CH letter to Journal Editor

[harvey]

List, with apologies if appropriate, I don't feel the following is
"politically" out of order for this group. It's short, and may be of value
to Bob Hite and others in their decision-making. I submit this from this
month's Western Carolina's Chapter newsletter. 

Permission to use via newsletter, addresses removed, anything in brackets
is added by me. -jh-

July 17, 1998

Clayton Harmon at Providence
(His letter to the Journal Editor)

Dear Steve [Brady];
	During the recent Convention in Providence I felt a strong compulsion that
my thoughts must be sent to the Journal. This could be titled, "Why Go To A
Convention?" but I will leave it to you to call it.
	It began in July 1947. My Dad and I went to a piano tuners convention. We
drove to Detroit in his 1939 Oldsmobile. As I had joined the American
Society of Piano Technicians in 1946, I was anxious to see what happened.
Here I was, a 28 year old fledgling. I had not yet understood why those
hammers were so slow coming back. Or, what my Dad meant when he said,
"Always narrow your fifths and widen your fourths." My Dad was my teacher
and mentor. He went to the old Oliver C. Faust school of tuning in Boston
in 1922.
	I will never forget my first impression in Detroit. Here was a bunch of
old gray-haired (and some with no hair) guys rushing around. Names like
Gearman, Stonaker, Davis, Hoskins, etc. What impressed me most was their
willingness to share with me their knowledge. They welcomed me with open
arms. Perhaps my southern drawl had something to do with it. As I recall,
there were very few Southerners there. Their attitude and accepting me as
one of them convinced me everlastingly of the importance of organization.
Without that first impression, I doubt I would have made it.
	Through the intervening years I have been to many conventions. Not all,
maybe half, all over the U.S. They kept getting better and better. It
reached that point where it was difficult to select all the classes I
wanted to attend. Now, at age 78, my reasons for going to Providence was
not to go to classes, but to renew old friendships and see the changes in
the piano world. I have always tried to get publicity for the Guild at
every convention.
	This year I wrote to the Providence Journal, my intention to give a piano
tuning to some local deserving organization or individual. We had ten calls
wanting the tuning! I selected two of the ten and have never seen a more
appreciative group in my life.
	At the banquet Friday evening I met Fred Archleta, from Charlotte, NC. (HE
is a fledgling like I was.) I invited him to go with me on the second
tuning. He was anxious to go and, as it turned out, he was a great help to
me. I shared many things with him. Now we have come full circle -- I am one
of the old guys sharing with a beginner. It's great to go to conventions.
You always get more than you bargained for.

Harmoniously,
Clayton Harmon, RPT

[JH note: I don't think the title or focus of this letter need be
restricted to going to conventions.]