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The Purpose of DCI


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Consider these two scenarios:

- A business exists to provide income and earn a little when it can. It's a way to do what you love to do and pay the bills whilst working for oneself.

- A business exists to generate profits through policies enacted to increase revenue, diversify income, etc. whilst providing a desired service and fulfilling a market need.

Many people want DCI to be the latter; a money-maker that can show and sustain growth. Realistically, though DCI operates in the millions, it's really not much different than Big Al's Fish Market. In the end, Al enjoys fish, interacting with customers, etc. and the income pays the bills and then some.

However, investors seeking to profit from Big Al's Fish Market look aggressively at how the Fish Market can become the Fish Supermarket and then the chain of Fish Emporiums!

At the end of the day, it's perfectly fine that Al doesn't seek a wider audience, doesn't grow his range of products, etc. because the mission is being met: revenue exceeds expenditures to a degree which meets he and his family's immediate needs on a sustained, consistent basis.

Could it be that DCI is actually completely healthy and that we actually disagree on the purpose of DCI as a business model?

Those who work for DCI are doing something they are passionate about, paying the bills at home, and making enough to afford a reasonable standard of living. In the end, perhaps this, not considerable growth, outreach, and development, is success. After all, so long as DCI doesn't LOSE money, couldn't we claim that by the second model, DCI is a roaring success?

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DCI is not a business, it is a governing body. Sure, it has to be run in a business-like fashion, but unlike a publicly-held corporation, its primary goal is not to be profitable. The primary goal is to assist in the success, financial and otherwise, of the individual units it oversees, and the activity as a whole.

I am totally making this up, by the way, so I welcome the excoriating input on those more knowledgeable. Garfield?

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Consider these two scenarios:

- A business exists to provide income and earn a little when it can. It's a way to do what you love to do and pay the bills whilst working for oneself.

- A business exists to generate profits through policies enacted to increase revenue, diversify income, etc. whilst providing a desired service and fulfilling a market need.

Many people want DCI to be the latter; a money-maker that can show and sustain growth. Realistically, though DCI operates in the millions, it's really not much different than Big Al's Fish Market. In the end, Al enjoys fish, interacting with customers, etc. and the income pays the bills and then some.

However, investors seeking to profit from Big Al's Fish Market look aggressively at how the Fish Market can become the Fish Supermarket and then the chain of Fish Emporiums!

At the end of the day, it's perfectly fine that Al doesn't seek a wider audience, doesn't grow his range of products, etc. because the mission is being met: revenue exceeds expenditures to a degree which meets he and his family's immediate needs on a sustained, consistent basis.

Could it be that DCI is actually completely healthy and that we actually disagree on the purpose of DCI as a business model?

Those who work for DCI are doing something they are passionate about, paying the bills at home, and making enough to afford a reasonable standard of living. In the end, perhaps this, not considerable growth, outreach, and development, is success. After all, so long as DCI doesn't LOSE money, couldn't we claim that by the second model, DCI is a roaring success?

Would this mean that DCI is it's own "customer"...the sole purpose is to satisfy DCI?...and the fans have no real role except to make DCI happy?

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DCI is absolutely a business. In fact, I'd argue that it's PRIMARY purpose in life is to generate publicity and generate revenues to give to the competing organizations (originally just the 12 finalists, but now with a wider array of beneficiaries).

The fact that it's non-profit doesn't mean it's a charity. The NFL is non-profit too, and for the exact same reasons that DCI is; because it's structured to be the financial clearinghouse for the shared activities of its member organizations, doing what they can to create the biggest pool of dollars they can, then disbursing those monies to the member teams.

However I'd say the OP is on to the fundamental difference of opinion that now threatens the organization. You have some member orgs who seem to be content with the current situation, where things are never too hot, and never too cold, and others who see the potential for their league to become something bigger. FWIW, the ones who are in the 'growth' camp are being run by Boards and CEOs who have demonstrated an ability to expand their organizations' core businesses, while the most intransigent of the status quo folks seem resistant to changing anything about their organizations, so at least everyone's consistent.


Edited by Slingerland
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so long as DCI doesn't LOSE money, couldn't we claim that by the second model, DCI is a roaring success?

One could " claim " anything. But even the DCI Directors of the upper echelon ranks of DCI corps don't accept your premise that " so long as we don't lose money " we top WC division Corps deem this all a " roaring success ". So if the movers and the shakers of the DCI activity don't share this definition of " success ", then its hard to envision that this becomes the future culture and model in DCI whereby a "roaring success " will be " claimed " as you apparently wish it to be defined.

Edited by BRASSO
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One could " claim " anything. But even the DCI Directors of the upper echelon ranks of DCI corps don't accept your premise that " so long as we don't lose money " we top WC division Corps deem this all a " roaring success ". So if the movers and the shakers of the DCI activity don't share this definition of " success ", then its hard to envision that this becomes the future culture and model in DCI whereby a "roaring success " will be " claimed " as you apparently wish it to be defined.

I don't wish it one way or another. It's simply a claim one could legitimately make: as long as the business isn't shrinking, any amount of growth is overwhelmingly positive.

This claim can ONLY be made when the goal of the business is to provide a substantial living for those involved.

You make an excellent point that it's the top corps who would not accept this premise and I think that there's a divide in how it's approached between the "we have it and we want more" camp and the "we're just happy to BE HERE" camp.

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DCI is not a business, it is a governing body. Sure, it has to be run in a business-like fashion, but unlike a publicly-held corporation, its primary goal is not to be profitable. The primary goal is to assist in the success, financial and otherwise, of the individual units it oversees, and the activity as a whole.

I am totally making this up, by the way, so I welcome the excoriating input on those more knowledgeable. Garfield?

...which makes you imminently qualified...

:tounge2:

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I don't wish it one way or another. It's simply a claim one could legitimately make: as long as the business isn't shrinking, any amount of growth is overwhelmingly positive.

This claim can ONLY be made when the goal of the business is to provide a substantial living for those involved.

You make an excellent point that it's the top corps who would not accept this premise and I think that there's a divide in how it's approached between the "we have it and we want more" camp and the "we're just happy to BE HERE" camp.

I would say that it is the responsibility of DCI to provide contractually agreed upon services to the Racine Scouts and Les Stentors as well as to the corps calling themselves the G7; but in no way shape or form is it the responsibility and duty for DCI to provide a ‘substantial living’ for any them or any others involved for that matter. And I also contend that it is not the responsibility of the individual corps to provide their staff with a ' substantial living' either but merely to provide agreed upon contractual obligations. Whether DCI, or the corps themselves, are non-profits or for-profits does not matter; no business, none, zero, zilch, ‘owes’ salaried or hourly employees, contract workers, seasonal workers, units involved, etc… a ‘substantial living’. It is the responsibility of the organization to honor contracts and stated services, stay solvent, and make revenue; nothing more. And I, for one, hate, despise, and loathe the current belief structure infesting our culture which is the 'you owe me more than we agreed upon' entitlement philosophy.

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I would say that it is the responsibility of DCI to provide contractually agreed upon services to the Racine Scouts and Les Stentors as well as to the corps calling themselves the G7; but in no way shape or form is it the responsibility and duty for DCI to provide a ‘substantial living’ for any them or any others involved for that matter. And I also contend that it is not the responsibility of the individual corps to provide their staff with a ' substantial living' either but merely to provide agreed upon contractual obligations. Whether DCI, or the corps themselves, are non-profits or for-profits does not matter; no business, none, zero, zilch, ‘owes’ salaried or hourly employees, contract workers, seasonal workers, units involved, etc… a ‘substantial living’. It is the responsibility of the organization to honor contracts and stated services, stay solvent, and make revenue; nothing more. And I, for one, hate, despise, and loathe the current belief structure infesting our culture which is the 'you owe me more than we agreed upon' entitlement philosophy.

I'm looking less legal specifics and more conceptual understanding of what "success" means. Does "success" to DCI mean paying the bills with DCI or does "success" mean developing a company that is worth a great deal?

I think the real issue is that the "G7" group is motivated by the business/revenue generating conception of DCI whereas most others - to include DCI itself because, really, DCI is NOT just the member corps - is simply happy to exist in a positive state.

It comes to blows when those who desire expansion and growth meet those who are content with the status quo. Neither approach is wrong but either approach can exist manifest itself completely in the presence of the other.

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I'm looking less legal specifics and more conceptual understanding of what "success" means. Does "success" to DCI mean paying the bills with DCI or does "success" mean developing a company that is worth a great deal?

I think the real issue is that the "G7" group is motivated by the business/revenue generating conception of DCI whereas most others - to include DCI itself because, really, DCI is NOT just the member corps - is simply happy to exist in a positive state.

It comes to blows when those who desire expansion and growth meet those who are content with the status quo. Neither approach is wrong but either approach can exist manifest itself completely in the presence of the other.

DCI exists for the sole purpose of organizing a tour, promoting interest in attending the tour and, as a result, generating the maximum amount of revenue possible to return to the member corps.

Nothing else.

If DCI is not just the member corps, then what is the part that is not?

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