Why? Why? Why?

[Leslie Bartlett]

I was a member who never planned on taking the exams.  As such I never
expeted RPT status to be of any particular value, and after being RPT for
nearly 10 years, I still sort of feel that way.    My confidence has always
come as I have done good work.  I have only a very few times gained work
because I was an RPT.     But the ideals of the PTG suggest that this is an
organization designed to support technicians of a certain level of
accomplishment or above, and in order to verify that, persons have to
somehow demonstrate their competence in a public forum.  The method isn't
perfect,and I got in trouble even fighting over the tests, but the
bureaucrats had their way and I finally jumped through their hoops.
However until one has done things their way, one has not proven
satisfactorily that s/he has the modicum of accomplishment to be recognized
as one of those creatures called RPT, and therefore really does not merit
the same advertised credibility as one who has gone through the hoops.    We
have a local guy, his dad a CTE in another state, who refuses to join the
Guild because of some bad experiences he had in this chapter a couiple
decades ago.  I'll put his tunings and rebuilds up against most anyone,
certainly around Houston, at least.   Unless one knows him and of his work,
one really has no way of knowing whether he can "cut it" or is bogus.      I
hate bureaucracies, and PTG is one of them things.    But within it are a
lot of very good people who have come to a mind to join as a Guild, to
provide meetings and training conventions, email lists etc. to anyone,  but
with their stated goal is that persons disipline themselves to pass certain
tests which qualifiy them as RPT. So, implied in membership is going through
the exam process.  I certainly hate to admit it as I fought it for several
years.   I have to side with the RPT's, though.  I know lots of people who
are incredibly smart who are not college graduates.  Until they have jumped
through all the college hoops, they cannot claim the same status in the work
place as a college graduate, except for those few who excel so far that
their accomplishments far outdistance a piece of paper.  Same with RPT
status.    It's certainly an imperfect system.  I am quite sure devising a
perfect system would only work for perfect persons, and so few of those
exist as to make the exercise rather futile.   So, in a sense persons who
are not RPT's are non-existent as they have not completed their memebership
by doing what is at least implicit in the bylaws- gain skills to pass exams
and prove they have the skills to call themselves RPT.    In my defense as
RPT,  I jumped through the hoops and am not unhappy that I do have a greater
status in the organization than one who has not. The exams are not
particularly difficult. For me they were psychological torture. For others
they are just a slight bump in the road.  But those who are RPT have put
their skills on display in public, to be judged by people of competence.
JMO
les bartlett
Houston

   _____  

From: pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf
Of Cy Shuster
Sent: Saturday, July 29, 2006 8:18 AM
To: Pianotech List; James H Frazee
Subject: Re: Why? Why? Why?


Only RPTs are listed to the public.  If you login to the member area, you
are listed.
 
--Cy--
 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: HYPERLINK "mailto:jimfrazee at msn.com"James H Frazee 
To: HYPERLINK "mailto:ptg at ptg.org"ptg at ptg.org ; HYPERLINK
"mailto:pianotech at ptg.org"Piano_tech_list 
Sent: Saturday, July 29, 2006 6:41 AM
Subject: Why? Why? Why?

I'd like to know why I am non-existent in your database of members when
using "Finding a Technician" - I'm in my second year of membership so don't
even think about telling me the site hasn't been updated - you certainly
send my dues bill on time!  I am extremely unhappy about this!  I've also
searched for a couple of other techs I know in my chapter - same result!
Why am I paying dues to you?  To do "part" of your job?  Unacceptable,
period.  Shame on you.
 
 
Jim Frazee
914.763.8689
HYPERLINK "mailto:jimfrazee at msn.com"jimfrazee at msn.com


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