Santa Clara Vanguard 2023 Announcement Thread

[RogerF]

You know what is P***ing me off about this topic?

It's the fact that there is one (maybe more) SCV alumni from the 1970s who are going onto the Facebook Drum Corps Planet group, and absolutely trashing SCV. Like, this person is posting really stupid immature memes, and other pictures of anything SCV, and just thrashing around their hate and disdain for anything SCV, including Photoshopped pics of SCV leadership and laughing at it all. Then he's also posting pics of himself playing snare drum in an SCV uniform (he calls them costumes) from the 1970s, but instead of green tunic, he changes the color to blue. Then, he's starts posting statements verging on politics and his opinion about being woke, etc., stating he is a "proud" alumnus of SCV.

Absolutely zero respect for SCV.

So, if there are any other alumni of SCV reading this, please tell your fellow alumni to have some respect for your own drum corps. It's tacky, it's offensive and very immature. You're grown adults. Just stop.

Thanks for listening.

 

Edited December 15, 2022 by RogerF

[Mello Dude]

19 minutes ago, ContraFart said:

Because one more vehicle is not causing corps to go inactive. The caravan size has been roughly the same for 25 years.

I thought we were talking about today and now?  That one vehicle is costing a LOT.  No the caravan size has not been the same for 25 years and the touring distances have changed drastically.  This is simply one of MANY things driving costs up.  Housing, food (big one here) I would think 35-40% increase this year alone.  Fuel (esp diesel) will be huge this year as I am sure you know.  If you aren't able to at least look at the BIG picture and make changes (Change or Die) we are all just blustering nonsense.

[gbass598]

22 minutes ago, frachel said:

I can't find many people in my circle that feel the front ensemble "blend" has ever been good.. year-after-year of "thunderous goo" posts and complaints about ear-piercing pits. 

Speakers are geared towards the pressbox. If you sit low in front of them it can be overpowering. Additionally, live streaming tends to put mics on the speakers for the webcast and that falls to the person doing the mixing for the webstream. This is a whole other topic but there are professionally released popular music releases that are mixed terribly as well. Its all in the ear of the beholder.

[Mello Dude]

25 minutes ago, frachel said:

I can't find many people in my circle that feel the front ensemble "blend" has ever been good.. year-after-year of "thunderous goo" posts and complaints about ear-piercing pits. 

You're not wrong.

[mingusmonk]

1 hour ago, ContraFart said:

SCVs issue is that they were hurt by a revenue source because of COVID. One that they feel will be a temporary setback and will be addressed and they will be back next year. Isn't this decision scaling it back? I mean people are acting as if the BOD of these organizations want them to fail.

A Reddit user was kind enough to compile all recent corps 990 filings into a single spreadsheet. 

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Ja39zeGtJSWFTu3rejDFLo0aSydUs-t0oioukYk8U34/edit#gid=0

 

Was it simply Covid loss of bingo? For 2020, SCV's Net Income $ (1,156,499) was almost 3 times the magnitude of the next net-negative organization, BDPA  $ (441,627). They aren't the only corps that relies on bingo revenue. Bluecoats own and operate their own bingo hall. Their 2020 net income was positive  $ 10,909. 

(it should be mentioned that we don't have Cavaliers or Crossmen 2020 filings available yet)

 

These numbers are probably not completely revealing the direct effects of Covid 19 on the balance sheet because of how the bookkeeping can vary on PPP activity, etc. As I understand, it could take 2021, or even 2022 for those true numbers to wash out. 

 

Shouts out to the missed @garfield who used to run the 990 numbers and analysis for us around here.

Edited December 15, 2022 by mingusmonk

[Mello Dude]

13 minutes ago, RogerF said:

You know what is P***ing me off about this topic?

It's the fact that there is one (maybe more) SCV alumni from the 1970s who are going onto the Facebook Drum Corps Planet group, and absolutely trashing SCV. Like, this person is posting really stupid immature memes, and other pictures of anything SCV, and just thrashing around their hate and disdain for anything SCV, including Photoshopped pics of SCV leadership and laughing at it all. Then he's also posting pics of himself playing snare drum in an SCV uniform (he calls them costumes) from the 1970s, but instead of green tunic, he changes the color to blue. Then, he's starts posting statements verging on politics and his opinion about being woke, etc., stating he is a "proud" alumnus of SCV.

Absolutely zero respect for SCV.

So, if there are any other alumni of SCV reading this, please tell your fellow alumni to have some respect for your own drum corps. It's tacky, it's offensive and very immature. You're grown adults. Just stop.

Thanks for listening.

 

That's some low life stuff there.  There are so many issues with costs to COVID that the fact any corps are still active in this current model is simply amazing.  Simply trashing SCV for a LOT of things outside their control is not helping things.  It's hard enough finding people wanting to donate their time and effort as it is.

[AzEuph]

1 hour ago, ContraFart said:

SCVs issue is that they were hurt by a revenue source because of COVID. One that they feel will be a temporary setback and will be addressed and they will be back next year. Isn't this decision scaling it back? I mean people are acting as if the BOD of these organizations want them to fail.

The snowball started before COVID, that just accelerated the pain.  IMO, the BOD have a huge responsibility to avoid this situation and get in front of the problem worsening.

My biggest fear, and only a gut feeling, is that VMAPA took on risky debt to finance previous tours. With the decline of bingo coming at the worst point, VMAPA had a call loan this week that forced their hands.

If this is accurate, or somewhat, then the BOD definitely led to this corps potential fold and deserve all the heat.

[JimF-LowBari]

1 hour ago, ContraFart said:

SCVs issue is that they were hurt by a revenue source because of COVID. One that they feel will be a temporary setback and will be addressed and they will be back next year. Isn't this decision scaling it back? I mean people are acting as if the BOD of these organizations want them to fail.

“Temporary setback “ does that mean find other sources of revenue to replace what is lost? (And please don’t say add another bingo night).

Or does that mean they expect bingo, etc to go back to preCovid levels cuz ain’t gonna happen

[IllianaLancerContra]

13 hours ago, gbass598 said:

Amplification allows the players to play with proper technique. They are big and they are expensive but corps get them cheap (or possibly even free for the season), return them to the manufacturer, and then the manufacturer resells them. 6 marimbas balanced with 75-80 member horn lines is balancing the acoustic instruments on the field.

Agree w/ proper technique argument.  That was basis for allowing amplification in mid 2000s.  But, the question I have is:  Are there 6 different marimba parts, thus requiring 6 marimbas? If there are only, say 2 parts, why not have (& haul around) 2 marimbas, and use the amps to balance it w/ rest of ensemble?

[scheherazadesghost]

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Edited June 13, 2023 by scheherazadesghost