Many of the members of the staff at the Kilties are parents with young children we hope to one day see performing on the field. Recent news out of the Cadets, Pioneer, and others has left us with serious concerns about how corps are treating their members, however. While the Kilties have always striven to build a rehearsal and performance environment based on mutual respect and a positive base assumption, we wanted to take this opportunity to make sure we are doing everything possible to protect our performers and provide a safe and fun educational environment. Below are clarifications to our Sexual Harassment and Performers' Rights policies, which we hope will prevent the behaviors we've seen coming out of other organizations.
Sexual Harassment Policy
Sexual Harassment is never OK, not even as a joke. What one member may consider lighthearted banter, another may consider a deep offense. Additionally, as an all-age corps we are subject to a strict standard of scrutiny, as members below the age of 18 can and may participate in the corps along side members who are many years over the age of majority. With the goal of creating a welcoming and safe environment for members of all generations, genders, orientations, races, and any other classifiers, we have an important mandate as representatives of the Drum and Bugle Corps activity. As such, the Kilties make the following promises:
- There will be a zero tolerance policy on any types of harassment, discrimination, or any other set of behavior that impacts the positive environment we work so hard to curate
- We will implement mechanisms for both attributable and anonymous feedback. While it is our hope that all members would feel comfortable approaching the creative staff, we want to provide every possible venue for members who just want to feel safe and welcomed.
- Any staff members who violate this policy will be terminated once claims are substantiated
- Any person who violates this policy will not be welcome at The Kilties Drum and Bugle Corps
Performers' Rights
The Kilties constantly work to build an environment of mutual respect as we strive to present a creative product on the competition field. As such, our manual already speaks at length on the rights that our members have, and the base assumption of positive intent that is critical to our welcoming atmosphere. That being said, with the recent bad behavior by management of other corps, we felt it important to re-evaluate our policies and be sure we are doing everything we can to help our performers thrive as they continue to grow. As staff, we will adhere to the following ideals in all of our interactions with the corps membership:
- Our job is to push performers to grow, but we must do so in a positive manner.
- Constructive criticism and destructive abuse are separated by a fine line, and it is up to us to keep on the correct side of that line.
- We operate from a base assumption of positive intent, which should guide all of our actions and interactions.
- All corps members will be given adequate time to sleep and recover from extensive travel requirements.
- Members of the corps at all levels have the power to step out of rehearsal if needed.
- Every member of the corps deserves common courtesy and respect.
A Final Note
Our goal is to create a supportive, engaging, and challenging environment that helps performers grow while having the time of their lives. If any aspect of the policies above, or anything else in the Kilties runs counter to this goal, we want to hear about it. Please don't hesitate to contact our staff if you feel something needs clarification, something needs to be called to our attention, or if you just want to share your thoughts. This is our corps, and we get to choose where it goes - let's make it great.
Signed,
The 2019 Kilties Creative Staff
