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<DIV><SPAN class=390362303-01072011><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial>Hi
Alan et al,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390362303-01072011><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390362303-01072011><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial>Whoever told you $10-$50 would do it was misinformed. I think dues
would have to double for the convention to be free. With a large increase
we would lose a significant percentage of the membership that makes a
moving target that is hard to calculate but that's my best guess. Doubling
dues won't have much effect if half the membership resigns</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390362303-01072011><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390362303-01072011><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial>I've
been reading a lot of posts and have a few comments which I'm sure won't be
received in the spirit they are intended but here they are. First, participation
in this listserve is down because fewer posts are on topic or piano related.
There have been more piano related posts on the new site that's why some of us
have spent more time there. Second, I believe some workaround compromise will
come about to keep the lists going longer. My question is how many of the people
who have complained are ready to serve as admins or do other thankless jobs to
keep these antiquated listserves going? Don't bother telling me how much you
dislike the Higher Logic site and that these listserves are perfect. I heard
complaints for years about these listserves and their jumbled digests,
archives and other issues when I was on the Board. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390362303-01072011><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390362303-01072011><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial>On the
topic of instructor reimbursements- it's simple math. With registration
prices lower this year, less could be reimbursed to instructors because the
budget of PTG depends upon income from the convention to pay bills. I
understand that instructors put a lot of time into presentations, I've taught
before. Board members put in a lot of time also, as do examiners and other
volunteer members. Del hit it right on the head when he said PTG was a volunteer
organization that was built by a generous spirit of volunteerism. I can tell you
first hand it still is and we are still building. How to get from a totally
volunteer organization to one where some folks get reimbursed has been a
problem that we have yet to solve. I do know that it will never be amenable to
everyone, no matter what we do.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390362303-01072011><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390362303-01072011><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial>As to
"the absence of some of our finest independent instructors" at the annual PTG
convention- these will be the first classes I've have had a chance to attend to
since 1997 and I'm looking forward to them. There are new classes and new faces
and that is not altogether a bad thing. Do I wish some of my old friends would
be there? You bet! I also wish that my friends could find some value in
attending these new classes whether they were teaching or not. I've been at this
30 years and I've yet to find a class that didn't make me a better tech for
attending. I'll grant that some do more of that than others but the worst I ever
attended was pretty darn good. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390362303-01072011><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390362303-01072011><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial>I wish
you all the best and I hope to see some of you in KC. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390362303-01072011><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390362303-01072011><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial>Dale</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390362303-01072011><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390362303-01072011><FONT color=#0000ff size=2 face=Arial>PS
Please keep in mind that these folks some of you are criticizing so vehemently
are volunteers you elected who take time away from their families and work
to serve. In my experience Board service at the RVP level takes a month out of
your year and it don't get better if you move up to the Executive Committee. If
you really feel motivated to make changes, sign up and get involved. I can tell
you from personal experience, one motivated person can make a
difference.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390362303-01072011><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390362303-01072011>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=2>Dale Probst RPT</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=2>Registered Piano Technician</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=2>Ward & Probst, Inc.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=2><A
href="http://www.wardprobst.com/">www.wardprobst.com</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=2><A
href="mailto:dale@wardprobst.com">dale@wardprobst.com</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390362303-01072011><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=390362303-01072011><FONT color=#0000ff size=2
face=Arial></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px" dir=ltr>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr lang=en-us class=OutlookMessageHeader align=left><FONT size=2
face=Tahoma>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <B>On Behalf Of
</B>Alan Eder<BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, June 30, 2011 6:01 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
pianotech@ptg.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [pianotech] teaching money,(was
Irritated )<BR><BR></FONT></DIV><FONT color=black size=2 face=arial><FONT
class=Apple-style-span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hi Mark,</FONT>
<DIV><FONT class=Apple-style-span
face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT class=Apple-style-span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I am
deeply concerned about the absence of some of our finest independent
instructors at this year's national convention.<BR></FONT>
<DIV style="FONT-FAMILY: helvetica,arial; COLOR: black; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">
<BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 3px">I would
also rather pay higher dues and/or registration than to see the quality of
instruction diminish, but I'm also sensitive to the needs of beginning
technicians who may truly have trouble affording the cost of attending.
</BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>I recently heard that someone (named Carl Lieberman?)
calculated that with a modest increase in dues (was it $50? or $10? Carl?),
convention registration could be free to all comers. Sure, everyone
would still have to get themselves there and pay for a room (hey, you have to
eat whether you are at home or on the road), but this would enormously
increase the incentive to attend conventions ('cause it's already paid
for--take it, or leave it). This approach, coupled with the kind of
respect, both verbal and monetary, exemplified by some of our better one-day
seminars and regional conventions, could enable the nationals to not only
return to their former glory, but to surpass it by showing that we truly value
excellence in instruction and seek to promote our own professionalism.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>I appreciate your involvement in this issue and thank you for taking the
time to hear me out.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Alan Eder<BR><BR>
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