"PTG Convention is focused on teaching...."

[Delwin D Fandrich]

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  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Clyde Hollinger=20
  To: pianotech@ptg.org=20
  Sent: July 19, 2002 4:08 AM
  Subject: Re: "PTG Convention is focused on teaching...."


  Friends,=20
  I'm glad I'm not the person who needs to make the decisions on these =
things.  While some of us would be willing to pay more for the =
convention, there are already those who don't come because of the cost.  =
The convention committee has to try to hit that happy medium.  If an =
increased expense keeps too many more people away, the committee will =
have less money to work with, not more.=20

  Sometime in the past I heard that PTG conventions are inexpensive =
compared with conventions for other occupations.  Maybe, but it may also =
be true that large companies cover the cost of their employees' =
attendance, while for most of us the money comes directly out of our =
wages.  That makes a big difference.=20

  Regards, Clyde=20



This is sometimes true, but certainly not always. Many professionals and =
semi-professionals are self-employed as most of us are. Regardless of =
the line of work you are in, unless you are the employee of some company =
that sees the value in on-going education and training there will be no =
one else to pick up the tab.=20

Our conventions are a once-a-year bargain for anyone wishing to devote =
the time and energy to attend. So much of a bargain, in fact, that I am =
one of those who believes the registration rates could be (should be) =
raised. Rarely is it just the lack of money that keeps someone from =
attending one of our conventions. While allowing for the occasional =
emergency, it is generally a matter of setting priorities and budgeting =
the requisite time and money. Other things in our lives have a higher =
priority and get a larger share of our budgets. (Maybe the convention =
registration rate should be doubled with a 50% discount given to those =
who have attended at least 50% of the previous years local chapter =
meetings. That ought to shake things up....)

Our convention tries to be all things to all technicians. Other =
organizations tend to focus their conventions toward those who are =
already professionals in their field. They are less of a training event =
for beginners.

One reason for this, of course, is that there are few alternate avenues =
of education in our work so we use our conventions to try and take up =
the slack by offering a multitude of classes, lectures and services for =
piano technicians at every level from the rank beginner to those who are =
quite advanced--a formidable task, indeed. We are trying to structure =
our once-a-year convention to make up for the relative lack of viable =
school facilities around the country.

Personally, I would like to see our conventions change some and focus =
more directly on those who are a bit more experienced--but I could be =
wrong. This is the direction our organization has decided our =
conventions should take and as long as that is the case we're pretty =
much stuck with the way things are. There is a strong motivation for =
leaving things relatively alone--the status quo does work for quite a =
few people. Changes are always uncertain. And we know from experience =
that there will be enough folks willing to devote substantial portions =
of their time and energy throughout the year to provide a reasonably =
high level of technical content even if they are not compensated =
appropriately.=20

As you say, I also am glad I'm not the person who needs to make the =
decisions on these things.

Regards,

Del


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