What Can/Can’t Be Changed to Help

[JimF-LowBari]

As background was on council with a declining church. With synods guidance we studied the causes for the decline and what could be done. Bottom line was being a city church (and city declining) all we could do was try to slow the decline. Too many details but had to change a lot of our thinking and actions to ease the situation. IOW doing same old same old was worst thing to do.

Strange part is some of the reasons for the decline also apply to corps. More options for activities for people, more mobile so no need to join local corps/church, etc. 

Thinking for our activity there are three areas to consider in looking at todays issues. And let’s face it not getting any easy for activity to survive. Especially in starting new corps….

1) what can individual corps do to help the situation 

2) what can DCI/DCA do to help the situation 

3) what can’t be helped no matter what (that was the hardest thing to accept with my church - which closed after 125 years)

Still the off season so looking for thoughts. And last time I did something like this I got roasted for slamming something a corps did. I didn’t name a corps or give my opinion then and not doing it here

[musicteacher]

I appreciate your heartfelt post. Ideas, anyone?

[JimF-LowBari]

16 minutes ago, musicteacher said:

I appreciate your heartfelt post. Ideas, anyone?

Thanks, going through the “why is our church dying” sessions was eye opening (and puke inducing). Also eye opening was peoples responses. Lot of people believe if you keep saying “we’re not that bad off” or “why talk about it” then no problem.

Really hit as this was the church I grew up in (third generation member).

Edited May 16, 2023 by JimF-LowBari

[cixelsyd]

You could try this three-step process:

1.  Make it incredibly complex and expensive to start a DCI corps.

2.  Watch while no corps start up for seven or more years consecutively.

3.  Make it less complex and expensive to start a DCI corps.

(We are stuck at step 2 of this process.)

[Terri Schehr]

18 minutes ago, cixelsyd said:

You could try this three-step process:

1.  Make it incredibly complex and expensive to start a DCI corps.

2.  Watch while no corps start up for seven or more years consecutively.

3.  Make it less complex and expensive to start a DCI corps.

(We are stuck at step 2 of this process.)

And then raise the membership max to 165. 

[JimF-LowBari]

12 minutes ago, Terri Schehr said:

And then raise the membership max to 165. 

Isn’t there a rule about minimum number that’s close to 165? Thought I saw new or reactivated corps had to hit a higher potential member number than established corps. IIRC that bang you hear is DCI shooting itself in the foot 

[Terri Schehr]

23 minutes ago, JimF-LowBari said:

Isn’t there a rule about minimum number that’s close to 165? Thought I saw new or reactivated corps had to hit a higher potential member number than established corps. IIRC that bang you hear is DCI shooting itself in the foot 

I do recall that they raised the minimum, too. 

[JimF-LowBari]

1 hour ago, Terri Schehr said:

I do recall that they raised the minimum, too. 

As corps were coming back from COVID 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[Newseditor44]

55 x 3 = 165. Most charter buses carry 55 seats now, which is the reason for the change. Economically, it makes more sense to raise the minimum to 165 so you can collect more tuition. If not, you'll have to lower it back down to 110. 

[JimF-LowBari]

13 minutes ago, Newseditor44 said:

55 x 3 = 165. Most charter buses carry 55 seats now, which is the reason for the change. Economically, it makes more sense to raise the minimum to 165 so you can collect more tuition. If not, you'll have to lower it back down to 110. 

Problem is if a corps can’t get 165 members. Oops you had an empty seat on a bus so you can’t compete. 🤷🏻