Teal Sound 2013

[3rd Glasgow BB]

All I can say is the lack of organisation we've seen in the last few days does not bode well for the future.

There is a right way of doing things and this isn't it.

Sort yourselves out, your past and hopefully future members deserve better.

[craiga]

In 2008, I flew from Jacksonville to Boston and my flight was delayed, but it turned out not to be disappointing. The airport was filled with young people, all headed to winter camps. There were Troopers, members of Phantom, Blue Stars, Bluecoats, just to name a few and well over 150 kids, enough to have a full contingent in a drum corps. I heard about shows, or at least what they could share about shows, and as is so often the case, left with a great feeling about drum corps after speaking with actual members. However, these Floridians were headed out of state to march. Last summer at Indy a woman who worked at the Bluecoats souvenir stand recognized my Boston accent. She was from Connecticut and had marched with Bluecoats a few years earlier. She had said there were more New Englanders in Bluecoats and Carolina Crown than Boston Crusaders, and what state is the most represented in BAC? Florida! Drum corps owes alot to Florida, but keeping a corps alive in the sunshine state has been a challenge.

Florida did have great corps and coming from an area that once boasted of having corps such as 27th Lancers, North Star, not to mention Holy Family Defenders, St. Francis Sancians, Pembroke Imperials, Diplomats, East Coast Jazz, and Spectra, as well as the greats corps of the 50's and 60's and many small but lovable corps, losing a corps is painful and when they're gone, they're gone. As a loyal Boston Crusaders fan, I'm glad the drum corps tradition is alive, and appreciate those from out of state who march with BAC and keep the tradition alive. I also know that if we ever lost BAC, they'd be irreplaceable. So I understand your concerns. I'd also like to say that if you were not paid for 2011, but still remained on staff, you should be commended. Those who marched will know, and while it's a lousy deal and won't pay the bills, it will be appreciated and perhaps will inspire them to give of themselves.

Many BAC alums and some staff and board members post on DCP, and have shared BAC's amazing story of emerging from insolvency to being one of the most respected and well run corps in DCI. You need vision, but as you mention, you also need business minded people. Business people know how to make the tough decisions and inspire confidence, which leads to members and donations. Florida is the land of retirees and many look for charitable organziations to lend a hand. This could be an untapped resource. It will take people who know the activity to give it direction, but solid business people can make it happen, and as someone from the non-proifit sector who relies heavily on people with good business minds, good business practices are universal, so if a director who knows drum corps leads and has good direction from business people, the corps could soar.

Now as far as your son is concerned, perhaps there is another reason that Spirit did not turn out as he wished. Since he hails from Florida like so many members of BAC, perhaps he's a Boston Crusader at heart! So if he's still eligible, make him practice and send him to a BAC winter camp which will be held in where else but sunny Florida.

Great post! And for the record, the New England BAC members are quite envious of the Florida kids' ability to jump in the car and drive a short distance to go to the winter camps in Bradenton. They and the Texas and Colorado kids spend more on airfare than on tour fees.....

[3rd Glasgow BB]

Larry McCrobie eh?

http://www.drumcorps...y/page__st__130

we have a winner.......

[Michael Boo]

I'm very confused now.

There's a lot of that going around.

[Stu]

Word on the street is it's a hoax...

So, you are saying it might actually be 'Pee Wee Herman' and not 'Larry, Moe, and Curly' or 'Abbot and Costello' after all? Interesting!

Edited September 30, 2012 by Stu

[beingmad]

So, you are saying it might actually be 'Pee Wee Herman' and not 'Larry, Moe, and Curly' or 'Abbot and Costello' after all? Interesting!

Whatever floats your boat haha... I'm thinking its a single man act.

[georogers27]

In 2008, I flew from Jacksonville to Boston and my flight was delayed, but it turned out not to be disappointing. The airport was filled with young people, all headed to winter camps. There were Troopers, members of Phantom, Blue Stars, Bluecoats, just to name a few and well over 150 kids, enough to have a full contingent in a drum corps. I heard about shows, or at least what they could share about shows, and as is so often the case, left with a great feeling about drum corps after speaking with actual members. However, these Floridians were headed out of state to march. Last summer at Indy a woman who worked at the Bluecoats souvenir stand recognized my Boston accent. She was from Connecticut and had marched with Bluecoats a few years earlier. She had said there were more New Englanders in Bluecoats and Carolina Crown than Boston Crusaders, and what state is the most represented in BAC? Florida! Drum corps owes alot to Florida, but keeping a corps alive in the sunshine state has been a challenge.

Florida did have great corps and coming from an area that once boasted of having corps such as 27th Lancers, North Star, not to mention Holy Family Defenders, St. Francis Sancians, Pembroke Imperials, Diplomats, East Coast Jazz, and Spectra, as well as the greats corps of the 50's and 60's and many small but lovable corps, losing a corps is painful and when they're gone, they're gone. As a loyal Boston Crusaders fan, I'm glad the drum corps tradition is alive, and appreciate those from out of state who march with BAC and keep the tradition alive. I also know that if we ever lost BAC, they'd be irreplaceable. So I understand your concerns. I'd also like to say that if you were not paid for 2011, but still remained on staff, you should be commended. Those who marched will know, and while it's a lousy deal and won't pay the bills, it will be appreciated and perhaps will inspire them to give of themselves.

Many BAC alums and some staff and board members post on DCP, and have shared BAC's amazing story of emerging from insolvency to being one of the most respected and well run corps in DCI. You need vision, but as you mention, you also need business minded people. Business people know how to make the tough decisions and inspire confidence, which leads to members and donations. Florida is the land of retirees and many look for charitable organziations to lend a hand. This could be an untapped resource. It will take people who know the activity to give it direction, but solid business people can make it happen, and as someone from the non-proifit sector who relies heavily on people with good business minds, good business practices are universal, so if a director who knows drum corps leads and has good direction from business people, the corps could soar.

Now as far as your son is concerned, perhaps there is another reason that Spirit did not turn out as he wished. Since he hails from Florida like so many members of BAC, perhaps he's a Boston Crusader at heart! So if he's still eligible, make him practice and send him to a BAC winter camp which will be held in where else but sunny Florida.

BAC was never "insolvent", not sure where you heard that. Or do you mean from the late 70s - well I guess that is true but that was well before there was any tie to Florida and probably half of the corps were insolvent during that time period. It is true however that most New Englanders don't march with BAC, that has been true for a long time. I think it may have a lot to do that many of the instructors of top corps are from New England and recruit for their corps here. Dartmouth High School and especially UMASS etc.

This sort of reminds me of the rumor going around when YEA was making its late 90s push to have many corps under their umbrella and how it supposedly "saved BAC", actually it almost destroyed BAC, Spirit, Crown etc. They were all lucky to make it out of that mess alive.

Edited September 30, 2012 by georogers27

[Tim K]

BAC was never "insolvent", not sure where you heard that. Or do you mean from the late 70s - well I guess that is true but that was well before there was any tie to Florida and probably half of the corps were insolvent during that time period. It is true however that most New Englanders don't march with BAC, that has been true for a long time. I think it may have a lot to do that many of the instructors of top corps are from New England and recruit for their corps here. Dartmouth High School and especially UMASS etc.

This sort of reminds me of the rumor going around when YEA was making its late 90s push to have many corps under their umbrella and how it supposedly "saved BAC", actually it almost destroyed BAC, Spirit, Crown etc. They were all lucky to make it out of that mess alive.

My guess is that others will add specific details, but you may need to look at the story of BAC in the eighties, perhaps beginning with the anniversary tour of England or why for a short period they were named just "Boston." A person who posts as "Craiga" who experienced some of these challenges has written about what I speak of in other posts. And of course if any details are missing, our own "E.F. Hutton" of drum corps, Michael Boo, will set the record straight. For those too young to remember the E.F. Hutton reference, there used to be a commercial for the financial firm E.F. Hutton "When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen." Couldn't we in the drum corps world say the same about Michael Boo?

As far as out of staters marching with BAC, that also dates back a while. In the late 70's, the Big Three New England corps North Star, BAC, and 27th all were more local than most top 25 DCI corps, but the numbers from out of state were growing even then. At the same time kids from Massachusetts were joining corps such as Madison and Garfield. I'm not sure how many members of BAC came from Florida at that time, but the numbers from out of state were growing. BAC alums did save the corps financially and BAC alums still play a major role in the direction of the corps. A good example is the current board president who marched with BAC and was at one time the drum major.

However, this thread is not about BAC, but Teal Sound, and if Teal Sound is planning a comeback, looking at BAC in the 80's is a good start. BAC's issues were not the same as Teal's, but BAC did face tough issues head on and made the necessary changes. Another good example would be Bluecoats. My understanding is that Bluecoats had a parent who knew little about drum corps except he enjoyed them but had a good head for business and his financial plan not only helped Bluecoats rise, but remain a competitive corps.

Edited October 1, 2012 by Tim K