Tom Brace Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 Does DCI do annual evaluations of all programs? With recent developments over the past year with corps having issues once the season started and at least another with seemingly lacking realistic Div. I membership numbers, what qualifies a Div. I corps to remain a Div. I corps? Is it the once you have it, you get it until you fold kind of thing? Sounds kind of like the cutting vets thread. Wouldn't it make sense for DCI to conduct annual evaluations? See the 501c3 numbers for each organization, get numbers reported to them from audition camps, etc. I guess it's less important today than it was 10 years ago when a majority of the shows were sponsored by others outside of DCI. A show sponsor would go nuts if they had to pay almost the same amount of money to get a 75 member "Div. I corps" as one of the full corps. As far as I know, there are no minimum numbers to become a Div. I. I think Div. II/III set the numbers minimum at 30. Couldn't DCI just either mandate a year of inactivity or a step down to II/III to redevelop a struggling program? What about the whole regional only designation they came up with a couple of years ago? I guess as a paying fan, and with ticket prices continually rising, I want quality shows for my money spent. Just having more corps isn't the answer. It's like having 75 major league baseball teams instead of the 30 they have right now. They have trouble finding enough pitching as it is. I love a show when I don't feel the need for a hot dog. Plus, a corps having severe summer logisitics issues is a bad thing for all of drum corps. It can seriously effect recruiting for more than one organization. As a side note...are any Div. Is still using their own buses with volunteer drivers? I'd be very concerned about liability issues in case of accidents. My son was involved in an early morning crash with a drum corps bus. Fortunately, no one on the buses was hurt, but I believe for as many miles Div. Is are traveling now, it's a needless risk to run your own buses versus chartering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raphael18 Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 It is my understanding that the payscale is based off scores, or something similar to that. I remmember that your score at DCM determined how much you got paid fo DCM shows the following year - if a div 2/3 could break about 55-60 then they would be on par with lower div 1s. I'm not positive, but I think Madison, Southwind, Cavaliers, and SCV still run their own busses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Brace Posted December 5, 2006 Author Share Posted December 5, 2006 It is my understanding that the payscale is based off scores, or something similar to that.I remmember that your score at DCM determined how much you got paid fo DCM shows the following year - if a div 2/3 could break about 55-60 then they would be on par with lower div 1s. I'm not positive, but I think Madison, Southwind, Cavaliers, and SCV still run their own busses. BTW, I love the Pat/Dan quote in your sig. There used to be quite a drop off scale in DCM if I recall. Doesn't DCI lump many corps together in pay scale? Or is it more like DCM used to be where each placement position 1-21, had a different pay amount. Again, I think the DCM system was fairer to show sponsors, but I'm not clear DCI's payscale is constructed in the same way as DCMs was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myname.com Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 DCI's system of evaluating corps is largely ad-hoc. They don't seem to do it in a uniform way. But I have heard that they are starting to talk about this topic seriously. There are a number of inconsistencies with regards to what constitutes a div I corps, how to get in, when you are kicked out, how to get back in after getting kicked out, etc... Look at the recent examples, troopers were kicked out by a full vote of the div I corps but were allowed back in (I believe) by the executive committee. Blue Stars were voted in by a full vote of the member corps but Academy was allowed in by the executive committee. Kiwanis has not been kicked out (yet) but they are no longer linked to on dci.org. Magic has 'taken the year off' but they are still linked to. The bottom line is that DCI doesn't have consistent policies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawn craig Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 BTW, I love the Pat/Dan quote in your sig.There used to be quite a drop off scale in DCM if I recall. Doesn't DCI lump many corps together in pay scale? Or is it more like DCM used to be where each placement position 1-21, had a different pay amount. Again, I think the DCM system was fairer to show sponsors, but I'm not clear DCI's payscale is constructed in the same way as DCMs was. Well I thought DCI had somewhat evened out the pay scale, at least for one year. Don't know if they are keeping it that way or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myname.com Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 (edited) As a side note...are any Div. Is still using their own buses with volunteer drivers? I'd be very concerned about liability issues in case of accidents. My son was involved in an early morning crash with a drum corps bus. Fortunately, no one on the buses was hurt, but I believe for as many miles Div. Is are traveling now, it's a needless risk to run your own buses versus chartering. Regarding this question, DCI does require all corps to carry a minimum amount of liability insurance ($2 mil?). Also, I know many volunteer drivers that drive safer and more responsibly than some professional bus drivers. Edited December 5, 2006 by myname.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Brace Posted December 5, 2006 Author Share Posted December 5, 2006 Regarding this question, DCI does require all corps to carry a minimum amount of liability insurance ($2 mil?). Also, I know many volunteer drivers that drive safer and more responsibly than some professional bus drivers. Did you run a test? Was it a slalom course? I would love to see a slalom course with charter buses. Ah, the smell of diesel is everywhere! You have no factual basis for your claim. I would stack up the driving records of charter bus company drivers any day to stack of like volunteer drivers. Besides, the driver is only part of the issue. Charter Bus companies maintain their fleet better, because it's what they do for a living. A drum corps does drum corps for a living. Busing is only part of what they do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Brace Posted December 5, 2006 Author Share Posted December 5, 2006 Well I thought DCI had somewhat evened out the pay scale, at least for one year. Don't know if they are keeping it that way or not. I thought the pay scale for member corps has been pretty even for a couple of years or more. I think there are only 3 tiers but I could be wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soccerguy315 Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 some corps rent buses for the summer, and some have their own. I think the trend is moving towards renting for the summer. But even when they rent, I believe they still use volunteer drivers, at least sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOBSMYTH Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 DCI's system of evaluating corps is largely ad-hoc. They don't seem to do it in a uniform way. But I have heard that they are starting to talk about this topic seriously. There are a number of inconsistencies with regards to what constitutes a div I corps, how to get in, when you are kicked out, how to get back in after getting kicked out, etc...Look at the recent examples, troopers were kicked out by a full vote of the div I corps but were allowed back in (I believe) by the executive committee. Blue Stars were voted in by a full vote of the member corps but Academy was allowed in by the executive committee. Kiwanis has not been kicked out (yet) but they are no longer linked to on dci.org. Magic has 'taken the year off' but they are still linked to. The bottom line is that DCI doesn't have consistent policies. What you view as ad-hoc and inconsistent, I view as DCI trying to work with the individual groups because each set of circumstances is different. Several years ago, there was a Participation Review Committee set up that does have a set of guidelines and criteria it uses as it reviews different situations. I don't think you can possibly come up with a comprehensive set of policies and procedures that will speak to all potential situations. This committee is largely known as the one that a corps must petition in order to move up into Division I. I know that there has been discussion about groups moving the other direction out of Division I but I think it would be very difficult for anyone to tell a given corps that they no longer meet the criteria and can no longer be Division I. Because of this, I think that is why we see corps taking time off to regroup while working with DCI to retain their status. I would much rather see that than anyone folding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.