drummomalways Posted July 16, 2006 Author Share Posted July 16, 2006 Your overwhelming support and good wishes is just FANTASTIC!!!! we really appreciate all of it. For those of you that live in California, we will be hosting a recruiting booth at the Div II & III show, on Friday July 28th......to be held at Riverside Community College, and hosted by Yamato. Come by the booth, if you can, and say hello..... Secretary VK Youth Arts Organization www.vkyao.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VKCanosUSMCContra Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 (edited) Your overwhelming support and good wishes is just FANTASTIC!!!! we really appreciate all of it.For those of you that live in California, we will be hosting a recruiting booth at the Div II & III show, on Friday July 28th......to be held at Riverside Community College, and hosted by Yamato. Come by the booth, if you can, and say hello..... Secretary VK Youth Arts Organization www.vkyao.org With the biggest heartfelt wishes, I want VK back. How ever I have some concern with drum corps in southern california. First, financial planning. How does VK plan on staying in the black? I feel bingo is no longer a viable option due to the numerous Indian Casinos and the number of people they are able to draw. I have a few suggestions that I will mention to any one who is interested. Second, membership retention. From about 1993-4 on to the end of VK in 1997. The Velvet Knights had numerous talented individuals, but did not retain enough as they would march a yr at VK then move on to another corps. I have talked to a few members of the current socal corps, and still feel that if they do one or two years they move can move ont o bigger and better. I am tired of seeing socal corps being feeders for the blue team or red team. Right now there are 4 corps in southern california that come to mind: Jester, Impulse, Esperanza, and Pacific Crest. I'm sorry if I missed any. Most of them are unable to meet their desired level of membership. How do you expect to draw people to VK? Back when VK was the only corps in socal except for WCS and Earthquakes or San Diego alliance, and PC, we still had problems filling holes. Going along with the first topic, is this the right financial time for VK to do this? Just because finals will be in California doesn't mean it's the right time for the corps to start spending money. While I am aware that getting money is difficult, I don't want to see my VK run on a shoe string budget as it was when I was marched. I am aware that the leadership between now and then is different but, I am just suspicious because I want to see this come together. Something else that I was concerned about when I marched is the uniformity of horns. In every section there were 3-4 different makes and models of horns. I don't want to hear this happening again. Towards the end of VK I think this is one of the things that held the horn line back in their performances. It may be possible to sound good with a mish mash of horns on the field, however I don't think a single horn line in the top 6 has a mix in the section. (Forgive me if i'm wrong, but if they do they're usually waiting for upgrades or new ones). I have a few more things I'd like to mention, but I think that's enough for now. I need to think of how to express my thoughts for the next post. I really, really want to see this come together. Good luck, and I'll be moving up to CSULB next year so I definitely want to help out. Edited July 16, 2006 by VKCanosUSMCContra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMBob Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 I think they will be fine among fans who really know drum corps. I think the part of the audience that will be confused are the ones who are first-timers or those band kids who go to the show in their hometown every year but do not follow corps or know the different corps and traditions. Humor based around corps is lost on this part of the audience. It could easily be worked around with a mixture of that and pop culture reference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbc03 Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 I'm hoping they play My Humps as their ballad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchromik Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 Frankly I dont't care what they do as long as the play well and march well. That is how they succeeded before, that is how they will again. Putting anything ahead of that will be problematic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drummomalways Posted July 16, 2006 Author Share Posted July 16, 2006 With the biggest heartfelt wishes, I want VK back. How ever I have some concern with drum corps in southern california.First, financial planning. How does VK plan on staying in the black? I feel bingo is no longer a viable option due to the numerous Indian Casinos and the number of people they are able to draw. I have a few suggestions that I will mention to any one who is interested. Second, membership retention. From about 1993-4 on to the end of VK in 1997. The Velvet Knights had numerous talented individuals, but did not retain enough as they would march a yr at VK then move on to another corps. I have talked to a few members of the current socal corps, and still feel that if they do one or two years they move can move ont o bigger and better. I am tired of seeing socal corps being feeders for the blue team or red team. Right now there are 4 corps in southern california that come to mind: Jester, Impulse, Esperanza, and Pacific Crest. I'm sorry if I missed any. Most of them are unable to meet their desired level of membership. How do you expect to draw people to VK? Back when VK was the only corps in socal except for WCS and Earthquakes or San Diego alliance, and PC, we still had problems filling holes. Going along with the first topic, is this the right financial time for VK to do this? Just because finals will be in California doesn't mean it's the right time for the corps to start spending money. While I am aware that getting money is difficult, I don't want to see my VK run on a shoe string budget as it was when I was marched. I am aware that the leadership between now and then is different but, I am just suspicious because I want to see this come together. Something else that I was concerned about when I marched is the uniformity of horns. In every section there were 3-4 different makes and models of horns. I don't want to hear this happening again. Towards the end of VK I think this is one of the things that held the horn line back in their performances. It may be possible to sound good with a mish mash of horns on the field, however I don't think a single horn line in the top 6 has a mix in the section. (Forgive me if i'm wrong, but if they do they're usually waiting for upgrades or new ones). I have a few more things I'd like to mention, but I think that's enough for now. I need to think of how to express my thoughts for the next post. I really, really want to see this come together. Good luck, and I'll be moving up to CSULB next year so I definitely want to help out. Wow, thank you so much for your post. Let's see if maybe I can shed some light on some of your very valid concerns. 1. Financial planning - DEFINATELY must be a solid foundation BEFORE anything can happen. That's why we have "key" individuals whose sole concern is of that......FINANCIAL STABILITY. 2. Membership retention - everyone goes thru that problem, there are no exceptions. Setting goals, working towards them, and making the activity a good solid experience for the members is just one small way of doing so. OF COURSE.....tour fees do come to mind.....keeping them as low as possible. Constant recruiting.....without limits.....there is so much talent out there, we strongly believe this will NOT be a problem. There are many other ways that our team will have in place and implement when needed. 3. We as the organization will NOT run this program, and any of our other programs, Project "L" Winter Guard, Full Force Percussion, on a shoe string budget....that, you can be 100% sure of. Again, a solid FINANCIAL foundation is crucial to the success of VKYAO. 4. Horns - definately no mish mashes there. See our website at www.vkyao.org for more information on what we are planning for these. Please, and this goes for everyone out there, feel free to contact anyone of us on the board if you should have questions, or concerns. Your comments are always welcomed. LOOKING forward to having your help as well. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeBob Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 Screw that. You're the Velvet Knights. Spit on their rules. Well, now that we've had an overreaction to this innocent remark... two things. 1. Odd as it is, I'm given to understand that for IRS purposes this organization would not be called Velvet Knights, but simply "VK." Is this true? If not, how will the back taxes owed by the non-profit organization known as the Velvet Knights be dealt with? 2. Spit or no spit, it's up to DCI who competes in what division. A corps can't force its way into a division for which it hasn't been approved or isn't qualified. Just as the Cavaliers can't compete in Div III, so too would the governing body that is DCI prevent a brand-new corps from competing in Div I. I mean, you probably know this already, but just in case... there. In either case, good to see VK's on its way back. And Spam's on staff! Actually, Spam is the staff, apparently, but I'm sure more will follow right quick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danieltenor Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 Someone on here said that the Crossmen show of this year is how he thought that VK would be if they were still around, so yes, I think if VK goes with the time and still make an entertaining program that is accepted in 2007 they will do fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lance Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 <topics merged--LM> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMS0527 Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 This is great!!! We need a corps that brings us back down to earth :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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