Pioneer What Next?

[Jeff Ream]

5 hours ago, ouooga said:

Purely curious, what does everyone want/expect DCI to do?

I'm constantly advocating that DCI needs to take a larger role in the business of drum corps, from negotiating collective buying opportunities at big box retailers or specific gas stations in exchange for discounts, to coordinating a more regulated tour that involves all corps being near each other all season, to ongoing marketing and public relations efforts throughout the summer that utilize the corps for promotional reasons. At all phases of this, I'm told routinely that the corps are separate entities from DCI, and want to remain separate in all of these aspects.

If the corps are so separate from DCI, what is the expectation from DCI in this situation? From everything I've gathered, the corps are so separate from DCI that there really isn't much DCI can do, other than maybe revoking status or barring from competition, which doesn't actually help anyone.

Rants about Pio conditions were made at the drum corps world luncheon in 2010, many similar to this with activity big wigs in the room. And nothing changed 

[Jeff Ream]

5 hours ago, garfield said:

Your employment with Uncle Sam both explains why you're sensitive to policies with no follow-through and makes me concerned that your definition of "right" is NOT what you must see on a daily basis.  I can't think of any system/structure more imperfect for DCI than a governmental agency-think of job-justification and, useless policy and report writing, and little-to-no results.  Your grand experience in that arena is certainly useful in establishing what NOT to do!

But, it seems to me of the reading I've done on the Pio situation, their issue STARTS with their leadership and staff.  That it sounds like it's failed (allegedly, and in one documented user experience in this discussion) might make one ask to get "DCI" involved, but to do what, exactly?  There is, under current policy, a series of "qualification" standards that a corps much attain in order to be a part of the DCI tour and performance opportunities of a season.  Should that be a high bar or a low one?  Was it performed in the Pio case?

Also, for "DCI" to have the power to shut down a corps during the season, should that be a high bar or a low bar?  Do we know that DCI followed the protocol power authorized it by its board to inquire and, if necessary, take action in the Pio case?  Has anyone asked Dan's office?  

What if DCI did everything required of it and, after conclusion, determined that Roman and his Board had the final decision to continue their season?  Then where does the resolution come from?  It's still ROMAN.  Even if you disagree with this process, in the end, unless DCI determines that kids are at risk, the corps and its director retain the right to make the decision.

This is, currently and by voice and action, the way DCI's member corps want it to be.  And, as TerriScher stated in her Reddit response, it likely won't change until a complete housecleaning and restructuring takes place.  And, as I said yesterday, THAT will not happen until "the corps" of DCI have regained trust and respect for "the executives" of DCI.

IMO, and in the opinion of many, very directly involved and influential members of the leadership of the member corps.

 

 

 

Dci has the power to say stay home. They threatened cadets with it

[Jeff Ream]

5 hours ago, Rileydog said:

Change the culture of DCI or Pioneer? To change DCI would require the corps to give up their own autonomy to a reorganized charter and board of directors. (I.e. NCAA, NASCAR,etc)

Not a bad idea

[Spatzzz]

Doesn't the question need to be asked. Is Pioneer even worth the effort to save? Not because of their lack of competitive success but because I would imagine the organization is in horrible shape financially and their reputation couldn't really sink any lower.

Disband it. Sell off the assets to another organization with good leadership and start from scratch.

[BigW]

45 minutes ago, Spatzzz said:

Doesn't the question need to be asked. Is Pioneer even worth the effort to save? Not because of their lack of competitive success but because I would imagine the organization is in horrible shape financially and their reputation couldn't really sink any lower.

Disband it. Sell off the assets to another organization with good leadership and start from scratch.

There is one thing they aspire to that is good- their open admission policy as it were. They take anyone from anywhere, even train woodwind players on brass.

 

If there's another team out there in DCA or DCI that does this in the scale Pioneer is known to do it- they're not needed Their services are redundant. If there's not, either some group would need to pick that idea up and run with it, or Pioneer would need to be totally rehabilitated so it can do this function well in the way it should be done.

[GUARDLING]

2 minutes ago, BigW said:

There is one thing they aspire to that is good- their open admission policy as it were. They take anyone from anywhere, even train woodwind players on brass.

 

If there's another team out there in DCA or DCI that does this in the scale Pioneer is known to do it- they're not needed Their services are redundant. If there's not, either some group would need to pick that idea up and run with it, or Pioneer would need to be totally rehabilitated so it can do this function well in the way it should be done.

This is very true and should be commended and needed BUT it's what they do once they get them or try to keep them that fails. Same for staff.

[BigW]

4 minutes ago, GUARDLING said:

This is very true and should be commended and needed BUT it's what they do once they get them or try to keep them that fails. Same for staff.

Bingo. There needs to be more thought put into it in so many directions.  What instructional curriculum, who they need who can do this well and keeping them... how to also be professional...fixing what looks like a crumbled infrastructure so the kids have good instruments in their hands and ride reliable buses...

 

The idea of being willing to teach everyone willing to learn deeply appeals to me. I think there's a consensus here that even with that as a primary goal, the corps can and should do better/score better/present better/have better morale/be a far better overall experience.

[Daave]

1 hour ago, Jeff Ream said:

Dci has the power to say stay home. They threatened cadets with it

Did they not essentially do the same to Troopers in 05?  Regardless of the circumstances, were they not asked to go away and come back to get re-evaluated once their feces was coagulated?  

[BigW]

2 minutes ago, Daave said:

Did they not essentially do the same to Troopers in 05?  Regardless of the circumstances, were they not asked to go away and come back to get re-evaluated once their feces was coagulated?  

From the Wiki article on the Troopers:

 

"... in 2005, the DCI Board of Directors suspended the Troopers from competition for non-compliance with membership rules. "

[Fran Haring]

3 minutes ago, Daave said:

Did they not essentially do the same to Troopers in 05?  Regardless of the circumstances, were they not asked to go away and come back to get re-evaluated once their feces was coagulated?  

Note to self: Never hire this guy as my financial adviser.