Esperanza

[johnmapes]

But the key is somebody has to pick up the phone or email them to let them know it's happening. DCI isn't a mind reader.

Just for the record, I have been in touch with DCI every step of the way for the past six months. Dan Acheson has been great with getting back with me but always has the same response; DCI can't really do anything...........

Posting on-line has been a last resort of an on-going battle. There are many other people that are being treated the same as me, the only difference is I choose not to ignore it.

It's not about the money or going to court, it is all about an organization and a director being brought out in the open.

It is quite simple, people should not treat other people like this, and the community should not support this type of behavior.

John Mapes

Esperanza Percussion Caption Head 2002-2006

[adamstout]

If you are teaching drumcorps for the money, you may want to rethink your priorities. Drumcorps is not a great money making venture and every drumcorps has money troubles at some point or another. All staff members (admin and teaching) sacrifice a lot to be apart of the activity just like the volunteers and the members do. For me, being a member of a drumcorps had such a positive experience in my life that I had to pay a debt back to the people who made it possible for me by stepping up and making it possible for the next generation. With that motivation, I don't mind paying for a flight to get out on tour or for buying a can of paint. If it helps that kids out, I'll do it.

Running a drumcorps is not a glorious job. It takes a lot of time, causes massive amount of stress, and requires total dedication. No one runs a drumcorps for the money (at least at Esperanza, the admin staff is all volunteer and has never gotten paid).

It is easy to vilify a director, but do you really think that someone who dedicates their entire life to helping 100s of kids year after year be part of a great activity like this is evil? If so, you may want to check your basis for reality. As part of an organization, sometimes decisions made in the best interests of the whole are not the same as what you would choose, but if you try to keep the kids in mind it make the stuff we deal with day to day a little more bearable. If you can only think of yourself, this may not be the activity for you. [We all have to do things on tour we would prefer not to do, but that doesn't mean they do not have to get done]

Sometimes one side of the story isn't really enough to draw a valid conclusion.

[prodigal bari]

Here is a brief update on my personal Esperanza Experience since my last post...

Fact:

Alan Cox (executive director) recently called last years section leader, Jeremy Riley, and told him to tell me if I make any calls, e-mails or put anything on line, that he will send every percussion member to collections. He also said, and I quote, "tell John to F#$% off and Die."

I have still not been given any information on when I may be paid, and now I am being threatened by the director though an ex-member.

If this isn't an indicator of the future of the organization, I don't know what is. This kind of behavior can't and should not be tolerated by the drum corps community!

---------------------

Taken from world of pageantry forum.

INCREDIBLE.

If I were these percussion people, I would be contacting an attorney to send Cox a letter detailing the legal action that will be taken against him PERSONALLY if he does this; this is in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Second, contact DCI. Then contact the Attorney General for that state to investigate this man's business dealings with the corps. Investigate everything. And then demand prosecution. If there is financial mismanagement in a non-profit of this sort (and the monies are not paid out) then this is felony-material.

This is where DCI has to start stepping up to the plate; this is going on far too often in this activity. DCI needs to have membership rules that require financial transparency, accountability, and the right and responsibility to legally purse litigation in such instances. Otherwise they (DCI) will eventually get caught up in one of these messes; and then it could be Goodbye, DCI.

Edited March 2, 2007 by prodigal bari

[VolcomRemoved]

If you are teaching drumcorps for the money, you may want to rethink your priorities. Drumcorps is not a great money making venture and every drumcorps has money troubles at some point or another. All staff members (admin and teaching) sacrifice a lot to be apart of the activity just like the volunteers and the members do. For me, being a member of a drumcorps had such a positive experience in my life that I had to pay a debt back to the people who made it possible for me by stepping up and making it possible for the next generation. With that motivation, I don't mind paying for a flight to get out on tour or for buying a can of paint. If it helps that kids out, I'll do it.

Running a drumcorps is not a glorious job. It takes a lot of time, causes massive amount of stress, and requires total dedication. No one runs a drumcorps for the money (at least at Esperanza, the admin staff is all volunteer and has never gotten paid).

It is easy to vilify a director, but do you really think that someone who dedicates their entire life to helping 100s of kids year after year be part of a great activity like this is evil? If so, you may want to check your basis for reality. As part of an organization, sometimes decisions made in the best interests of the whole are not the same as what you would choose, but if you try to keep the kids in mind it make the stuff we deal with day to day a little more bearable. If you can only think of yourself, this may not be the activity for you. [We all have to do things on tour we would prefer not to do, but that doesn't mean they do not have to get done]

Sometimes one side of the story isn't really enough to draw a valid conclusion.

[AzEuph]

If you are teaching drumcorps for the money, you may want to rethink your priorities. Drumcorps is not a great money making venture and every drumcorps has money troubles at some point or another. All staff members (admin and teaching) sacrifice a lot to be apart of the activity just like the volunteers and the members do. For me, being a member of a drumcorps had such a positive experience in my life that I had to pay a debt back to the people who made it possible for me by stepping up and making it possible for the next generation. With that motivation, I don't mind paying for a flight to get out on tour or for buying a can of paint. If it helps that kids out, I'll do it.

Running a drumcorps is not a glorious job. It takes a lot of time, causes massive amount of stress, and requires total dedication. No one runs a drumcorps for the money (at least at Esperanza, the admin staff is all volunteer and has never gotten paid).

It is easy to vilify a director, but do you really think that someone who dedicates their entire life to helping 100s of kids year after year be part of a great activity like this is evil? If so, you may want to check your basis for reality. As part of an organization, sometimes decisions made in the best interests of the whole are not the same as what you would choose, but if you try to keep the kids in mind it make the stuff we deal with day to day a little more bearable. If you can only think of yourself, this may not be the activity for you. [We all have to do things on tour we would prefer not to do, but that doesn't mean they do not have to get done]

Sometimes one side of the story isn't really enough to draw a valid conclusion.

Although I do agree with you there are people out there who do need the money they make from drum corps. Obviously he loves it enough to teach it and it could be his full time job being a percussion instructor. Not every tech is a band teacher who gets paid for the school year and gets the summer off. I just think that it's a little unfair that you call him out for wanting the money he earned when you don't know his financial situation. <**>

[shawn craig]

If you are teaching drumcorps for the money, you may want to rethink your priorities. Drumcorps is not a great money making venture and every drumcorps has money troubles at some point or another. All staff members (admin and teaching) sacrifice a lot to be apart of the activity just like the volunteers and the members do. For me, being a member of a drumcorps had such a positive experience in my life that I had to pay a debt back to the people who made it possible for me by stepping up and making it possible for the next generation. With that motivation, I don't mind paying for a flight to get out on tour or for buying a can of paint. If it helps that kids out, I'll do it.

Running a drumcorps is not a glorious job. It takes a lot of time, causes massive amount of stress, and requires total dedication. No one runs a drumcorps for the money (at least at Esperanza, the admin staff is all volunteer and has never gotten paid).

It is easy to vilify a director, but do you really think that someone who dedicates their entire life to helping 100s of kids year after year be part of a great activity like this is evil? If so, you may want to check your basis for reality. As part of an organization, sometimes decisions made in the best interests of the whole are not the same as what you would choose, but if you try to keep the kids in mind it make the stuff we deal with day to day a little more bearable. If you can only think of yourself, this may not be the activity for you. [We all have to do things on tour we would prefer not to do, but that doesn't mean they do not have to get done]

Sometimes one side of the story isn't really enough to draw a valid conclusion.

I certainly agree with most of what you say. I also doubt anyone does this activity for the money.

Over the years MANY corps have come and gone. Almost all have folded because of money and mis-management issues. A good director will know not only their strengths but their weaknesses and ask appropriat people for help or surround themselves with staff and board members who can help manage those aspects of the corps.

When former staff speak out about not being paid I don't think in most cases it's about the money or personal grudges (certainly that comes into play at times). I think it's about frustration with poor management and a poorly run corps. Concern about the members having their needs met both educationally as well as fed, housed, and properly provided for. It's a warning to donors that your money may not be well spent or used properly.

In many cases these instructors could have chosen to be involved with a different organization but chose a specific corps. They made a comitment and are frustrated and disapointed when management is unable to follow through.

[prodigal bari]

If you are teaching drumcorps for the money, you may want to rethink your priorities. Drumcorps is not a great money making venture and every drumcorps has money troubles at some point or another. All staff members (admin and teaching) sacrifice a lot to be apart of the activity just like the volunteers and the members do. For me, being a member of a drumcorps had such a positive experience in my life that I had to pay a debt back to the people who made it possible for me by stepping up and making it possible for the next generation. With that motivation, I don't mind paying for a flight to get out on tour or for buying a can of paint. If it helps that kids out, I'll do it.

Running a drumcorps is not a glorious job. It takes a lot of time, causes massive amount of stress, and requires total dedication. No one runs a drumcorps for the money (at least at Esperanza, the admin staff is all volunteer and has never gotten paid).

It is easy to vilify a director, but do you really think that someone who dedicates their entire life to helping 100s of kids year after year be part of a great activity like this is evil? If so, you may want to check your basis for reality. As part of an organization, sometimes decisions made in the best interests of the whole are not the same as what you would choose, but if you try to keep the kids in mind it make the stuff we deal with day to day a little more bearable. If you can only think of yourself, this may not be the activity for you. [We all have to do things on tour we would prefer not to do, but that doesn't mean they do not have to get done]

Sometimes one side of the story isn't really enough to draw a valid conclusion.

Your first two paragraphs are right on the money; however, the third paragraph seems like a justification of a director defaulting on a legal agreement. And trying to hide behind the old adage 'think of the kids.'

Let's not use the kids...either for cash cows or for human shields from wrongdoing. Wrong is wrong, period.

[Lancerlady]

INCREDIBLE.

If I were these percussion people, I would be contacting an attorney to send Cox a letter detailing the legal action that will be taken against him PERSONALLY if he does this; this is in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Second, contact DCI. Then contact the Attorney General for that state to investigate this man's business dealings with the corps. Investigate everything. And then demand prosecution. If there is financial mismanagement in a non-profit of this sort (and the monies are not paid out) then this is felony-material.

This is where DCI has to start stepping up to the plate; this is going on far too often in this activity. DCI needs to have membership rules that require financial transparency, accountability, and the right and responsibility to legally purse litigation in such instances. Otherwise they (DCI) will eventually get caught up in one of these messes; and then it could be Goodbye, DCI.

Great minds think alike! :) This is what I meant when I said that DCI can step up to help. This is a brilliant post!

[hboyce]

I felt the need to chime in on this a little bit. In case it matters to anyone I marched Esperanza in 2001, 2002, and 2003.

Adam Stout is (or at least was) the tour director for Esperanza and Alan Cox's(Esperanza's Director) right hand man. I wouldn't be surprised if Alan had Adam come here to post that in his defense.

If you are teaching drumcorps for the money, you may want to rethink your priorities[...]at least at Esperanza, the admin staff is all volunteer and has never gotten paid

Yes that is all well and good, but the admin staff is taking time off from their career to help out part-time. For the instructional staff THIS IS their career full time. And I'm sure John Mapes entered into the season as Percussion Caption Head with the understanding that he would be paid a certain amount that was settled beforehand.

You are simply trying to turn this around on somebody by twisting what actually happened and making it seem like his intentions were in the wrong place. They were not.

It is easy to vilify a director, but do you really think that someone who dedicates their entire life to helping 100s of kids year after year be part of a great activity like this is evil?

It is easy because he is evil. Here are a couple of examples.

On the '03 tour (which was a 4 week tour at the end of the season) my mom took her vacation to come help out with the corps. She didn't do it to be paid and knew she wasn't going to be anyway. She did it because she realized how much the activity meant to me and she wanted to be a part of it as well. She, along with another parent, were ostracized. My mom would make recipe suggestions only to be turned down harshly and told that "they knew what they were doing". She suggested that they not purchase so much perishable food at once from Sysco (food corporations that many corps use to purchase food on the road) as they would stock up and and end up throwing so much out. Wasting food and wasting money. Once again, "they knew what they were doing".

So when does Mr nice director Alan Cox step in. Finals week. He verbally berates her in front of a room full of people. To the point that she cried. After she took her time off to help. At the banquet that year all the food staff from tour got some small award and he tried to talk to me about how people disagree sometimes. Basically so he can feel clean of the whole thing even though he was in the wrong.

Another incident that occurred wasn't as bad, but still shows how much of a dick he was. I had decided not to march '04 for obvious reasons. After Esperanza's audition camp people were talking it up and I missed marching, not at Esperanza mind you, but it was my only viable option at the time. I come just to watch and Alan comes up to me and tells me, "I know you were thinking about coming back, but as you can see we obviously don't need you here"(they had over 70 horns show up to camp and ended up marching 40 something by the summer)

Ask nearly any person that marched in this corps. 95% of them will attest to how horrible a man Alan Cox is. That other 5% are the drum majors and people like Adam Stout who live up under this man's ###. As much as it sucked for the people involved who wanted a place to march I was ecstatic when his winter drum line folded. When his winter guard folded and I will be ecstatic when his drum corps will eventually fold. Because they will as long as this man is under the helm. Don't assume every bad thing you hear about a corps is hearsay. Most of it is true.

I have since found another place to march and will be marching my age out this summer with a group that I am very happy to be with. My mother also volunteered with this group last summer and only had good things to say.

Sorry for the length. I have just been holding on to this for so long and Adam's post made me feel like I had to say something.

[Piper]

All we need is to invite lawyers into our activity. Like we don't have enough problems without the scum of the earth getting involved. BTW, sharks don't bite lawyers.......professional courtesy.

Edited March 3, 2007 by Piper