tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060278883118319195.post388888519268916599..comments2024-03-27T23:10:00.915-04:00Comments on Wayne County Life: Towpath Fife and Drum Parade in Macedon...Seth C. Burgesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13559929297207143914noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060278883118319195.post-21320903605058979632019-05-28T01:31:51.366-04:002019-05-28T01:31:51.366-04:00Wow... Very well said!Wow... Very well said!Kathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10109657358931349345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060278883118319195.post-25953680649880737462015-09-13T10:28:44.772-04:002015-09-13T10:28:44.772-04:00A colorful, historical, and exciting event! -- but...A colorful, historical, and exciting event! -- but only if you are invited. The C.A. Palmer Ancient Fife and Drum Corps and the Excelsior Brigade are not. Furthermore, they have also been "dis-invited" from Palmyra's Canal Town Days, whose committee decided to finance the Towpath event instead. According to CTD Chairman Tom Klemann, it "took a considerable chunk of our parade budget” to “hire the Towpather's complete festival contingency,” leaving none to hire the two (smaller) corps. <br /><br />The Towpath Parade will conclude a larger event, a "World Friendship Festival,” which, in the words of Towpath founder Paul Willson will “[bring together] other Fife[s] and Drums to the U.S. [to share] experiences with the local community" (The Wayne County Times, August 1, 2015). How can “world friendship” be shared with a “local community” of fifers and drummers who won't be there? <br /><br />A prudent solution to both issues, of course, would be including the C.A. Palmer Ancients and the Excelsior Brigade in the splendid but budget-busting “complete festival contingency.” This would allow them to participate in both events -- unless, of course, the CTD Committee is paying ONLY Mr. Willson and NOT the corps themselves. Is that what Mr. Klemann is doing -- is he paying Mr. Willson for a job customarily done for free by Sharon Condit and her parade committee? I for one would like to know if the "considerable chunk of [his] parade budget" is going into someone's pocket rather than to the drum corps who think they are working for it. <br /><br />Unfortunately, Mr. Willson remains disinterested in *any* solution, prudent or otherwise. He has not replied to my emailed request for an invitation. Apparently, his concept of “world friendship” is one that seeks civic allies to publicly -- and now financially -- support his longstanding agenda of de-friending any fifer or drummer who belongs to any corps but his own. Is this how Mr. Willson plans to “show our guests what it means to be an American” -- by allying with the CTD Committee to damage and divide the local fife and drum community -- AND get paid for it?? <br /><br />Of note, Ms. Condit did contact the Palmer corps on behalf of the CTD parade committee, saying that she did not realize her “dis-invitation” would be considered a slap in the face by its “seven members.” She then offered a substitute venue in some kind of “horse parade." However, since Palmer’s “seven members” are fully cognizant of the unpleasant implications of marching behind horses, they politely declined -- as did the rest of us!! (Apparently she felt that neither an explanation nor an alternative venue was due to Excelsior Brigade. None was sent.)<br /><br />Ms. Condit, it is my belief that "quality" is not the exclusive purview of "quantity," just sayin'.<br /><br />Nonetheless, I wish success to both Ms. Condit and Mr. Willson. I am glad they have taken my advice and removed the word “friendship” from their publicity. Perhaps they may succeed in foisting their shallow, exclusionary concept of "friendship" upon non-English-speaking foreign visitors, but the rest of us know better.<br />Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09803187956812369479noreply@blogger.com