What would you do?

[Medeabrass]

I probably would have taken all their belongings, keys, etc, and hid them. Along with the car!!! Then when they got home told them you found the front door completely wide open with some things in the house missing, and you would like to know exactly which member locked the door that morning. I'm sure the looks would have been quite interesting. After about 10min of sweating bullets and panic, I would return their stuff and give them the "this can't happen again" lecture.

Classic!!!Now you're thinking like me. They definitely would've had a better understanding of where you were coming from for sure.

As to the original posters point about time off, I totally agree. [hijack]It's not just these types of things that get neglected when the staff runs 'em to hard. I think practice can become counter-productive to the objective of improving the show too. I think when you start to notice that you're losing muscle because your metabolism is in over-drive, it's time to take a break :)

I would hate that this would turn you off to hosting (it's totally understandable if it does). Hopefully, you can have a sit down with these kids if they're looking for your help next year and really drive home your point. They sound like good kids, and I think if they knew that you were thinking about not hosting again, it would really wake them up.

[Medeabrass]

And I'm not worried a TV stolen but 10-15 thousand dollars of valuable equipment I own. Not a cheap $1500 TV set.

ummm, what's your address :P :P I keed I keed!

[HornlineDiva]

That was pretty irresponsible, and the original poster's response was certainly understandable, but I kinda feel like some people here are overreacting. I highly doubt they'll do it again, as they probably feel really terrible. I did that once when I was in high school. Our house was wide open all day. My parents just calmly said to try to remember to make sure it shut - and I did. No harm, no foul. No yelling, no reminding, no childish attempts to "teach me a lesson".

Doors sometimes bounce open when you think you've shut them. Like I said, I'm sure they feel guilty enough as it is. If I was them, and I had to hear about one mistake over and over from someone hosting me after a long day of corps, it wouldn't exactly make me want to change my behavior. They're DCI kids, so they probably wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

[Toby]

I agree partly with you, but there is no way the door opened on it's own. I know that for a fact and the gal I talked with knows that also. If you've seen my doors, you have to forcefully close them or open them on your own. And this year they are not PAYING to get their butts kicked. So don't ASSUME that they paid. I PAID all of their fees out of my pocket. So that is not part of the equation in this case. I'm not questioning their drive and determination as opposed to somebody watching TV at home all summer. Never have. And I never said I expected any kid to be an adult. But we are not talking 15 or 16 year olds. We are talking 21 year olds that all LIVE on their own back home. I know the position they are in. But they are also guests in my house and they are not paying a single dime to the corps or myself this year courtesy of me. They have to realize they are putting my life and ID on the line when they make this kind of mistake. Again, not a broken glass or a light on or the TV left on during the day... A house left open for anybody to walk into. And folks in these areas have been robbed while they are at home. So don't defend them entirely without knowing the full story. So unless you're here, you wouldn't know the entire situation. And I'm not worried a TV stolen but 10-15 thousand dollars of valuable equipment I own. Not a cheap $1500 TV set. It's your kind of stupidity that would make me want to kick them out. Don't tell me what I need and not need to do. You have not been in this situation. I did handle this in a calm and mature manner if you would have read the opening post!!

They could have left the stove on with food inside all day. </bad sense of humor>

As long as you grilled them when they got home, I doubt it will happen again. :)

[84skyrydr]

You took my reply in the wrong way. I did not say that they were innocent, I said they did something that kids do, even and sometimes ESPECIALLY 21 year old kids. THANK YOU FOR SPONSORING these kids. You are doing alot for them and expect the same in return. Thats fair. But to say I am not in your shoes is a complete JOKE. I almost LOST an ADOPTION, a human CHILD to the irresponsiblity of my houseguest. Don't EVEN GO THERE. <**> A tv and 1,500,000.00 worth of anything does NOT equate to a human. Now its time to heal and move on. Good luck to the kids in your house this year as well as all kids living with someone this year in DCI. Don't quit helping because of one situation that left you uncomfortable, what you are giving these kids is a LIFETIME of lessons.

[bandman28]

guys the last kid out made a mistake, maybe didn't relize they were the last person out. nothing happened, after all we have all forgot to lock the door. The host for the kids ask them to be more careful and i'm sure they will. Can we now drop the kids nodays are so irresponsible act and deciding how we should have punished them? Oh, and good God, how is the corps responsible for the door being open? a mistake was made and corrected guys, get a grip and move on. this was already corrected and should have never been kept alive by making a discussion of it. this is just going to discourage others from hosting kids everywhere and hurting other corps.

[RBarron10]

Set rules up front with them. Tell them when they leave the home the door must be locked. Drum corps kids are great, but some of them have a 1,001 things on their minds. Be direct honest and I think you'll get results. As a courtesy I would contact the corps and let the corps know that if kids are housed with you, you have certain rules the kids must abide by. Think your reaction was 100% reasonable and with laying down some ground rules and expections of the summer guest in your home you too will have a great summer.

[Michael Boo]

Others have already mentioned (in case this happens to anyone else) to call the police and have them escort one inside the house...because in today's society, one truly can't be too careful with such manners. (Though a thief would likely shut the door behind them to avoid rousing suspicion among neighbors.)

However, the kids coming home to be shown the police report would be a most effective learning tool.

This is a valuable thread. Others who host corps members shouldn't assume that everyone is thinking on their feet all the time. With so many in the house, I wouldn't be at all surprised if each thought there was still someone behind them as they left.

It's always better to foster over-concern than under-concern. If the kids are reading this...take your host out for pizza.

[bstar82]

It's always better to foster over-concern than under-concern. If the kids are reading this...take your host out for pizza.

Thanks Mike. But no chance of that happenning. I got one thank you the entire summer and that was from the gal a month after the season ended.

[Michael Boo]

It's always better to foster over-concern than under-concern. If the kids are reading this...take your host out for pizza.

Thanks Mike. But no chance of that happenning. I got one thank you the entire summer and that was from the gal a month after the season ended.

Wow. I never stopped thanking my host family and even stopped in to see them every year. I still make sure to call around Christmas.

Members...you can never thank your hosts too much. Even just a sincere "thank-you" goes a long way. They don't expect anything other than to be appreciated.