Santa Clara Vanguard 2023 Announcement Thread

[Gantang]

This may be the first significant shoe to drop. And make no mistake, if SCV with their long term financial strength can fail any corps has the potential to follow suit. 

Twenty years ago, Hopkins and others sought to transform drum corps into an caste system where the haves would prosper and the have nots would be the window dressing on the way to the main stage. Those transformers voted to increase the number of members (first 150 and now 165) which necessarily meant there would be a need for additional buses to transport members. That additional cost comes in the form or insurance, maintenance, diesel, and drivers (if not volunteers) and perhaps leases.

They voted to add non-traditional drum corps instruments which alienated some long time fans. They added expensive "requirements" in the form of amplification, and elaborate sets, all of which added to the transportation needs and expenses (see buses above). Most DCI corps unveil new "costumes" yearly, which if they are not comped is an huge expense, an a lack of individualized identity.

Then they made their target audience high school marching band and WGI fans, all while flipping the finger at those who just wanted "drum corps". Dan never pushed back as dancing and running overtook music as the defining moments of the shortened shows (and seasons).

On the positive side, those "students" who dreamed of marching with SCV can just audition for a different nondescript, cookie cutter, organizations since there's little difference and no loyalty. And the corps will willingly cut someone who was loyal to them for what they regard as better talent.

RIP SCV and DCI(?)

[Terri Schehr]

14 hours ago, Sutasaurus said:

I guess bitcoin is off the table now.

I got 24 hours in Facebook timeout for saying what I would have done to Jim if he’d bought crypto.  My brother in law lost $67,000.  He’d be dead man walking at my house. 

[JimF-LowBari]

24 minutes ago, Terri Schehr said:

I got 24 hours in Facebook timeout for saying what I would have done to Jim if he’d bought crypto.  My brother in law lost $67,000.  He’d be dead man walking at my house. 

Had a guy at work who every 6 months was “I found something, you will not BELIEVE how much money I will make”. Considering he said this for years it never worked. 

[MikeN]

15 hours ago, Sutasaurus said:

I guess bitcoin is off the table now.

It's going to rebound any day now.  Binance is about as well run as drum corps.  😁

Mike

[JimF-LowBari]

3 minutes ago, MikeN said:

It's going to rebound any day now.  Binance is about as well run as drum corps.  😁

Mike

Gonna rebound just like Bingo (ducks 🙄)

[MikeN]

Quote

Those transformers voted to increase the number of members (first 150 and now 165) which necessarily meant there would be a need for additional buses to transport members. That additional cost comes in the form or insurance, maintenance, diesel, and drivers (if not volunteers) and perhaps leases.

No - buses actually got bigger.  They were filling additional seats on the same number of vehicles.  165 wasn't an arbitrary number.
 

Quote

They voted to add non-traditional drum corps instruments which alienated some long time fans. They added expensive "requirements" in the form of amplification, and elaborate sets, all of which added to the transportation needs and expenses (see buses above). Most DCI corps unveil new "costumes" yearly, which if they are not comped is an huge expense, an a lack of individualized identity.

Props, electronics and uniforms are generally not large expenses.  Props of course depends on the corps and the show, obviously, but electronic setups aren't more expensive than a lot of other instruments, and the uniforms are not a "huge expense" at all. In fact, many corps simply pass the cost (which is lower than traditional uniforms) on to the members at a net zero for the organization.  

Quote

Then they made their target audience high school marching band and WGI fans, all while flipping the finger at those who just wanted "drum corps". Dan never pushed back as dancing and running overtook music as the defining moments of the shortened shows (and seasons).

If you look at the attendance history for DCI over the last 20 years, you'll see that it stabilized, then even rebounded a bit.  Finals attendance has been steady, and the regionals have been a massive draw for fans.  

Overall, DCI's philosophical shift kept the activity alive.  What's hurting them now is DCI and the corps' ability to pivot in response to COVID and rapid inflation.  

Mike

[JimF-LowBari]

9 hours ago, Gantang said:

 

Then they made their target audience high school marching band and WGI fans, all while flipping the finger at those who just wanted "drum corps". 

So they made the target audience  the people who will decide if they want to do corps…. And the problem is  🤷🏻 

 

Edited December 26, 2022 by JimF-LowBari

[DFA1970]

I just don't see SCV coming back in 2024. They first have to paydown the "debt" they have....which we don't know but it sounds like it's pretty significant. Once and if that is accomplished then they need to raise money for a future corps to operate from. I scratch my head around the video they posted and as a lawyer I don't know of any laws regarding non-profits that suddenly happened in CA as that would also affect corps like BD, Mandarins and PC. Maybe it's local ordinances in the city and county? I don't know but I think this sudden problem was not sudden. 

[AzEuph]

9 hours ago, Gantang said:

This may be the first significant shoe to drop. And make no mistake, if SCV with their long term financial strength can fail any corps has the potential to follow suit. 

Twenty years ago, Hopkins and others sought to transform drum corps into an caste system where the haves would prosper and the have nots would be the window dressing on the way to the main stage. Those transformers voted to increase the number of members (first 150 and now 165) which necessarily meant there would be a need for additional buses to transport members. That additional cost comes in the form or insurance, maintenance, diesel, and drivers (if not volunteers) and perhaps leases.

They voted to add non-traditional drum corps instruments which alienated some long time fans. They added expensive "requirements" in the form of amplification, and elaborate sets, all of which added to the transportation needs and expenses (see buses above). Most DCI corps unveil new "costumes" yearly, which if they are not comped is an huge expense, an a lack of individualized identity.

Then they made their target audience high school marching band and WGI fans, all while flipping the finger at those who just wanted "drum corps". Dan never pushed back as dancing and running overtook music as the defining moments of the shortened shows (and seasons).

On the positive side, those "students" who dreamed of marching with SCV can just audition for a different nondescript, cookie cutter, organizations since there's little difference and no loyalty. And the corps will willingly cut someone who was loyal to them for what they regard as better talent.

RIP SCV and DCI(?)

I think the better solution is RIP to your fandom.  A lot of nonsense and inaccurate statements in there. But hey, you can always watch your legacy shows on DVD.

[scheherazadesghost]

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Edited December 27, 2022 by scheherazadesghost