Glassmen have an opportunity to reinvent the way things are done

[baja]

But the volunteering time an attorney does pro-bono for a small non-profit is very minimal compared to the exorbitant time required for a staff member engaging with a World Class drum corps. Moreover, show us a Major Corporation which utilizes volunteer doctors, attorneys, law enforcement officers, dentists, auto mechanics and we will show you that the same Major Corporation still has to have 'paid' professionals running the corporation. And the larger the corporation the more paid professionals are required. Again, your 'real' problem is with DCI, and its corps, being Major Corporations.

No real problem with DCI and corps are not Major Corporations. These are non-profits where volunteerism can be considered a charitable contribution. These organizations have budgets comparable to small businesses.

[baja]

Baja would balk at 'hiring' that person because to Baja that guru should be altruistic enough volunteer!

Yes, as previously stated an all-volunteer organization. Stu, it is the way of things to come. It will be one more change necessary to continue the activity. Come over to the light Stu, you too have a place as a volunteer. Do you have any skills or talents?

[Stu]

No real problem with DCI and corps are not Major Corporations. These are non-profits where volunteerism can be considered a charitable contribution. These organizations have budgets comparable to small businesses.

So, the Blue Devils and Drum Corps International are a 'small business'? Hmmmm... Last time I checked they were legally classified as 'Corporations' not a small businesses, and a rather large ones at that (multi millions per year in revenue/outlays for each corporation).

[Stu]

Yes, as previously stated an (all-volunteer organization). Stu, it is the way of things to come. It will be one more change necessary to continue the activity.

Name one multi million dollar per year organization which is 'All Volunteer'; please name just one.

Come over to the light Stu, you too have a place as a volunteer.

I do volunteer: I help out at a local homeless shelter; I mow a yard for an elderly person in the neighborhood; I have coached a little league baseball team; I have helped out serving food at the camps of a few drum corps; as well as some other things. However, I cannot 'volunteer' the exorbitant amount of time it takes (many, many hours each week November through August) to produce a World Class Drum & Bugle Corps.

Do you have any skills or talents?

Yes I do have skills and talents; and I get paid very well for them.

[Kamarag]

So, the Blue Devils and Drum Corps International are a 'small business'? Hmmmm... Last time I checked they were legally classified as 'Corporations' not a small businesses, and a rather large ones at that (multi millions per year in revenue/outlays for each corporation).

Being a corporation and being a small business are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they are not even in the same category. You can have a corporation without having a single person in it. Drum corps are indeed small businesses.

[BRASSO]

Agree, but there are certainly exceptions to that rule. Consider all walks of life where professionals donate their services for the good of others; doctors, attorneys, law enforcement, dentist, auto mechanics... the list goes on.

Since this be an all volunteer start up Corps, and everyone does things for free, we can assume that manufacturers will volunteeer your Corps all the instruments, uniforms, etc that they charge other Corps big bucks for( and expain why they gave to you free, but charged the others ) because ? .....because you have a winning smile and personality ? Where do you get the free stuff from ? Who's going to give it to you in your all volunteer Corps if you have no money, and we assume you arn't going to charge marching members money as you'll presumably let them march for free too, correct ? Or are you going to charge MM money to receive instruction from volunteer staff that may not always show up on a routine basis, as afterall its a volunteer gig. And how good can the instruction really be if the instructors are volunteer... and all the other Corps pay their staff ? If I 'm an instructor of good abilities and I'm given the choice of working for nothing or getting payed something, I 'll opt for the latter every time.... unless I'm independently wealthy, and lets face it, there arn't a lot ofexperienced and talented people like this available that are trained in Drum Corps or Band to do strictly volunteer instruction and arranging gigs on any long term basis.

Assume you want a tutor for you child for instruction... saying reading, or math, or piano, or whatever. So you go to the newspaper. You see lots of available tutors. All want so much for the instruction .But one... and only one.. says he'll work with your child for a year for nothing. Do you cross him off your list, or do you call him up to come visit you in your house and your child ? And if the tutor really was very experienced, credible and highly talented.. and willing to instruct your child for nothing for a year... don't you think that every single solitary parent in your community would readily want to take in that talented tutor to work for nothing teaching their child a subject matter after school for a year ? I mean seriously, such an unreal deal for the parent, right ? Thats because it is " unreal "... too " unreal " as a matter of fact.

Edited January 7, 2013 by BRASSO

[Stu]

Being a corporation and being a small business are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they are not even in the same category. You can have a corporation without having a single person in it. Drum corps are indeed small businesses.

So, an 'Incorporated' entity which has give or take 9-million dollars per year in revenues/outlays is merely a 'small' business; got it.

Edited January 7, 2013 by Stu

[baja]

So, an 'Incorporated' entity which has give or take 9-million dollars per year in revenues/outlays is merely a 'small' business; got it.

Ya know Stu, wasn't aware that any drum corps had revenues of 9 million per year and I don't doubt you are right. Of course with that kind of money who needs volunteers. But name just one other drum corps with 9 million in revenue....gotcha

[Stu]

Ya know Stu, wasn't aware that any drum corps had revenues of 9 million per year and I don't doubt you are right. Of course with that kind of money who needs volunteers. But name just one other drum corps with 9 million in revenue....gotcha

Check out the year to year budgets for the SCV organization; they are comparable to BD. Also, many other top DCI corps reach into the millions of dollars per year (see the Garfield 990 thread).

Edited January 7, 2013 by Stu

[whitedawn]

So, an 'Incorporated' entity which has give or take 9-million dollars per year in revenues/outlays is merely a 'small' business; got it.

Yes. Most banks say small businesses are companies with rev under $10m.

For the record, a "business" is a company that is engaged in business activities. "Company" means "corporate entity," and can be a corporation (subsection C or S), limited liability company, limited liability partnership, limited partnership, professional corporation, etc. A "non-profit organization" is one of these corporate entities (usually a corporation) that has filed form 1023 with the IRS and had the application approved.

Back on topic, there is no way that this works. People who would do a job for free are most likely not the people you'd want doing the job. A company of any kind cannot be run by people who can give 2 hours here and 90 minutes there. Unless you've got a bunch of Mark Arnolds lying around, it just won't happen.