<HTML>In a message dated 7/25/02 11:04:00 PM !!!First Boot!!!, joegarrett@earthlink.net writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Earlier, when this discussion began, I stated that Every Year, the convention MAKES a profit. Sometimes more than others, but a profit, non the less. This money is not being put to good use, but rather is used for some of the frivolous junk that the Board has in their own agendas. </BLOCKQUOTE> Joe Kent has already explained the volunteer efforts of the convention. If we want this to continue to be a member driven organization, then we have to ask members to step up to the plate, and continue to volunteer. If, as Del has said, there are members who have opted not to teach any more because they felt being taken advantage of, then sop be it. I think there are enough volunteers who will continue to give their time and talents not to have the PTG suffer. While I agree we might be loosing some terrific instructors, I am sorry, but we can't have a few instructors hold the rest of the PTG hostage with a demand for getting paid more to teach, when there are other who will teach for nothing, or get a small paycheck.   But I digress from my point. You say the Board is frivolously squandering the profits of the convention. While the convention does make a profit, we had better be grateful, because it is keeping our dues as low as they are. In 1999, the convention made a profit of $56,169. The PTG net income was $31,466. Take away the profit from the convention, and the PTG would have had a deficit of $24,703. In 2000, the Convention made a profit of $46,644. The PTG net income was $3482. Take away the profit from the convention, and the PTG would have had a deficit of $44,162. In 2001, the Convention made a profit of $48,838. The PTG had a deficit of $43,662. Take away the profit from the convention, and the PTG would have had a deficit of $92,500. If we start giving the instructors more money, the bottom line will be higher dues for each individual member. So we either pay members who teach more, and pay higher dues, or we ask them to teach for the current compensation, and have lower dues. What would you rather do? Wim </HTML>