DCI corps divided on future direction
A philosophical division over the future direction and long-term sustainability of Drum Corps International has developed within the leadership of the organisation's member corps. While those differences will not threaten DCI's 2010 summer tour, they have already produced action on the future leadership of the organisation.
Report by Drum Corps World
Those actions started in a board of directors (six corps directors and three outside, non-affiliated members) meeting in Rosemont, IL, on Wednesday, May 12, and Thursday, May 13, and led to a special May 16 conference call among the full DCI voting membership (22 World Class corps).
During the conference call, leaders of DCI's World Class corps decided by a 12-9 vote to make adjustments to the composition of the board in an effort to better balance the representation of all of its members. An interim board was proposed and subsequently ratified by a majority of the corps represented on the call, installing four new members and leaving four of those already seated.
The full membership will conduct a regular election to fill the nine board positions at DCI's January 2011 annual meeting, in compliance with the bylaws of the corporation.
Central to the membership's actions was a presentation made at the Rosemont meeting on behalf of seven top-tier DCI units by George Hopkins, director of The Cadets and a member of the DCI board, to reorganize DCI and substantially alter the current touring model starting with the 2011 season.
It laid out plans for seven of DCI's most recently successful World Class corps -- Blue Devils, The Cadets, Carolina Crown, The Cavaliers, Santa Clara Vanguard, Bluecoats and Phantom Regiment - to essentially take over the administrative leadership of the organisation by receiving more authority on legislative matters.
If the presentation were to eventually be accepted as a proposal, those corps would also conduct their own shows in major cities on Fridays and Sundays during the DCI tour and potentially receive a higher percentage of all tour revenue.
More information can be found at www.drumcorpsworld.com.
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