PTG membership...long

[CRANE@TWSUVM.UC.TWSU.EDU]

Thanks for posting the quote from the June 1965 Journal, Vince.  Nice
reading!

As this list is read by many who have yet to take their RPT exams and,
probably, some who are unfamiliar with the exam process, it might be
worthwhile to point out that what the quote said about examiners
making value judgements as to an applicant's "aspiration"
(or lack thereof) as part of the RPT tests is no longer true.

The exams in current use are very objective in their measurement of
demonstrated skills and precious little, if anything, is left to
subjective "call" by the examiners.

At the convention in Dearborn, I had the opportunity to meet a person
who proclaimed the RPT exams to be part-and-parcel to the politics in
our organization and that he had no need or reason to take the exams.

I assured him that his vision of RPTs a group of "elitists" with noses
in the air because they had passed the exams was contrary to my
experience and personal attitude.  I explained that the very subjective
nature of the exams left no room for any of the good-old-boy pass/fail
type shenanigans which he suspected of the examiners and that the exams
were *not* used as a filter but, instead, to set a very basic minimum
standard.

I agreed with him that he *could* pass the exams if he chose to take them
and I did not argue with his assertions that his becoming an RPT would
not increase his income or social standing (he knows his own situation
and I *don't*).

But I encouraged him to go ahead and pass the exams and become an RPT
for two reasons:
First, that *everyone* learns through the exam process and even somone
with his experience might learn a thing or two.
Second (and more importantly) that it *feels different* on this side of
those exams and that, finding yourself an RPT, I realized just how
basic (and important) those standards are.

I told him that, on the other side of his exams, he'd probably find
himself doing exactly what I was doing...encouraging as Associate to
become an RPT for all the *right* reasons.  Some time later, we crossed
paths again and he said he'd been thinking about what I'd said.  I hope
he takes the plunge!

Alan Crane, RPT
Wichita State University
crane@twsuvm.uc.twsu.edu