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Arsenal Drum Corps Offers Tuition Discount To Pioneer/Oregon Crusaders Vets


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6 minutes ago, HockeyDad said:

How’s their credibility and integrity doing

HockeyDad to answer your question that's if the DCP collective conscience allows me to go there. Credibility and integrity at dci can only be described on an Amsler grid because of the many fine lines that describe how one can act. 

 

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To think, I was hoping that the days following the DCI OMG Summit on Participant Safety Pretending Nothing Else Matters would finally see DCI take a stand, and announce a zero tolerance policy for failed background checks.  Instead, they now have zero tolerance for public criticism.

Case in point - Arsenal, not even a full-fledged "corps" yet, but a SoundSport group applying for DCI open-class status for 2019, just had their application suspended.  Apparently, the entire corps is being punished because their director made a social media post critical of corps who failed to keep participants safe.  (If you think the irony cannot get any thicker, better keep reading.)

The apparent offending portion of the post:

Quote

I want to share condolences on behalf of myself and Arsenal Performing Arts. As students, you placed your trust in adults and leaders who you believed worked in your best interest. These adults violated that trust and placed you in harm’s way, which is inexcusable. We, as directors and educators, demand that you give your all and work your hardest, and it is shameful that there are so many among us who do not likewise give their all to keep you healthy, happy and safe.

No names or specifics were given, just the context of identifying two corps - one of which just had their membership revoked by DCI for precisely what he alludes to, and the other having just cancelled 2019 because of insufficient recruitment due to precisely what he alludes to.  But while Pioneer may be fair game, Oregon Crusaders are (hold your nose) still a member in good standing as far as DCI is concerned.  Therefore, the post crosses a line, and is fully deserving of action from DCI.  Like, for example, a warning that speaking ill of other corps (even if true) is unprofessional, or suggesting he apologize for forgetting the word "allegedly".

... or suspending the entire corps, pending removal of the director.  Whichever.

Okay, if that is the new DCI standard:

Anyone think the Oregon Crusaders were "respectful, professional and courteous" when they thanked Mike Stevens for all he did while there?  I guess the person who wrote that is gone, because the corps has not been suspended.

Genesis should be suspended pending removal of Chris Magonigal.  His crime was speaking out concerning Crossmen hiring Joel Moody.  In this case, it was not a direct social media post, but speaking to a reporter for a major newspaper.  Nevertheless, the DCI ethics guidelines have a similar provision for this - "it is DCI's expectation that all participating organizations, their staff, staff volunteers and participants will conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner in any interactions with all members of the DCI community and the public".

And participants?  Well, then we have more corps to add to the suspension list.  Music City had a member use their I&E performance time to recite from court documents regarding the George Hopkins case.  And Oregon Crusaders, for all the postings on Facebook, Reddit, etc., should probably be suspended for 154 seasons.

One last example.  If someone with legitimate access to DCI.org posted there, characterizing the DCI Board of Directors as "mired in egoism and self-righteousness", should they lose their job?  Judge for yourself:

https://www.dci.org/news/from-the-desk-of-the-dci-executive-director
 

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So RB and Pioneer gets given a chance to get their stuff together and months to do it. And this was on safety issues.

A corps trying to be a new DCI member gets NO chance because the director misspoke. 

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Edited by JimF-LowBari
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9 minutes ago, cixelsyd said:

Therefore, the post crosses a line, and is fully deserving of action from DCI.  Like, for example, a warning that speaking ill of other corps (even if true) is unprofessional, or suggesting he apologize for forgetting the word "allegedly".

... or suspending the entire corps, pending removal of the director.  Whichever. 

 

THIS. This right here is the crux of the argument against DCI. I can see and understand DCI's need to uphold its social media policy, but essentially putting the kibosh on the pending promotion of a group that, from everything we've seen lately, was extremely likely to happen? For a goddamned REDDIT POST where they were trying to help members who suddenly found themselves corpsless?

DCI has completely lost their way on having the punishment fit the crime when disciplining corps. And at a time where they really couldn't afford to make ANY more gaffes, this is just the cherry on top of a #### sundae. DCI is not worthy of my money, or the money of ANY of their patrons in the state they are in at this point.

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1 hour ago, JimF-LowBari said:

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

This issue is making it tough to just sit there and throw up justification on why dci did whatever it did. It is just putting lipstick a pig and showing one's true objective for posting here. At least have some compassion for the survivors. Dci chose to not explain themselves like the Health & Saftey and the general well being of the Arsenal MM's is not an issue they should address and provide healing they are still a Sound Sport Team. I am all for hearing two sides to the story and giving the benefit of the doubt but will not look like a fool defending someone that thinks their #### doesn't stink and not provide any justification themselves.

Edited by Bluzes
typo
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1 hour ago, Bluzes said:

Good morning checked dci & dci twitter didn't see anything on Arsenal or how dci plans on holding the Arsenal folks would lost money or address the effects to the kids who they just silently crushed. Talk about a class action suit how about Arsenal parents v, dci they better watch out. Dci's silence on the mater has created mental scarring on the MMs who were dragged into dci's ayatollah act. What about them?

I have been told on many occasions that the collective conscience on DCP does not like my posts, I get it, I am not a shill for dci. So there is a secret society within DCP that meets and punishes posters who stray outside of the cabal. Like a DCP/dci orientated social media rating no better than the Chinese social rating coming in 2020, DCP/dci is leading the way on punishing thought or so they think. If I worked for DCI I would quit over this, that's how shaken I am. If anyone thinks that I am the problem in any of this they need mental help themselves. If you can't bare your sole on DCP with other like-minded individuals what is this site the DCI Protection Planet?

well...while a bad PR move, my hunch is Arsenal isn't a member, so nothing to comment on. 

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1 hour ago, Bluzes said:

The time and the place for these comments have come and gone, the comment fits the response the G7 corps should have had. Dci by suspending him is putting words in his mouth he never mentioned drum corps in his statement. Dci is admitting guilt if they took the offense to the comments personally. His statement is generalized and could have applied to any youth-activity that has a history of abuse. Dci does not rule over one's conscience and is acting like they can read his mind. There is no defense for their harsh, heartless reactions to an unpublished zero tolerance policy. Health & Saftey is a wide-ranging topic that dci obviously does not understand, maybe Varsity Sports should weigh in on the health effects collateral damages has on the survivors and hold dci to task.

There’s more to the story that will be out most likely today. My hunch is facts will probably deflate a lot of indignation in this thread and everywhere else

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I don’t post here often, but I’m heavily involved in the marching arts and a deep consumer of DCI’s products. 

 

I’m taking the year off. I’ll come back when they bring in a professional board of directors not answerable only to current member corps. I insist that this organization, when contemplating action, ask themselves “what is best for the kids” and then do that. Absent evidence of that change, I’m out. I can’t support this any more. And that’s sad. 

 

The leadership appears to view everything that’s happening as a PR problem rather than an existential crisis of leadership culture. 

 

(No, I’m not Chuck. We share a name) 

Edited by Henson
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2 hours ago, mjoakes said:

Had conversations in the past year with people trying to start two corps in Indiana. Nice, passionate, certainly well-meaning people. The passion and interest in music and marching are way, way above any thinking through of finances and business and organizational operations. Ya gotta have the whole package.

That type of mindset was the norm waaaay back (in my era). It is part of the reason so many small corps died in the 60's through the 70's and 80's. Incredible people that were not business-savvy.

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IMHO terrible call by DCI. Could the post have been phrased better....absolutely. That being said, punishing an entire corps of kids and staff for something that could have been resolved in a different manner is just a horrible decision. 

 

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