Flame off

Well in re-reading that post below and looking at http://www.corpsreps.com/ I believe I have been too hard on Mr. Strickler. They have indeed set up a database of corps members but it appears to be opt-in rather than opt out. A couple of Ambassadors people have registered there. They have also properly credited me in the history part of their record of the Ambassadors.

Good luck to them and have a look at their site as they have managed to pull together quite a bit of information about a lot of corps.

- Sam

A re-post from the (now gone) bulletin board

I found this on Google. They cache pages so I could retrieve it. This was originally posted on the old bulletin board on May 19, 2002. I am still a bit annoyed with their cavalier attitude towards copyright but I guess it's common.

Ambassador Alumni please read...

---

Everyone who has their name listed on my site may wish to make a note that they are probably now listed in the database of former corps members on the www.Corpsreps.com [web site].

Below is the e-mail I received from them recently. I was a bit sticky with them but as they are running a commercial site (they sell CDs), I need to be careful about copyright issues.

Quote:

---

on 4/28/02 9:36 AM, Dave Strickler at dstrickl at cablerocket.com wrote:

Good day.

Corpsreps.com is endeavoring to develop the comprehensive drum corps information site on the web, including corps repertoires, member names, pictures, scores, and corps' history.

In that the Ambassadors' history is not as yet available on corpsreps.com, I was hoping that you would permit the use of excerpts of the history as it appears on your website. This history will make the Ambassadors' entry on corpsreps.com more complete.

May I take any lack of reply for assent? If you wish to submit a more recent history, it would be warmly received.

Thank you.

Dave Strickler

History Coordinator
Corpsreps.com

---

My reply of May 19 (yes I know, Andy, I'm slow...)

Quote:

---

Dear Mr. Strickler,

I'm not sure how a lack of reply can be construed as assent on my part. However I give permission to use materials from my site as follows:

1) I give permission for you to use the corps repertoires, scores, and corps history that appear on the Ambassador site non-exclusively. Please note that I cannot give you the right to use copyright materials from newspapers and those publications authored by members of the corps, including the corps newsletters and yearbooks.


2) As I do not have explicit permission from those corps members whose names appear on my site to post these same names and provide them to other sites , I cannot give you permission to do this.

3) I do not hold copyright over most of the photos that appear on my site and I therefore cannot provide you with permission to use them.

Please note that I do not represent the Ambassadors Drum and Bugle Corps in any way or function other than that as a former marching member.

If you find these terms too complicated or onerous you are of course free to find this material and information elsewhere. Never the less I wish you good luck in your efforts to bring this information together.

Sam King
zamiel at interlog.com

I was a little annoyed with that bit about my not responding being a sign that it's okay to go ahead. I won't be doing any business with them any time soon! At any rate if you are concerned, let them know at Corpsreps.com

But what about the newsfeed?

The XML from Blogstreet is working now, sort of. The link on the left points to a slightly better feed than before. At least the links lead to something now.

For those of you confused by the above, this may help (scroll up a bit).

- Sam

The Banner never did this...

This Conneticut online newspaper seems to have regular reports about the local (small) corps, the Westbury Drum Corps. The corps itself doesn't seem to have a web site. This sort of support in the small town media for a local corps is refreshing although perhaps it is not so rare in the 'States:

Town Times

Loss of bingo income for the Patriots

The Patriots Drum and Bugle Corps is having trouble with their bingo fundraising. A common problem for many corps over the years:

Democrat & Chronicle: Smoking ban waiver debated

- Sam

Scout House Alumni Corps

I received the following from Dennis Lytle today. Here it is for those interested in alumni corps. (I have changed the e-mail addresses to avoid spamination. You know what to do.)


From: "Dennis & Wendy Lyttle" (lalpro "at" rogers.com)
Date: Thu Dec 18, 2003 3:51:09 PM Canada/Eastern
To: (zamiel "at" interlog.com)
Subject: Drum Corps
Reply-To: "Dennis & Wendy Lyttle"

Sam

I hope this is the right e-mail.

I played in Scout House from 1959 to 1964. You may know that they have started an Alumni Corps. Well once Drum Corps is in you blood it never leaves, it is an experience of a life time! After 40 years of being away from Drum Corps, this year I was convinced to join Scout House Alumni Band, & I am so glad that I did, I am having a blast! Had not had a horn in my hands in 40 years, but is so amazing how it all comes back to you!

The reason for my e-mail is that Scout House is having an Open House & practice on Jan, 18/04 in Cambridge.The Address is Steel Workers' Hall, 510 Collier MacMillan Drive, Cambridge. The time is 1:00PM to
4:00 PM. If you or any of your Alumni would like to join us you would be more than welcome!

...

Dennis Lyttle



This isn't me.

Biographies

... in case you were wondering.

Sam

I have just noticed that the Discussion Board is dead. I will remove the link.

Long live the blog!

The RSS feed doesn't work yet. I am working on it. I am amazed I can do it at all.

Impressive tho' isn't it?

For those curious about RSS, RDF, newsfeeds and such see:

http://www.faganfinder.com/search/rss.shtml

or http://en2.wikipedia.org/wiki/Really_Simple_Syndication

Oh, I guess I better follow up on baby news! Sam P. King was born in early September. He was 6 lbs 4 oz at birth and is now a healthy 3 month+ old. Sorry to be cagey about details but I don't want to have people taking credit cards out in his name or something equally ridiculous.

I also have a new job with a Canadian broadcaster in their archives department. Changes all around!

Merry Christmas all!

I have linked to this blog from the Ambassadors site (finally). Eventually I will turn this into the new News/Why is this here page but until I can get some time to edit the blog template I'll leave that alone. Welcome!

What are you looking at this for? DCI finals are this weekend! Have a look at some of the up-to-the-minute reports from the DCI site: www.dci.org

There are at least four Canadian corps in Florida including the Kavaliers who are in the Div. I, semi-finals tonight. Bandettes and Blue Saints made it there as well. Go Northern Ontario!

Bad Blogger!

I have not been doing much for this blog or for the site as a whole for the last while. There is some stuff "in the can" that I have been sent that I really should put up. However as my wife and I are expecting this September you can expect more delays.

I'll try to keep up with this blog at any rate; that's why I've set it up.

cheers,

Sam

Optimists reunion

Drum Corps World (http://www.drumcorpsworld.com) has an excerpt article about the Optimists reunion concert that happened May 31, 2003. Yours truly attended and I must say it was impressive. There were a lot of snares in the line. I guess you can't say no when everyone is bringing their own drum.

I have also found a link for the Optimists Alumni Association :

http://www.optimists-alumni.org/

Will Mother Nature co-operate for Easter Parade?

http://www.towncrieronline.ca/main/main.php?direction=viewstory&storyid=2044&rootcatid=&rootsubcatid=

The bands lined up include the Toronto Signals Band.

"The best darn drum and bugle band in the City. They're smart looking , they have bright uniforms and spirited music," said Ferguson said.

I think the Second Sigs are the only drum corps in Toronto. All you Ambassadors alumni know that the Second Signals were the origin of the original Marching Ambassadors after which the Newmarket/Aurora Ambassadors were named don't you?

I appear to have won the battle of the italic tags. Who knew you had to close each one?

Apparently the Burlington Teen Tour Band is a drum Corps now...

Members of Ontario drum corps liked film Drumline but it's not their style

Canadian Press

Monday, April 14, 2003
TORONTO (CP) - Members of the award-winning Burlington, Ont., Teen Tour Band loved the film Drumline, but the "smoky" music and flashy showmanship shown in the movie is just not their style, says band leader Rob Bennett.


http://www.canada.com/ottawa/story.asp?id=068A22C1-F347-4D19-B496-52304913770C

Drum Corps World is trying to complete their archives. You might be able to help them out and clean out your basement at the same time:

Old drum corps publications sought

Drum Corps World has an extensive collection of historical drum and bugle corps publications that have been published over the last 50-plus years. We are missing a few issues of the following newspapers and magazines. We are asking fans visiting our Web site and who subscribe to our newspaper if they have any of these editions and would be willing to help us complete the files by sending them to us.

On a number of occasions, individuals from corps have come to our office in Madison, WI, to research their organization's history. We also used the issues for research in preparing "A History of Drum & Bugle Corps, Volume 1." That is why we maintain the collection. Anyone is welcomed to use our archives at any time.

http://www.drumcorpsworld.com/articles.cfm?id=188

Found it! It was on the Drum Corps World site

Bleah. It's pretty bad:

Beginning in 2004, amplification of pit instruments and the human voice will be allowed in Drum Corps International shows. The proposal, presented by Youth Education in the Arts director George Hopkins, passed by a 12-8 vote at last weekend's board of director's meeting held in Orlando, FL.

Also beginning in the 2004 season, division II and III corps will have a new minimum show length of eight minutes and 30 seconds. This will allow the corps to spend more time working on segments of the show and should increase the quality of the performances. The proposal passed unanimously, as did a boundary violation clarification. This clarification, which will be effective for the 2003 season, states that performers may stage or drop equipment over the boundary line but may not perform there.

http://www.drumcorpsworld.com/articles.cfm?ID=212

That's not the same as making it a marching band but it sure sounds more like a stage show than a Drum & Bugle Corps. I guess "Blast!" had an affect. Does this mean that Celine Dion is a drum corps now?

Sam

I can't find anything to substatiate this rather wild rumour, which I admit I received third hand. I had a look 'round RAMD but I couldn't find any discussion of it there, (not that this is a reliable source). Perhaps it's old news.

Here is a link to a discussion by Dave Gibbs (my old M&M instructor!) of the Blue Devils of the B-flat instrumentation rule change from 1999 for those old farts like me who haven't been keeping up: http://www.bluedevils.org/about/press/multikey.asp

I'll keep looking...

Sam

I have heard that there is a movement in DCI to change the rules such that "drum and bugle" corps will contain the same instrumentation as marching bands. I'll have to do some research to see if this is true. Have a look at the DCI site to see if this is so.

I know that it still looks pretty awful here. I shouldn't complain abou the old ODCA site! :-P I hope to have some more time for this later. My plan is to make this the home page of the Ambassadors site. If you disagree and you have somehow found me here. Let me know. - Sam

http://www.odca.org/

The ODCA has a new web site at last. I couldn't stand that one they have had for the last few years.. gross.

Anyway they have adopted a blog format. Perhaps I'm on to something here...

Sam

First Post. Is this thing even working?