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The Safety of Children.


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I think, ultimately, the corps members have to be responsible for their own behaviors.

...

The corps' responsibilities are to provide safe transportation, yes, but the member's responsibility is to adhere to the announced schedule.

IMO we need to separate how members should behave, which many posts including this one hit just fine...from the legal obligations a corps has in accepting minors as members.

Yes, all members should do this, that and the other thing in a responsible manner. The key here is to understand that what the members should do in no way removes the obligation the corps have in providing a safe environment for their members...and the added layer they have accepting minors into their corps.

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I'm glad my parents allowed me to march when I was 17. I was in a top-5 Div I corps at that age. I saw things I didn't agree with going on all the time, and didn't participate in any of that crap.

That being said, when my son is old enough to march, there's going to be a lot of discussion about it. Not about whether or not he can march (of course he can), but about how to conduct yourself and make sure you're not getting involved in things you shouldn't.

Of course it's the corps responsibility to be sure these things aren't running rampant, but at the same time, we're sending teenage kids into an environment where they are becoming emotionally close to other teenage kids on the road together for an entire summer. Of course things are going to happen.

As a parent, I would think it's my kid's responsibility to avoid getting into trouble, and I would wish that he's given all of the opportunities to make the right decisions just like I did many moons ago. That's where the real character comes involved.

It's kind of like the parents blaming a teacher when their kid gets in trouble. Is it the teacher's responsibility to supervise? Sure. But a teacher can't make sure your kid doesn't do something stupid. That's on the kid and on the parent.

If they sequester busses and sleeping areas by sex, or make sure there's always an adult within vision of every single corps member, then what are the kids really learning? Certainly not how to grow up, be an adult, and conduct themselves in a responsible manner.

Edited by Lead
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A couple of years back I suggested a Marching Member's Bill of Rights.

A broad set of standards published by DCI that all corps would adhere to.

An example could be:

Proper health care/ screening be available to all corps members at all times while participating in corps organized activities.

I'm not saying that this does not currently occur but that this and whatever conventions like this that are currently in place should be documented.

I was promptly laughed off these boards.

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As the parent of a child who's interested in participating in drum corps once she's old enough, I find this topic very interesting. Why do you think it oughtn't be discussed?

For some reason it's always been a sore point among some former marchers. I know I used to roll my eyes when this subject came up. Then it came time for me to take my baby sister to her first audition camp and my "fun" memories of drum corps suddenly transformed into horrific visions of gross moral impropriety. I can only imagine what it might be like for a parent.

Not that my sister hadn't seen any of that before, of course, what with four years of high school and a few months of college under her belt. I was still uneasy, though. The corps I marched did not have the healthiest or safest environment, and had many irresponsible if well-meaning adults on staff (a lot of trouble can come from young staff members who have difficulty separating themselves from the marchers). That was ten years ago, but the corps itself is gone. And of course the stories from earlier days of drum corps would certainly raise some parent's eyebrows. Tales of tour pregnancies (okay, that can still happen) and snorting various substances off snare heads.

But the times are different and drum corps seems to have changed with society, for better or for worse. The corps I took my sister to is very well run. I did all the first-time parent stuff to report back to mom and dad (got some funny looks before I explained myself). One of the best things was talking with parents of current marchers, which I thought was a pretty neat idea. Really took a load of my mind. I'm sure the situation varies from group to group, but corps today seem to be very responsible when these matters are concerned. Slip-ups occur from time to time, and there are a few rotten apples out there, but in general corps are pretty conscientious. Both out of a concern for marchers and a concern for litigation.

The best thing to do is to make sure you have a well-behaved kid who knows the basic difference between right and wrong. Drum corps performers are by nature like this, for the most part. You don't make it far if you're not hard-working and responsible. But they are kids, even the "adults" among them, and they will behave like kids. It's inevitable, especially in a stressful, high pressure environment like a summer tour. Corps do have a responsibility to keep things within reasonable limits in order safeguard the corps and its members. Put any questions or concerns you might have to the corps. If they don't have time to answer you, then don't send your kid and your money to that corps. Above all, talk to other drum corps parents. They can offer a wealth of information and some peace of mind to boot.

Edit: I'll say that the biggest safety concern in drum corps today has nothing to do with sex, drugs, or alcohol. It's the long-term health of the members. In general we are very responsible nowadays when it comes to the short term health of marchers, but I still feel that long term health concerns are sometimes ignored. Skin problems, joint problems, eye issues, and (above all) hearing issues that can crop up decades down the road are often overlooked.

Edited by Rifuarian
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I'm glad my parents allowed me to march when I was 17. I was in a top-5 Div I corps at that age. I saw things I didn't agree with going on all the time, and didn't participate in any of that crap.

That being said, when my son is old enough to march, there's going to be a lot of discussion about it. Not about whether or not he can march (of course he can), but about how to conduct yourself and make sure you're not getting involved in things you shouldn't.

Of course it's the corps responsibility to be sure these things aren't running rampant, but at the same time, we're sending teenage kids into an environment where they are becoming emotionally close to other teenage kids on the road together for an entire summer. Of course things are going to happen.

As a parent, I would think it's my kid's responsibility to avoid getting into trouble, and I would wish that he's given all of the opportunities to make the right decisions just like I did many moons ago. That's where the real character comes involved.

It's kind of like the parents blaming a teacher when their kid gets in trouble. Is it the teacher's responsibility to supervise? Sure. But a teacher can't make sure your kid doesn't do something stupid. That's on the kid and on the parent.

If they sequester busses and sleeping areas by sex, or make sure there's always an adult within vision of every single corps member, then what are the kids really learning? Certainly not how to grow up, be an adult, and conduct themselves in a responsible manner.

I agree totally, and I know I am going to get bashed here, but I feel it is just a reflection of our society. Talk to your children about how they should behave. I had a discussion the other night about social media and how our kids grow up too fast these days. People sending pictures on phones to who knows where? All I had to say was, most young men haven't changed in 50 years, in my humble opinion, a lot of young woman don't have the respect for themselves that their mothers had. Am I an old goat or has our whole society just taken a lighter stance on some of this stuff? Reality TV anyone!!!

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I agree totally, and I know I am going to get bashed here, but I feel it is just a reflection of our society. Talk to your children about how they should behave. I had a discussion the other night about social media and how our kids grow up too fast these days. People sending pictures on phones to who knows where? All I had to say was, most young men haven't changed in 50 years, in my humble opinion, a lot of young woman don't have the respect for themselves that their mothers had. Am I an old goat or has our whole society just taken a lighter stance on some of this stuff? Reality TV anyone!!!

You are not an old goat. It is still 100% our responsibility as parents to raise our kids to be the best they can be, to the best of our ability. Anyone who wants to assign that responsibility anywhere else is not doing their job as a parent. Truth.

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I agree totally, and I know I am going to get bashed here, but I feel it is just a reflection of our society. Talk to your children about how they should behave. I had a discussion the other night about social media and how our kids grow up too fast these days. People sending pictures on phones to who knows where? All I had to say was, most young men haven't changed in 50 years, in my humble opinion, a lot of young woman don't have the respect for themselves that their mothers had. Am I an old goat or has our whole society just taken a lighter stance on some of this stuff? Reality TV anyone!!!

You're not. I'm 21, and think things have gone downhill. I think the whole argument comes down to parents raising their children correctly. IF a parent doesn't raise their child right, and prepare them for the world, than that's their fault. But if a parent raises their child to think before acting, and to follow rules and laws, then there should be no problems with them joining a drum corps. Did I see stuff going on in many corps? Of course I did, luckily not in mine, but in a few other ones that will not be mentioned here. But I also had the good sense to avoid a situation that could get me in trouble, or endanger me in some way. That's just called common sense, something that doesn't seem to be common enough these days.

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A couple of years back I suggested a Marching Member's Bill of Rights.

A broad set of standards published by DCI that all corps would adhere to.

An example could be:

Proper health care/ screening be available to all corps members at all times while participating in corps organized activities.

I'm not saying that this does not currently occur but that this and whatever conventions like this that are currently in place should be documented.

I was promptly laughed off these boards.

There are a few corps out there that do this actually. There are a couple that require their members to have health insurance, or will sign the member up for a three month policy while they're on tour. It's a great system, because it makes sure everyone will be cared for in case anything happens (injury,sickness, etc.) I remember when the Drum Corps Flu broke out in 2009, the staff requested we all carry our health insurance cards and IDs with us everywhere, including rehearsals, in case we got sick and had to be rushed to a hospital. It's just smart to make sure everyone can have their health taken care of.

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