Cadets Suspend for 2024

[ContraFart]

1 minute ago, NewToPosting said:

There are neighboring activities (winterguard, marching band) with circuits, so It's not like it's impossible. More groups would have to start up - smaller ones. How can that happen? Working with existing circuits (some drum corps already do this) and either integrating with them or not. 

WGI works in the spring and a majority of groups can operate within a 3 or 4 hour car trip before going to Dayton. 

You cant just magically create a few dozen drum corps out of thin air to make the regional model work. 

[ContraFart]

1 minute ago, Vuitton said:

Dude, you marched in 1999, you're a dino too.

I am a more of a Cro-Magnon, younger than the dinos.  

[Vuitton]

On 10/14/2023 at 10:21 AM, ContraFart said:

Uniforms are also only about $150-$300 a member retail. Not to mention sponsorships which can bring that cost down to $0

Those who think uniforms are an issue only say that because they don't like modern uniforms 

You have to stop with this "don't like" label. I love everything about modern drum corps. EVERYTHING! But, it is not sustainable. Corps are absolutely not going to be able to sustain the revenue necessary to compete at the highest level. It is not possible. Sure some may be in the black today, but that doesn't mean they won't be in the red tomorrow.

You have to look at every single expense. You're talking 2.6% (I don't know where you got that number) of a mulit-million dollar budget, year over year over year. It all adds up. Everything adds up. 

[Vuitton]

16 minutes ago, ContraFart said:

Are the Cadets not touring this year because of their props and electronics? Or is the overall issue bigger? 

OH MY GOD - get it through your head - WE ARE NOT SAYING THAT'S THE ONLY ISSUE. 

Edited October 15, 2023 by Vuitton

[MikeD]

2 hours ago, Terri Schehr said:

“Just good enough” transportation would have been an upgrade. 😂 I think there are a few people here who could back me upon this. 

In 70-71 era Blue Rock had their own lousy busses. One of them had no reverse, so they had to be careful where they parked. Another one could not start unless a bunch of members got behind it and pushed it.

We (Garfield) had to get out of one of our busses on the way to Miami, as the full bus could not drive up a steep hill. We walked in front of the bus, just in case!  😀

[Vuitton]

11 minutes ago, ContraFart said:

If they were that unnecessary and added that much of a financial hardship, they wouldn't use them. People are acting as if the corps do not know their own costs. 

They use them because they need to in order to score well - that's why they are necessary. If BD didn't have props this year they would not have won. Pure and simple. It's necessary to have props and electronis. 

We're not acting as if corps don't know their own costs, we are recongizing how the powers-that-be at said corps are acting in a highly irresponsible capacity with regards to their costs. I mean if I have credit card debt, I would know it, and I would have it from being irresponsible.

Edited October 15, 2023 by Vuitton

[MikeD]

1 hour ago, TheOneWhoKnows said:

It's not different than *part* of the reason why colleges and universities have souring costs. All the sudden we have VP of (insert some ridiculous title) making 6 figures plus benefits. 

You may not have meant it, but I love your description of the costs!  👍

[cixelsyd]

1 hour ago, ContraFart said:

I just think that death by a thousand little cuts is not going to work without bastardizing the product. 

And since we apparently need a reminder, "the product" is a competitive league of 39 corps.  Or that is what it was last week... now, it is a competitive league of 37 corps.  Soon to be 36, if rumor proves out.

I contend that "the product" has already been bastardized.  It used to be "marching music's major league", a sampling from among hundreds of corps in local/regional/national circuits.  Now, there are too few corps (by your admission) to even modify any portion of the season to be more region-centric.  That was the real "thousand cuts".

All I am asking about is cost control.  Can we have a dozen little cuts?  Or maybe start with one?

[2muchcoffeeman]

1 minute ago, MikeD said:

In 70-71 era Blue Rock had their own lousy busses. One of them had no reverse, so they had to be careful where they parked. Another one could not start unless a bunch of members got behind it and pushed it.

We (Garfield) had to get out of one of our busses on the way to Miami, as the full bus could not drive up a steep hill. We walked in front of the bus, just in case!  😀

We pushed our bus up the final quarter-mile to the Eisenhower Tunnel on I-70. 40 kids with their shoulders to the bus, in billows of black smoke, some of it diesel, some of it clutch.

Good Lord, could you imagine the response to something like that today. We have a much safer environment today. State-of-the-art buses. Health and Safety staff. It's all to the good of course. It's also more expensive. LIfe is a series of tradeoffs. 
 

[ContraFart]

7 minutes ago, Vuitton said:

They use them because they need to in order to score well - that's why they are necessary. If BD didn't have props this year they would not have won. Pure and simple. It's necessary to have props and electronis. 

We're not acting as if corps don't know their own costs, we are recongizing how the powers-that-be at said corps are acting in a highly irresponsible capacity with regards to their costs. I mean if I have credit card debt, I would know it, and I would have it from being irresponsible.

If they were that irresponsible, there would not be corps that operate in the black, and not just the ones in the top 5.