A Statement From CAP&E Executive Director, Monte Mast

Dear Cavaliers friends and family, 

Monday’s announcement by the VMAPA that the Santa Clara Vanguard would be taking a hiatus from the 2023 DCI tour sent shockwaves across the drum corps activity. This comes on the heels of their previous announcement that the SCV Cadets would be inactive, Blue Devils B Corps would become a regional touring corps, Legends would not be fielding a corps, and Shadow would be disbanding. I’m sure that many people thought who is next and is the entire activity at risk? And if you are reading this, what is the status of The Cavaliers?

Let’s start with The Cavaliers. Simply put, due to the effort and support of many, we have a strong financial foundation from which to move forward into our next 75 years. The work of the CAPE board and organizational staff put the corps in a great position coming into the COVID shortened 2021 season. We took the time to reevaluate our expenses and found ways to run leaner without negatively impacting member experience. We also developed strategies to increase and diversify revenue sources. Continued COVID issues, combined with supply chain shortages and rapidly escalating costs particularly associated with fuel, busses, housing, air travel, and food meant that every drum corps exceeded their original budget in 2022. For us, we were able to absorb the additional costs without taking on any debt while still being able to retire some existing obligations.

“There but for the grace of God go I” is a phrase CAPE Board President Chris Hartowicz uses frequently. While our position is good today, the risks and challenges remain. The costs associated with touring will most likely be higher than last year, which has pushed a need for increased revenue. While we had to increase tour fees, we remain one of the least expensive options for world class corps membership. Member fees only account for 35-40% of the cost of the tour and operations. Our revenue objectives for the remaining 60-65% of funding are realistic and attainable but still need to be met for us to avoid issues in the future. Our alumni, parents, and fans drive a significant part of that amount, and we thank you for your continued support.

DCI and the member corps realize the challenges facing our activity. At the fall DCI meetings, most of the discussions were around or tied into sustainability. Something has to change, and it was clear to everyone in the room. We have our work cut out for us. Of course, there are more opinions on what and how to change than there are grains of sand on a beach. There are multiple groups working on specific aspects and members of our CAPE board are in the middle of those discussions with the DCI Board Consortium.

Vanguard’s announcement should serve as a reminder of the urgency of the work we need to do to ensure there is a next 50 years for DCI and the activity we all love. As for 2023, The Cavaliers will be celebrating our 75th Anniversary and based on what the design team has planned so far, this show will be more than a fitting tribute to our rich legacy and be the impetus to add to it. You won’t want to miss seeing us this summer.

Thank you again for your continued support of The Cavaliers AP&E.

Monte K. Mast
Executive Director
The Cavaliers AP&E, Inc.