stop the corps folding

[N.E. Brigand]

It would be great if someone who's seen a few corps budgets could create an in-depth sample version to help everyone understand exactly what it is that the corps have to pay for, and how much each item costs, and how much they take in, and how that's broken down. Like garfield's magnificent 990 threads, but not specific to any particular corps (although with some notes to explain different possible variations--and probably with a range of numbers for each item: "a brass arranger charges $X-$Y for a show") and in much more detail. Everything from executive director salary to office supplies and from DCI payout to souvenir sales.

Edited August 16, 2013 by N.E. Brigand

[flammaster]

So sad. I just saw these guys for the first time online and now they fold?

[Bruckner8]

Corps fold because of mismanagement, period. Even if the MC managers were top-notch, they obviously erred in their predictability of market forces feeding the coffers! How to start a drum corps:

1) How will we raise money?

2) Is the answer to #1) Sustainable?

3) What do we do for Plan B?

THE REST DOESN'T MATTER! (designers, instructional staff, recruitment, etc)

Their press release may as well read: "We folded because we were wrong in our assessment of sustainable resources."

Same for Glassmen, and for every other corps that has ever folded.

Have you ever seen a corps fold, but the press release said "We have lots of money, but no one seems to want it, so we folded anyway."

[Freedom]

Well, the choice was made years ago, rightly or wrongly, for DCI Drum Corps to align itself very heavily with the schools Music Depts. Like all things in life, decisions do have consequences, some great, some good, some not so good, and some ultimately prove disastrous.

In my view, expressed on here in the past, the loss of so many Corps was in large part the adoption right from the beginning of the National Touring Model initiated and promoted by DCI. Corps wern't mandated to go criss crossing the country, but it was clear that if you wanted to move up on the totem pole, you'd need too. In retrospect, The NCAA Tournamnent Model of regional show winners ( and 2nd, 3rd placers with Drum Corps ) advancing only to the National Championship would have been a much better model to have adopted. It would have led to better stability, lower costs, regional rivalries, more parity, higher fan interest, better competition, and ultimately because of these things, sustained growth of the activity across the board. But regrettably, such a model was not adopted, and so here we are today where its predominently the costs of the national touring travel that ultimately is what has sent so many Corps to the Drum Corps Graveyard over the last 35 years.

And that was my point....said differently but you expressed it more eloquently. So, what's the solution? Does DCI, by the way, think everything is just awesome? Do they even care about the things a community, like DCP, shares?

[MikeN]

For those who haven't seen it, the "macro" view of corps 990's is here...

I know it's not the line-item view you meant, but it's a start. :)

Mike

[drilltech1]

I am not a business person but have been responsible in various roles for many non-profit groups of several types, most smaller than today's drum corps enterprises. This leads me to some speculative questions regarding the current demise of some drum corps.

Would it be proper for DCI to require enough financial resources and reserves of a corps applying for tour assignments that would cover two years of touring before being given such tour possibilities in DCI? To me, that would limit the one-and-dones or some of the hand-to-mouth budgets which have propped some corps and disappointed many kids when the corps folds. Admittedly it is tougher; I just feel it would be more prudent and stop some of the situations that have arrived mid tour such as Magic, Teal, Raiders, et al

Should a BoD when actually making a budget for the sustenance of the corps even include DCI prize money as a given? What if the whole G7/MM thing exploded, DCI exploded, and there were no prize money? Would the corps automatically fold? Would it not be more prudent to make a budget beyond prize money which budget would continue the corps in what ever new venture might gradually result? It would not automatically return the corps to the situation pre-DCI as forty years should have brought some more wisdom and possible strategies. What that future should be I don't pretend to know. Admittedly again,this is difficult but is it not prudent in the strange economic times in which we live?

Although these may be my theoretical preferences, I am open to other perspectives. I guess I am just tired by kids being hurt by adults who haven't thought the whole challenge through in reality. How do you see it? .

Edited August 16, 2013 by drilltech1

[MikeN]

And that was my point....said differently but you expressed it more eloquently. So, what's the solution? Does DCI, by the way, think everything is just awesome? Do they even care about the things a community, like DCP, shares?

As far as big "direction of the activity" stuff, no, DCI does not give a rat's whisker what you, me or anyone else on DCP thinks. Corps directors, as well as Dan at DCI, have spoken on the record to DCP, DC World and others, and nobody is pretending there isn't a problem. But part of the issue is that there are as many ideas for solutions as there are directors proposing them - there hasn't been a general consensus yet.

For smaller "fan reaction" type stuff, sure they do - it's an easy to monitor feedback forum.

Mike

[BRASSO]

Although I support the concept of parity through reduced "free agency", I believe it remains the elephant in the room not because there are those that refuse to consider it, but rather the logistics of pulling it off are untenable.

This would only be true if we started from the faulty premise that restrictive transfer policies for paying customer marchers in Drum Corps has never been adopted before. But we've had transfer policies in place in Drum corps before. The Eastern Massachusetts Drum Corps Circuit did. Few parents or marchers complained. Far from being " untenable ", it worked as intended. The policy worked well. It did not totally prevent one from transfering to another corps if one was hellbent on it, but overall it discouraged Corps hopping. As a result, it allowed stronger and better competition between units, but more importantly, greater stability to all. Outsiders would have the look of bewilderment that DCI Drum Corps have no transfer policies in place at all. Especially when many of the MM's come from schools with heavy duty and highly restrictive transfer policies in place for its student- athletes. Lots of Amateur athletes belong to competitive sports where they pay for the right to participate on that team. But they are not allowed to wily nilly move from team to team simply because they are paying for the privlege of paying for that team. I know of no competitive sport.. pro or amateur.. children or adults... that has no transfer policies in place for its participants. Those sports are all growing. DCI is not growing. We might want to look at what all other successful teams do in all the other competitive endeavors to see if what they are doing can turn our slide in our competitive endeavor around.

Edited August 16, 2013 by BRASSO

[Kamarag]

The continued misguided comparison of DCI corps to professional sports teams in these threads doesn't work for one simple reason:

Pro sports DO NOT have spending caps. They have SALARY caps. Not at all the same thing. I guarantee you that different teams spend VASTLY different amounts on team operations, facilities, marketing, and public relations. None of that is governed or restricted.

Even if DCI did somehow implement SPENDING caps, how is it set? Is it affected by geography and cost of living? Who sets the number? Is there a MINIMUM amount that must be spent? After all, leagues with a salary cap also have league minimums that must be maintained.

I still cringe every time drum corps is compared to a sport, and yes, the "Summer Music Games" nonsense was just that.

Edited August 16, 2013 by Kamarag

[BRASSO]

The continued misguided comparison of DCI corps to professional sports teams in these threads doesn't work for one simple reason:

Transfer policies however are not limited to the" Pros ". All competitive sports organizations...Pro AND AMATEUR... children or adults... all have tranfer policies in place. Millions of parents and children every year pay for the right for their child to try out and then perhaps, if chosen, participate in ( for example ) Little League. But the parents generally don't get to select the team for the child. The child does not get to pick the team he wants to play on. His is drafted, by a coach. He plays on that team. Once there, he can't willy nilly transfer to another team. And when the playoffs come, if he's lucky and good enough to be selected for the All Star team, he doesn't get the right to go to another town's team and play for that All Star team. If he did, Little League Baseball would ban him, his parents, and the coaches involved for the transfer for life, even if all parties in the transfer agreed on the transfer. Sports organizations ALL have transfer policies of some sort in place. Pro AND AMATEUR. They do so to protect the overall health and stability of the entire enterprise. Its worked for half a century with these sports. Nobody has complained about the restrictive transfer policies in place either. These amateur sports are all growing. They have stability. DCI Drum Corps is not growing. It has little stability. It is losing Corps left and right. DCI is rife with systemic competitive placement inertia. There are reasons for this. I've just highlighted for you one of the principal reasons why.

Edited August 16, 2013 by BRASSO