Northern Lights

[Rocketman]

Considering how much this organization was making, it amazes me that they were unable to put a highly competitive product on the field. While the issue of "highly competitive" is subjective, let me just say this. if the first time I become aware about your corps is due to bingo problems, you ARE NOT highly competitive. That said, I found this statement most interesting and, indicative of most corps today:

Instead of planning a solution to the group's financial problems, "the board has eliminated programs for youth in their community ... The organization's leadership has consciously chosen to shift their program from opportunities for youth of their community, to semi-professional adults from around the country/world in a nationwide competitive dance arena that requires out of state travel to participate," agents wrote in a 2005 report.

RM - Bingo was his name-o

ampssuck

[ravedodger]

The story is a shame. I remember that corps on tour. Not bad at all and very small and it was before the bingo operation. I think they even wore Dickies kackie pants.

[prodigal bari]

This article disturbs me greatly. I am going to throw out two questions to air out concerning this topic:

1. I am not familar with Northern Lights so I cannot say this about them; but the way the article is written makes it sound as if NL was a front for a gambling operation. Has there been evidence that DC activity has been used in isolated instances as shell youth organizations for gambling purposes? And if so, is there a way the powers that be in the DC activity can police this type of fundraising in order to protect the activity as a whole?

2. I am curious...what are the ages of participants that legally can constitiute a 'youth activity;' and if the cutoff is 18 (and if it is; if your group is primairily college age) how can some of the top corps (which by their competive nature will have an almost exclusive college-age membership) continue to operate as a non-profit youth organization?

I have absolutely no problems with bingo/raffles, etc. being a fund-raising machine for a legitimate corps. I am just concerned about the potential for criminal abuse and the potential of it staining this activity.

(Again, I do not know the NL situation personally, and am not saying they have ever been involved in any wrongdoing. It was just the tone of the article that brought up these questions in my mind.)

[noneofyourbusiness]

I have been involved in many, many non-profit youth organizations over the years. Unfortunately, in about 2-3% of the cases, there are people who are in the group more to make $$$ for themselves than to serve the youth the group is meant to be all about. As in all business dealings, there are always a few scoundrels that can ruin the name of an entire industry or activity.

Oh, and my opinion is that drum corps, even those that cater to the college age members, or the all-age corps, fit the definition of non-profit alot better than many other groups that get this same tax definition (can you say YMCA?).

[rainhead]

Just to clear the air a little bit:

Washington State's Northern Lights D&B Corps Non-profit was taken over by the Every-Body Winterguard people in 1993.

This collective started a bingo under that moniker in Longview, WA while the winterguard ran in Portland, OR

This group then took the helm of the Argonauts Youth Band and changed that name to the Northern Lights Youth Band

In 2001, the Every-Body winterguard was renamed the Northern Lights Winterguard with a huge change in staff and philosophy starting in 2000.

From 1994-2001, the organization did serve anywhere from 50-350 youth per year (that is a guestimate.....)

And they did continue to support many other non-profits in the local Longview Community.

It is a shame that they couldn't even continue to make a World Class Winterguard work or pay the back taxes that they owed with that sort of money coming in.

Most in the Northwest are glad to see it go, trust me, it became very shameful. The local circuit shows wouldn't even let the winterguard perform last season, because NL refused to pay the membership and show fees, ugh.

Bye bye NL. :P

[Goldsmith1210]

Here's my post from the other NL topic.

I am a little sad about this, but not too sad.

I marched in the Argonauts from 94-96. After Argonauts folded in the fall of 1996, Jim and Randy Bairl, who were running Northern Lights at the time, stepped in and took over operation of the Band. We had good years in 97 and 98. We had great show designs that our staff worked very hard on. We had many instructors who are major players in the NW drum corps and Marching Band scene. Mike Anderson, Todd Zimbleman, Lewis Norfleet, Richard Kibbey, Bob Yeager, Mike Apodoca, Mike Freel, Greg Hall, Steve Kuske, Tim Wells, Bret Cappelutti, Kurt Jull and many others. We had great recruting which gave us great talent and size. I loved having Jim and Randy around because they cared about how we did, and wanted us to succeed. I was saddened to hear of Randy's passing, he was a fun guy. I realize now that perhaps they weren't the best at handling the organization as a business, but we all had quality experiences when they were in charge. I felt like I was the priority. Everything changed when they left, and the current(well I guess not anymore) management took over.

1999 was the last year Northern Lights fielded the band, and from the start I knew it was not going to be the same. Most of our staff did not return. The staff that remained and the few that joined us worked very hard that summer. We did almost no recruiting, which was obvious in our camp turnouts, and the final size of the Band. One shining thing about that summer though was our drumline. They were smokin' good with awesome arrangments. But we only really had one full time horn instructor, Steve Kuske who was and still is awesome. That and our lack of talented players in relation to previous years, made sectional and ensemble work difficult. The result was a mediocre band. We also had a different visual designer that year which was difficult for many of us because we all had "grown up" with Mike Anderson as our drill designer. Steve Sanger's drill was good, but it was just so different from what we had done before. We also had a smaller visual staff that year and a TON of innexperianced marchers. I believe if we had the same amount of attention, design and staff wise that year by the management, we would have had a superior show design, better recurting, and less membership turnover from the previous year. It was a dissapointing summer for me, and was the only year out of the six I marched that I was glad when it ended.

At the banquet that fall it was announced that we would not be fielding in 2000. This was not really a big surprise to many of us. It had become quite apparent, at least to me, that the band was no longer a priority for the organization. It was announced that day that we may possibly field a corps in 2001, but that never panned out. And me, of course, being a loyalist, didn't march my last two years in hope that I could ageout with the group that I had marched with since I was 14. A few years ago When Northern Lights stopped fielding all but their world guard, it was obvious to me that they had stopped serving youth, and had become an elitist organization.

I have been thinking about all this for years, and it is the first time I have had a chance to express my feelings about what happened to the Northern Lights organization. I am truly sorry if I offended anyone associated with the organization; but I believe when a youth organization stops serving youth, and begins serving itself, it should be shut down.

The Northern Lights I knew died in 1999, what folded in 2006 was not the organization that I was proud to be a part of.

[rainhead]

AMEN Ben! I feel ya......

God Bless Randy & Jim Baierl for giving us ALL a great opportunity & experience.

[ambassadorhorn]

Just to clear the air a little bit:

Washington State's Northern Lights D&B Corps Non-profit was taken over by the Every-Body Winterguard people in 1993.

This collective started a bingo under that moniker in Longview, WA while the winterguard ran in Portland, OR

This group then took the helm of the Argonauts Youth Band and changed that name to the Northern Lights Youth Band

In 2001, the Every-Body winterguard was renamed the Northern Lights Winterguard with a huge change in staff and philosophy starting in 2000.

From 1994-2001, the organization did serve anywhere from 50-350 youth per year (that is a guestimate.....)

And they did continue to support many other non-profits in the local Longview Community.

It is a shame that they couldn't even continue to make a World Class Winterguard work or pay the back taxes that they owed with that sort of money coming in.

Most in the Northwest are glad to see it go, trust me, it became very shameful. The local circuit shows wouldn't even let the winterguard perform last season, because NL refused to pay the membership and show fees, ugh.

Bye bye NL. :P

... I'm confused. Was there _ever_ a Northern Lights junior drum corps that perfomed as a drum corps or was the band the only performing youth organization organized by the Northern Lights Drum and Bugle Corps Association?

Sam

[ravedodger]

Ha! Good question, Sam. Your question reminded me that I have two corps confused.

I believe that I was thinking about Northern Aurora, not the Northern Lights.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[noneofyourbusiness]

... I'm confused. Was there _ever_ a Northern Lights junior drum corps that perfomed as a drum corps or was the band the only performing youth organization organized by the Northern Lights Drum and Bugle Corps Association?

Sam

corpsreps.com lists a Northern Lights D&BC from Seattle, but they have no scores, no repertoires, and no history posted for them .