mojo67 Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Here are my thoughts on reading this. I almost feel like I'm in a communist country being told what the best thing is to happen. These alleged 7 claim they've done the most for the activity and even the writer says that open class corps are declining because of various reasons. The one reason that was not mentioned was the one that some "great" corps director proposed an increase in the number of marching members. So corps go from what.....120 to 150...That is 30 people. 30 people a corp equals 4. Alas, there is no more Orlando Magic, Teal Sound, Suncoast Sound, Velvet Knights (what they used to be), there are probably others. I can certainly say many corps benefited from my generous purchases last year at events and world championships. Sometimes I wish I wouldn't read these things. However this is a real world with real a&&holes who want one thing and one thing only....The Almighty Dollar. As mama always said you put lipstick on a pig..guess what? it is still a pig. I read into this that 7 corps feel the need to rule and run the roost. This almost sounds like a political debate..where the rich (the G7) want to get richer and the poor (the remaining)get poorer. Those 7 can't stand the thought of finishing out of the top 7. I don't like sugar coating things as it provides a false sense of security. Even threatening to do whatever they want to do...go for it....I would be more than happy to share my hard earned $1.20 an hour with a corps outside the G 7 that actually values the lives of young people being involved in this. I find this as a very selfish act, where the primary word is me me me me me...It is all about me. I can tell ya one thing, if I ever win the lottery, there would be a reversal of standings, because those outside the G7, would be provided the best staff possible...after $$$ talks right? I realize no one in the G 7 would give a two sh1ts about someone like me or my thoughts and I don't care. If I stop following drum corps...guess what more $$$ for me to spend at more worthwhile events and organizations. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 How does one respectfully tell George to "Pound Sand"? Pretty simple.........."Here's some K-Y, go use it to do something to yourself." 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 That Bill Cook knew a thing or two. God love the man, but Bill also thought such things like bingo was the "life blood" of the activity. That hasn't panned out too well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tubabeard42 Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 (edited) I'm concerned about what the fate of Open Class might be in their hands. BD and SCV do have groups there, but still. The board they propose would have no direct representation from any Open Class groups, and yet would seemingly be in charge of all of DCI. So essentially they could do with Open Class what they wanted, and the directors would not be able to do anything about it. They say they want to continue to be a part of DCI, but looking at it one way, it might seem that they want to make DCI become just them, basically turn themselves into DCI, which would still fit their logic, though admittedly that's a little extreme to assume. I'm still pretty new to the world of DCI, but I really get a bad feeling about this. (joke about Cavies continuing to drop and sliding out of the top 12, making the G7 only have 6 on their proposed board, or something unfunny along those lines) Edited January 10, 2013 by tubabeard42 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockyGranite Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 How does one respectfully tell George to "Pound Sand"? How about: "Mr. Hopkins, please don't let the door hit you where the good lord split you." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallace Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 It's funny (or sad-I haven't decided) that the MIM-7 still fail to realize that they are one of the major causes of the economic environment of drum corps. Their financial model is out of control, and in order to keep up, other corps are having to overspend to remain competitive. Let 'em go, DCI. They need you more than you need them. There's still a lot of great corps to watch that will fill the void. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craiga Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 (edited) Three things: 1. This letter is (as of this morning) now all over Facebook. Everyone is talking about it, so deleting it now would be closing the barn door after the horse has already run out. 2. A few folks here INSIST on using the term "top 7". This is inaccurate, of course, because these corps are NOT the top seven in DCI, and a couple have only been top corps only recently. 3. Daniel, you are incorrect when you speculate that ONLY the 7 corps have great endorsement packages. Corps like Boston, Madison, Spirit, Blue Knights, Blue Stars, Troopers, and others have every bit as much in terms of product endorsments as the rest. Don't be deluded into thinking there is some sort of bright line between the 7 and everyone else. That distinction resides in the minds of 7 directors, and nowhere else. Edited January 10, 2013 by craiga 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHall Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 We all like what drum corps used to be right? We all want those days back right? So THE 7 have said they want the top 12 running DCI again like "the old days." What's wrong with that? Kids today will go where the fame is and where they can get the best education and WIN! Cadets, Blue devils, etc can leave DCI and kids will go with them. I think that THE 7 are thinking ahead and we are still thinking of yesterday. How many of us are truly understanding of what goes on with young people today? There are choices that kids have today that we didn't have in the 70's. How many young people, of marching age, are on here complaining about the G7? My guess is NONE! These kids are the future of drum corps and they will take these changes with them and even alter them later on. How many new educational ideas have come out in the past 30 years? Several. They take an idea and change it slightly. New buzz words are added. This is in an effort to (hopefully) make schools better. G7 is looking to the future and they did say they are not sure if these are the right answers but they will try. Was it the right answer to go to two valve bugles? Was it the right answer to ground timpani's and keys? Was it the right answer to change to three valves? To change to Multi Key instruments? These decisions were made and we, or really drum corps, has to live with the decisions. I guess we can just sit back and enjoy the show or turn the channel to something better. Is there anything better? I get it, many of you dislike George and I was not a fan a while back either but since he became the cadets director they have had a winning organization every year since. Kids flock to be a part of that group. Same can be said for the other 6 corps. Hundreds of kids go to them each year. Those same kids don't give a crap about what we say because we are older. Remember back to your youth when you felt the same way about your parents? (Don't lie, you did!). If the G7 were to leave DCI today those kids would follow them. More young people today want to march with those corps than any other corps. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeithHall Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 That model started way before Cadets were top 12. Started with Madison, SCV, Blue devils, etc in the 1970's. It's funny (or sad-I haven't decided) that the MIM-7 still fail to realize that they are one of the major causes of the economic environment of drum corps. Their financial model is out of control, and in order to keep up, other corps are having to overspend to remain competitive. Let 'em go, DCI. They need you more than you need them. There's still a lot of great corps to watch that will fill the void. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bawker Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 So, a thinly veiled ultimatum, couched in "look, we're trying to be reasonable!" double-speak. Funny how, as previously mentioned, you'll always have that 7-5 majority in your oh-so-benevolent offer. Guess what? Leave, George. Take the rest with you, and see if you really can do it better. See if you can keep YEA! afloat, see if everyone who knows "how the rubber meets the road" can do it, and if you can keep on keepin' on without DCI. This can be your farewell tour this year . . .so make it a good one. You may destroy the modern concept of touring drum corps over the past 30+ years in the process, quite a few your own (and other) organizations in the process, but I can guarantee you that you won't kill the idiom. So, let's get this great "schism" over with, see what we're left with, and go from there. . . maybe you, Gibbs, Fiedler and others flourish. Maybe not. It's just about #### time to find out, and for that, I'm grateful. No more posturing, no more lamentations of "we could do it better", no more back and forth. Time for the "grand experiment" to begin. I'll pop the popcorn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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