normy diploome Posted April 8, 2013 Author Share Posted April 8, 2013 Surprising absolutely no one, you presume wrong. I also find it interesting, though in this case not surprising, that you only responded to the first half of my post. I would never go so far as to presume that you have never been on a corps staff, or spent any time around modern corps drum majors. I may not presume, but I do highly suspect. Sorry John, but your suspicions are not correct. I have been on staff/faculty of three DCI medalist corps for a total of 20 years, count all of the last five Jim Jones Award winners as friends and four of them as regular correspondents on life matters in and out of drum corps, and last year was a consultant for various aspects with three of the top 12 corps. Of the top 12 corps' majors from last years finals, I am friends with the families of thecorps officer of seven of them. I did not disagree with your second half of your statement but find that it only matches the experience or job description of a few units, but not all. The demands on the DMs/conductors/officers is not a universal set for all DCI corps; the differences are what set much of the distinct personalities of each unit. Those different experiences and perspectives help prompt me to start the thread. Good night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 . What does the current Crusader corps do for the kids of, let's say Most Precious Blood neighborhood in Hyde Park? . Since you brought up " societal changes ", a more relevent question might be " what does the Most Precious Blood Church of Hyde Park " do for the young for sports activities, band activities, drum corps activities, teenage dance activities, etc in the Hyde Park Neighborhood of Boston " ? The local Corps that were church based at one time ( like the 27th Lancers you mentioned above ) did not leave and quit on their parishes. Lets be accurate here with historical fact based honesty. The Parish quit on the Most Precious Blood Hyde Park ( Boston ) Crusaders in the late 50's. The Crusaders never quit on themselves, (nor on anyone else for that matter.) The fact that the Boston Crusaders have been able to survive all these years is because of their creative and keen ability to adapt to the challenges put before them, and with the changes all around them, including Drum Corps itself. They draw members from all over the world now, with many from High School and University Band rich Florida, and are most grateful for that. But they have their offices in the Boston region and they fundraise in Boston to keep their committment to youth alive... no matter what their marchers current home zipcode is.The "Craiga" poster here is from Maine, not Massachusetts. He marched Boston and he now instructs Boston and he sends some of his kids from his High School Band in Maine that he instructs to Boston Crusaders each year now to march " Boston ". He is as much a " Boston Crusader " as much as anyone that that has donned the uniform in the 40's from the Most Precious Blood Crusaders, and so arn't the people that write the checks that keep the Corps alive that never marched in the Corps, but like what they represent, the traditions they still value and cherish, and what they believe in as their perceived Mission for the youth of the Corps. And so arn't the current marchers ( and alums ) in the Boston Crusaders Sr. Corps, " Boston Crusaders" too. They come from all over now as well and their support of the Junior Corps, " Boston Crusaders " is valued by the Corps, and the Junior Corps, " Boston Crusaders " value the support of their Senior Corps as well. Society has changed since the 1940's. Just as you said. There is no question about that. But the Red and Black of the Boston Crusaders is still the Red and Black of the Boston Crusders. Its not in its zip codes that makes it so. Its in its DNA. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
normy diploome Posted April 9, 2013 Author Share Posted April 9, 2013 Agreed. Because Hyde Park, Garfield, Revere, even Madison and LaCrosse cities are not the neighborhoods they once were when each corps began, I chose the example as a speculation not a condemnation, all too common on DCP of late. If my statement style seems to go that way, that's a weakness not a philosophy. Boston, where I had my first judging assignments, used to be home to no less than three full circuits, but no longer. Different times demand different selections. I know that Craiga is the best that Biddeford offers. I've enjoyed many a fine moment there for a meal and gas refuel on my way to and from Georgetown/Brunswick/and Bath. I appreciate his loyalty, an aspect that generated the original questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 (edited) Agreed. Because Hyde Park, Garfield, Revere, even Madison and LaCrosse cities are not the neighborhoods they once were when each corps began, I chose the example as a speculation not a condemnation, all too common on DCP of late. If my statement style seems to go that way, that's a weakness not a philosophy. Boston, where I had my first judging assignments, used to be home to no less than three full circuits, but no longer. Different times demand different selections. I know that Craiga is the best that Biddeford offers. I've enjoyed many a fine moment there for a meal and gas refuel on my way to and from Georgetown/Brunswick/and Bath. I appreciate his loyalty, an aspect that generated the original questions. I do agree with you that it is most unfortunate that the Drum Corps activity has lost its once vibrant presence in the Cities of North America and its loss with its drawing of much of its members from within a few mile radius of its local parish rectory or from a mile or 2 of its local AL or VFW Chapter. The surviving Corps of today can't be faulted for that shift however, imo. I say we at least be grateful for ALL the Corps that still remain to carry the torch..... no matter where their marchers in their Corps come from. I also regret the fact that there is so much wily nily movements of marchers from Corps to Corps. I have put forth my recommendations to alter this long term, but see no reason to regurgitate them once again on this thread. Edited April 9, 2013 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhawtho1 Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Loyalty occured more often when corps were "local" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 (edited) Loyalty occured more often when corps were "local" True. Not trumpeting my own horn ( sorry for the bad pun ) here, but I marched from the age of 9 to ageout at 21 in the same Drum Corps. So didn't all the marchers in my Corps, except for 2 in all those years. We started as 8-12 year olders, stayed with the Corps and moved the Corps up in marcher numbers and in accomplishments in the years from our start up. It never crossed my mind to even consider moving to another Communities Drum Corps. My fellow marchers did everything together, both in Corps and in non Corps activities. We hung out together even after practice. There was a stringent transfer policy in place in our Drum Corps circuit, and nobody complained about it either. Not the Corps. Not the marchers. Not the Parents. But it was all " local ", and so it was perhaps easier for us then to be " loyal " when these were the marchers you played baseball with, went to dances with,etc and everybody knew everybody's parents and siblings too. Noone thought about joining another Drum Corps somewhere else. And our Corps had trouble trying to convince the Director to take in marchers from outside our community too. He WANTED to keep it " local ", and he did. We suffered competitively a bit due to this, imo... but in retrospect HE had it right I believe now. Then the late 60's came along... and like many other things, what once was the norm, no longer was, and people started going in all sorts of different directions then.. and not just in Drum Corps. I marched in a few Drum Corps after 21, ( Military Drum Corps included ) all of them rich experiences, and we did well competitively, but it wasn't quite the same unforgettable experience I had with " my " local Junior Corps of earlier. Edited April 9, 2013 by BRASSO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Just for clarification purposes, Boston did NOT move its organization to Florida. The corps office has never left metro-Boston. I assume you are alluding to BAC having winter training in Florida (like the Red Sox). True. But unlike the Crusaders, the Red Sox suck. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 (edited) True. But unlike the Crusaders, the Red Sox suck. :tongue:/>/> A fast start at 5-2 out of the box and in sole possession of 1st place in the AL East so far, Fran ( haha) Edited April 9, 2013 by BRASSO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
normy diploome Posted April 9, 2013 Author Share Posted April 9, 2013 True. But unlike the Crusaders, the Red Sox suck. :tongue:/> Hey Fran, No Politics on DCP, ha, ha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dir_en_X Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 (edited) 5-2 out of the box and in 1st place in the AL East so far, Fran ( haha) And I quoted the wrong post. Edited April 9, 2013 by Dir_en_X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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