<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <meta content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" http-equiv="Content-Type"> </head> <body bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000"> Hi Dale, I also get where you're coming from, and I'm glad you haven't taken personal offense to my viewpoint because none was intended. I think we do agree on some points. 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. Perhaps one solution would be to enhance programs that would provide scholarships to technicians who really need to attend but cannot. I just don't know if people would take advantage of such a program, because many technicians who have never been to Convention don't understand what they are missing, while other people find it difficult to "ask for money." To answer your question, I do teach, and I'll be shirking my Institute duties for a couple of hours this year to co-instruct a class and help out with another. But I probably have 1/100th the amount of teaching experience you do, and I do know that the classes you've taught have been a huge benefit to the PTG, so please let me take this opportunity to say "Thank you." I can assure you that the Board and the Institute Team are both very concerned with this issue. Last fall, we spent a great deal of time discussing it, and I'm personally very concerned that we continue making this topic a priority. But it's tricky, because we need to weigh many factors including the budget, the attendees and members, and the wants and needs of instructors. And with the current economic downturn and gradual decrease in attendance, it's going to take some real creativity to be able to give more people what they want. But I'm personally committed to finding solutions, and I think the Board and Institute members also take this very seriously. I'm optimistic and hopeful that we will figure out creative ways to hang on to more of our veteran instructor pool without breaking the bank. To you and to others who have decided that a trip to Alaska is a better way to spend your time, I'd ask you to not completely give up on instructing yet, because if the PTG's leadership can find a way to address your needs, it will happen. I'm going to remain hopeful and optimistic, and I'd ask you to try and do the same. Thanks, Mark On 6/30/2011 7:52 AM, Dale Erwin wrote: <blockquote cite="mid:8CE054C7FD07118-D40-173ED@webmail-d057.sysops.aol.com" type="cite">   Hey Mark    I get where you're coming from and I value the organization. You have made cogent and persuasive points. We don't really know each other so may I ask , do you teach?  Perhaps our experience is vastly different. I think we will agree to disagree...or maybe not. I am not holding a contrarian opinion just for the sake of it. When on the occasions I have taught it was usually 2 period classes. The class prep prior to the convention and trying to get everything done in the shop so as to be able to be able to afford to do it this usually left me exhausted and often I missed out on far more classes than the percentages you state. Being in Calif. I often must travel a far distance to different time zones which means I always lose time and start at a deficit so I'm always trying to catch up on the energy level. </blockquote> </body> </html>