The Future of PTG

[FRED W TREMPER]

Dear Friends:

The following message is by Wim Blees, RPT, of the St. Louis, Missouri,
Chapter.  It was sent to me and to others.  I consider it an important
statement and should be read by those who are concerned with the workings
of the Piano Technicians Guild.  It is presented here with the approval
of Wim.
--Fred W. Tremper, RPT, Bluegrass Chapter

THE FUTURE OF PTG
Is it really going where you want it?
(A follow up on Ernie Juhn's 2nd Newsletter, written, edited, and paid
for by Willem Blees RPT)

This is not a rehash of the idea I have been pushing in the past.  This
letter is more a follow up on Bob Stephenson's [RPT; Twin Cities, Minnesota
Chapter] letter that was enclosed in Ernie's letter.  In his
letter Bob detailed how the President announced to Council that a "Long
Range Consultant" would be hired.  What Leon failed to mention at the
time, [was] that in order for the consultant to do her work, she has to meet
with the Board for 4 days to explain what she wants to do.  As Bob
points, out, however, it is not going to be her agenda that the PTG will
follow, it will be the Board's agenda that she will accommodate, and will
be made to look as if it was her goals.  What this is going to mean that
the Guild will be duped into thinking that a "professional" consultant has
recommended that we follow a certain path, while it is really going got
[sic] to be the path of a few members who are currently in power.  And
don't think for a minute that the few who are in power now are not
ifluenced greatly by some former board members, and one in particular.

When Fern Henry first told me about the Marketing idea, I thought it was
great.  A professional approach to getting the PTG and its members
in front of the public.  The Marketing Committee became a strong
influence in the way we marketed ourselves, and the way the PTG was being
marketed.  At the time it sounded like a terrific idea, but now looking
back on it, it was not a marketing strategy for all the members, it was a
marketing strategy for a few members, for their own benefit, but paid
for by the PTG members.  The Marketing Committee, and especially its
chairman, who has strong ties to a former President, became so strong
that for the first time since I have been going to Council, (about 15
years), a committee's response to a Bylaw change was allowed in the
agenda book.  That same person has been promoting the development of the
Associates through the PACE Program.  As I pointed out earlier, there is
nothing wrong with the PACE program, but that is another program that was
announced at Council that it existed.  There was never a discussion, or a
vote, to implement the program, until after it had been established.
Then came the Vertical Action Curriculum.  Again, this program was
announced as being in existence.  The Board even instructed the President
NOT to implement the curriculum until after Council had approved it.  But
again, the President announced at Council that the curriculum had been
published, and was available.  Now that we have it, we don't know what
to do with it, and no one is going to buy it at the price they are asking.

Now comes this Long Range Planning consultant.  Again, it was announced
that we are going to have one.  However, it was not voted for, and Leon
never mentioned at Council that it was going to cost the PTG another
$10,000 to train the Board.  Why weren't we told?  Because he wanted
complete control over the situation.  After this weekend training
session, only the Board members will know how to implement this long
range planning, and guess what is going to happen next.  A Long Range
Committee will be established, under the pretext that the consultant
recommended this.  And guess who is gong [sic] to be chairman of this
committee.  Why?  To make sure that her ideas of where the PTG should go
will be implemented.

If you want this to happen, if you are fed up with the way a few
individuals are running the Guild in a manner not to your liking, now is
the time to do something about it.  If you agree that this has to stop,
pick up the phone right now and call your Regional Vice President and
call Leon and tell them to cancel the Long Range Training session.  You
have to do this right away, because the training session is next weekend,
November 10-13.  Let you [sic] RVP, and the President know that you are
not happy with this, and that they will be held accountable for spending
this money without authorization.

As Ernie said, "we must DO AWAY with the STATUS QUO", and as Bob said,
"Remember, this is your organization."  Don't let a few run it for you.

--Wim Blees, RPT
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Fred W. Tremper, RPT
Morehead State University
Morehead, KY 40351
f.trempe@msuacad.morehead-st.edu
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