I was the Board Treasure for SCV for 6 years

[Richard Lesher]

1 minute ago, IllianaLancerContra said:

Does beg the question - If finances were good at end of 2019, what happened?

Well, the finances were not really OK at the end of 2019. A lot of bad decisions were timed for a perfect storm then followed by COVID. 

See, Charles Frost left SCV in 2019, also at that time, SCV had it's largest operating deficient in its history (look at the 990s folks) to that date. So at that exact moment in time things were not looking good, but they had a substantial investment reserve already built up. It was noting that was going to break them. 

Then the worst organizational departure happened. The person that discovered the bingo thefts back in 2005 who went onto become the Bingo Manager through 2019 and helped the revenues grow from $2M to nearly $6M also retired (she's in her 70's now folks, it's time). 

I don't know if the larger audience is aware, but at the end of 2019 SCV hired a new Executive Director that was a complete disaster. He didn't last a year before he was pushed out. He wanted to close down the A Corps, and make a community theater. So exit stage left. 

Had there been a 2020 competitive season it would have been a disaster for SCV. The spring was when they were trying to get rid of that guy (BTW, I warned them, the guy never managed a non profit budget more than $500K) 

COVID saved the competing reputation at the time, but it didn't help Bingo. See, the Bingo savior is now gone, COVID is in full swing, and the Executive Director that was just let go had ceased all Bingo operations refusing to even try and start up limited Bingo games within COVID health guidelines. 

So 2019, ends with the greatest operating deficit, loss of our 2018 championship Executive Director, and loss of our savior bingo manager. Brings on a disastrous new Exec Dir, and then finds the world in COVID with a new bingo manager, and new management team that do not convey financial acumen.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[IllianaLancerContra]

8 minutes ago, Richard Lesher said:

Well, the finances were not really OK at the end of 2019. A lot of bad decisions were timed for a perfect storm then followed by COVID. 

See, Charles Frost left SCV in 2019, also at that time, SCV had it's largest operating deficient in its history (look at the 990s folks) to that date. So at that exact moment in time things were not looking good, but they had a substantial investment reserve already built up. It was noting that was going to break them. 

Then the worst organizational departure happened. The person that discovered the bingo thefts back in 2005 who went onto become the Bingo Manager through 2019 and helped the revenues grow from $2M to nearly $6M also retired (she's in her 70's now folks, it's time). 

I don't know if the larger audience is aware, but at the end of 2019 SCV hired a new Executive Director that was a complete disaster. He didn't last a year before he was pushed out. He wanted to close down the A Corps, and make a community theater. So exit stage left. 

Had there been a 2020 competitive season it would have been a disaster for SCV. The spring was when they were trying to get rid of that guy (BTW, I warned them, the guy never managed a non profit budget more than $500K) 

COVID saved the competing reputation at the time, but it didn't help Bingo. See, the Bingo savior is now gone, COVID is in full swing, and the Executive Director that was just let go had ceased all Bingo operations refusing to even try and start up limited Bingo games within COVID health guidelines. 

So 2019, ends with the greatest operating deficit, loss of our 2018 championship Executive Director, and loss of our savior bingo manager. Brings on a disastrous new Exec Dir, and then finds the world in COVID with a new bingo manager, and new management team that do not convey financial acumen.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the clarification.  

[fighterkit]

Wow. I do wonder what caused all this, as well as rumors I heard of 3 mill+ in debt. 

[IllianaLancerContra]

25 minutes ago, fighterkit said:

Wow. I do wonder what caused all this, as well as rumors I heard of 3 mill+ in debt. 

Agree that something isn’t quite adding up.  
 

As they said during Watergate- Follow the Money. 
    (Money is the root of all evil).  

[fighterkit]

12 minutes ago, IllianaLancerContra said:

Agree that something isn’t quite adding up.  
 

As they said during Watergate- Follow the Money. 
    (Money is the root of all evil).  

I agree. 
I hung around the souvie booths a lot in 19 and heard a lot of old SCV souvie workers complain about pepware and how it was really hurting them financially, so I bet that also really hurt them 

[greg_orangecounty]

First, thank you for serving our country.

Second, your post is depressing and if what you're saying is remotely true it means it will be difficult, if not impossible, for SCV to return.

 

 

[IllianaLancerContra]

6 minutes ago, fighterkit said:

I agree. 
I hung around the souvie booths a lot in 19 and heard a lot of old SCV souvie workers complain about pepware and how it was really hurting them financially, so I bet that also really hurt them 

Can you explain to this aged boomer why pepwear is a problem?   I googled them & they seem to be a maker of shirts, patches & the like.  

[Richard Lesher]

7 minutes ago, fighterkit said:

I agree. 
I hung around the souvie booths a lot in 19 and heard a lot of old SCV souvie workers complain about pepware and how it was really hurting them financially, so I bet that also really hurt them 

Souvies was really never a money maker. The van, trailer, drop shipping product to the location of the Corps. Keeping the van fueled,  the souvie staff fed, it really never panned out financially unless the Corp was winning (which it really wasn't in my day on the Board). 

Not saying it can't be profitable, but it's hard, and a Corps better not be left with season/show specific product at the end of Finals. 

[fighterkit]

2 minutes ago, IllianaLancerContra said:

Can you explain to this aged boomer why pepwear is a problem?   I googled them & they seem to be a maker of shirts, patches & the like.  

Basically what I was told is that pepwear makes and sells the merch, as well as outsources the work to people local to the competition. It was less alumni and more just random people and cost the corps a lot of money. 

Just now, Richard Lesher said:

Souvies was really never a money maker. The van, trailer, drop shipping product to the location of the Corps. Keeping the van fueled,  the souvie staff fed, it really never panned out financially unless the Corp was winning (which it really wasn't in my day on the Board). 

Not saying it can't be profitable, but it's hard, and a Corps better not be left with season/show specific product at the end of Finals. 

Thanks for the clarification. I really only got my information from some old souvies workers that were upset about the move to pepwear. 

I know rough numbers for what BAC made in 19-22 for merch, but Im not sure how that compares to other corps. 

[Richard Lesher]

1 minute ago, fighterkit said:

Basically what I was told is that pepwear makes and sells the merch, as well as outsources the work to people local to the competition. It was less alumni and more just random people and cost the corps a lot of money. 

Thanks for the clarification. I really only got my information from some old souvies workers that were upset about the move to pepwear. 

I know rough numbers for what BAC made in 19-22 for merch, but Im not sure how that compares to other corps. 

I understand that, but it probably hurt Blue Devils the most, and helped the little corps more so. Plus, sometimes a Corps would just have that ONE THING everyone wants, and corps that were good at that product selection now lose out. 

Then corps, that were better at pushing product at every opportunity also probably lose out. 

If a corps is good at souvies then they miss out, if they are not then it's probably neutral (but at least not a loss). It's a hard game.