Santa Clara Vanguard 2023 Announcement Thread

[Toby]

This is sad and shocking news out of Santa Clara tonight. We hope for the very best for this storied organization as they tackle the obstacles ahead of them. We'd like to limit discussion to THIS THREAD ONLY for this news topic. Any other posts will be deleted so that the page isn't overrun. We encourage everyone to approach this topic sensitively and with empathy as many people are hurt and saddened by this news. While discussion and discourse is encouraged we will still moderate according to the group rules as needed.

[DAYGO]

Unbelievable. 

[Jeffe77]

Link to the Email Announcement

Edited December 13, 2022 by Jeffe77

[Hirsbrunner]

Just got the official email in my inbox.

 

”Cessation of Operations for the 2023 Season”

Edited December 13, 2022 by Hirsbrunner

[Terri Schehr]

It is with grief and sorrow that we must announce the cessation of operations for the Santa Clara Vanguard for the season of 2023. Throughout the past months, a multiplicity of financial stressors have culminated into an unavoidable financial shortfall. This shortfall has been made more insurmountable by lower than expected bingo earnings and the rising cost of summer travel and tour overhead.

Throughout the past months, the VMAPA board has worked very hard with executive leadership to explore creative financing options, drastic budget cuts, and creative fundraising options designed to bridge Vanguard into a more lucrative future. Each of these options had the result of lowering the quality of the member and employee experience, and leaving VMAPA in a far more vulnerable financial position after the tour of 2023. The summer of 2022 was extremely expensive throughout the entire drum corps activity. The cost of goods and services necessary for the 2023 tour have risen even higher than the costs of the 2022 tour.  Without the ability to accurately forecast many of the variable costs (e.g. fuel, food, supplies) in the summer of 2023, the cost of 2023 promises to be more than we can accurately project. In addition, bingo is seeing substantial and sustained lower income as customers deal with the higher cost of goods and services in their own lives.

What We’re Doing About This

VMAPA is very close to opening a second bingo game that will provide much needed funding to right the current budget shortfall. This second bingo was scheduled to open in late 2021. Due to a complicated set of circumstances outside the control of VMAPA, this game remains dependent upon the Redwood City council adopting our proposal and passing a simple resolution. Twenty twenty three looks promising for this new location as we continue to lobby for this resolution. Additionally a special task force of volunteers continues to seek more gaming opportunities. The cessation of Santa Clara Vanguard this year creates solvency and time to restructure the VMAPA organization to meet the financial demands of the future. More efforts for financial development are also underway.

To The Members

The timing could not be worse for this final decision. Every single option available to avoid this resolution was explored. Each option available would have left the future of Santa Clara Vanguard in jeopardy. We realize this situation will have a major effect on your lives. For this, we grieve with you. This year will pave the way for the survival of SCV. Continuing with this year would endanger the ability for SCV to exist beyond 2023. Maintaining the foundation for SCV to exist beyond this year is the primary responsibility of the board and executive leadership. While this decision was difficult, there was no viable alternative. This decision ensures the financial health of SCV in time for auditions in the fall of 2023.

Vanguard will survive this setback and be the standard for excellence and performance once again soon. Unthinkable times demand unthinkable solutions. While this is a difficult time, VMAPA is not willing to leverage the future of the organization with hopeful financial projections that will not square with reality. While this decision may seem detrimental to the future of SCV, it serves to ensure the success of SCV in future years. With this in mind, we make the sacrifice of a single year to ensure a thriving future for Vanguard for many years to come.

[Jurassic Lancer]

I’m not shocked, but I am very saddened. 
 

Very, very saddened. 
 

My question, is SCV the canary in the mine shaft?

Edited December 13, 2022 by Jurassic Lancer

[college-phan]

4 minutes ago, Jurassic Lancer said:

I’m not shocked, but I am very saddened. 
 

Very, very saddened. 
 

My question, is SCV the canary in the mine shaft?

From what I’m hearing, it’s a combination of soaring costs related to tour (obviously) and frank mismanagement on the part of VMAPA. It’s not a lot unlike what Phantom went through in the late 2000s, just coupled with inflated costs. They should be able to recover, but it definitely should instruct corps to learn how to diversify income if at all possible.

Edited December 13, 2022 by college-phan

[hostrauser]

4 minutes ago, Jurassic Lancer said:

I’m not shocked, but I am very saddened. 
 

Very, very saddened. 
 

My question, is SCV the canary in the mine shaft?

Yes. 

The only surprising part of this to me was that Vanguard was the first of the big corps to go under (even if it ends up being only temporary).

Unsustainable activity is unsustainable. DCI has spent 20+ years becoming an arms race, and once you add in all the outside factors that can't be controlled, this is the result.

[Terri Schehr]

5 minutes ago, Jurassic Lancer said:

I’m not shocked, but I am very saddened. 
 

Very, very saddened. 
 

My question, is SCV the canary in the mine shaft?

It’s only December 12.  We have a long way to go until June 28th.  

[sunnyday72]

I get the sense that they are being honest when they say they tried everything. I feel bad for the members. Hopefully they really do use this year to figure things out and come back strong.