Esperanza

[passionatedc]

After reading this topic from top to bottom, I have come to 3 conclusions.

- Esperanza deserves to fold and never return unless it's under a different director.

- Alan Cox is a crook, deserves to be sued and lose everything, even his house if need be until he pays his #### Esperanza bills!

- Anyone standing up for Alan Cox and trying to justify what this director has done not only to Mr. Mapes but the entire corps is foolish and lacks common sense.

DCI, please step in and ban this corrupt drum corps and it's director from participating in DCI for 07. If you don't, rest assured, I will "BOOOOOO" when the name "Alan Cox" is announced over the loud speaker! This is just crap!

[iwannamarchcorps]

in b4 close :sshh:

[passionatedc]

This thread sucks.

Oh, here we go. This post will be fun to reply to. I'll take it slow.

There are way to many incidentals that make drum corps in San Diego very-very difficult and challenging.

Granted. So, if you don't have the resources to do it, DON'T TRY!

Do any of the hammers have a solution?

Yeah! Pay your #### staff what they are entitled to. And if you can't, FOLD and get your crap together so you CAN!

How about some positive spin?

There is nothing "positive" to say about a director who promises to pay a staff member on a signed contract, doesn't follow through and then "blocks" this staff member from sending emails requesting to be paid. That's just chicken ####!

So one guy keeps it together with basically nil support from parents or money.

Then he should have stopped. If he doesn't have the resources, he shouldn't try and run a drum corps. But if he does continue, he needs to own up to making such a mistake and work toward making plans to pay his bills. Not run and hide like a panzy coward from emails from rightfully angry staff members.

I think after a few years of that the staff would see the light and step up and help the organization with the goal of the organization raising money and with a goal of being a magnet for the many talented kids in San Diego County.

That is the most backwards and idiotic thing said on this thread yet. The one who needs to "see the light" is Alan Cox for making WRITTEN promises he can't keep. Don't you DARE try and blame the staff. It's Alan's fault for trying to incompitantly trying to keep the drum corps running without the proper resources!

Furthermore, it's not the staff's job to "raise money". A staff member is a "hired employee" who's purpose for being there is singular...to teach his caption. The staff member already works hard enough jjust to teach what he or shee is supposed to teach to the kids. You want to ADD to that the service of "fundraising"? Sorry, but that is not what he or she is paid to be there to do.

Obviously no one has the cabability to assist the core organization, I challenge you.

Obviously, Alan Cox does not have the capability to keep te promises he has made to the staff. So he should shut the corps down.

I know you all (x-staff) realize that some one has to raise money in order for you to get paid. Has any one asked Allen how many parents blew off the PETCO Park staffing and what the financial impact is of kids not paying dues?

Again, you have this backwards. It's not the staff's problem that the members have not payed their dues. That's Alan's department. If there is this risk, then it is ALAN who should have a back up plan to pay off his contracted employees if something like this happens. But obviously, he doesn't have the business sense to figure that out. So what then? The staff are supposed to "eat the money" for the good of a director who doesn't have the business mind to run a drum corps? BULLCRAP! He shouldn't be trying to run a corps! It's HIS fault. Not the staffs.

The financial facts and analysis are very clear.

Yes they are. And unfortunately, you aren'y seeing these FACTS!

The bottom line is that unfortunatley money is really the core evil of this situation. If parents of the organization would apply themseves I don't think this thread would be in existence.

Wrong again. If Alan Cox didn't hae a back up plan for corps members not paying their dues (like what happens in ANY drum corps), this thread wouldn't be in existance. STOP TRYING TO BLAME EVERYONE ELSE! There is only ONE person who you can blame if a corps can't pay its bills and that is THE DIRECTOR!

There is not much leadership displayed in this thread my rant included. My reccomendation is a solution with funding solutions from the oh-so critical staff that will make this San Diego youth activity a long term success.

The solution is a new director with busniess sense.

You know this is so ironic, I have seen so many corps fold and bite the dust due to this same kind of crap.

HEY! You are finally getting it! VERY GOOD! And now you need to take the next step and realize that such corps SHOULD fold because they have no busniess running a corps if they can't take proper care of their staff and members.

I really don't feel that Esperanza will be one of them because the director has not paid out more than the org can handle. That is smart bus sense.

Oh bullcrap! That is foolishness is what that is. The director either needs to hand the corps over to someone with enough business sense to run the corps correctly or shut the whole corps down!

Edited March 12, 2007 by passionatedc

[IllianaLancerContra]

Oh, here we go. This post will be fun to reply to. I'll take it slow.

Granted. So, if you don't have the resources to do it, DON'T TRY!

Yeah! Pay your #### staff what they are entitled to. And if you can't, FOLD and get your crap together so you CAN!

There is nothing "positive" to say about a director who promises to pay a staff member on a signed contract, doesn't follow through and then "blocks" this staff member from sending emails requesting to be paid. That's just chicken ####!

Then he should have stopped. If he doesn't have the resources, he should try and run a drum corps. But if he does continue, he needs to own up to making such a mistake and work toward making plans to pay his bills. Not run and hide like a panzy coward from emails from rightfully angry staff members.

That is the most backwards and idiotic thing said on this thread yet. The one who needs to "see the light" is Alan Cox for making WRITTEN promises he can't keep. Don't you DARE try and blame the staff. It's Alan's fault for trying to incompitantly trying to keep the drum corps running without the proper resources!

Obviously, Alan Cox does not have the capability to keep te promises he has made to the staff. So he should shut the corps down.

Again, you have this backwards. It's not the staff's problem that the members have not payed their dues. That's Alan's department. If there is this risk, then it is ALAN who should have a back up plan to pay off his contracted employees if something like this happens. But obviously, he doesn't have the business sense to figure that out. So what then? The staff are supposed to "eat the money" for the good of a director who doesn't have the business mind to run a drum corps? BULLCRAP! He shouldn't be trying to run a corps! It's HIS fault. Not the staffs.

Yes they are. And unfortunately, you aren'y seeing these FACTS!

Wrong again. If Alan Cox didn't hae a back up plan for corps members not paying their dues (like what happens in ANY drum corps), this thread wouldn't be in existance. STOP TRYING TO BLAME EVERYONE ELSE! There is only ONE person who you can blame if a corps can't pay its bills and that is THE DIRECTOR!

The solution is a new director with busniess sense.

HEY! You are finally getting it! VERY GOOD! And now you need to take the next step and realize that such corps SHOULD fold because they have no busniess running a corps if they can't take proper care of their staff and members.

Oh bullcrap! That is foolishness is what that is. The director either needs to hand the corps over to someone with enough business sense to run the corps correctly or shut the whole corps down!

Me too in before the close

[passionatedc]

Me too in before the close

What, because someone is standing for what is right? So be it.

[IllianaLancerContra]

What, because someone is standing for what is right? So be it.

Just predicting DCP will close it, not commenting on right or wrong.

[VKCanosUSMCContra]

Just predicting DCP will close it, not commenting on right or wrong.

I think the biggest issue isn't that John Mapes isn't going to be paid. It's the fact that the person that is supposed to pay john doesn't have the balls to look him in the eyes and say, "John I'm sorry, I am not going to be able to pay you. We don't have the money."

If you're interested in finding out what type of budget Esperanza is working with, here is their 990 for 2004-2005.

http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2005...-02769b9a-9.pdf

[prodigal bari]

This thread sucks.

There are way to many incidentals that make drum corps in San Diego very-very difficult and challenging. Do any of the hammers have a solution? How about some positive spin? So one guy keeps it together with basically nil support from parents or money. I think after a few years of that the staff would see the light and step up and help the organization with the goal of the organization raising money and with a goal of being a magnet for the many talented kids in San Diego County. Obviously no one has the cabability to assist the core organization, I challenge you. I know you all (x-staff) realize that some one has to raise money in order for you to get paid. Has any one asked Allen how many parents blew off the PETCO Park staffing and what the financial impact is of kids not paying dues? The financial facts and analysis are very clear. The bottom line is that unfortunatley money is really the core evil of this situation. If parents of the organization would apply themseves I don't think this thread would be in existence.

There is not much leadership displayed in this thread my rant included. My reccomendation is a solution with funding solutions from the oh-so critical staff that will make this San Diego youth activity a long term success.

You know this is so ironic, I have seen so many corps fold and bite the dust due to this same kind of crap. I really don't feel that Esperanza will be one of them because the director has not paid out more than the org can handle. That is smart bus sense.

Your entire statement is a non-sequitur. It is not smart business sense to hire a staff and agree to pay them, then not pay them. It is not smart business sense to mistreat your volunteers. It is not smart operational sense to answer inquiries with vulgarities; then threaten former staff and members if they speak out.

And to blame staff themselves for not getting paid for services rendered is asinine. It is NOT their job to raise funds. PERIOD. If there were not funds, the corps should have been shut down to start with. Staff should not have been hired. Sorry, but that is the cold hard truth.

Don't you even think for a second that the reason why parents would not work for the corps is because of the way the corps director treated them? And maybe mistrusted him with the management of any funds? DO NOT BLAME THE PARENTS FOR THIS. The director failed in his responsibilities; and this is CRYSTAL CLEAR from all that has come out.

Right now, Esperanza needs to bite the dust. As long as this director is associated with it. <**>

[Cadetsnare]

I have personally worked with John on several occasions...he has NEVER demonstrated anything but class and professionalism in my dealings with him. He REALLY set the standard for the rest of the sections to follow with his percussion program. John (as well as Rob Jett) were the best staff the corps had, IMO. Not to belittle the rest of the staff's work (they did a great job with what they had...I've worked with MANY of the other staff guys before)...John just really made a difference with the organization. I hope this gets worked out, for everyones sake. San Diego needs a competitive (and well-managed) Div 1 corps!

[MarimbasaurusRex]

Character assasination 101

When things go wrong it's always one guy's fault. If we just got rid of him then everything would be great. Fold the corps and take away all his stuff because things didn't work out and only one man is to blame. I read it on a message board so it must be true. He got into this whole thing just to #### everybody off and ruin drum corps.

If only things were so simple. It takes two to tango. Drum corps is a group activity from top to bottom. You are either in a section or on a staff or team, a committee or a board. Until things go wrong. Then it's that one evil guy who ruined everything. Seen it a bazillion times and it's never that easy.

The organization pays the staff, not the director. The organization enters agreements and must uphold them. The org is a group of people, not one man. Shouldn't the treasurer be paying staff or someone on the staff coordination finances committee, or however this operation runs? Where's that guy? Did the director single handedly spend all the money? Did he #### off a few parents one day so they never paid their bills in retaliation? We can only speculate about such things.

Obviously there is a lot of bad blood between members of the team. We don't know the nitty gritty of who ###### off who and how and why people do what they do. People generally try to do what is right and just in their own eyes and from their own perspective. Sometimes that doesn't agree with others on the team and people start getting under one another's skin until it explodes in this kind of conflict. I think it's partially a product of tour and all the feelings and emotions that must be stuffed and bottled up in order to keep the show on the road. It's nothing new. A few months ago the same things were said about Capital Regiment. Regardless of the actual circumstances that caused their problems, they must now rebuild.

Now Esperanza must rebuild or we have lost another. Who will help rebuild E? Can peace be found among the remaining team? Obviously debts must be paid and promises kept. But, I suggest additional patience, offering opportunity for redemption and looking at where to go from here. Live and learn.