Santa Clara Vanguard 2023 Announcement Thread

[scheherazadesghost]

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Edited June 12, 2023 by scheherazadesghost

[billj]

22 hours ago, IllianaLancerContra said:

One model for coming back is Blue Stars - folded in 80's due to debt.  Fielded Cadet Corps locally to raise $ to pay off debt.  Then (and only then) started touring, slowly, at the Open Class (then called A-60) level, built up to champions, and today are very successful.  But it took years of 'wandering in the desert'.

I agree that the SCV should consider the pros and cons of this option. Heck, SCV Cadets weren't that far from world class finals a few times. They could essentially pull a compressed Blue Stars plus Magic of Orlando, avoiding the costs of a full world class tour, win open class, and the make world class finals their first year back. Nothing to be ashamed of. 

[GUARDLING]

1 minute ago, billj said:

I agree that the SCV should consider the pros and cons of this option. Heck, SCV Cadets weren't that far from world class finals a few times. They could essentially pull a compressed Blue Stars plus Magic of Orlando, avoiding the costs of a full world class tour, win open class, and the make world class finals their first year back. Nothing to be ashamed of. 

Let's remember the disaster Magic created to achieve what they did that year. They started the beginning of the end with members as well as staff etc etc. There was no returning as much as some good people who tried but the damage was done, and they literally became the black cloud no one would go near. Sad to say.

[IllianaLancerContra]

1 hour ago, gbass598 said:

And I was frankly surprised when both came to finals last year knowing that essentially a joint announcement was made before 2019. I was under the impression that was going to be a long term choice for the foreseeable future rebrand both SCVC and BDB to local corps only. Then a pandemic that effects the global economy and both corps decide to do national tours the first chance they get. I have to wonder if BD also privately regrets bringing BDB to finals last year.

Working of my aged brain here - I recall that the BC (before Covid) plan for SCVC & BDB was to go to finals every other year.  This led to the famous question by Dan Potter to Spartans DM 'Does it count as an Open Class Championship if SCVC & BDB didn't come to finals'?

But, Covid changed everything.

[cixelsyd]

11 hours ago, AlexL said:

Respectfully, I'd say no, the two are not on the same level. Even as someone who marched there and remains a fan as an alum. 

The Blue Stars are a solid organization, but lets face it, their world class history is essentially just the last 15 years for most people (the 70s might as well be ancient history and are pretty irrelevant to the brand value), and in that 15 years they've been generally a consistent finalist but not ever getting up into that realm where they could contend for a medal much less win a title. 

In comparison SCV is essentially drum corps royalty when you consider both their success and longevity. 50 years of history competing at the top level in DCI, multiple championships, even more shows that medaled, and pretty consistently a top 6 corps. 

That is odd.  The 1970s are irrelevant for the Blue Stars, but totally relevant for SCV.  (Same for "longevity", even though both corps started in the mid-1960s.)

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That's not to diminish the work done at Blue Stars at all.

Yes it is.  These two corps finished this season within 2 places and 3 points of each other.

[scheherazadesghost]

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Edited June 12, 2023 by scheherazadesghost

[gbass598]

2 hours ago, IllianaLancerContra said:

Working of my aged brain here - I recall that the BC (before Covid) plan for SCVC & BDB was to go to finals every other year.  This led to the famous question by Dan Potter to Spartans DM 'Does it count as an Open Class Championship if SCVC & BDB didn't come to finals'?

But, Covid changed everything.

I think they used to come every other year in the past and then it became every year. According to DCX, looks like they started coming every other year in '98, then it became every year in 2006 with the exception of 2010. Not sure why they didn't come that year. You could be right but I don't recall when the announcement said when they decided not to come in 2019.

[DWW11]

I posted this on another thread, but it applies here.  I received an ecard from SCV for Christmas.  Typically, something like that would trigger a small donation from me, but I couldn’t do it this year.  I don’t trust the whole organization now, and, until they make some massive changes, they won’t see any more of my hard earned money.  I never gave much, but i gave what i could.

[ContraFart]

3 hours ago, GUARDLING said:

Let's remember the disaster Magic created to achieve what they did that year. They started the beginning of the end with members as well as staff etc etc. There was no returning as much as some good people who tried but the damage was done, and they literally became the black cloud no one would go near. Sad to say.

It was a little more complicated than that with Magic. 2002 was a positive year. It was a great tour from top to bottom. 2003 was the problem year. Adding Colin to the staff and loss of Brigadiers funding was the actual beginning of the end. What they did in 2000 and 2001 with Micro Magic was smart. They even played a few corporate gigs. 

[scheherazadesghost]

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Edited June 12, 2023 by scheherazadesghost