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Housing options as schools close


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I have been assisting DCI with securing housing sites for the Allentown show for the past 11 years and am also on the Vanguard Administration staff so I can speak about the problems associated with finding housing sites. 

DCI has 2 people who work full time year round on securing housing and believe me, they earn their pay.  They contact schools that have housed corps to check on availability for the following year and  attempt to find additional sites by making personal contact with the band director or HS principal.  Word of mouth also helps, usually by asking the band director if he knows if another school's  band director would be interested in housing a corps.  This is what I did in the Allentown area for many years.  Unfortunately, some band directors cannot be bothered and don't return phone calls, email inquiries, or refuse to meet in person.

Also, If a school has a good experience housing a particular corps, it is easier for that corps, or another one to return there the following year.  If the school has a bad experience, forget it that housing site is lost, sometimes for good.  Which happens alot.

Some administrators do not like outside groups using their facilities, although  DCI does pay a housing stipend.  It is also difficult scheduling facilities due to increased use by sports teams in the summer.  As previously stated, some schools are only open Monday through Thursday and close Friday through Sunday to save on the use of utilities.  Also, some corps want stadium use, 2-3 additional rehearsal facilities, turf fields, etc which limits the pool of available schools.

Liability is also a big issue, even though each corps carries insurance naming the district as an additional insured and most schools require the corps to sign a Hold Harmless Agreement with a provision not to sue.  These are just some of the problems .

It is not an easy job! 

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2 hours ago, M Ryan said:

I have been assisting DCI with securing housing sites for the Allentown show for the past 11 years and am also on the Vanguard Administration staff so I can speak about the problems associated with finding housing sites. 

DCI has 2 people who work full time year round on securing housing and believe me, they earn their pay.  They contact schools that have housed corps to check on availability for the following year and  attempt to find additional sites by making personal contact with the band director or HS principal.  Word of mouth also helps, usually by asking the band director if he knows if another school's  band director would be interested in housing a corps.  This is what I did in the Allentown area for many years.  Unfortunately, some band directors cannot be bothered and don't return phone calls, email inquiries, or refuse to meet in person.

Also, If a school has a good experience housing a particular corps, it is easier for that corps, or another one to return there the following year.  If the school has a bad experience, forget it that housing site is lost, sometimes for good.  Which happens alot.

Some administrators do not like outside groups using their facilities, although  DCI does pay a housing stipend.  It is also difficult scheduling facilities due to increased use by sports teams in the summer.  As previously stated, some schools are only open Monday through Thursday and close Friday through Sunday to save on the use of utilities.  Also, some corps want stadium use, 2-3 additional rehearsal facilities, turf fields, etc which limits the pool of available schools.

Liability is also a big issue, even though each corps carries insurance naming the district as an additional insured and most schools require the corps to sign a Hold Harmless Agreement with a provision not to sue.  These are just some of the problems .

It is not an easy job! 

And lord knows you should get paid more Mike

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7 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

And lord knows you should get paid more Mike

I do not get paid by DCI for assisting with housing, it is something I got involved in when I was teaching.  I was one of those band directors who housed a corps (Vanguard) and contacted other band directors to house a corps.  It did open doors for me and now that i am retired from teaching,  I have the opportunity to tour with a World Class corps.

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3 hours ago, M Ryan said:

I do not get paid by DCI for assisting with housing, it is something I got involved in when I was teaching.  I was one of those band directors who housed a corps (Vanguard) and contacted other band directors to house a corps.  It did open doors for me and now that i am retired from teaching,  I have the opportunity to tour with a World Class corps.

and you were class as a director ( easiest the politest ### chewing I've ever seen in a critique), and you're class now. You're still underpaid. 

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14 hours ago, M Ryan said:

I have been assisting DCI with securing housing sites for the Allentown show for the past 11 years and am also on the Vanguard Administration staff so I can speak about the problems associated with finding housing sites. 

DCI has 2 people who work full time year round on securing housing and believe me, they earn their pay.  They contact schools that have housed corps to check on availability for the following year and  attempt to find additional sites by making personal contact with the band director or HS principal.  Word of mouth also helps, usually by asking the band director if he knows if another school's  band director would be interested in housing a corps.  This is what I did in the Allentown area for many years.  Unfortunately, some band directors cannot be bothered and don't return phone calls, email inquiries, or refuse to meet in person.

Also, If a school has a good experience housing a particular corps, it is easier for that corps, or another one to return there the following year.  If the school has a bad experience, forget it that housing site is lost, sometimes for good.  Which happens alot.

Some administrators do not like outside groups using their facilities, although  DCI does pay a housing stipend.  It is also difficult scheduling facilities due to increased use by sports teams in the summer.  As previously stated, some schools are only open Monday through Thursday and close Friday through Sunday to save on the use of utilities.  Also, some corps want stadium use, 2-3 additional rehearsal facilities, turf fields, etc which limits the pool of available schools.

Liability is also a big issue, even though each corps carries insurance naming the district as an additional insured and most schools require the corps to sign a Hold Harmless Agreement with a provision not to sue.  These are just some of the problems .

It is not an easy job! 

Just curious.  What would constitute an experience bad enough for a school to never participate in hosting a corps again?  Have situations you infer ever get discussed at DCI annuals so  there is an awareness with other touring corps what their responsibility is to be a good guest?  I would think that would be helpful bringing visibility to other DCI member org's. and secondly I think this would be a very manageable situation for corps mgmt. to monitor while touring to avoid a bad experience for the host.  Based on what you have described, the rising difficulty of housing should make good behavior and good manners prominent for touring corps.

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15 minutes ago, LabMaster said:

Just curious.  What would constitute an experience bad enough for a school to never participate in hosting a corps again?  Have situations you infer ever get discussed at DCI annuals so  there is an awareness with other touring corps what their responsibility is to be a good guest?  I would think that would be helpful bringing visibility to other DCI member org's. and secondly I think this would be a very manageable situation for corps mgmt. to monitor while touring to avoid a bad experience for the host.  Based on what you have described, the rising difficulty of housing should make good behavior and good manners prominent for touring corps.

obviously the condition the facility is left in. Also noise issues, especially with neighbors, even once heard complaints about language through the PA by staff

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44 minutes ago, LabMaster said:

Just curious.  What would constitute an experience bad enough for a school to never participate in hosting a corps again?  Have situations you infer ever get discussed at DCI annuals so  there is an awareness with other touring corps what their responsibility is to be a good guest?  I would think that would be helpful bringing visibility to other DCI member org's. and secondly I think this would be a very manageable situation for corps mgmt. to monitor while touring to avoid a bad experience for the host.  Based on what you have described, the rising difficulty of housing should make good behavior and good manners prominent for touring corps.

To name a few: trashing the facilities and leaving it trashed because rehearsal went over time and they had to rush to leave, spray painting lines on lawn space and parking lots not typically used for band, vulgar language including the F word yelled by tech staff on the ground and over loud speaker systems by caption heads (huge huge huge problem), sectional or individual practice moving away from designated areas spilling over into other school activities or encroaching into the neighborhood, ...

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1 hour ago, Jeff Ream said:

and you were class as a director ( easiest the politest ### chewing I've ever seen in a critique), and you're class now. You're still underpaid. 

Thanks for the compliment Jeff!

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3 hours ago, Jeff Ream said:

obviously the condition the facility is left in. Also noise issues, especially with neighbors, even once heard complaints about language through the PA by staff

I recall a story, either early DCP or late RAMD.  In late 70's or early 1980 Spirit was staying at school in New Orleans.  Host band director asked Ott to have the horn line play 'Georgia' aimed at a specific house.  Apparently resident was always complaining how loud the HS band was.

Edited by IllianaLancerContra
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