Should Mini-corps change max number?

[knightsbari]

I think myself the mini corps number should be upped to 34 members

Since starting in 2008 to compete in DCA Class A Competition you have to have AT LEAST 35 members ... and Mini Corps has to have 21 or less members ..... what do you do with the corps' in between with 22 - 34 members ???? basically thoes groups that range from 22 - 34 are screwed as a corps' competitivly ....

[Fran Haring]

I think I might have said this either earlier on this thread or somewhere else, but.....

I could see expanding mini-corps to 25 playing members plus a conductor.... based on Larry Kerchner's interview in Drum Corps World, in which he said a 25-person ensemble would give arrangers more flexibility. Makes sense to me.

But more than 25.....up to 34? No.... not at all.

Mini-corps has never been meant to be a way to "bridge the gap" between mini-corps and competition corps. The mini-corps show at DCA's, to me, has always been about fun and audience/member enjoyment first, with competition a distant second.

Mini-corps are one thing, competition corps are another thing altogether. Perhaps lowering the minimum size of a corps to 30, instead of increasing the size limits for mini-corps to 34, is a better way to approach this.

Just my opinion, since I don't make the rules.....and thank God for that! :P

Fran

Edited November 13, 2007 by Fran Haring

[Gary Matczak]

Mini-corps are one thing, competition corps are another thing altogether. Perhaps lowering the minimum size of a corps to 30, instead of increasing the size limits for mini-corps to 34, is a better way to approach this.

Just my opinion, since I don't make the rules.....and thank God for that! :P

Fran

A minimum of 35 is still kinda small for a field corps............a group this size or smaller is just not large enough to put on a football field and have an impact,...............IMO..................as I have said before, and have taken heat for it, if you can't field a group of 35 members, you have a lot more work to do at home recruiting, than on the competition field,.................and again, what corps actually would not want to be larger in the number of members.............

[Jimbalaya]

....but Gary.....if you have a vertically challenged membership, that doesn't use stands it could be reasoned that the total number could be raised for mini-minicorps..........right???????

J

A minimum of 35 is still kinda small for a field corps............a group this size or smaller is just not large enough to put on a football field and have an impact,...............IMO..................as I have said before, and have taken heat for it, if you can't field a group of 35 members, you have a lot more work to do at home recruiting, than on the competition field,.................and again, what corps actually would not want to be larger in the number of members.............

[sburstall]

I couldn't vote in the poll since I would choose "no" and I couldn't answer the second part of the poll. :(

Edited November 13, 2007 by sburstall

[Fran Haring]

....but Gary.....if you have a vertically challenged membership, that doesn't use stands it could be reasoned that the total number could be raised for mini-minicorps..........right???????

J

OK.... if you're talking about stacking shorter people on top of one another, I can go for that.....LOL

Fran

[Jimbalaya]

why yes, I was, but c'mon Fran......please!!!!! pretty please!!!!!!

J

OK.... if you're talking about stacking shorter people on top of one another, I can go for that.....LOL

Fran

[Shadow_7]

and again, what corps actually would not want to be larger in the number of members.............

Want to be larger, YES. Want to pop for an extra bus for the three people that don't fit on the existing bus(es), NO. Want to leave the drum major podium behind because it doesn't fit on or under the bus, YES. Want to leave the Contras and Bass Drums, NO. Want to leave the Uniforms, Marimbas, Vibes, Gongs, NO. Can fit that equipment and 35 members in ONE bus, NO. Even if you tie the drum major, honor guard, and significant others to the roof, since they don't count towards the minimum 35 anyway.

[Jimbalaya]

whoa........dude..........you talkin' about usin' short buses??????

J

Want to be larger, YES. Want to pop for an extra bus for the three people that don't fit on the existing bus(es), NO. Want to leave the drum major podium behind because it doesn't fit on or under the bus, YES. Want to leave the Contras and Bass Drums, NO. Want to leave the Uniforms, Marimbas, Vibes, Gongs, NO. Can fit that equipment and 35 members in ONE bus, NO. Even if you tie the drum major, honor guard, and significant others to the roof, since they don't count towards the minimum 35 anyway.

[Shadow_7]

whoa........dude..........you talkin' about usin' short buses??????

Sometimes the bus company doesn't give you the choice. You order the 54 passenger and get the 48 or less passenger. With only two bays for luggage plus instruments. I mean what corps hasn't gotten a bus shorter than that which they ordered at the point of departure? The downside of renting busses.

Edited November 13, 2007 by Shadow_7