Young men and women take time from their very busy schedules to belong to these organizations because they enjoy participating in such a worthwhile and important activity and take pride in learning and performing. They should always be encouraged by words of praise, not discouraged by negativity.
Every group is to be commended, if only for the fact that they are in existence.
I have been a choreographer for many Junior Tamburitzans groups in the Pittsburgh area for nearly 40 years and am presently choreographer for the Jadran Junior Tamburitzans of Aliquippa. In the past, at the the Junior Tamburitzan Festival or as guests for a concert, groups were never in competition with each other, not should they be now, or ever be in the future. The old-time directors and choreographers could surely back me up on this. I was at the first Junior Tamburitzan Festival in Des Plaines and have attended most of them since. I am one of the few people, bit it director, choreographer, parent, junior tamburitzan, etc., who watches every group perform both days of the festival.