cixelsyd Posted September 30, 2016 Share Posted September 30, 2016 yeah i know but listen... suppose you're one of the corps who complains about losing all of your best kids to all the "top" corps every season. what if you played turn-about on them and tried to recruit their kids? suppose you offered something crazy (for eg. no tour fee if you marched in a top 5) ? would a MM switch corps to save $4000? or is it really about marching with their 'dream corps' and money be ######? would it make an impact? (this whole topic inspired by a rambling FB msg thread that started with System Blue commercials at finals!) Probably more effective to recruit their staffs... and then some of the kids will follow. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corpsband Posted September 30, 2016 Author Share Posted September 30, 2016 Where is BRASSO?...first person I thought about when I saw this... thus "yeah i know" This is a ridiculous idea at face-value IMO...considering the tour fees are now about the same for most corps anyway...whether top 5 or top 25...this would do nothing but hurt the operating budgets of many of the lower tier corps who need this income to survive...I've heard of horror stories of lower tier corps keeping on non-paying members...just because they were desperate for membership...well those groups are not around anymore...many drum corps are either break-even or some even loosing propositions already... so no way... On the other hand...I could see this MAYBE working in some type of scholarship fund though...but the money set aside for this should not interfere with the corps operating budget...perhaps a rich benefactor of the corps..setting up a fund for this type of thing...the criteria being that the member has to be a veteran at say a top 3 corps for example...I rather see this type of fund set-up for members in serious financial need or hardship though rather than buying members from upper tier corps who can afford it... unless they have the money to do it. and as long as you call it a "scholarship" with some sort of needs test. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corpsband Posted September 30, 2016 Author Share Posted September 30, 2016 (edited) . Edited September 30, 2016 by corpsband Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted September 30, 2016 Share Posted September 30, 2016 many work their ### off and look for sponsors everywhere to help. mom and dad arent always paying a free ride Moreover, most of those in which you refer to would rather work their #### off collecting the funds in order to engage at that higher competitive level than take a freebee while performing to a relatively empty stadium earlier in the show. Note: This is no way an attempt to disparage any corps; especially the corps which struggle to maintain integrity. It is merely an observation on human psyche and character. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xandandl Posted September 30, 2016 Share Posted September 30, 2016 wait 'til they hear how much the socks cost! Oh no!?! What corps will be in those colors for '17? With 150 sets, will the corps distribute sun-glasses like Surf did several seasons back? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim K Posted September 30, 2016 Share Posted September 30, 2016 I have two thoughts regarding this matter. First, if Billy Bluecoat, Bobby Blue Devil, Caroline Carolina Crown, Susie Santa Clara, or Caleb Cavalier decides to go to corps 6-22 for a financial break, chances are he/she only wants to be the star who saves the corps and sees being in a top 5 corps as invaluable to the lower placing corps, because if Billy, Bobby, Caroline, Susie, or Caleb were invaluable to the top 5 corps and money was an issue, chances are the corps would find a way to keep this person. So the $1,000 break would probably help only a corps get rid of those they probably would not bring back anyway. Second, a corps I donate to does an excellent job with development/advancement. I am not a top level donor, and I am not a donor who is sponsoring big ticket items for the corps. The people who make these donations are groomed for this kind of thing. I receive letters and phone calls that remind me that donations like mine help feed the corps, go towards fuel or equipment, or most importantly enable a kid to march who cannot otherwise afford it. When I get a thank you letter, it is always computer generated and has a high ranking signature, but there will also be a note on the bottom with a personal thank you and story, and one year, a story of a kid who remained nameless who has a tragic circumstance in his life and how my donation combined with others made it possible for this kid to march. Other donors get different notes. My guess is that for most donors, supporting the corps is what matters most, but many could quite possibly think if the corps has the money to give a reduction to a kid who once marched in a top corps, it would reinforce the notion that drum corps is a rich kids activity and they don't need the donation. While I'm sure top talent may be lured with reduced fees, that is different than a blanket $1,000 reduction for anyone who marched with a top 5 corps.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpaul Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 who has to know? the financial transactions don't really have to take place in front of anyone. you can do it all online. average kid just assumes everyone is paying their way just like he/she is. Kids talk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfield Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 First, UnderArmor should NEVER grace the pages of DCP or any part of the activity until the (highly pretentious and self-aggrandizing) owner relents his position that drum corps in specific, and band kids in general, are "...not the image that he wants related to UnderArmor". That is a direct quote. F-him and his prissy underwear - I'll never buy it and I encourage all self-respecting drum corps people to boycott the products until that attitude is changed. Second, the moment you make drum corps about tour fees the smaller-budget corps will go out of business. The moment that the top-six corps get wind of such shenanigans by the smaller corps, the arms race to the bottom will commence. The top corps will cut their fees in retaliation and will bury the smaller corps budgets. This is already evident as some of the larger-budget corps have fees that are lower than the smaller-budget corps. If the talent can go try out at the top corps and pay less than they'd pay at the lower placements, the gulf between the top corps and the lower corps will widen and the struggle for talent will tilt farther in favor of the top corps. This will also be the impact if the max players per corps is increased. DCI should set the level of the tour fees the same for all corps, and allow each corps to set achievement-based discounts for each performer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rr4353 Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 (edited) . Edited June 21, 2017 by rr4353 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrumCorpsRadio Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 What a nice personal touch from the corps you donate to. If you private message me the corps name, I'll make a donation for the coming year. That extra step they go through is exceptional. I have two thoughts regarding this matter. First, if Billy Bluecoat, Bobby Blue Devil, Caroline Carolina Crown, Susie Santa Clara, or Caleb Cavalier decides to go to corps 6-22 for a financial break, chances are he/she only wants to be the star who saves the corps and sees being in a top 5 corps as invaluable to the lower placing corps, because if Billy, Bobby, Caroline, Susie, or Caleb were invaluable to the top 5 corps and money was an issue, chances are the corps would find a way to keep this person. So the $1,000 break would probably help only a corps get rid of those they probably would not bring back anyway. Second, a corps I donate to does an excellent job with development/advancement. I am not a top level donor, and I am not a donor who is sponsoring big ticket items for the corps. The people who make these donations are groomed for this kind of thing. I receive letters and phone calls that remind me that donations like mine help feed the corps, go towards fuel or equipment, or most importantly enable a kid to march who cannot otherwise afford it. When I get a thank you letter, it is always computer generated and has a high ranking signature, but there will also be a note on the bottom with a personal thank you and story, and one year, a story of a kid who remained nameless who has a tragic circumstance in his life and how my donation combined with others made it possible for this kid to march. Other donors get different notes. My guess is that for most donors, supporting the corps is what matters most, but many could quite possibly think if the corps has the money to give a reduction to a kid who once marched in a top corps, it would reinforce the notion that drum corps is a rich kids activity and they don't need the donation. While I'm sure top talent may be lured with reduced fees, that is different than a blanket $1,000 reduction for anyone who marched with a top 5 corps.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.