MikeN Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Some politics and controversy are needed on this site in order to keep it relevent. A constant flow of inane topics during the off season (best 13th place show) will not maintain the viewership or participation to keep people here ..... It's never really been a problem over the past 10 years. Politics discussion, conversely, *has*... Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corpsband Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 I'd speculate that the first order of business is to design a show that can be competitively successful. Success breeds friends (fans), hypes up alums, gets current fans more interested in the organization which cultivates volunteers and donors. I think we can all stipulate that it is exceptionally less difficult to fundraise when your cops is competitively successful. This. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exgmdm Posted October 31, 2012 Author Share Posted October 31, 2012 Just to clarify, you don't think Blue Stars, Madison, Colts, etc who all toured nationally, are "truly national drum corps"? Or were you speaking to membership home locations to identify "national"? ... Naw, just poorly written on my part... I was trying to say that there are a certain few corps that have a larger reputation (and deserve the larger reputation). That in and of itself has not been enough to 'save' some corps of the past. Otherwise, we'd still have the Kingsmen, Bridgemen, Kilties (jr.), and perhaps the best example of all, 27th Lancers. So I think the long answer is not quite so simple as you suggest, that of competitive success bringing money. It struck me that the Blue Devils are talked about in our circles for their competitive success and artistic innovation and the stability of the organization. I am guessing (because I have absolutely ZERO inside information), that the winning and the artistry could not have come into being without having solid organizational strengths, including folks who initiate and nurture an enormous network of ordinary people at home in Concord and throughout the world, who know who the Blue Devils are, what their goals are, and what their track record is. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Matczak Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 It struck me that the Blue Devils are talked about in our circles for their competitive success and artistic innovation and the stability of the organization. I am guessing (because I have absolutely ZERO inside information), that the winning and the artistry could not have come into being without having solid organizational strengths, including folks who initiate and nurture an enormous network of ordinary people at home in Concord and throughout the world, who know who the Blue Devils are, what their goals are, and what their track record is. serious question,..........how many members of Blue Devils (and Santa Clara for that matter) are from the northern CA area? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 So I think the long answer is not quite so simple as you suggest, that of competitive success bringing money. It struck me that the Blue Devils are talked about in our circles for their competitive success and artistic innovation and the stability of the organization. I am guessing (because I have absolutely ZERO inside information), that the winning and the artistry could not have come into being without having solid organizational strengths, including folks who initiate and nurture an enormous network of ordinary people at home in Concord and throughout the world, who know who the Blue Devils are, what their goals are, and what their track record is. Oh, I don't suggest it's easy at all. I've done small and large fundraising and I don't claim to have it mastered. And, surely, your point about the "network" is absolutely true and one for which BD is owed it's great reputation. The corps is represented all over the world. When a great many people around the world think drum corps, they think BD because BD's been to their country. I think other corps have deep and wide roots like BD that we don't hear about. But an honest discussion has to include the fact that an outsize portion of the activity's gate goes to a small subset of the corps. The fact of whether they deserve is debatable; the fact that they get it isn't. And my comments are not directed at BD, necessarily, whom I've come to admire more and more over recent years. It's more at a system that's built by the victors, modified to benefit the victors at the expense of the others. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 ... It's more at a system that's built by the victors, modified to benefit the victors at the expense of the others. What is ironic, and eventually self-destructive, with this type of system which is modified to just benefit the victors is that to truly be 'Victorious' within competition one must actually have those others stay in existence. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlamMan Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 Local membership, support & sponsorship is the only way the Drum Corp activity can survive. The current model is doomed to fail, & if the geniuses who run DCI don't recognize this, they're all out of work soon. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glory Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 What is ironic, and eventually self-destructive, with this type of system which is modified to just benefit the victors is that to truly be 'Victorious' within competition one must actually have those others stay in existence. Okay. Then what? Would dividing the revenue more equally encourage excellence? Or more mediocrity? I'm from the side of the stands that wants to see more excellence. While I stand to applaud for every corps, I have no doubt why I buy my ticket. And it's not for each and every one. Ask me, the problem isn't the way the revenues are divided. The problem is the world around us finds us less relevant every day, which puts fewer people on track to participate and support the activity. Eroding the standard of excellence would only serve to distance drum corps further from the people we hope to encourage to join us. HH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 (edited) Okay. Then what? Would dividing the revenue more equally encourage excellence? Or more mediocrity? I'm from the side of the stands that wants to see more excellence. While I stand to applaud for every corps, I have no doubt why I buy my ticket. And it's not for each and every one. Ask me, the problem isn't the way the revenues are divided. The problem is the world around us finds us less relevant every day, which puts fewer people on track to participate and support the activity. Eroding the standard of excellence would only serve to distance drum corps further from the people we hope to encourage to join us. HH A lot of the answers begin with defining just exactly what "excellence" is. You, and others, may go to see only the top corps that fulfill your definition of excellence. But many, many more go to see those corps that are not defined as excellent (I've always wondered: when they're all excellent, what's the competition?) By your own description the activity will continue to shrink in relelvence and attendance. Does the present payout structure do anything to reverse that trend? If growth is defined by participating members, does concentrating the gate into a few hands expand participation? What, is each corps going to "excellently" march 350 on the field? Would concentrating on the task of growing corps organically expand participation? Is that participation limited only to "excellent" players? What of the several thousand that now try out for the other corps? Less "excellent" MM's money is green just like the excellent ones'. Keeping a few corps "relevent" by concentrating the revenue - and, at the same time, ignoring the duty to grow corps and the activity - doesn't sound like a path that will succeed in increasing relevence and expanding the membership. Edited November 1, 2012 by garfield Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 How about this: Every organization can join DCI and benefit from its name, history, and tour. But to join DCI you must agree to follow a BUSINESS plan that is proven to lead to success. The plan is designed by the "excellent" corps, in unison with each participating. The plan is down on paper and laid out clearly and concisely, NOT like that fabulous G7 pdf. It's a success path that mimicks the best in the activity. Almost any group of people wanting to start or grow a corps only needs follow the plan to reach "excellence" in their business plan. Audits by DCI are annual. Boards of corps, or their single representative, are responsible for going to Indy and presenting their business for audit by DCI as well as a detailed record of them following the plan's guidelines. DCI's management has the power to accept or reject a corps based on their compliance with the established business plan. If the audit shows the corps is performing the business plan, the corps is rewarded with sharing in the DCI revenue pool. The pool is much flatter than it is now, with only a small bonus awarded corps for their number of successful seasons. Performance placement is NOT rewarded financially from DCI, but can be rewarded from equipment deals from suppliers. Corps who contribute to the process of developing the plan, or auditing corps are rewarded financially by DCI stipend, at least covering their costs. Corps whose staff volunteers their time to lower-placing corps are rewarded financially by DCI, covering their costs to provide their staffs' guidance to other corps (NOT for being that corps' primary staff). DCI, the organization, is charged with the responsibility to enforcing the rules of participation. The funds necessary to enforce those rules are taken from revenues as an expense BEFORE dividng the remainder between the corps. Corps that have expertise in one function of DCI (scheduling, ticketing, clinics) must first provide those services (and CHARGE DCI for them) before those duplicate functions are implemented for solely that corp's benefit. The DCI BOD decides on whether or not those corps-provided services are more profitable than those services now being performed by DCI itself. The business plan recognizes that building a successful organization takes time, commitment of volunteers and staff, and money. DCI provides a portion of that money via payouts, but only if the corps passes the business plan audit. Oh, and DCI is run by an independent BOD, with only minimal representation of the corps themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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