<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2743.600" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; BACKGROUND-COLOR: = #ffffff" bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV>Don</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Thanks so much for this idea . .  while we don't have a = Chapter very active in this area, we do have a pretty vibrant arts scene, with many supporters.  I'll take this idea to them and see what the interest = is . . </DIV> <DIV>Jim</DIV> <DIV><BR>----------------------------------------------------------------= ---------</DIV> <DIV> <DIV>Jim Kinnear</DIV> <DIV><A href="http://www.kinnearpiano.com">www.<STRONG>kinnear</STRONG>piano.co= m</A></DIV> <DIV>Collingwood, ON, Canada</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress<BR> <BR>-- Joseph Joubert (1754-1824) French Philosopher<BR></DIV></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=DBee840388@aol.com href="mailto:DBee840388@aol.com">DBee840388@aol.com</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, August 19, 2004 = 10:41 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Loaning pianos to = worthy students</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV> <DIV>In a message dated 8/19/2004 1:04:18 AM Central Daylight Time, <A = href="mailto:joegarrett@earthlink.net">joegarrett@earthlink.net</A> writes:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px = solid"> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jim Kinnear said: "<FONT = face="Times New Roman" size=3>I'll be donating a piano to some needy student this fall . = . . small, =<BR>but it's something . . .  anybody else do similar stuff = . . . any ideas =<BR>or suggestions to watch out for ??<FONT face=Arial size=2>"</FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><BR>Jim,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Not to inflate my worth, as a = tech/person, but I do this as often as the need arises. It has so many rewards, I = can't count them. Let's face it Musicians, (and most piano techs, as well), are = not big in the money department. A helping hand to any needy prospective = musician is the way to go, IMO.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Best Regards,</DIV></FONT> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Joe Garrett, R.P.T.<BR>Captain, = Tool Police<BR>Squares R I</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV> <DIV>To Jim and Joe - We started a piano donation program in the = Chicago Chapter about....a year and a half ago (time flies!).  It = is called A Gift of Pianos and we seek out individuals and organizations who = have piano needs, but limited resources to obtain and maintain such instruments. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>While we don't rebuild pianos in this program, we do completely recondition them and then pass them on accordingly.  One of the = tenets of this plan is to help Associates, or RPTs for that matter, = to gain experience with the opportunity to work on real life = pianos under the eye of more experienced technicians. In this regard, we would specifically like to help those Associates who have a mind to, to = upgrade to RPT status. (This is only one of a good many efforts the Chicago = Chapter has entered into over the years to open to door to Associates. Some = take advantage of these efforts and, sadly, some do not.)</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>At the same time, we see this kind of a program as a promotion = for the Chicago Chapter and the  PTG where people across our Chicagoland = area can learn of the programs merits.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>At present, we've given away three pianos and have eight more in = the pipeline to be donated sometime soon.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Don Bee, RPT</DIV> <DIV>Chicago Chapter</DIV> <DIV> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>