A Message from Corey Mark
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 2:36 pm
To All GCS Members and Alumni,
It has been a pleasure for me to be a member of The Gulf Coast Sound Drum and Bugle Corps for these past seven years. Jason, and more recently Tom, have done an amazing job of leading the corps through some very tough times. I am glad that they have given me their full support in taking the reigns as Corps Director.
As with any organization that experiences a leadership change, there may be some confusion and apprehension about how such a change may affect the direction of the corps or its members, alumni and friends. To be perfectly clear, I fully intend as my highest priority to field a competitive drum corps in 2011. Thankfully, the groundwork and infrastructure to do this have already been set up by Jason and Tom. However, I must also be clear that the tools and methods that we employ to get us where we want to go will also change. As with any sports team that operates with a given mindset for an extended period, a change in management is sometimes needed to refresh the commitments of its members, and to view the team’s strengths and weaknesses in a different light. We’ve done a lot of things right, but we can also improve them and make fresh attempts to change what hasn’t worked so well in the past. I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to effect positive changes that will strengthen the corps for the coming years.
How will this be accomplished? I am not so naïve to think that I alone can come up with a formula for success. We cannot succeed without the help of every current and former member of GCS putting their energies toward helping us move forward. As has been the true mantra of this corps from its inception, “The corps is its members”. So, I’d like to start by inviting you as the most important stakeholders in the corps to participate in a positive dialog with me on how we can make what we do better than ever. Help me set a course for change within the corps, and I will do my best to make it happen.
I will be contacting many of you to get an idea of your thoughts and impressions about the corps. You can contact me at any time to discuss your ideas and concerns. You know that I’ll give serious consideration to any ideas that you have. But, you should also know that your greatest argument for effecting positive changes for the corps is your willingness to work toward the success of the corps and to commit fully to whatever path is chosen for the good of the corps.
I remember all too well the swell of pride that I felt when I first pinned the GCS star on my chest and stood in front of thousands of fans being introduced as Gulf Coast Sound. Please do what you can to see that this opportunity continues for yourselves as well as others.
It has been a pleasure for me to be a member of The Gulf Coast Sound Drum and Bugle Corps for these past seven years. Jason, and more recently Tom, have done an amazing job of leading the corps through some very tough times. I am glad that they have given me their full support in taking the reigns as Corps Director.
As with any organization that experiences a leadership change, there may be some confusion and apprehension about how such a change may affect the direction of the corps or its members, alumni and friends. To be perfectly clear, I fully intend as my highest priority to field a competitive drum corps in 2011. Thankfully, the groundwork and infrastructure to do this have already been set up by Jason and Tom. However, I must also be clear that the tools and methods that we employ to get us where we want to go will also change. As with any sports team that operates with a given mindset for an extended period, a change in management is sometimes needed to refresh the commitments of its members, and to view the team’s strengths and weaknesses in a different light. We’ve done a lot of things right, but we can also improve them and make fresh attempts to change what hasn’t worked so well in the past. I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to effect positive changes that will strengthen the corps for the coming years.
How will this be accomplished? I am not so naïve to think that I alone can come up with a formula for success. We cannot succeed without the help of every current and former member of GCS putting their energies toward helping us move forward. As has been the true mantra of this corps from its inception, “The corps is its members”. So, I’d like to start by inviting you as the most important stakeholders in the corps to participate in a positive dialog with me on how we can make what we do better than ever. Help me set a course for change within the corps, and I will do my best to make it happen.
I will be contacting many of you to get an idea of your thoughts and impressions about the corps. You can contact me at any time to discuss your ideas and concerns. You know that I’ll give serious consideration to any ideas that you have. But, you should also know that your greatest argument for effecting positive changes for the corps is your willingness to work toward the success of the corps and to commit fully to whatever path is chosen for the good of the corps.
I remember all too well the swell of pride that I felt when I first pinned the GCS star on my chest and stood in front of thousands of fans being introduced as Gulf Coast Sound. Please do what you can to see that this opportunity continues for yourselves as well as others.