Esperanza

[johnmapes]

Unfortunately, there are too many people out there who think they can make a living off being a drum corps instructor. It is NOT supposed to be a career, folks. It is a youth activity (and a very small one at that) that is meant to be, first and foremost, about the members. If you want to know what it is truly supposed to be about, look at the volunteers on the cook trucks, the uniform repair folks, etc. These people all have real jobs and sacrifice their only vacation time every summer for the good of the kids. You know, those people that many of the young, inexperienced instructors take for granted?

I agree that folks who are contracted for a certain function should be paid what they are owed. BUT, they can wait in line with the other "stakeholders" for the payments. The first priority should be the safe travel, feeding, and care of the members. Once the show fees arrive from DCI after the season ends, then the staff, gas charge cards, etc. should be paid.

And, just MHO, if we keep allowing all of these public attacks against every corps that has a person come on here and whine how they were mistreated, very soon there will be no activity left to talk about. We've lost several corps already this year because of these type of actions, and now this one is put under the gun by the "experts" of DCP. Try volunteering for one of these corps before you ##### about them. Old saying about "walking a mile in the other guys shoes".

I was reading through this topic and found this post quite interesting. I wonder who the only person backing up Adam Stout, up on a soap box about how the activity should be, who knows exactly how Esperanza plans to pay their staff, with an anonymous name, who uses the word folks allot could possibly be??

"Unfortunately, there are too many people out there who think they can make a living off being a drum corps instructor"

Your right, what this activity needs is more part time volunteers, that will raise the standards. What does this have to do with this topic at all? I would say unfortunately there are too many directors out there who do not respect the talents and dedication of their staffs, well at least one for sure!

"It is a youth activity (and a very small one at that) that is meant to be, first and foremost, about the members. If you want to know what it is truly supposed to be about, look at the volunteers on the cook trucks, the uniform repair folks, etc."

It is all about the kids, I mean really it is all about the support staff........ Really? You think this activity is really about the person who repairs uniforms. I think critter put this best.

"The first priority should be the safe travel, feeding, and care of the members. Once the show fees arrive from DCI after the season ends, then the staff, gas charge cards, etc. should be paid."

There is no argument here. However, you do realize we are having this discussion in March. It's not like we are on tour and I am asking for a check. Show fee checks went out a while ago and I still don't even have returned phone call or any sort of payment plan.

Also, if safe travel is at the top of the list, after being caught drinking, why was a member dropped off at the airport with no ID and no money to find a way home for herself? Dosen't seem like safe travel to me!

"And, just MHO, if we keep allowing all of these public attacks against every corps that has a person come on here and whine how they were mistreated, very soon there will be no activity left to talk about."

It is the organizations of these corps that are doing them in, not the posts. A well ran corps shouldn't have anything to hide. Maybe corps have to learn the hard way to stop "mistreating" their staff and members. The only way you could think I wasn't mistreated is if noneofyourbuisness is not so secretly Cox himself.

"Try volunteering for one of these corps before you ##### about them"

Apparently I did volunteer this past summer.........

"Old saying about "walking a mile in the other guys shoes"."

I have an old saying, "ALWAYS PAY YOUR STAFF"

John Mapes

Esperanza Percussion Caption Head 2002-2006

Edited March 7, 2007 by johnmapes

[torn8o]

Unfortunately, there are too many people out there who think they can make a living off being a drum corps instructor. It is NOT supposed to be a career, folks. It is a youth activity (and a very small one at that) that is meant to be, first and foremost, about the members. If you want to know what it is truly supposed to be about, look at the volunteers on the cook trucks, the uniform repair folks, etc. These people all have real jobs and sacrifice their only vacation time every summer for the good of the kids.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with you here. It can be...and is a "carreer" for many people. Just ask any caption head of a DCI top 12 corps. Granted, some of them do other work as well but still...it IS a "job". And what a great "job" it is. "Music Education". That IS what drum corps instructors give their members. And visual and guard instructors give another type of education. It's ALL education and if the kids are as important as you say they are, they deserve to have a top quality PROFESSIONAL and WELL PAID staff in front of them giving them their MONEY"S WORTH of a top quality summer's education. OTHERWISE, the kids would be wasting a large portion of their money. The kids are not on the road just to "eat and sleep". They are there to do drum corps...which is an activity that DEMANDS the very best out of everyone involved. Which also means the very best in instruction. That my friend, does not come without a price and it is absolutely WRONG to try and say that such an instructor should not EXPECT to be paid according to his or her duties. That instructor deserves what they get. And I'm sorry, you cannot put "volunteers" in the same camp as instructors. Not to down play what they do, but there is a huge difference between the two and their duies. And I'm talking mostly in regards to "caption heads" here (which Mr. Mapes IS). I understand that "techs", depending on what level of a "tech" they are can sometimes be in a different camp... perhaps very close to the camp of a "volunteer". Especially the young "just aged out" types of techs. But again, I'm not talking about those types of instructors. Although even if I was, if you give a "tech" a contract, it's your OBLIGATION to provide the money you have promised the instructor IN FULL!

But even if I did agree with what you said above (and I don't), it is absolutely wrong to give a staff member a contract and then breach it. It's illegal! And even more sickening is the idea that this director would put Mr.Mapes on a blocked email spam list simply because he no longer wants to get the emails requesting for what he earned. No matter how you slice it, "Mr. Nonofyourbusiness", there is no excuse or justification for doing what this diector did by not following through on what he promised his staff members on a signed contract. Plain and simple, it's just wrong.

Lastly...

And, just MHO, if we keep allowing all of these public attacks against every corps that has a person come on here and whine how they were mistreated, very soon there will be no activity left to talk about. We've lost several corps already this year because of these type of actions,...

What I am about to say may not be very popular, but something I believe very strongly. If a corps can't pay it's bills, which includes paying a staff what your contract states you will pay them, you don't deserve to have your corps on the field. The reason so many corps can't "feed, house and transport their members" (as you mention to be so important) is because they in many cases don't have the business mind to do the activity right to begin with. Perhaps instead of saying that "there are too many people trying to make drum corps a career", we should be saying that "there are too many wanabee drum corps directors biting off way more than they can chew even starting a drum corps to begin with". I heard a story recently about a now folded corps (which I will keep nameless) showing up at the same school as a DCI top 12 corps (which I will also keep nameless). The director of the top 12 corps apparently browsed by the corps feeding area and saw the kids eating "cake and water" for BREAKFAST! I'm sorry, but that is a corps which should not be on the field until either their director figures out how to run a business or the directorship changes hands all together.

Edited March 7, 2007 by torn8o

[tubamann]

Just a note. DCI does not wait to the end of the season to pay show appearance fees. They are paid on a regular scheduled basis during the summer and immediatly following it.

Using that as an excuse to not pay your staff is lying. Pure and simple.

[daldevs]

I think it is outstanding that there are so many responses supporting John and the rest of the Esperanza staff's plight. My name is Don Lawrence and I was the visual caption head this past season for the corps. I had no idea that there was a thread about this topic until I got a link today in an email from John. First, I applaud you, John, for your steadfastness with this. Getting your emails consisting of updates outlining your dealings with Alan were always informative and many times humorous. They, as you know, even pushed me to have a short correspondence with Dan Acheson over the subject. I won't lie, I would not have taken the gig as a voulenteer, nor for what I was eventually paid, but at this point I am over not having received more than a quarter of my "promised" salary. As John alluded to, the situation would not have been so bad if there was even a hint of communication between myself and Alan once I told him I would not be returning. Unfortunately, I too was subject to voicemails and emails that went and remain unreplied to.

Now, to comment on the contemptible posts in defense of Alan's actions (or lack there of), I had multiple commitments at the time(still do), but I had, and still have a deep love for the activity and for seeing young people improve and become great at something. I agreed to join the staff which for me meant taking over a 50% paycut from what I was paid the season before with another corps. Obviously, I was fine with that. But to imply that one is at fault for expecting compensation for, not only delivering on their end of a bargain, but additionally going above and beyond in regards to their agreed commitment is ridiculous, Adam. Anyway, I'll stop there. I just wanted to add further confirmation to the validity of this issue for all the doubters out there.

Edited March 8, 2007 by daldevs

[prodigal bari]

I think it is outstanding that there are so many responses supporting John and the rest of the Esperanza staff's plight. My name is Don Lawrence and I was the visual caption head this past season for the corps. I had no idea that there was a thread about this topic until I got a link today in an email from John. First, I applaud you, John, for your steadfastness with this. Getting your emails consisting of updates outlining your dealings with Alan were always informative and many times humorous. They, as you know, even pushed me to have a short correspondence with Dan Acheson over the subject. I won't lie, I would not have taken the gig as a voulenteer, nor for what I was eventually paid, but at this point I am over not having received more than a quarter of my "promised" salary. As John alluded to, the situation would not have been so bad if there was even a hint of communication between myself and Alan once I told him I would not be returning. Unfortunately, I too was subject to voicemails and emails that went and remain unreplied to.

Now, to comment on the contemptible posts in defense of Alan's actions (or lack there of), I had multiple commitments at the time(still do), but I had, and still have a deep love for the activity and for seeing young people improve and become great at something. I agreed to join the staff which for me meant taking over a 50% paycut from what I was paid the season before with another corps. Obviously, I was fine with that. But to imply that one is at fault for expecting compensation for, not only delivering on their end of a bargain, but additionally going above and beyond in regards to their agreed commitment is ridiculous, Adam. Anyway, I'll stop there. I just wanted to add further confirmation to the validity of this issue for all the doubters out there.

If I may ask, did Den Acheson indicate any involvement DCI has/or will take in the investigation of this situation? Thanks...

[ORIGINAL ME 2]

From what I understand Esperanza has not only lost teaching staff, they have also lost a majority of their support staff. So, feeding the kids might be exceptionally difficult this year, not to mention getting uniforms fitted, flags sewn, facilities in place, and supplies ordered. Yikes! This coprs is in a bad place altogether.

I’m scared for the kids who don’t know any better than to go somewhere else!

Let’s recap shall we:

1) Teaching staff issues:

- Esperanza has not paid teaching staff from last year

- They lost every caption head & staff member from 2006 (some staff had been at Esperanza for more than 4 years)

- Esperanza has not announced replacement staff for 2007.

2) Support/Admin staff issues:

-in just one year Esperanza has lost & had to replace (or not replace in some cases) their corps manager, booster coordinator, equipment manager, facilities manager, kitchen manager, concessions manager, publicity booster & many more booster positions (check out their contacts page)

3) Membership issues:

-Esperanza has had decreasing membership numbers since 2003

- the corps had a mere 20+ horns in 2006

- many of those horns (including die hard members) have auditioned elsewhere or simply do not plan on returning

- there are many alumni that have ill feelings toward the director

I don’t know the reasons behind all of these issues, but I can speculate. I don’t bring up these issues just to kick a corps when they’re down, I bring them up as a warning to all potential members, volunteers & teaching staff (who apparently also volunteer).

Just like Mr. Stout, I too had a great experience in drum corps. I volunteer to pay back a debt & ensure kids marching today have a positive experience just like I did. Let's get real Adam, I don’t think a positive experience is possible at Esperanza in their current state.

Another thing, as the Drum Corps activity gains popularity & respect from non drum corps related entities, including media and new fans, DCI should be concerned with the manner that each Drum Corps represents themselves & conducts business. Each Drum Corps is a reflection of DCI.

I know that marching members receive information from their directors/corps as to how to act appropriately in public & how to represent their corps. Maybe DCI should have the same talk with Corps Directors. Just a thought…

[CrossmenAlumni]

I've read the previous 12 pages and I don't seem to recall reading about any former Esperanza staff member stating that they ever signed an official contract with the corps. I'm curious to know of this is true or not.

Legally speaking, if you have a signed contract with your signature on it and the signature of the corps director or CEO, I would like to think that you can get some closure to this whole fiasco fairly quickly. But if you never signed a contract and are just going off of somebody's word that you'll eventually be paid "something," then I'm afraid the situation is doomed to be prolonged and ugly.

I hope it all gets worked out.

[jjlet]

If it's "All about the kids", why have the members from 2006 STILL not received their member patches that were promised to them at the October banquet?

[palmeister]

"3) Membership issues:

-Esperanza has had decreasing membership numbers since 2003

- the corps had a mere 20+ horns in 2006

- many of those horns (including die hard members) have auditioned elsewhere or simply do not plan on returning"

Actually we had about 45ish horns. Still very small though.

And yes, most of the people, who wanted to march this year are doing so at other corps. I have friends from last summer marching at BD, SCV, Pacific Crest, The Academy, a bunch of people at VK, Carolina Crown, and I'm hopefully marching at the Colts this summer. And that's just from the horn line.

I'm not saying those who are waiting to see what happens at E aren't dedicated, but I know people who aren't marching this summer because of things at Esperanza are.

I'm very sad that this is happening and going on; on tour I heard rumors that things weren't working out, but I had no idea that it was this bad.

Edited March 10, 2007 by palmeister

[well_actually]

I've read the previous 12 pages and I don't seem to recall reading about any former Esperanza staff member stating that they ever signed an official contract with the corps. I'm curious to know of this is true or not.

Legally speaking, if you have a signed contract with your signature on it and the signature of the corps director or CEO, I would like to think that you can get some closure to this whole fiasco fairly quickly. But if you never signed a contract and are just going off of somebody's word that you'll eventually be paid "something," then I'm afraid the situation is doomed to be prolonged and ugly.

I hope it all gets worked out.

Yes I was on staff and each year we had seperate meeting with the Director where our responsibilities were explained to us and we signed contracts for the year. This past year's meeting took place during Memorial Day Camp in Temecula CA and was attended by all staff and the director.