Glassmen have an opportunity to reinvent the way things are done

[baja]

Many years ago a business partner said to me, "I like to hire people who work for things other than money."

What she meant is that no matter how much a person is paid, sooner or later it won't be enough. Ask yourself that question, am I being paid enough? Unless you are a CEO of some fortune 500 company I'll bet that the answer is "no".

As demostrated by the 990's thread, typical drum corps operators must raise $500,000 to $2,000,000 anually. This is a tremedous burden on any organization and it doesn't go away. It is year after year after year. Is it time to move to an all volunteer activity? Is it possible to have an all volunteer administration, an all volunteer staff...bus drivers, truck drivers, seamstresses, cooks, fund raisers, etc.? Clearly some of these positions are and have been all volunteer and some used to be. Does a competent business manager have to be paid? Can one find talented and dedicated instructional people who do not require salaries? Do administrators need 401K and health care packages along with a salary? Do bus and truck drivers need to be paid. At one time, none of these postions was paid, they all volunteered. People worked for other thngs than money. They did it for the love of the activity and for the benefit of the youth.

I encourage the Glassmen to restart the organization as an all-volunteer corps, no pay to anyone. There will be dedicated, hard working and caring people show up and they will show up because the activity and not the paycheck is most important.

[Stu]

Many years ago a business partner said to me, "I like to hire people who work for things other than money."

What she meant is that no matter how much a person is paid, sooner or later it won't be enough. Ask yourself that question, am I being paid enough? Unless you are a CEO of some fortune 500 company I'll bet that the answer is "no".

As demostrated by the 990's thread, typical drum corps operators must raise $500,000 to $2,000,000 anually. This is a tremedous burden on any organization and it doesn't go away. It is year after year after year. Is it time to move to an all volunteer activity? Is it possible to have an all volunteer administration, an all volunteer staff...bus drivers, truck drivers, seamstresses, cooks, fund raisers, etc.? Clearly some of these positions are and have been all volunteer and some used to be. Does a competent business manager have to be paid? Can one find talented and dedicated instructional people who do not require salaries? Do administrators need 401K and health care packages along with a salary? Do bus and truck drivers need to be paid. At one time, none of these postions was paid, they all volunteered. People worked for other thngs than money. They did it for the love of the activity and for the benefit of the youth.

I encourage the Glassmen to restart the organization as an all-volunteer corps, no pay to anyone. There will be dedicated, hard working and caring people show up and they will show up because the activity and not the paycheck is most important.

The Whirled Peas Dream; gotta love Utopian Idealists!

[Michael Boo]

It's a beautiful thought in concept, but unless instructors doing it just for the love are independently well off, they typically can't work for free because like everyone else, they have mortgages or rent due, need to buy food and cover car payments and utilities. It's awfully easy to hope for others to work for free and in a few cases in our activity, it has happened more recently. (It used to be more common, but full-summer tours kind of put a stop to that.) Unfortunately, the real world continues to move on at the same time as the drum corps rehearsal and performance season.

[garfield]

Many years ago a business partner said to me, "I like to hire people who work for things other than money."

What she meant is that no matter how much a person is paid, sooner or later it won't be enough. Ask yourself that question, am I being paid enough? Unless you are a CEO of some fortune 500 company I'll bet that the answer is "no".

As demostrated by the 990's thread, typical drum corps operators must raise $500,000 to $2,000,000 anually. This is a tremedous burden on any organization and it doesn't go away. It is year after year after year. Is it time to move to an all volunteer activity? Is it possible to have an all volunteer administration, an all volunteer staff...bus drivers, truck drivers, seamstresses, cooks, fund raisers, etc.? Clearly some of these positions are and have been all volunteer and some used to be. Does a competent business manager have to be paid? Can one find talented and dedicated instructional people who do not require salaries? Do administrators need 401K and health care packages along with a salary? Do bus and truck drivers need to be paid. At one time, none of these postions was paid, they all volunteered. People worked for other thngs than money. They did it for the love of the activity and for the benefit of the youth.

I encourage the Glassmen to restart the organization as an all-volunteer corps, no pay to anyone. There will be dedicated, hard working and caring people show up and they will show up because the activity and not the paycheck is most important.

While I appreciate your reference to the 990 thread, I think your main point is misplaced by focusing on salaries and employee costs to make your point. I've yet to find a single pay package (well, maybe with the exception of Cadets) that pays it's executives anything near what I would consider a "living wage". In fact, there are many corps whose executives take no pay at all (Mark Arnold comes to mind).

Talented people deserve to be paid for the training and experience they've accumulated over their lifetimes.

I'm reminded of the joke: "Do you know what you call a trombone performance major with a resume? An optimist."

The best way to elevate the level of pay to artsy people is definately NOT to ask them to work for free.

Bus drivers usually come with the tractor lease. Most other drivers (with CDL licenses, where required) are volunteers. Most kitchen crews are volunteer.

The 990's back this up with few exceptions. Glassmen will never get off the ground again by asking everyone to work for free, as altruistic as that sentiment is.

[baja]

While I appreciate your reference to the 990 thread, I think your main point is misplaced by focusing on salaries and employee costs to make your point. I've yet to find a single pay package (well, maybe with the exception of Cadets) that pays it's executives anything near what I would consider a "living wage". In fact, there are many corps whose executives take no pay at all (Mark Arnold comes to mind).

Talented people deserve to be paid for the training and experience they've accumulated over their lifetimes.

I'm reminded of the joke: "Do you know what you call a trombone performance major with a resume? An optimist."

The best way to elevate the level of pay to artsy people is definately NOT to ask them to work for free.

Bus drivers usually come with the tractor lease. Most other drivers (with CDL licenses, where required) are volunteers. Most kitchen crews are volunteer.

The 990's back this up with few exceptions. Glassmen will never get off the ground again by asking everyone to work for free, as altruistic as that sentiment is.

Talented people deserve to be paid for the training and experience they've accumulated over their lifetimes.

Of course talented people need to be paid but does it have to be in dollars and cents or could it be for another reason? Such as giving back or the reward of helping someone else excell?

The best way to elevate the level of pay to artsy people is definately NOT to ask them to work for free.

Not sure I understand this comment.

Glassmen will never get off the ground again by asking everyone to work for free, as altruistic as that sentiment is.

I agree to some extent. This is not the entire solution to their problem, but it may be part of it.

[smj02]

It's a great idea. Drum corps doesn't exist in a bubble. An all-volunteer organization would only work in an all-volunteer world.

[Stu]

Baja: Either you are trolling or you have not a clue concerning the huge commitments and business/management expertise required to operate a rather large 'Corporation' such as the Glassmen. We are not discussing a local pee-wee baseball team consisting of neighborhood kids laughing about learning how to throw a ball and volunteer parents who do not know much more than the kids, but a nationally touring 'Corporate Entity' with well experienced performers and highly trained staff. Many on the staff put in 20, 30, 40, 50, 60+ hours in each week to maintain that 'Corporation'; and those professionals deserve just monetary compensation for their time/expertise. My guess is that your deeper issue is the idea that DCI and it's corps have become so top-end specialized the activity now 'requires' paid professionals, and that is your real beef.

[Cainan]

"Glassmen should come back as an all volunteer organization"...

Nice thought, right up to the point where you have to convince the kids that coming in last each and every night is somehow "character building". And speaking of the "kids", since the staff are not meant to be compensatedd for their time, talent, energy and commitment, will the kids in the corps also be volunteer, or pay an extremely low tour fee (say the cost of diesel and food for the summer... I reckon $400 ought to cover it)... I mean, if the corps in theory has no staff to pay, why should the kids have to pony up those costs?

WILL

NEVER

HAPPEN.

[Kamarag]

Remember...you get what you pay for.

[smj02]

Drum corps doesn't exist in a bubble. An all-volunteer organization would only work in an all-volunteer world. It's a great idea.