chaddyt Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 What a strange e-mail. "DCI is struggling, we don't know how to fix it any better than you do, but you should put us in charge anyway (or we might leave)". This really is the perfect paraphrasing of that entire email. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Matczak Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 (edited) These are interesting times. Quote: " We hope and will work to produce an excellent year for each of us, and for the entire organization. " Exactly how the entire organization will be enriched by 7 groups breaking away ( for a portion of the season ) and providing a newer programming option that could well be more attractive than the current product, perhaps competing for the same dollars and winning that battle, is the question that needs to be answered. I believe what the G-7 wants to do with their own shows is to create something different that everyone else (non-G-7 corps) will come to realize they should emulate. Hate me, but the G-7 could be right! Right about the need for a better mousetrap. But, in the interim, how in the world does creating a competing entertainment option help the stability of the others who are not invited to experiment, mostly on the company's dime? I'd like this situation more if those separate G-7 shows would be obligated to contribute a portion of their revenue back to their teammates left on the bench. On the other hand, I'm sure the G-7 pitch is this " Look, guys, we have the resources and ability to take over Research & Development on your behalf. By doing our own thing, we ARE providing value to all other corps! " eh,........I do not think the whole idea of letting them run their own shows should be treated with any other option,.............I suggest the DCI BOD give THEM an ultimatum in responce to their threat. DCI to the G(eorge Hopkins) 7: Running your own shows during the contest season is to the detriment of DCI as a whole, and goes against the priciples that DCI was founded upon. If you want to run your own shows, then either A. Get out of DCI completely, B. Run your private parties in the off season, or C. Quit this whole charade and your cry baby threats, and rejoin DCI with full intention of supporting the organization, and not your selfish selves. Edited January 10, 2013 by Gary Matczak 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickhaltsforlife Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 I really just see this whole power grab as extrememly immature. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troopers1 Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 This has had me :blink:/>/> since the post last night as well. What's the point? $3,250 x 7 corps is $22,750 - hardly couch money for the combined "value" of these seven corps which must be approaching something like $6million in revenues (and expenses - cough!). What was George trying to state with this factoid? That they've committed financially and that somehow cements their commitment? That they are all equal partners in crime? That they've paid for stadiums? That they've paid to design a MIM website? Does they think the average person would be impressed by that "investment" when each corps charges EACH MEMBER about that much to march for just one season? Either I'm missing something or one of us is a buffoon. For a big stadium, don't you have to put down a security deposit, or show a certain amount of money in an escrow type account? Somehow MiM has more assets than the $25k he suggests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 (edited) Actually, in the interest of historical accuracy, DCI was founded on "we're the act, we should be making the money", verbatim from Jim Jones. (Check out the Brass Roots video on Fan Network; he said it to Don Warren at a mens room in Wisconsin. We can only assume that he was talking about their respective drum corps...) None of the Founders of DCI believed that once a Corps joined DCI that only the TOP 12 in the World Class Division would have a vote on policies, procedures, By laws, structure, misson statements, and all the myriad of dozens of things things that would shape the direction of the activity. Once DCI got off the ground, whether a Corps finished 1st or last, their vote counted and was heard. Jones, Bonfiglio, Royer, Warren, Kampschroer, Howard, etc and the others would not have supported a subdivision within the World Class Division for their own exclusive benefit, and attempt to deny voting rights to the Non 7 or non top 12. This particular act of greed by a handful of Corps is unprecedented in the Drum Corps activity, even going back prior to the formation of DCI itself. Edited January 10, 2013 by BRASSO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Matczak Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Imagine how very different the NFL would be if voting was limited only to those 12 teams who make the playoffs... - Competitive rules may be restructured so as to benefit those 12 teams, and to the detriment of the bottom 20 non-playoff teams. - Rules concerning finances may be skewed to benefit the top 12, and to the detriment of the bottom 20. - Rules concerning the draft (talent selection) may be changed to direct top talent to the top 12 and away from the bottom 20. - Talented players may steer themselves toward the top 12 and away from the bottom 20. - The scheduling of games (performances) may be structered to gain maximum exposure and profitability for the top 12, and away from the bottom 20. - The lion's share of revenues would go to the top 12 because of their ability to position their product, keeping the bottom 20 out of the game. - This would create an ongoing competitive dominance for the top 12 that would effectively shut the bottom 20 out of the game for good. - Some, if not all of the bottom 20 would likely shut down due to a combination of talent and finance issues, leaving a league that is essentially comprised of the top 12 organizations. Sound familiar? excellent post! The things that the NFL realizes are that while they are in competition for the ultimate championship award at the end of the season, they do realize that in actuality, there are 32 partners THAT ARE IN BUSINESS TOGETHER. They need each other. The greedy 7 seem to think they can win by killing off the competition and the circuit, all while pointing out how great they are,..........I would suggest these pompous corps directors take a moment and look at their own meager beginnings in corps, as many of them started in the more non-descript corps of their own eras,.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Matczak Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 (edited) For a big stadium, don't you have to put down a security deposit, or show a certain amount of money in an escrow type account? Somehow MiM has more assets than the $25k he suggests. by looking at the 990 thread, I am sure they don't,...........just another example of the greedy 7 riding the coattails of the organization they are threatening to take over, and if the other corps don't let them, they will quit. Edited January 10, 2013 by Gary Matczak 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CACTSC Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 The G7 got us here by making poor business decisions over the past couple of decades. I don't expect them to get us out either. Their egos are out of control.. and supposedly the G7 themselves can't agree on one vision! All this G7 ######## has done is hurt the activity more. From the 990 thread financial stability has almost nothing to do with placement. The only thing placement and money have to do with each other is how much they spend!!! And these 7 corps spend WAY TOO MUCH. They leave themselves absolutely no wiggle room. It's simple. Make more than you spend. So stop adding things into the activity that force corps to spend more. I have no clue what the answers are. But ALL the corps need to start working together. And George, Gibbs, Fielder and crew need to leave their egos and spending habits at the door and really work to find a solution. A power grab will do nothing to help. I don't think competing outside of the DCI umbrella will help anything either. I also think George Hopkins needs to go before he ruins the Cadets. You are correct. It is about egos. A couple in particular. And yes - they can't agree among themselves. Should make it really interesting when they're off doing their own MIM thing. They couldn't agree on how to do the TOC shows the last couple of seasons. Didn't come up with a plan until the last minute. A couple of those that they "ran" were so unorganized that DCI folks had to step in and fix it day of show to try and have an organized event. (And that was with DCI providing stadium, ticketing, marketing and judges as well as the show staff) Some of them don't really like each other, or trust each other, so that should be fun. Also, from what I've heard, at least a couple of the directors aren't ready to break away if it comes to that. Some of the current DCI Executive board members are truly working for all corps. Working on making deals with bus companies, food outlets, truck stops, etc. to benefit ALL corps. The G7 director response to these initiatives? "We don't care because we do our own thing and don't want anyone to know what that is - because then you might get as good of deal as we think we're getting and get a step up" So who exactly is going to work to benefit all corps? If you think that is the G7/MIM/Me7 then you are well, just wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 (edited) The threshold issue is "Why would we want non-business people on the board of this business?" It makes no sense that the corps people think that they are the ones who should run this thing. I... and many others... are wondering if Don Warren, founder of the Cavaliers, and of DCI itself, and still an important voice in this legendary Corps from what I'm told, is totally on board with a small cadre of Corps making overtures that could harm the very organization that he helped found, and is perhaps his lasting legacy ? Edited January 10, 2013 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobrien Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 None of the Founders of DCI believed that once a Corps joined DCI that only the TOP 12 in the World Class Division would have a vote on policies, procedures, By laws, structure, misson statements, and all the myriad of dozens of things things that would shape the direction of the activity. Once DCI got off the ground, whether a Corps finished 1st or last, their vote counted and was heard. Not to be a stickler, but this is incorrect. The voting on rules and budgets was reserved to the 12 Finalist corps only, with the exception of legacy corps who kept their vote for one season if they fell out of Finals, then lost it if they failed to make Finals again a second year in a row. By the late 70s, the rules had changed slightly so that the Top 25 were 'members' of DCI, but voting on rules changes, budgets, etc, was still reserved for just the Top 12. If you finished 23rd in Prelims, you got no vote, in other words. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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