MikeN Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 Hop, in a recent blog entry, brought up a good point - with gas at $3.00 / gallon right now, it's adding literally thousands of dollars to corps budgets for the summer. What if the prices keep where they are, or even keep rising? With the tour system the way it is, the cost will eventually be passed on to the members in the form of higher corps dues. So, as a topic of discussion, what would you change? (If anything.) Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cage Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 I would worry more about the diesel prices being that is what the rigs and busses run on. I realize they go hand in hand. I know I am being technical, but I have been slammed on that at a past job. Maybe if we would have built a refinery in the past 34 years or maybe drilled a little of our own we might be doing a little better at the pump. While we're at it, how about we use one formulation for gasoline around the country instead of a different one for every state. Let's go a little further and reduce all the taxes we pay per gallon. I htink the national average is around $0.63 right now. Oh crap I turned this political...sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeN Posted April 24, 2006 Author Share Posted April 24, 2006 My idea - I would establish a definite season for corps, and restrict first-four-week tours to four regional circuits, making sure there's an equal number of shows (and appearance fees) for each region. I would have each corps participating in the DCI tour contribute to regional funds that would subsidize gas / travel expenses (and *only* gas / travel expenses) for certain corps. Those certain corps would be the 1st-3rd place corps from each regional championship, which would be held at the official midpoint of the season - say, mid-July. For the national tour, I'd have a regional weekend in each region for the 2nd four weeks. For sake of argument, say East, South, Midwest and West. If Indy does indeed get the DCI Finals for the next 10 years, then that would be their regional. The three weekends leading up to it, though, would have a regional in the other three regions. So each region would still have shows after mid July, but only for that regional weekend would the top 9 corps from those other regions be rolling in. DCI Finals, then, would be a top 12 from the nation-only affair, with a prelims / finals. Obviously, this downsizes finals and emphasizes local touring, which many corps don't want, but the whole point of the exercise is that we are discussing alternatives to combat the amazing increase in travel costs. :) Thinking of whole new touring models, if you will. :) Anyways, it's a thought, and it would ensure that you still get to see corps from outside your region, there's still giant weekend shows, and it might just keep shows within travelling distance for you all summer... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 why can't non-taxed NPO like drum corps get a refund for the gas taxes they are being charged? .63 a gallon adds up quick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzEuph Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 My idea - I would establish a definite season for corps, and restrict first-four-week tours to four regional circuits, making sure there's an equal number of shows (and appearance fees) for each region. I would have each corps participating in the DCI tour contribute to regional funds that would subsidize gas / travel expenses (and *only* gas / travel expenses) for certain corps. Those certain corps would be the 1st-3rd place corps from each regional championship, which would be held at the official midpoint of the season - say, mid-July. For the national tour, I'd have a regional weekend in each region for the 2nd four weeks. For sake of argument, say East, South, Midwest and West. If Indy does indeed get the DCI Finals for the next 10 years, then that would be their regional. The three weekends leading up to it, though, would have a regional in the other three regions. So each region would still have shows after mid July, but only for that regional weekend would the top 9 corps from those other regions be rolling in. DCI Finals, then, would be a top 12 from the nation-only affair, with a prelims / finals. Obviously, this downsizes finals and emphasizes local touring, which many corps don't want, but the whole point of the exercise is that we are discussing alternatives to combat the amazing increase in travel costs. :) Thinking of whole new touring models, if you will. :) Anyways, it's a thought, and it would ensure that you still get to see corps from outside your region, there's still giant weekend shows, and it might just keep shows within travelling distance for you all summer... Mike K so you're saying that the Cavies, Bluecoats, Madison, Phantom, Glassmen all fight it out for the only 3 spots offered. <**> So automatically you knock out 2 of the 12 finalist corps from last year. That would mean that in the south lets say where corps are weaker the they would put their best in....so what you're saying is that it's not the top 12 corps but the top 3 of each region! Personally I think that maybe some corps should buy bigger buses inorder to use fewer of them....does the staff really need a charter bus all to themselves? You would be better off buying 2-3 hybrid SUVs or cars rather than pay all that money for their bus... Just my thoughts... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matye Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 MikN, George: I realize that the older I get the harder it is to remember ... but ... I seem to recall that in the '80s and '90s, when our sons marched ... since the corps they marched for was part of the midwest group of corps... didn't the tour from the first weekend until mid-July pretty much stay in the midwest? I think they even got a few days off in July to come home. Like I said, fuzzy thinking. And I do remember that one summer they went west and one they went to the deep south ... But you're right ... the cost of fuel for the summer will not only cause corps to re-work their budgets, but might keep some fans from traveling to several shows and just pick one or two close to home. Someone with more background in NPO with legal and accounting expertise might be able to speak to the break for corps gas tax payments. Anyone? AzEuph ... your thoughts about getting rid of the staff coach could have some merit. Would there be a way to combine a souvie van and staff RV into an RV with trailer hitch and trailer for the souvies? Again ... grasping at straws ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xiaobai88 Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 MikN, George:I realize that the older I get the harder it is to remember ... but ... I seem to recall that in the '80s and '90s, when our sons marched ... since the corps they marched for was part of the midwest group of corps... didn't the tour from the first weekend until mid-July pretty much stay in the midwest? I think they even got a few days off in July to come home. Like I said, fuzzy thinking. And I do remember that one summer they went west and one they went to the deep south ... But you're right ... the cost of fuel for the summer will not only cause corps to re-work their budgets, but might keep some fans from traveling to several shows and just pick one or two close to home. Someone with more background in NPO with legal and accounting expertise might be able to speak to the break for corps gas tax payments. Anyone? AzEuph ... your thoughts about getting rid of the staff coach could have some merit. Would there be a way to combine a souvie van and staff RV into an RV with trailer hitch and trailer for the souvies? Again ... grasping at straws ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzEuph Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 MikN, George:I realize that the older I get the harder it is to remember ... but ... I seem to recall that in the '80s and '90s, when our sons marched ... since the corps they marched for was part of the midwest group of corps... didn't the tour from the first weekend until mid-July pretty much stay in the midwest? I think they even got a few days off in July to come home. Like I said, fuzzy thinking. And I do remember that one summer they went west and one they went to the deep south ... But you're right ... the cost of fuel for the summer will not only cause corps to re-work their budgets, but might keep some fans from traveling to several shows and just pick one or two close to home. Someone with more background in NPO with legal and accounting expertise might be able to speak to the break for corps gas tax payments. Anyone? AzEuph ... your thoughts about getting rid of the staff coach could have some merit. Would there be a way to combine a souvie van and staff RV into an RV with trailer hitch and trailer for the souvies? Again ... grasping at straws ... Or even get a smaller food truck and hitch that onto the staff vechile. Souvie could be hard because typically they go way ahead of the corps to set up before the show. If there was some kind of a way to get rid of either the staff bus or the food to take a way one giant vechile. By either getting a smaller trailer and a smaller bus/van and then haul the food truck with that. That would be killing two birds with one stone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markdewine Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 What would I change??? Uh, the price of fuel? Yeah, that's it. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzEuph Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 Something like this could be possible for the staff and volunteers. http://nationsbus.com/Champion_Defender.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.