all involved. It's sad to lose another drum corps. Hopefully this does not turn into a permanent loss. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 (edited) We all feel bad for the members, staff and volunteers but in the end many people informed DCI of the financial issues with Teal last September. The problems from the past two seasons simply didn't go away they had just been ignored. Serious drum corps people told Dan that Teal should take a year off to re-group but in the end it was decided that the corps was good to go!! Are u &*(_*& kidding me!!!! DCI needs to me more of the solution and not the problem!! I wish Teal the best of luck on its return but I seriously doubt they will ever come back as a World Class corps and maybe that's a good starting point for any new administration. Build a strong base and lets see what the activity does over the next three to five years. Maybe even DCI will develope a better touring plan for all! One could only hope! JVN I also have talked to people who have said the same..things like this usually just dont happen without a past that built to it. the sad part is the current people werent savy enough ( including DCI ) to see the writing on the wall long before now . Hoping your group will survive that Florida curse... This reminds me of the poor people who got stuck with all the debt MAgic had....they did everything they could but some of those ( successful as far as placement ) directors who came before them were so bad the past few people who tried to help them just couldnt pull it off. Another great corps died. That and I know of many members who didnt fulfill their own debt to the corps. Edited July 10, 2012 by GUARDLING 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUARDLING Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 In the contract I signed with my corps when I marched there were refunds up to a certain part of the season. But that is if you left because of injury or other reason. After a certain point there was zero refund, and I don't think it was that far into the season at all. But this is all when the member doesn't hold up their side of the contract. This is the corps not holding up their side of the contract. Honestly, I would want my money back. And these parents have every right to be upset. And Teal could have handled the situation a little better. More information would have been nice. Really, we just need facts right now. And there are none. We have no clue where the money actually went. It may or may not be exactly Teal's fault! But until we get some factual information, all we can do is speculate. Which is not good for any parties involved. Unfortunately it sounds like lawyers will get involved. It's going to be a long road for Teal Sound to get back on the field. 2013 might be a little premature. Whether or not they win in court, having to lawyer up and defend yourself is never a good deal. Unless you can win and hopefully get costs paid for. I really hope this all stays out of the courts and we find a solution to make all parties satisfied in some way. Good luck to all involved. It's sad to lose another drum corps. Hopefully this does not turn into a permanent loss. unfortunately it costs more sometimes to bring it all to court than its worth. Many directors have tried ( some with success in small clims court ) to get members dues out of dead beat members..many just forget it but hopefully block a member from going on to another corps just to do the same..this also is a huge problem in our activity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 ....just like current politicians unfortunately have to clean up the mess of the previous admin..its the same here from what I hear from past staff and board members BUT this doesnt let the current people off the hook. I'm glad you made that a full thought. Let's hope it doesn't take the new administration as long to fix the problem as it has in the political world. And let's hope they don't take the same route of simply throwing more money at the problem and, there-by, making it multiple-factors worse. I'm really amazed at some of the comments here. I thought we all learned from the past to not start speculating with only half (or one-sided) "facts". Let it cool. We'll find out the truth. How about them Spirit kids, eh? Is that amazing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickhaltsforlife Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 unfortunately it costs more sometimes to bring it all to court than its worth. Many directors have tried ( some with success in small clims court ) to get members dues out of dead beat members..many just forget it but hopefully block a member from going on to another corps just to do the same..this also is a huge problem in our activity. Yes it is. The sad thing of it all, is that there are so many great people in drum corps. Some really nice people who want what is best for everyone. Unfortunately, they aren't always the greatest business people.. I know Hopkins put his foot down this year. He had to. YEA didn't always put their foot down in the past. I know people who marched Crossmen without ever paying YEA. I also know that those people were not allowed to march the next year. Even when Crossmen were their own thing. I just hope these angry parents might realize it's not worth the costs of going to court. It really isn't. They are probably owed around a thousand dollars at this point maybe a little more. But you have to look down the road. Is it really worth the cost of getting a lawyer and going to court. I think not. Do I think Teal should refund members if possible? Yes! But if they had to stop tour like this, I'm not seeing where the money is coming from. Even if the money is won in court, you won't see that for a very very very long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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