Cadets Suspend for 2024

[IllianaLancerContra]

37 minutes ago, Jeff Ream said:

You seem to think they’re all there at the same time. They aren’t, and aren’t paid for time not there. The days of giving up your entire summer to play band are gone

How much do Corps pay to fly staff in and out?

To fix the cost problem there can be no sacred cows.  None 

[Slingerland]

31 minutes ago, scheherazadesghost said:

Mission alignment is used for nps who want to develop sustainable relationships with large scale donors and funders.

Well aware of the concept. Completely misplaced (imho) when it comes to small, scrappy non-profits who have no reason to be trying to grow past the low 7 figures, economically, since they are landlocked in terms of how many kids they can serve.  Individual corps are simply too small and their programming too specific to warrant significant investment from local foundations, when those foundations also have a plethora of museums, educational, and youth-at-risk programs asking for their resources. 

The org who has to worry about large scale donor and sponsor dollars is DCI - not the individual corps. Unlike the member corps, DCI can honestly say that they serve a client base in the thousands and that they have the eyeballs of hundreds of thousands of followers. The fact that they, as an organization, have so utterly failed at successfully landing major tour sponsors is an indictment of the leadership of the org, at both the Board and executive level. If there’s a thing about the new CEO that makes me hopeful, it’s that he appears to have some experience at developing those relationships. 

I’d argue that the bigger concern for local corps is lack of alumni support from throughout the activity. There are a few corps that do well in that regard (Cadets WERE successful, at one point), but not nearly enough who can say, with some confidence, that their alums can be counted on to provide hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. Those who say it’s a revenue problem are absolutely correct, but the “problem” has to do with the lack of support from the adults who have already benefitted from what the activity did for them. More’s the pity.

[ContraFart]

3 minutes ago, MikeN said:

No worries - just trying to add some firsthand experience. Also, it’s a cost that’s been pushed to members, so it’s a balance sheet neutral item really. -Mike

As was my original argument

[ContraFart]

19 minutes ago, JimF-LowBari said:

Then one final question: if someone here posts concerns about cost, safety, etc about props, uniforms or whatever… how can you tell if they have a legitimate concern or being against the items?

Cost and safety are 2 different issues. If members are being injured or something looks dangerous, of course that conversation is in good faith, but when the first reaction to a corps folding is uniforms and props cost to much, A they are not dealing with the facts, and B their agenda is not out of concern for cost, but to sermonize on why they were bad in the first place 

[Triple Forte]

18 hours ago, Newseditor44 said:

The issue is simple, the cost to operate a drum corps has out-paced the revenue models that are sustainable for most orgs. Fundraising dollars are no longer enough to push 6 busses and 4 trucks down the road anymore. DCI has not done enough to contain the costs, and the writing has been on the wall for sometime now. The fact that they haven’t moved to in a direction to proactively cut costs, coupled with inflation and increases in food, fuel and housing, will make it very difficult for corps to survive another five years. This is just the beginning. To be fair, this is not solely on DCI, but they share the blame. 

Sorry to say this, but in my opinion of the whole ….

 “By us for us, we know best mentality”  doesn’t work.   Clearly, a lot of them/ corps administrations have no idea how finances work, because so many corps have struggled to stay afloat and even more corps have left us due to financial reasons.  There needs to be a lot of administrative overhaul because like the quote says …

“it’s not possible to solve a problem with the same thinking that created it” 

[On the 50]

There is a lesson to be learned here from SCV and Cadets that I think everyone is missing:

Don't finish 5th at DCI Finals.

 

[IllianaLancerContra]

13 minutes ago, On the 50 said:

There is a lesson to be learned here from SCV and Cadets that I think everyone is missing:

Don't finish 5th at DCI Finals.

 

In 1970s it was 7th you didn’t want to finish; usually wouldn’t make finals the next season 

[cixelsyd]

49 minutes ago, ContraFart said:

Cost and safety are 2 different issues. If members are being injured or something looks dangerous, of course that conversation is in good faith, but when the first reaction to a corps folding is uniforms and props cost to much, A they are not dealing with the facts, and B their agenda is not out of concern for cost, but to sermonize on why they were bad in the first place 

How do we know your argument is in good faith?

You have accused more than one poster here of this, ignored all their responses to the contrary, and simply doubled/tripled/quadrupled down on the character attacks.

You deny that these costs are worth cutting, but you have not offered any alternate ideas for cost cutting.

You deflect by calling for more focus on the revenue side.  I have asked you 3 or 4 times for your ideas about revenue, with no response.

You disrupt conversation with name-calling and ageist bigotry directed at posters whose ages you do not even know.

Like I said before... deny, deflect and disrupt.

[HockeyDad]

2 hours ago, ContraFart said:

But they are hand waved so they can have the argument about the things they don't like.

False. Again. I invited you to offer your ideas how to cut costs in the big budget areas. You did not. Rather, you continue to harp upon some perceived sleight about props. Do you have any suggestions how to cut costs or increase revenues?

[HockeyDad]

2 hours ago, cixelsyd said:

So because you only refer to multiple people as dinos, should we be relieved?

Yes. And as far as I can tell, you don’t like props or modern uniforms, because you mentioned they add cost. I proposed a greatly reduced tour. I must not like modern buses.