Santa Clara Vanguard 2023 Announcement Thread

[IllianaLancerContra]

12 minutes ago, jameseuph said:

People said that in 1971 too. Here we are 50+ years later. 

True, but in 1971 it was said due to ‘differences in creative vision’; today it is because costs are too high.   As this discussion shows, there are considerable differences of opinion on how to reduce these costs.   

[C.Holland]

7 minutes ago, Newseditor44 said:

990’s only tell a part of the story, they don’t add the color that’s needed to give you a full picture of what is going on inside an organization. I would caution anyone from trying to read into a situation by looking at a tax filing. 

One.. no. Go dig a few up. Look for patterns over years. They’re there. 

[C.Holland]

1 minute ago, IllianaLancerContra said:

True, but in 1971 it was said due to ‘differences in creative vision’; today it is because costs are too high.   As this discussion shows, there are considerable differences of opinion on how to reduce these costs.   

Look at the math. Just a season of the basics is 500-650k for travel, 600- 700 for facilities, 500-600k for food. 

[GetOFFmyDot]

I re-read their statement and the more I reflect upon it, it causes me to have greater concern about the future of SCV.

Bingo jn California is dying. It does not have a future. The data is clear.  
 

Planning on a wish-and-prayer that a second Bingo becomes operational to keep the Corps going is bad management.  Putting out a statement that actually says (paraphrasing here) “we aren’t fielding a corps because we couldn’t get another bingo operation going” is bad leadership.  
 

Think about that - they say that bingo revenues are down and THEN say that their future hopes are resting on opening another bingo operation.  
 

Ugh.  This is bad and I think it’s going to get worse.  

[scheherazadesghost]

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Edited June 13, 2023 by scheherazadesghost

[IllianaLancerContra]

Just now, C.Holland said:

Look at the math. Just a season of the basics is 500-650k for travel, 600- 700 for facilities, 500-600k for food. 

I would suggest an ‘all of the above’ approach to cutting costs.  Going from 3 semis to 2 semis may not save much, but it will save some.  Going from 4 snare techs to 3 may not save much, but it will save some.   Going from 85 brass to 70 brass, pit of 17 to pit of 12 etc will save some money, perhaps one less bus.  It all adds up.  

[jameseuph]

5 minutes ago, GetOFFmyDot said:

I re-read their statement and the more I reflect upon it, it causes me to have greater concern about the future of SCV.

Bingo jn California is dying. It does not have a future. The data is clear.  
 

Planning on a wish-and-prayer that a second Bingo becomes operational to keep the Corps going is bad management.  Putting out a statement that actually says (paraphrasing here) “we aren’t fielding a corps because we couldn’t get another bingo operation going” is bad leadership.  
 

Think about that - they say that bingo revenues are down and THEN say that their future hopes are resting on opening another bingo operation.  
 

Ugh.  This is bad and I think it’s going to get worse.  

 Correct. I would be surprised to see SCV field an ensemble in the future. That board and executive leadership and the operation of SCV needs overhauled in a hurry. 

[Newseditor44]

9 minutes ago, C.Holland said:

One.. no. Go dig a few up. Look for patterns over years. They’re there. 

Not saying you’re wrong, however, they only tell part of the story. Yes there are patterns, but there is much more to it. 
 

It’s easy to be upset and think we all have the answers, but in fact we probably don’t. What’s not being talked about was the fact that a responsible and difficult decision was made and there are good people trying to save this organization. We can beat them up for getting to this point, but that doesn’t help anything. 

[IllianaLancerContra]

4 minutes ago, scheherazadesghost said:

I'm trying as nicely as I can to say exactly that, thank you. For example, if you don't have recent, inside knowledge, you probably don't know much nuance. I include myself in that category. So what I'm saying is that while the 990s expose a lot, there so much you don't know.

I know more than most... but that's still nothing. If you know more than me, I assume you'd be sadder than me, 'cause this is friggin' sad.

And this thread is proving that other corps and fans of other corps should look at their own houses before trying to clean ours.

I agree - while you can see trends on a series of 990s, to really understand what is going on we would need to see the actual, itemized revenues and expenses, down to the $1 level.   
 

One guy I marched with is a forensic accountant - but I really hope it doesn’t have to get to the point where someone with his expertise is required.  

[C.Holland]

5 minutes ago, Newseditor44 said:

Not saying you’re wrong, however, they only tell part of the story. Yes there are patterns, but there is much more to it. 
 

It’s easy to be upset and think we all have the answers, but in fact we probably don’t. What’s not being talked about was the fact that a responsible and difficult decision was made and there are good people trying to save this organization. We can beat them up for getting to this point, but that doesn’t help anything. 

I’m not upset over their collapse. I watched this group string a kid along all season collecting money from them, only to cut them at move in.  That’s what they needed beat up about. How many others did they do that to?

Edited December 13, 2022 by C.Holland