church supplement during tour

[Bob984]

So i have been wondering as i am going to audition for bd this next year. i am catholic and my faith is really important to me. now i realize that there isnt enough time to let kids go to church every sunday but im wondering if there is some sort of supplemental service provided, be it bible study or whater, that is offered. OR is it just up to the members to deal with that kind of thing themselves all summer?

ps. sorry if this is a touchy subject for anyone on here; i dont mean to be abrasive :)

I would just flat out ask them (BD). When I was with a major top 5 corps, we actually had the luxury of having a priest who was a supporter of the corps, and he went on tour. We did not practice right away on Sunday mornings, and he held services in a room in the school (certainly not mandatory but very well attended, including non-catholics,....our corps had many Catholic members). I don't know if that is the case now. However, I am certain that many corps, including Devils, have members of faith, and I am sure that some at least make an effort to accomodate those who wish to worship on Sunday morning. I would say that there may be times, (ie during traveling, for example), where they can't accomodate every Sunday. Again, just ask them, and take it from there........GB

[Newseditor44]

You get to pray to the Drum Corps Gods everyday (*warning: these Gods are only loosely affiliated with the big man(woman) upstairs)

[MikeBob]

You get to pray to the Drum Corps Gods everyday (*warning: these Gods are only loosely affiliated with the big man(woman) upstairs)

Now those services I do remember....

[BorisTS]

I don't remember a volunteer driving anyone to church at Glassmen (so maybe it was Kiwis or Xmen), but I do remember a volunteer who would do a prayer service every morning at breakfast.

The Rev! Great guy. I believe his prayer meetings were non-denominational Christian.

[12L]

Great topic, thanks for starting it. I'm happy to hear that there are so many people who are thinking about this issue because if there is any time a kid needs spiritual/moral accountability, it's on tour!

[DrumCorpsMom]

We always had a priest with us on tour, in fact we asked him to officiate at our wedding. If this is important to you, most corps are accomodating. Depending on the travel schedule, etc., they may have a parent or someone travelling with the corps that can slip out and take you to Mass most Sundays. If you are travelling, it is hard to hit every Sunday, but I know kids who slip into a church when they have free time.

[kcsunshine]

When I marched Pioneer in the early 90's we were forced to attend church. We were promised that we'd attend different denominations but every Sunday it was mass. Being from the South and baptist, I was a little irritated at their rationale and didn't march the next season because of the broken promise.

[lnavis]

Great topic, thanks for starting it. I'm happy to hear that there are so many people who are thinking about this issue because if there is any time a kid needs spiritual/moral accountability, it's on tour!

Amen!

The lack of spiritual accountability was probably the one reason I didn't push my kids to do drum corps (even though that's how mom and dad met) - it just wasn't well known when I marched.

[Audreyoboe Proud SCV Mom]

I'm finding this topic very interesting. My son told me about a member of the corps who was putting together a Bible Study Group, so I know there's options for those wanting something spiritual on tour. Also, I know if one of the kids wanted to go to church he/she would only need ask, and if possible, they would find a way to get them there. I have strong beliefs, but am at a place in my life where I do not choose to live the life that my religion calls for(I'm LDS/Mormon). I may go back one day, but I'm not ready yet. I think it's wonderful that so many people have responded that their corps made special arrangements, or had a priest on tour. It is definitely a time when our young people are tempted to stray from their beliefs.

But, along this theme, I have a morality question:

If the corps you have chosen will not accomodate your desire to worship, should you be marching there?

This is something that sort of speaks to what someone else said about living a spiritual life, not just on Sunday. Although, it has to start somewhere!

[UTAmello]

First off, the best place to find out about BD's policies would prob. be a BD forum or e-mail. Not that this isn't a lively topic, just a note.

Second, everyone has to keep in mind that DC are non-profit groups, therefore they don't have to offer any services of any kind to anyone what-so-ever.

As for my own personal beliefs, I think it would be wise for a drum corps to not cater to any specific religion simply because it would be near impossible to cater to every members specific religious needs. I.E. you take a van of Catholic kids to mass on sunday, what about the kid that needs to go to a Muslim or Jewish service? Where's his ride? Personal action, that's the key to having a spiritual life on tour. You know what you're getting into when you go on tour. You know you'll be dissconnected from a lot of things we have in our off-season lives...but hey, that's the life. Bring some spiritual readings on tour and take part in whatever you want on your own time.