Names are changed to keep confidentiality. Who is who is at the bottom of this post.

Ok, we got this half year marcher (did indoor so technically he is half year) and plays second bass. Lets call this kid "Stitches". Stitches was telling "Arrow" (Third Bass player) and me that we were wrong in a set. Then when we get our visual instructor to set us correct he was the one wrong. Stitches does this numerous times. Then, "Arrow" (who can't read music) starts working on a part that he keeps messing up and I'm telling him how to fix it and Stitches tells him to stop playing. About 10 minutes later Stitches starts hacking himself.

So after the practice me and "Mini Cooter" (first bass) decide that he should run one lap. One measly lap. So we are walking in and he is walking out the door ready to leave. We tell him to run a lap and we keep on walking but turn around to make sure he runs his lap and we see him flip us the bird and we tell him that we saw that and he's all like, "I'm not stupid." While he is running Mini Cooter had to go do something and told me to tell him that he has another lap. So I tell him and he says, "What are you his b*tch now?" Except uncensored and walks off to his moms car.

Are there any suggestions as to what to do with this half year? He thinks he has seniority over me just because I'm on the bottom bass. Which isn't true. His rolls suck so bad. And heaven forbid he ever get in a straight line!

Help...please...

Recap of who is who:
Mini Cooter-First (Bass Leader)
Stitches-Second (The Problem)
Arrow-Third
Me-Fourth (2nd in command)

i reccomend acidentally running over him........or chucking him in the head with a mallet or just tell him to his face he sucks and challenge him lmao. Well good luck anyway !

Have a serious sit down talk with your bass line. Include section leader in this talk if necessary. If he doesn't shpae up maybe include caption head and or band director in this talk. Keep the staff informed on the situation.
If it continues to get worse, staff have power to take more discipline actions then you can as a student. Last week I asked a kid in my line to do a simple task of putting the cover back on his drum because he was the only one without it. He started giving me lip and I asked him if he would like his 3rd quarter break removed at football games. He said he didn't care and continued giving me lip. I then asked if he wanted to sit out the next couple of performances....that shut him up. Ah the power of being a staff member.
I digress...
Make sure he know's its not his place to be telling others what to do, especially if he a first year / "half year" member. In all honesty I believe keeping your mouth shut at practice and focusing on the task at hand. Speak up if you have a question or concern. And most of all have respect for the older members of the line and the staff. Respect them and they will respect you.

I agree With Mandrake And Make him feel inferior. Let Him Know that you dont need him to be on your line and he can be replaced like nothing. Or Better yet start making a girl that never touched a drum in her life better than him, then replace him. Tell him to step his game up or the girl takes his spot, for the remainder of the season. Ive seen it work before if he really wants to be on the line he'll change.

Hmmm...this sounds like a frightful reminder of a little situation that we had in our line last outdoor season...the line decided to do things such as alienate the kid...let him know that he is not in charge and let it be known to the upper classmen that he was trying to take charge...also GET YOUR INSTRUCTORS INVOLVED...this kid is obviously week minded, so he will definately buckle against the stress of an instructor coming down on him...just a few things that we did in order to keep control in the line last year...

Well in any case I wouldn't go down to his level. Show him that you are better than him by doing better than him. A few moments of embarrassment by a director would really take him down. That or let him keep up his act and point all of it to your director. After that a little hint about replacing him wouldn't be out of the question. If any of this doesn't work I wouldn't know what to tell you. Just remember to keep your cool, if you start to yell at him then you can be held responsible too and that's not what your looking for.

Well, while all these things are great ideas the state finals are this weekend and we can't replace him and automatically teach someone all the drill and music in 2 days.

anything is possible ..get a drummer groupie

No, but I have a similar person in my drumline that does the same thing. Except he thinks the whole drumline is his and he can command everything. Other than the fact that he is Section Leader (we have two) He blatantly disregards the other section leader and just ignores everyone else.

I was taught to only ask questions or possibly point a mistake to a staff member and not a member during my first two years of high school. My last two years I could say a thing or two but still left it up to my section leader and staff members to talk.

We actually have the same problem with our percussion section (unfortunately, we have no actual drum line--as a seperate group), none of the percussionists listen to the section leader/drum major who is a senior and knows what he is talking about. The section consists of freshmen who can barely read music and have no desire to be there. It sucks, I know... the upperclassmen and the 5 or so sophomores are the only people who have some level of decency (thank you 6 years of private lessons). Needless to say, he gets quite pissed sometimes. Behavior and such problems are usually solved by the throwing of a bass mallet (and we're talking at least 60mph--literally) across the band room at the offending person -in front of the BD- or in sectionals, he often throws chairs or music stands. Don't get me wrong, I know him personally, and feel his pain, but violence and fear are the only ways to get the section to listen.