This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment It's not that easy, Wim. What I see is a long-term trend and a few quick = questions polled on the internet is not going to give you any real = answers. Besides, nothing is immediate and nothing is a crisis. Indeed, = quite probably nothing ever will be a crisis--we will just go happily = along until one day we start to wonder what happened to the organization = we once knew and loved.=20 Actually, I'm wondering what has happened to it right now, but obviously = many in our midst don't see things the way I do. They don't loss of = vitality and wisdom that I already see developing. A loss which I = attribute at least in part to the policies under discussion here. And = even now, that sense of loss is more for what might have been and for = what might be than for anything that is really wrong right now. Was = there much really wrong with our last convention? Not much, actually. It = was well planned and well run. The staff--both paid and volunteer--did a = great job. They overcame many problems and pulled it off once again with = grace and aplomb. What could be better? There were classes of interest = for everyone--well, almost everyone. And here I have only intangibles to = offer. The bottom line is that had I not instructing there was very = little to attract my attendance. So, I went to Chicago primarily to try = to teach others some of what I have learned over the years. And for this = you tell me I should re-evaluate my motives for attending. If I do, by = all logic I should simply decline and stay home. And, of course, that is = what many have done. They no longer show up.=20 I say I should show up. And I should be willing to share my knowledge = with others. I think my motives are good ones. I think there are a few = others should show up as well. And I think some of them would if it = didn't cost them a sometimes considerable amount of money to do so.=20 PTG, as a matter of policy going back to its formative days, exploits = those who provide it with technical content. Now this is not altogether = a bad thing, and is sometimes a necessary thing. Our policies regarding = instructor compensation were generally formed when the organization was = much younger and poorer. The policy worked and was supported by most = everybody--myself included--at considerable personal expense.=20 We are now a somewhat older and more mature organization, but those = policies haven't changed much. After all, they have worked well for = better than thirty years (of my knowledge), why change them? = Because--for at least one reason--PTG and the economic status of its = membership has changed. In large part for the better and in large part = due to the sacrifices of those early members.=20 I think it's time to now reconsider: Are those policies still working = all that well or are we just conveniently closing our eyes and not = looking? Is it possible we do not see developing problems because we = don't want to see them? Once we acknowledge that all is not right with = our little world and that problems are sprouting up now that are going = to reach full bloom sometime in the future we might then be forced to = deal with them. It might force us to seriously evaluate where we are and = where we want to go and it might cost us money. None of that will make = anyone popular but that is what real leadership is all about. It's = easier and more comfortable to simply evolve than it is to lead.=20 But, good luck. Del ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Wimblees@AOL.COM=20 To: pianotech@ptg.org ; Board@ptg.org=20 Cc: caut@ptg.org=20 Sent: July 24, 2002 12:46 PM Subject: Is there any interest? was Re: no comp.=20 Del and I have been discussing what subjects could be offered at the = convention that would attract more technicians, especially the older, = more experinced ones who have not been coming to the conventions = recently, because there just aren't enough interesting topics offered.=20 The challenge is to come up with topics that might be of interest, and = an instructor who could present that topic, (or offer to teach it = yourself).=20 For the Board, could consideration be given to offer instructors = additional compensation to come up with more advanced topics?=20 Below is the Del's latest comments on the subject. These ideas, = hopefully, will be taken into advicement by the Institute Committee.=20 Wim=20 In a message dated 7/24/02 12:53:31 PM Central Daylight Time, = pianobuilders@olynet.com writes:=20 This is where I would like to see some ideas come out. What = subjects, courses, ideas would attract those who feel the convention = isn't offering enough? Would there be enough of these kinds of classes = to fill out a schedule, or are there going to be only a few, like your = environmental class, that hopefully would attract some of the = technicians that no longer attend? The second problem with this is, if = you have some new classes next year, what will have to be offered the = following year, and the next? Is there ever going to be enough new = material to have those technicians you're talking about, coming back = year after year?=20 Well, I don't know what could be offered. I don't know=20 what other people are interested in. What they are doing in their = 'spare' time.=20 What excites them. What is driving them on. We'll have to search a = bit.=20 As to what to do the year after...let's worry about=20 that next year. Each year will present troubles enough of its own.=20 The next question is, who is going to teach=20 those classes? I know you spend a lot of time preparing new = classes, like the=20 class I just mentioned. But who else is willing to take the time, = and present=20 it, with little or no compensation? Are we gong to run into the = same problem?=20 Are the advanced technicians who have given of their time and = talent for all=20 these many years, and felt "taken advantage of," be willing to = step up to the=20 plate, and do it again?=20 And that, of course, brings=20 us back to where this all started. Yes, eventually we are going to = run into the=20 same problem. With the current policies it will probably be = impossible. But=20 those policies must ultimately change--it is only a matter of time.=20 ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/83/fd/20/2a/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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