Letter from the Editor

by Chris Morrow

Reverse Logistics Magazine, Aug/Sept 2007

Having just returned from vacation and faced with the task of producing a column for this edition with no topic in mind, I turned to Gailen for suggestions. He certainly surprised me when he said “write about your vacation.”

For the past week and a half I’d been at drum corps camp followed by an exhibition performance at the national championships — now how does that relate to reverse logistics? He said that we had a large number of people performing intricate maneuvers and to accomplish this successfully required planning, communication and teamwork; as does a successful reverse logistics operation.

For my readers who are not familiar with drum corps… we liken it to “extreme marching band.” Typically performed by 14 to 21 year olds, the Kingsmen Alumni Corps provided the opportunity for nearly 300 (mostly) over 40s to briefly recapture their youth.

To accomplish this took collaboration among staff members to design drill, arrange music, write equipment work and teach members — many of whom had not participated in this activity for 30 years. It took incredible planning and organization to manage the logistical aspects of rehearsal facilities, accommodations and transportation, not to mention the sizing, ordering and alterations of the 8-piece uniforms.

Congratulations to the KAC Staff and I hope that your reverse logistics maneuvers turn out as well as the Kingsmen Alumni Corps performance!

Best Regards,