EJ

[richard west]

Ernie Juhn assumed the PTG General Council lacked facts, acted out of
ignorance, and should come to its senses.  I disagree.  The fact is that
PTG has consistently and repeatedly taken an open door policy in
regard to recruiting members, and has always put education as a top
priority.  We have prospered because of those policies and to go back
to the "good ole boy" days may be desireable to people like Ernie, but
not to me.

We may have a glut of Associates, but I would rather welcome them in
and try to affect their professional abilities than have them out
there ruining pianos.  Moreover, I see nothing wrong with trying to teach
in a professional manner and trying to come to some agreement as to what
are effective procedures.  If PTG can provide good resource material, it
should because until PTG started doing so we suffered under a gross lack
of high quality, printed, and widely available information.  What has set
PTG apart has been its willingness to share information.  Even with the
materials PTG has produced, there's room for more.

I could make a nice sounding testimonial about PTG, but I'm no flag waver.
I simply feel that PTG is no different from a lot of other volunteer
organizaions be it church, Elks, Masons, or the SPCA.  They're needed,
but they all have their  internal squabbles, petty power struggles,
and a good dose of jerky behavior.  PTG goes on, and we're better off
with it than without it.  For those that want PTG to be a social
organizaion, it can be;  for those that want education, they can get
it.  For those that love to take pot shots, I can only say they have a
narrow viewpoint, a grudge, or are just too meanspirited and independant
for their own good.

In short, PTG is on the right track and with patience, perserverance, and
a little common civility and forgiveness, it will do okay.  End of
sermon.

PS  I don't know anything about MPT, but to an outsider it looks like
PTG did 40 years ago.

"Fraternally"

Richard West
University of Nebraska