Drain The Swamp, Dan

[Cappybara]

I can only shake my head. This whole situation could have been avoided with some proactive action and better PR. 

There is much more risk than just disapproval by social justice warriors. People are downplaying just how important good PR is in an activity like DCI. The whole system is entwined with the trust of public schools that host these corps every summer. You lose that trust and make them feel like they’re helping an organization that actively neglects the safety of the youth and turns the other way from sexual assaulters in order to make things appear hunky dory. If that trust gets lost, we lose DCI as we know it. 

And this past season we already saw a glimpse of this loss of trust. If DCI continues their current trajectory of being reactive instead of proactive, this loss of trust will only accelerate. 

Change needs to begin with a total restructuring of the board of DCI and the way it is run. To hell with independence of the corps. In the eyes of the public, DCI is one entity. It does not matter one bit whether the corps are officially separate entities or not, the public does not perceive it to be that way. And it’s time DCI’s structure reflects that. There needs to be a board that seeks to prioritize the maintainenace of public trust. 

[Bluzes]

1 hour ago, Cappybara said:

the public does not perceive it to be that way

More pictures on FB of kids in hospital beds and pitiful horns will only make things more difficult. What happens if someone searches FB or Google for dci/drum corps does the poor kid from Pioneer show up, GH did. It's useless for me to know if it does or not. Does dci, the corps know? Are the corps keeping track of their digital footprint protecting their brand name like other businesses. These services are all wrapped up in a security package from a internet search firm, dci or the corps likely don't have this expertise.

Nothing new that the world wide web can work for or against you depends how proactive you are. The world is what it is today dci always had a niche but forces are working against it that aren't being addressed and just festering. Maybe these are not specific bullet points. First all parties need to be on-board with a concerted master plan, objectives, measures before they even get to that point.

Hopefully conference calls are being held by the powers to be, carving out a plan, if egos are an issue light your Bick before talking say I am lighting your fuse now but you are going to listen. Great tactic used it to clam hotheads down with great success.

[Terri Schehr]

8 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

and DCi got complaints about stuff before DCi even existed. Seriously. 

Not from me.  And the person I reported in 2012 before the policies were in place, was trying to slink his way back into the activity through a Soundsport group this season ... I didn’t even bother with DCI .  Got it up on drumcorps Reddit, and the Soundsport group sent him packing.  Squeaky wheel and all that. 

Edited August 26, 2018 by Terri Schehr

[xandandl]

10 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

DCi has a whistleblower policy. that policy doesnt include scanning Reddit, DCp and Facebook all day. First off, they don't have the staff for that. Second, when scanning those places, you see legit concerns and you see legit sour grapes. You want DCi to investigate, use the process set forth this spring. Don't ##### on Reddit or here or Facebook. 

Now you fall prey to the same argument you have been fighting against.

DCI doesn't have to have extended office staff to monitor today's social sites.

There can be trusted designated volunteers who do that, even younger volunteers than the Midwestern Mafia in the office these decades. Look how well the corps and DCI use the interns in the summer. "Pay" might be free ticket(s) to Championships or Regionals.  At educational institutions where I was in admin., we always had parents/grandparents of alumni; these people would compile a list of whenever the school appeared in mentions on social sites or in the press; they'd filter the list and pass to designated person who determined what needed follow-up, investigation, or a word/card of thanks. Simple process which garnered many good results. Today I know there are computer filters like the one DCP news uses to alert it to press articles or direct mention of drum corps. I am widening the net (pun) to include monitoring in alumni FB, instagrams, Reddit and other sites where discussions of individual corps as well as DCI may be mentioned. Many here on DCP even use something similar when "following" certain posters. What is there to lose?

DCI needs to widen its octupus arms rather than retreat into Tony Schlecterism.  It almost killed drum corps once. We don't need to be on life-support now.  

Edited August 26, 2018 by xandandl

[cixelsyd]

16 hours ago, karuna said:

There you go again. I don’t think I’ve said anywhere that he’s the only person at fault. But as the CEO the buck stops with him.  Ultimately this all happened under his watch (maybe un-watch?).  The fact there was no reporting mechanism is his fault.  The fact that Pioneer treated their kids so poorly for so many season is his fault.  The fact Naldony is putting DCI scandal after DCI scandal on national front pages is his fault. 

Look at the last three sentences of this same post.  Still wonder why people think you blame only Acheson?

[HockeyDad]

Now a new excuse:  DCI doesn't have the time to monitor social media sites. The Stockholm Syndrome has a strong grip on a few of you. Excuses excuses. 

[karuna]

24 minutes ago, cixelsyd said:

Look at the last three sentences of this same post.  Still wonder why people think you blame only Acheson?

I’m just countering this whole “Dan was blameless—he couldn’t do anything—he had no power” crap.  As CEO this all falls in his lap.  I’ve interacted with him;  he’s a nice guy;  but he let the ball drop big time.  These scandals are the result of a culture of willful ignorance and cronyism.  Now the good ole boys have been caught with their pants down(sadly some literally) and it’s going to be repeated body blows from here on out for an activity we all believe is tremendously valuable and worthwhile.  It makes me ill. 

[JimF-LowBari]

39 minutes ago, HockeyDad said:

Now a new excuse:  DCI doesn't have the time to monitor social media sites. The Stockholm Syndrome has a strong grip on a few of you. Excuses excuses. 

So what is the size of DCI staff and who does what?

Do the whistle blower calls go directly to DCI or is that third party like sexual harassment/assault calls?

How much screaming would corps do if DCI would raise dues/cut payouts (not sure how DCI gets their operating funds) to the corps to get the money to put more safeguards in place and hire more people.

Edited August 26, 2018 by JimF-LowBari

[HockeyDad]

10 minutes ago, JimF-LowBari said:

So what is the size of DCI staff and who does what?

Do the whistle blower calls go directly to DCI or is that third party like sexual harassment/assault calls?

How much screaming would corps do if DCI would raise dues/cut payouts (not sure how DCI gets their operating funds) to the corps to get the money to put more safeguards in place and hire more people.

I can screen the newest Reddit posts in about 5 minutes a day. How about you?  How much would corps scream if DCI cuts payouts?  I don't know. How much would corps scream if DCI ceases to exist because they refuse to take control of this sh^t show?  But yeah, I'm sure the public is sympathetic with the "it's too hard" excuses. 

Edited August 26, 2018 by HockeyDad

[JimF-LowBari]

Just now, HockeyDad said:

I can screen the newest Reddit posts in about 5 minutes a day. How about you?

And after that what? After reading the allegations the real work starts. (or $tart$). Does DCI have the warm bodies to check everything out? Not making excuses just bringing up the fact that changes have to be made to how DCI operates to do this the right way. And that means spending money on third parties or hiring more in house people to investigate. Either way money has to be coming from somewhere. Too important to just add it to someone's duties.s