Madison Scouts 2018

[skevinp]

4 minutes ago, Brian Tuma said:

Yes! That’s exactly what he means. The member’s rations have been cut beyond even a subsistence level. It’s a travesty! I’ve heard of but can’t confirm the Donner Party allegations. 

References to cannibalism are ironic in this context...

[MotoSurfBass]

3 hours ago, HockeyDad said:

 When people expressed frustration with Hopkins did you demand they name his replacement?  You must know CK and DP's replacements, by name, or you can't criticize on an Internet forum?  Nonsense. That's the job of the BOD, and they better be up to the task, or they too should be replaced. Just like what they did at Cadets. Oh and by the way, that turned out pretty well, didn't it?

As a matter of fact, many people DID demand that criticizers name a potential replacement in that case. And you know what? THE CADETS ALUMNI ON THAT PAGE MANNED UP AND ACTUALLY GAVE SOME ####### ANSWERS. And the Cadets BoD change had less to do with their resurgence this year than the fact that a tyrannical despot was forced to abdicate, and his staff were actually given room to do their jobs for once. 

56 minutes ago, FlamMan said:

Woa, hang on here...by "starving" are you saying that the corps members aren't being fed regularly???

Jesus Christ, has your family had you checked for dementia yet?

[mfrontz47]

Coming here to wish all of you hope for next year, good luck tomorrow and offering my encouragement to the Men of Madison! The kids are trying their hardest, and while the show is flawed, I'm sad I won't get to see it at all tomorrow (I will be on my way to the theater when they are on!). Hoping the design staff issues get fixed, and that the corps keeps up the good fight- this isn't the end for the Scouts! 

 

Cheers, and onward! 

[cixelsyd]

10 hours ago, Gantang said:

Your assertion that people are attacking the members is inaccurate and doesn't need to be addressed. Moving on. Using your logic, no one should be able to critique the performance of anyone in any position lest the critiquer is willing to assume the role. We vote out bad politicians who have volunteered for the job.  The current BOD and leadership in Madison volunteered for the job when they applied for a role within the organization. They put themselves in charge of an 80-year-old youth group that has thousands of former members who expect a certain level of excellence across the entire MS spectrum.

Just because someone is saying the show design is poor doesn't imply that they think they could do a better job. However, it is incumbent upon the leadership to hire the best designers available and either oversee the design process or trust that the person or people they hired will put a competitive product before the members. There are people who believe, perhaps incorrectly, that the philosophy of "scores don't matter" has been put on steroids as a way to justify being closer in scores to the Pioneer than SCV. 

Just as sports' fans call for coaches to be fired, drum corps fans also have a particular passion about the way the corps they love or marched with, is run. This IS the forum for such talk. It's what social media is for. If everyone only posting positive and glowing tripe it would be disingenuous and useless. Some of the posters here are from a generation where they were taught to tell the truth, not something that sounds like the truth. If the Madison management team is spending time reading this they can take it or leave it.

It's my understanding from earlier Pages in this thread that a FB Alumni Page was archived in part because current leadership didn't like some of the content. Well, MS leadership can't shut DCP Pages down, and those who would have kept their thoughts in the family were kinda forced to shut up or post here.

If YOU  OR I don't like what is being posted, we can simply stop reading. Don't scold the messengers, they are exercising a right and opinion.
 

So the critics cannot be criticized?

[derek005]

9 hours ago, rmurrey74 said:

Wow, the level of negativity and arrogance of some of the Madison alumni is just ridiculous...

I hope all the members and staff of Madison have an incredible final week and that this negativity stays away from them. 

I agree 100%!!!!!!!!

[cixelsyd]

10 hours ago, HockeyDad said:

This is such tiring bs. This is a fricken Internet forum . When people expressed frustration with Hopkins did you demand they name his replacement?  You must know CK and DP's replacements, by name, or you can't criticize on an Internet forum?  Nonsense. That's the job of the BOD, and they better be up to the task, or they too should be replaced. Just like what they did at Cadets. Oh and by the way, that turned out pretty well, didn't it?

Cadets 2018 are experiencing their lowest placement in 38 years, and are saddled with some non-optimal show design choices that their own alumni admit are not to their liking.  Sounds familiar.  The difference is in the attitude their alumni and supporters (root of word = "support") put forth on these forums.

[Gantang]

29 minutes ago, cixelsyd said:

So the critics cannot be criticized?

Sure they can, but to be told to say nothing but positive things and to be insulted for vicing a negative position is not the same as criticizing. It instructing another how to think and act. There's a big difference. When people try to silence differing opinions it would be better if they would use facts and data to demonstrate why the critique is flawed rather than to attack the critic. 

[cixelsyd]

14 hours ago, queenanne_1536 said:

Because the BOD is there to ensure the health of the corps - financial, recruiting, competitive results, etc....yet they don't seem to be doing anything. At least based on what I've heard from alumni.

Sorry to single you out as the example... but here is what irks me about the tone here.

1.  First, the elitism.  You are not entitled to competitive success in perpetuity.  A corps BOD cannot "ensure competitive results".  If the mere fact that X number of other corps outscore you is sufficient cause to declare your otherwise constructive program a failure, you failed to learn one of the most important life lessons of drum corps.  Some people here post as if the Madison Scouts would be better off dead than alive if placing below 16th... while the majority of corps programs place below 16th.  Should we tell the majority of the corps performing in the prelims today that they are better off dead?

2.  Not doing anything?  This is the same corps that spent itself into oblivion circa 2003-4, and has recovered to build not only a financially viable operation, but a good-sized, multi-program arts organization similar to those of other big DCI names.  They have adopted the expanded tour of DCI world class; they are equipped, housed and fed like other WC corps; they have retained and acquired staff of legendary reputation and proven success.

3.  Of course it is frustrating that this same staff of past proven successes came up with this cringeworthy design.  Then again, I have cringed at 16 of the past 19 Blue Devils offerings.  I have noticed that corps supporters are far more willing to keep their cringing to themselves when the corps is placing as expected or better.

I hope the real "men of Madison", alumni of the corps who must number in the thousands by now, are not accurately represented by the few here who cry because of the present corps ranking.

[BlueByYou2000]

16 minutes ago, cixelsyd said:

Sorry to single you out as the example... but here is what irks me about the tone here.

1.  First, the elitism.  You are not entitled to competitive success in perpetuity.  A corps BOD cannot "ensure competitive results".  If the mere fact that X number of other corps outscore you is sufficient cause to declare your otherwise constructive program a failure, you failed to learn one of the most important life lessons of drum corps.  Some people here post as if the Madison Scouts would be better off dead than alive if placing below 16th... while the majority of corps programs place below 16th.  Should we tell the majority of the corps performing in the prelims today that they are better off dead?

2.  Not doing anything?  This is the same corps that spent itself into oblivion circa 2003-4, and has recovered to build not only a financially viable operation, but a good-sized, multi-program arts organization similar to those of other big DCI names.  They have adopted the expanded tour of DCI world class; they are equipped, housed and fed like other WC corps; they have retained and acquired staff of legendary reputation and proven success.

3.  Of course it is frustrating that this same staff of past proven successes came up with this cringeworthy design.  Then again, I have cringed at 16 of the past 19 Blue Devils offerings.  I have noticed that corps supporters are far more willing to keep their cringing to themselves when the corps is placing as expected or better.

I hope the real "men of Madison", alumni of the corps who must number in the thousands by now, are not accurately represented by the few here who cry because of the present corps ranking.

I can tell you i know several “real” alums who never post here that echo the negative sentiment as many here. Im sorry but being critical of ones old corps leadership doesnt make them any less real. 

[Q of A]

22 hours ago, cixelsyd said:

Not sure I want to reply to any of this specifically.  I will just say that if the Madison Scouts were in title contention, it would be interesting to see how much more tolerant you all would be regarding costuming, female performers, "the haaaaaaaat", staff/admin personalities, and whatever other complaints are lodged here.

Well they are not even close to contention or relevancy. The show picked for an 80th anniversary of an iconic Drum and bugle corps is embarrassing.