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YEA suspends operations of Cadets 2 and Lays off 9 Employees


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46 minutes ago, Fran Haring said:

Back closer to the thread topic here...

I don't know if this has been discussed, but I wonder where the members who planned on marching C2 in 2019 will now end up... if anywhere.  Cadets?  DCI Open Class corps? Other DCA corps?

Not trying to open up a separate can of worms here... just wondering.

i do see a lot of kids mad they paid for the last camp when this probably was in the works. To me, that's where the most damage was done. Kids that did C2 were intensely loyal to C2, and not just the Cadets as a whole. I know back in the Crossmen in YEA days the joke was "You Eat After", but C2 had a rep of exceeding on hand me downs of every kind and wearing it like a badge of honor. From reading posts in many places, they feel angry and used for that $150 the other week.

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I have seen some posts asking about the rationale for C2 when they were formed. Regardless of what GH intended, I do feel there is a need for an all-age corps like that where kids/young adults can work Monday-Friday and perform on weekends in an activity that is engaging, challenging, and fun. If an organization can provide this experience safely and still come out on top financially then I see an excellent market for this type of drum corps. Not every kid can, or wants to, march a nationally-touring corps. Here is to hoping C2 can make a return in a profitable way down the road. I understand the move and the tough decision this had to be for YEA, but they must do what it takes to survive. 

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1 hour ago, Jeff Ream said:

i do see a lot of kids mad they paid for the last camp when this probably was in the works. To me, that's where the most damage was done. Kids that did C2 were intensely loyal to C2, and not just the Cadets as a whole. I know back in the Crossmen in YEA days the joke was "You Eat After", but C2 had a rep of exceeding on hand me downs of every kind and wearing it like a badge of honor. From reading posts in many places, they feel angry and used for that $150 the other week.

Within hours of the announcement on Wednesday, I believe those who came to the November camp to audition for C2 received an email with options of 1) requesting a partial refund or 2) coming to the December camp to audition for Cadets.  Those who have already paid for the December camp can request a full refund.

Actually, I think where the damage was done stems from what the kids heard last season the few times a YEA board member came to a C2 show -- "unity", "the rumors that C2 will be disbanded are false", "you are all Cadets" -- it all rings hollow today.

If Doug Rutherford or anyone else on the YEA board has made a video specifically addressing the C2 members, staff and volunteers to thank them for all their hard work and commitment to excellence, and that they will be missed -- well, I must have missed it.

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1 hour ago, jwillis35 said:

I have seen some posts asking about the rationale for C2 when they were formed. Regardless of what GH intended, I do feel there is a need for an all-age corps like that where kids/young adults can work Monday-Friday and perform on weekends in an activity that is engaging, challenging, and fun. If an organization can provide this experience safely and still come out on top financially then I see an excellent market for this type of drum corps. Not every kid can, or wants to, march a nationally-touring corps. Here is to hoping C2 can make a return in a profitable way down the road. I understand the move and the tough decision this had to be for YEA, but they must do what it takes to survive. 

The original C2 target members were HS students in the Lehigh Valley and a bit beyond....kids who wanted a "Cadet-like experience" at the local level.  

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2 hours ago, jwillis35 said:

I have seen some posts asking about the rationale for C2 when they were formed. Regardless of what GH intended, I do feel there is a need for an all-age corps like that where kids/young adults can work Monday-Friday and perform on weekends in an activity that is engaging, challenging, and fun. If an organization can provide this experience safely and still come out on top financially then I see an excellent market for this type of drum corps. Not every kid can, or wants to, march a nationally-touring corps. Here is to hoping C2 can make a return in a profitable way down the road. I understand the move and the tough decision this had to be for YEA, but they must do what it takes to survive. 

And that apparently was not C-2.  Had it been, they might have kept it.

Again, NOT realizing a $300m loss to run C-2 will help C-1 be more of what it needs to be.

 

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2 hours ago, ykw said:

Within hours of the announcement on Wednesday, I believe those who came to the November camp to audition for C2 received an email with options of 1) requesting a partial refund or 2) coming to the December camp to audition for Cadets.  Those who have already paid for the December camp can request a full refund.

Actually, I think where the damage was done stems from what the kids heard last season the few times a YEA board member came to a C2 show -- "unity", "the rumors that C2 will be disbanded are false", "you are all Cadets" -- it all rings hollow today.

If Doug Rutherford or anyone else on the YEA board has made a video specifically addressing the C2 members, staff and volunteers to thank them for all their hard work and commitment to excellence, and that they will be missed -- well, I must have missed it.

This is hard to live through, but it's a valuable lesson to learn that one's boss will likely NEVER tell us when there's about to be a dramatic change.  There are tons and tons of examples of bosses (CEO's and others) who proclaim staunch independence and unity, only to claim "that was then" when the company is sold or the division is laid off, or "...C-2 can't be supported despite what we said last year."

"Big-boy/big-girls pants" are just a necessary accessory to what drum corps in general, and Cadets in specific, proclaim to teach young people.

 

Edited by garfield
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6 hours ago, Fran Haring said:

Man... if you look up the term "Boston Crusaders" in the dictionary, there should be a picture of BAC Senior's DM Jack LaSelva. LOL.

He is "Boston" from head to toe!!!  Great leader and personality... and what a presence in front of that corps.

Jack can still play a mean soprano.

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4 minutes ago, garfield said:

This is hard to live through, but it's a valuable lesson to learn that one's boss will likely NEVER tell us when there's about to be a dramatic change.  There are tons and tons of examples of bosses (CEO's and others) who proclaim staunch independence and unity, only to claim "that was then" when the company is sold or the division is laid off, or "...C-2 can't be supported despite what we said last year."

"Big-boy/big-girls pants" are just a necessary accessory to what drum corps in general, and Cadets in specific, proclaim to teach young people.

 

I’m thinking at that time there were no plans to disband C2 and or the full realization and damage done to YEA! wasn’t yet revealed. I get the “under promise, over deliver” golden rule but I’d wager they were saying “the truth” as it was understood at that time. I heard the rumor last summer that the C2 disbanding decision had been made - and at that time it hadn’t been made. The rumor circulating at the time, while prescient, was false 

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Is anyone here considering that PART of the ability to streamline the yea! office by laying off 9 employees was only realistically possible WITH the elimination of C2? 9 x $45k is north of $400k saved and that’s a conservative estimate 

a streamlined office team can now focus on one touring corps and prepping for USB fall

JMO but I believe the office staff trimming played a big role in this decision 

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I am stunned to learn operation of Cadets2 could possibly result in a (if true) loss in the amount of $300,000 dollars. This was a corps that had the highest total member fees, used some hand-me-down equipment, and appeared at only SIX (6) competive events with all but one site in Pennsylvania !

In any case, I’m confident YEA knows best what needed to be done. 

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