Santa Clara Vanguard 2023 Announcement Thread

[ContraFart]

3 hours ago, C.Holland said:

I feel like you've literally described the alumni of any corps who won a title before 1990.  Can I buy you a beverage in NYC and we discuss similar alumni bases "spirited conversations"?

It seems like you are one of the sober voices on this topic. Thank you for that. I came to this post waiting for hyperbole and brain dead responses, while there are some (No drum corps is not dying and no drum corps is not an "arms race"), its nice to see some intelligent responses. Thanks for that.

[scheherazadesghost]

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Edited June 13, 2023 by scheherazadesghost

[Boss Anova]

8 hours ago, Keith Hall said:

Move the Vanguard to Florida!

 Miami.

They used to have the Miami Vanguard Drum Corps there  by the way.

 

Edited December 14, 2022 by Boss Anova

[IllianaLancerContra]

1 hour ago, Terri Schehr said:

I heard this in a movie once:  “I’ve always told you some form of the truth.”

I got a call today from someone who used to volunteer for SCV who said that what is happening with them now, is the result of some bad stuff that happened over ten years ago. 

This is why you deal with bad stuff as soon as it is discovered.   It never gets better with age, and can fester to the point where it brings down the entire organization.  

[AlexL]

1 hour ago, gbass598 said:

I mean there is a reason the Madison Jr Scouts and Phantom Regiment Cadets don't exist anymore. There is a reason YEA sold off the Crossmen. If I'm not mistaken, I think (correct me if I'm wrong) the Blue Stars that exists today was actually originally the Blue Stars Cadets that were able to continue after the original Blue Stars folded.

Mostly correct from what I remember of corps history. 

The cadet corps kept competing, when the debt was paid off for the original corps the cadet corps adopted the original name. The business entity for the blue stars remained LBS Cadets Inc until 2009 when they adopted the "Blue Stars Performing Arts for Youth" namen

 

1 hour ago, gbass598 said:

Running a drum corps is hard in today's environment. Running 2 national touring corps is insane. I don't know how the Colts can still do it. 

While it is certainly an achievement for them to be able to operate 2 corps at all, they have some advantages and "national touring" may be a bit generous as almost all of their shows pre-finals week are within a few hours of Dubuque, in Iowa and the states bordering. The tour schedule sets up well for them as they can compete in WC shows as the WC tour hits their part of the country early on, and then jump in to the western group of the OC tour for OC shows while the WC corps are on their southern\eastern swing. 

[84BDsop]

1 hour ago, AzEuph said:

Yep. And it’s why I never put my patch on. I could care less what year(s) or era you march.  It’s called “pulling patches” in seniority.

I think the closest we had in BD was the years we marched down the left sleeve of our member jacket.  However, I don't remember any toxicity attached.  There was no diff between a single year guy like me and someone who started in the C corps and aged out with the A...a one-and-done rookout to the activity like me was no less important than someone who started out in the A corps at 14 in 1977 and aged out with me and 4 rings.  More importantly, i was not TREATED like i was less worthy to be in the line -- less of a Blue Devil -- than a far more experienced vet. 

That holds true to this day...and while we older alums certainly feel for those who were going to age-out in 2020 and never got to hit the field for even a single competitive run -- particularly those who were in their only year in the corps -- none of US feel they're any less a Blue Devil than we are.

[Terri Schehr]

2 hours ago, gbass598 said:

I mean there is a reason the Madison Jr Scouts and Phantom Regiment Cadets don't exist anymore. There is a reason YEA sold off the Crossmen. If I'm not mistaken, I think (correct me if I'm wrong) the Blue Stars that exists today was actually originally the Blue Stars Cadets that were able to continue after the original Blue Stars folded.

Running a drum corps is hard in today's environment. Running 2 national touring corps is insane. I don't know how the Colts can still do it. I don't understand how hired teaching staff can become the whipping boys of this but Paul Rennick bringing UNT people to SCV is no different than Colin McNutt bringing UMASS people to Cadets when he taught there or Boston today. It's no different than Roger Carter getting a bunch of Broken City guys to march Bluecoats. The players follow their teachers. That is today's enviroment. Heck, when I marched, Phantom Legion was more interested in what Glassmen were doing and would come watch us in the lot because the guys who taught Phantom Legion were taught by Lee Beddis like we were.

That’s not why there wasn’t a Madison Jr. Scouts. The corps director of Capitolaires was arrested for being a sex offender and they and the Jr Scouts were merged in 1995 and became Capital Sound.

I guess people remember what they want to remember.  I call that selective memory. 

Edited December 14, 2022 by Terri Schehr

[Jeff Ream]

4 hours ago, C.Holland said:

owning your own fleet is much more problematic than renting.  Its not just fuel.  Its insurance, drivers, maintenance, storage, permitting, inspections.  For food service vehicles you have added fire suppression, food service inspections and regulations which need cared for in addition to the same basic costs of the equipment truck and busses.  Let alone youre on your own for drivers on all of this.  

Renting, if its breaks, you call the company, they bring a new whatever, you transfer people and gear, and keep on moving. Your driver has a home emergency, they bring you a new one.  

Agreed

Edited December 14, 2022 by Jeff Ream

[Jeff Ream]

4 hours ago, DFA1970 said:

Yeah...one of my close friends is a SCV alumni who lives in AZ. Just chatted with him yesterday and he's not shocked as he and other SCV alumni were not happy with this current organization. But the one thing he never expected was this so called hiatus in 2023. He thinks this could be the end of this once proud and rich history of the corp. They treated alumni with no say how to run SCV. Just wanted their donation and nothing else.

Well we have seen elsewhere that alumni can have too much say and it causes problems. It’s evident scrolling through the forums here

[AzEuph]

14 minutes ago, 84BDsop said:

I think the closest we had in BD was the years we marched down the left sleeve of our member jacket.  However, I don't remember any toxicity attached.  There was no diff between a single year guy like me and someone who started in the C corps and aged out with the A...a one-and-done rookout to the activity like me was no less important than someone who started out in the A corps at 14 in 1977 and aged out with me and 4 rings.  More importantly, i was not TREATED like i was less worthy to be in the line -- less of a Blue Devil -- than a far more experienced vet. 

That holds true to this day...and while we older alums certainly feel for those who were going to age-out in 2020 and never got to hit the field for even a single competitive run -- particularly those who were in their only year in the corps -- none of US feel they're any less a Blue Devil than we are.

From my experience seeing alum post on different social sites, BD alum have always been by far the most supportive of each other I’ve ever seen.  I think they all acknowledge the goal of winning and as long as BD is still winning then that’s cool.  I’ve heard good things about their culture being competitive and supportive.  Once you’re in, you’re in.