Review - Div II/III, New London, CT, Show

[Newbie Drum Corps Mom]

This is the posted reply to my review that has probably offended me. 

Interestingly, I am a former member of one of the corps that is named on the box in the subsequent photo.

In my day, there was a term called "corpsmanship"  Is this term still around?

After reading through many topics and posts on this forum, I can find little or nothing that is written by an actual Spartan corp member, although many troubling words have been spoken of late about them. 

The lack of response by the Spartan members shows a great restraint on their part. This shows great character.  I think they are actually being taught to respect thelmselves and their opponents. 

Corpsmanship. 

I leave you with this thought.

This is my last post on this forum board. 

Best wishes,

I am just a member of the old guard.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am new to all this and I am probably going to "flamed" but I am going to be brave here and speak up.

Am I the only one who is upset by the fact that the person who took the time to write a long detailed review on several occasions has been hurt and offended here?

The last two times this person has written a review it has been taken over afterwards by others who seem to have their own agenda.

I for one am very dissapointed that this person will not now write a review of the Bridgeport, CT, show, where my child will be performing and where I cannot afford to follow. I have not yet read a single actual review (not just a rehashing of scores) on these boards of my child's corps. I would have loved to have someone who will be there give me a glimpse of what I am missing.

I am one of those people who knows nothing about drum corps history. Right now I am not sure I care to.

After reading this review I went back to read the comments and what jumped out at me was a big picture of one corps. If this person has a camera, it would have been nice to see pictures of the other corps, too.

Then what follows is a discussion about an old jacket that is supposed to be a tribute to an old corps. Forgive me, but this is the first time I have ever heard of the Bridgemen.

I'd like to point out one last thing:

Old Guard says "Interestingly, I am a former member of one of the corps that is named on the box in the subsequent photo."

If this whole thing is intended as a "tribute" to these old corps members it seems to be missing the mark. He does not say what corps. Could it be that he is an old Bridgeman who is less than honored by your tribute?

Old Guard seems to be trying to tell us something about respecting others.

Out of respect for him, I would like to ask you to please start another topic and move these pictures and comments .

Maybe then he will write us another lovely review.

Thank you.

I'm just a newbie drum corps mom

[jent]

I think there are two discussions happening simultaneously in this thread.

I believe Oldguard was bothered by a comment regarding the Spartans, not the old corps tribute.

Oldguard, am I wrong?

[Newbie Drum Corps Mom]

" I believe that the red shoes are in tribute to either the Velvet Knights or the Bridgemen.  She also holds up a Yellow Raincoat, which is also in tribute to (I think) the Bridgemen.  Old school folks should easily get this; me, I had to look it up.  Still pretty cool either way.  And HOPEFULLY the judges "get it", since most of them were around during both those corps' time. "

This refers to "Mr Clown" from the old Bridgemen show from the '70's?    Thanks for the info.  Makes more sense to me.  "Old school folks" have old memories that are not always as quick as they once were.  Just because we might have been there, doesn't mean we remember it all.  It is pretty cool either way.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is Old Guard's initial response to this comment. He has edited out the part that refers to the Spartans and does not really seem to be offended at all this time.

It was only after the photos and all the comments about such that followed that he appears to have become offended. That is why I suggested that perhaps they should appear under a new topic on these boards.

I think he only mentions the Spartans in his final post because he is using them as an example of what he refers to as "corpsmanship" as he believes they show respect for themselves and others by the restraint they show by not responding to disparaging remarks about them on these forum boards.

He seems to be a very respectful person himself as evidenced by his attempts to find good things to say about everyone. I would really like to read more of his reviews.

I don't know anything about any of these corps or really anything about drum corps at all. I am just trying to learn because my child wants to do this.

Corpsmanship sounds like a good thing to me. I am going to try to practice this and encourage my child to so.

I am just a newbie drum corps mom

Edited July 27, 2005 by Newbie Drum Corps Mom

[GWFrog]

Howdy!

Great review, Old Guard... ^OO^

Please don't stop reviewing...

Due to someone else's misguided idiocy...

Illigitimus non carborundum"...

(Don't let the b@st@rds grind you down... )

'Til later... B)

[bdrummergal16]

I personally as a member of one the corps that Old Guard has reviewed in past, am upset he wont do it again, its always nice to have insight from someone who isnt a family member, or someone on the staff telling you how you did, in a postive manner. So thank you.

[danieltenor]

Yes.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wow, very cool!

[OldBones]

Corpsmanship sounds like a good thing to me.  I am going to try to practice this and encourage my child to so.

I am just a newbie drum corps mom

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Corpsmanship is what makes drum corps a great activity.

I come from back in the day and more than likely competed against OldGuard as I competed againt every corps in the photo. (nice tribute to us dinosaurs by the way)

Our corps has a long and troubled history against one of the corps in the New London show. They were coming off the field as we were getting ready to go on.

I made the kids cheer for them as they came off. Later, some of their staff came up to us and gave us some praise, and for a few moments, the personal feelings were put aside.

Another form of corpsmanship is how Citation helped us as 2 of our new members did not have their black gloves with them. Citation, the only other corps their to wear black gloves, gave us two brand new pairs. No questions asked. Thank you Citation.

If anyone was to ask us for a favor, we would do the same. As a matter of fact, when all the corps went inactive in April and May, we offered a free ride any members of those corps. We paid for their flight to NJ and will fly them home after tour is over plus housing. We also offered no tour fee. We had a couple take us up on our offer, but went home after a couple of weeks.

Corpsmanship comes in many ways, making new friends, respecting everyone, helping when you can. Great lessons for life.

I hope your son is really enjoying himself and learning these lessons in his corps.

BTW - I watched Spartans very closely. As well as ECJ and Surf. All three came in where they belonged. DCI is a JUDGED competition in which you get credit for how well you perform your show. Although Surf is very entertaining, the huge hornline is still somewhat dirty, the drumline is good, but the corps does not march well. Still way too much phasing for this time of year.

ECJ made some changes to their show and performed them quite well. Their hornline rocks and is very clean, the drumline is quite good, and they can perform a very nice visual show.

Spartans are excellent. Their drumline is excellent, their hornline performs at a very high level, and they are the only corps I have seen in Div II who can truly perform visually.

I cant say if ECJ or Spartans will win Div II and I think Surf will make Grand Finals

I look forward to seeing how all the corps will do in Brockton.

[flagmom]

Just wanted to respond to newbie mom - this is my daughter's first year marching in corps, but my family has a long history of marching in drum corps which has its' roots in the American Legion and VFW.

Included in that long history is a tradition of honoring corps who have gone before you. I am currently in an alumni corps which has done shows honoring past and present junior. senior and alumni corps. Not everybody will get it, but not everybody gets some of the out-there, avant garde shows on the field today, either.

That doesn't make me any less of a drum corps fan or the kids on the field any less dedicated. I never saw "Kill Bill", so should I blast the Cadets for using music from that movie in their show?

The photos that were posted were merely illustrating the answer to a question someone posed, not a blatant attempt by anyone to highlight a specific corps. I do not believe Old Guard had any objection to the photos. I certainly hope Old Guard will post more as I thoroughly enjoy your reviews.

Let's celebrate Corpsmanship and respect throughout the activity!

Edited August 2, 2005 by flagmom

[Newbie Drum Corps Mom]

Let's celebrate Corpsmanship and respect throughout the activity!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you, Flagmom, for your thoughts on this.

I had read through my posts before now and was a little taken back by my own annoying, lecturing tone. I'm sorry, everyone. I really did not know what I was talking about and I will try to think before I speak next time. Thank you for your patience with me.

I have also been reading up on some drum corps history online and find it facinating.

I had no idea that drum corps has such a long and wonderful tradition.

One of the sites I found was the Jersey Surf website where I read the following:

" The Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps is pleased to announce that it will pay tribute to the legendary Bayonne Bridgemen and its alumni at the Surf-sponsored "Summer Classic" Drum and Bugle Corps Competition to be held on Saturday, August 6 at 7:00 PM in New Brunswick's Memorial Stadium ... The honor guard of the Bridgemen Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps will present the national colors at the start of the show."

This seems to me to be a wonderful tribute.

I'm sorry I will not be able to be there or see your show this year.

Thank you, Jersey Surf, for posting the photos and teaching me some of the history and faces in the past of this great activity.

Good luck to you and all the corps for the rest of the season,

I am just a newbie drum corps mom.

[oldguard]

Let's celebrate Corpsmanship and respect throughout the activity!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sounds like a fine idea to me.

Personally, I was not offended or hurt by any comments to my review. We dinosaurs are inclined to have thicker skins than that. Most days I feel like I am fossilizing.

I am, however, appalled sometimes by some of the things that some people say on these forum boards. Oddly enough, my original review was in response to a comment that showed a lack of respect for a couple of corps. My decision to remove myself from writing on these boards was more due to a desire to disassociate myself from a venue which can display such a lack of corpsmanship.

I was fortunate to have learned corpsmanship by an instructor, both loved and feared, who taught me as much about life off the field as on. His response to our glorifying our performances was invariably, “You want to toot your own horns? It’s called P-R-A-C-T-I-C-E.”

I can recall him coming upon us late one night when in our tight little group we were talking about ourselves and our competitors (always, of course, with the emphasis on how great we were) and he shook his head at us and said simply, “Corpsmanship.” Someone was brave (or brash) enough to say something like, “But no one can hear us here. We’ve been listening to what you said and have been behaving ourselves out there.” To which he replied, “You know sometimes, people, you just do not get it. You think if you put on some kind of act out there you exemplify corpsmanship? That’s just phony. Corpsmanship begins and ends with what you THINK about yourself and others.”

Okay, I shall try to exercise my thought processes a little better and shall attempt to write a few reviews here and there … because I really do enjoy the shows. Just do not expect my words to be anywhere near as good as the actual performances.

Thanks to all of you who have given my efforts favorable reviews.

I am just a member of the old guard.

Edited August 2, 2005 by oldguard