Popular Post Newseditor44 Posted January 13 Popular Post Report Share Posted January 13 (edited) Friends, Most corps directors, leaders, and staff visit DCP forums. You might not be commenting, but we know you are listening. So I have a question for each of you... What in the actual **** are you allowing to happen to our activity? As a parent and a former marching member, I am disgusted by what I see regarding our kids' safety and well-being. Sexual assault, hazing, verbal assault, allowing underage kids to be abused by older students? Have we not learned anything from the stories from the NCAA, Michigan State, and Ohio State athletics? Did we not have this hit home with the investigation and prosecution of George Hopkins? There are far too many of these instances happening inside and outside the activity, and your response as individual organizations has been reactionary and below subpar. Press releases and statements on websites were no longer be enough. Hyperbole is no longer enough. What worked in 2017 is far below the minimum requirements of what should be done. There needs to be a radical change. RADICAL! Please don't settle on the bare minimum; you should be looking to lead (hint, this is the moment where you want to go above and beyond). If you'll allow me, I have a few suggestions to get the ball rolling: It's time to separate the kids (high school age kids 14-17) from the adults (18-21). Create different divisions for those 18 and over. Protect and secure the well-being of high school-aged kids. Staff should have regular training and be required to be certified with background checks by security experts. It doesn't matter what the cost is, just do it. Zero tolerance policies need to be enforced without hesitation. Every single report of harassment and abuse needs to be handled by an independent operating body that will investigate and is empowered to make determinations. No more meaningless probation periods - those have done nothing to deter the problem. Complete suspension for those that have been found to be in violation of the DCI ethics policy. Finally, the DCI board needs to be replaced with professionals from outside the organization and comprised of business leaders, educators, and people with no bias or connection to individual corps. The activity we've all grown to know, and love is dying right in front of our eyes. What happened in the first 50 years will no longer be tolerated moving forward. We live in a different era, a different time, that should focus and stress our kids' absolute safety and well-being. If you're spending more money on show development than you are on safety, diversity, inclusion, and wellness programs, you're doing it wrong. There are no more mulligans. The drum corps community is done with business as usual. You are all on the clock, and inaction will no longer tolerate this. Make the tough decisions - either continue doing things the way you have and kill the activity or make some drastic changes and do it now. And don't feed us BS that you've been working to make a change... you haven't gone anywhere near close enough. Until you make that change, you're not getting anywhere close to my kids. I know a good majority of you are good, honest people that care about your students, organizations, and the activity. But we're not seeing it. Actions speak louder than words. Show us by making the changes that need to be made. Dare to dream. And create an activity that is poised to grow and protect our young people. Signed, A concerned and disgusted FMM and Parent. Edited January 13 by Newseditor44 3 14 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IllianaLancerContra Posted January 13 Report Share Posted January 13 I fully support what Newseditor44 posted above. A large part of the problem is that Drum Corps is a small community, and the large majority of Corps staff/instructors marched or taught with all the other Corps staff/instructors. It could almost be considered Incestuous. So, they all have each other's backs, and that is part of the problem. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cixelsyd Posted January 14 Report Share Posted January 14 Sorry - I know you mean well, but seriously? 10 hours ago, Newseditor44 said: It's time to separate the kids (high school age kids 14-17) from the adults (18-21). Create different divisions for those 18 and over. For starters, say my 18th birthday falls on July 24th. Do I switch corps that day? Or are we banning all applicants from participating in either division if their 18th birthday takes place between date of application and DCI finals? Who will staff these corps? No one in the 14-17 age group has the training/credentials to instruct. And try getting drivers... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newseditor44 Posted January 14 Author Report Share Posted January 14 39 minutes ago, cixelsyd said: Sorry - I know you mean well, but seriously? For starters, say my 18th birthday falls on July 24th. Do I switch corps that day? Or are we banning all applicants from participating in either division if their 18th birthday takes place between date of application and DCI finals? Who will staff these corps? No one in the 14-17 age group has the training/credentials to instruct. And try getting drivers... Yes, absolutely serious. If you’re not able to see the contradictions (kids vs adults mixed into the same “youth” activity… what can go wrong? A majority of the members in world class corps are 18 and over anyway, it wouldn’t be as drastic of a change as you might think. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabMaster Posted January 14 Report Share Posted January 14 (edited) I agree with much of this but I have a point to maybe add and another for clarification: 1. ALL Corps Directors and another 2 corps staff representatives at a minimum; 1 Asst. Director or instructional staff coordinator or program coordinator AND primary Medical Staff Head. Attend MANDATORY training, actual certified training not a 2hour class, on harassment, sexual abuse, reporting, legal responsibilities, liabilities support, etc., etc, annually at DCI’s January session, prior to winter camps starting. Upon completion an agreement is signed and notarized that the training session was completed. This confirms to DCI Administration that all member corps leadership is aware and accepts responsibility that they now are unquestionably responsible for any incidents being reported and know the actions to be taken. The signed document also outlines penalties and enforcement process for any failure on their part with a zero tolerance condition. Reps along with the Directors can be included but the primary penalty is aimed at the Director and the Organization. To participate in DCI events, the document must be signed. This doc can be created separate from member corps approvals as a condition for DCI Organizations Admin of events. This document should also be attached to every members contract when offered to them. 2. The clarification: to avoid any degree of anonymity by anyone or thinking or saying “this doesn’t mean me or this doesn’t apply to me”; the general term “staff” when it is used in the context we have been reading about should be made crystal clear; crystal! Executive staff, administrative staff, instructional staff, operational staff, volunteer staff, medical staff, marketing staff, and so on. That way unpaid positions can’t think “staff” means paid staff. It also clarifies distinction between organizations staff levels so in reporting situations, it is more public as to where an offender is, within an organization. It diminishes anonymity. Anonymity is a shield for abusers. This is just my $.02. Harsh immediate action in situations like SoA is currently in, is OK by me, so long as due process is followed. But followed very very quickly. If what the brave young woman described is fully corroborated, and it is sounding like it it is; SoA gets the death penalty for a 2 season minimum. All participants are permanently banned from any other DCI affiliated corps. All participants or anyone not taking action are subject to legal prosecution. There may be some tie in to a member contract to agreeing to actions taken against them for bad behavior having legal ramifications. This must be fixed. Edited January 14 by LabMaster 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cixelsyd Posted January 14 Report Share Posted January 14 10 hours ago, Newseditor44 said: Yes, absolutely serious. If you’re not able to see the contradictions (kids vs adults mixed into the same “youth” activity… Kids are mixed with adults all though life. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted January 14 Report Share Posted January 14 (edited) 1 hour ago, cixelsyd said: Kids are mixed with adults all though life. Every time I see that I’m reminded I spent my high school and college days in a Senior corps. And some of the people I talked to and hung with were at least a decade older. “Age is just a number”.. it’s the maturity level Edited January 14 by JimF-LowBari 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fsthnds Posted January 14 Report Share Posted January 14 12 hours ago, LabMaster said: I agree with much of this but I have a point to maybe add and another for clarification: 1. ALL Corps Directors and another 2 corps staff representatives at a minimum; 1 Asst. Director or instructional staff coordinator or program coordinator AND primary Medical Staff Head. Attend MANDATORY training, actual certified training not a 2hour class, on harassment, sexual abuse, reporting, legal responsibilities, liabilities support, etc., etc, annually at DCI’s January session, prior to winter camps starting. Upon completion an agreement is signed and notarized that the training session was completed. This confirms to DCI Administration that all member corps leadership is aware and accepts responsibility that they now are unquestionably responsible for any incidents being reported and know the actions to be taken. The signed document also outlines penalties and enforcement process for any failure on their part with a zero tolerance condition. Reps along with the Directors can be included but the primary penalty is aimed at the Director and the Organization. To participate in DCI events, the document must be signed. This doc can be created separate from member corps approvals as a condition for DCI Organizations Admin of events. This document should also be attached to every members contract when offered to them. 2. The clarification: to avoid any degree of anonymity by anyone or thinking or saying “this doesn’t mean me or this doesn’t apply to me”; the general term “staff” when it is used in the context we have been reading about should be made crystal clear; crystal! Executive staff, administrative staff, instructional staff, operational staff, volunteer staff, medical staff, marketing staff, and so on. That way unpaid positions can’t think “staff” means paid staff. It also clarifies distinction between organizations staff levels so in reporting situations, it is more public as to where an offender is, within an organization. It diminishes anonymity. Anonymity is a shield for abusers. This is just my $.02. Harsh immediate action in situations like SoA is currently in, is OK by me, so long as due process is followed. But followed very very quickly. If what the brave young woman described is fully corroborated, and it is sounding like it it is; SoA gets the death penalty for a 2 season minimum. All participants are permanently banned from any other DCI affiliated corps. All participants or anyone not taking action are subject to legal prosecution. There may be some tie in to a member contract to agreeing to actions taken against them for bad behavior having legal ramifications. This must be fixed. WGI now requires mandatory "Abuse Prevention Training" for all WGI personnel (including judges and volunteers) along with all staff and leadership of all competing units. There has been talk about requiring this for all members Maybe the time has come for DCI to do the same! 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted January 14 Report Share Posted January 14 2 minutes ago, fsthnds said: WGI now requires mandatory "Abuse Prevention Training" for all WGI personnel (including judges and volunteers) along with all staff and leadership of all competing units. There has been talk about requiring this for all members Maybe the time has come for DCI to do the same! Though with all of DCIs talk they were going to implement that… silly me… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KVG_DC Posted January 14 Report Share Posted January 14 2 minutes ago, fsthnds said: WGI now requires mandatory "Abuse Prevention Training" for all WGI personnel (including judges and volunteers) along with all staff and leadership of all competing units. There has been talk about requiring this for all members Maybe the time has come for DCI to do the same! Someone I was discussing this with also raised the point that there's no "touring" aspect for WGI either. So other than the weekend trips to competitions, there's not this constantly away on the road together type situation. That's part of the toxic stew of DCI as well. When an Drum Corps Org is on the road, they are the only oversight. They can do all the training and policy work they want but if they're not following it, it's easy to side step all that and do 'business as usual.' 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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