How Does the Activity Expect to Survive.

[GetOFFmyDot]

Somewhat ironically, Mandarins have some of the most expensive prop costs over the past few years and they are one of the most financially sound corps in the activity.

 

 

[cixelsyd]

9 hours ago, MGCpimpOtimp said:

The props don't cost "hundreds of thousands", and (along with electronics) aren't the reasons costs have skyrocketed.

Housing
Fuel
Food

Probably in that order make up the vast vast vast majority of operational costs. The other stuff isn't even really a drop in the bucket.

Unless you know how to reduce the costs of housing, fuel and food, I do not see the point in trying to dismiss costs that can be reduced.

[Terri Schehr]

6 minutes ago, cixelsyd said:

Unless you know how to reduce the costs of housing, fuel and food, I do not see the point in trying to dismiss costs that can be reduced.

When someone figures that out, sign me up. When I make eggs for breakfast, I tell Jim to enjoy his 65 cents each eggs. 

[mjoakes]

BITD, I investigated marching for a corps for each of two summers and couldn't swing it because of the cost. Not just the actual costs, but giving up the summer jobs I needed to pay for any of my personal expenses. That's the 1970s.

I'm sympathetic to someone who has the passion and talent to march but can't afford it. At the same time, it's not literally true that only recently has drum corps fees priced people out of the activity. Almost no matter the fees, some potential members won't be able to afford it. 

[IllianaLancerContra]

11 hours ago, GetOFFmyDot said:

Somewhat ironically, Mandarins have some of the most expensive prop costs over the past few years and they are one of the most financially sound corps in the activity.

 

 

This is true, and I, for one, would be curious how the afford to do it.  Why do they seem to have their house in order when another Corps, just down the road, is a dumpster fire? 

[MGCpimpOtimp]

3 hours ago, cixelsyd said:

Unless you know how to reduce the costs of housing, fuel and food, I do not see the point in trying to dismiss costs that can be reduced.

Because even if you cut 100% of something that's only 10% of your expenditures (thus drastically lowering the quality of your product), you're still not making an appreciable difference. 

[Terri Schehr]

4 hours ago, mjoakes said:

BITD, I investigated marching for a corps for each of two summers and couldn't swing it because of the cost. Not just the actual costs, but giving up the summer jobs I needed to pay for any of my personal expenses. That's the 1970s.

I'm sympathetic to someone who has the passion and talent to march but can't afford it. At the same time, it's not literally true that only recently has drum corps fees priced people out of the activity. Almost no matter the fees, some potential members won't be able to afford it. 

My last year cost $325.  That was a lot in 1978 dollars. 

[mjoakes]

26 minutes ago, Terri Schehr said:

My last year cost $325.  That was a lot in 1978 dollars. 

Google results tell me that's about $1,459 in today's dollars. Not trivial.

Memory is really hazy, but it seems to me I needed something like $800 for everything all summer - fees, travel, food, misc. expenses. Plus, and again, not earning any money through summer jobs, which helped pay for college. Whatever amount it was, memory is not hazy that it seemed impossibly out-of-reach.

[OldSnareDrummer]

56 minutes ago, Terri Schehr said:

My last year cost $325.  That was a lot in 1978 dollars. 

I don't remember ever having to pay dues in the three different small corps I marched in circa 1970s. If they ever hit my parents up for it, I sure didn't know about it. Of course none of these corps ever operated on probably more than a $10-15K annual budget and all had some pretty successful fund raising efforts what with selling everything from trash bags to candy bars door to door, car washes etc etc etc. and we had some small corporate backing. 

[GBugler]

My dues ranged from $200 (Star) to $800 (Crown) in the years I marched, from 1990-1994. I used financial aid refunds and work income to pay each year's tuition. I was able to work enough to live at home and march without having to worry about $$$ on tour. I was lucky.