Date: Sun, 20 Jun 1999 21:18:17 -0400 From: "David A. Syrotiak" <nmt-AT-sover.net> Subject: Re: PUPT: Re: Dig-it-all Age Couldn't have put it better myself. Thank you, Rosemary. David (the elder) IcarusPup-AT-aol.com wrote: > In a message dated 6/19/99 0:55:16 AM EST, heyhoot-AT-mindspring.com writes: > > << Oh, and lest we forget, The PofA is, and I quote, "a national non-profit > organization devoted to the improvement of the art of puppetry". It is not > a "professional" organization and therefore the fests should reach out to > all levels of attendees. >> > > While I can't say I appreciate the sarcastic tone of your post, I would like > to respond to some of your comments. > > First, these two things, a "national non-profit" and "professional > organization" are not mutually exclusive. Many organizations are both. > Often, people misunderstand a non-profit and believe it can only be > volunteers, etc. This is not so. Consider that many, many professional > organizations, large and small are non-profits. > > I am somewhat bemused by the suggestion that if a festival doesn't have some > workshops you want to see, you should "submit one yourself". The point is, I > don't need workshops I could lead myself! > > You say yourself festivals should reach out to all levels of attendees. I > couldn't agree more. No one is suggesting beginning workshops be eliminated. > Why should workshops which appeal more to professionals be seen as a threat? > > > For the record, I never claimed workshops were not "up to par"! I suggested > sessions dealing with emerging technologies would be a worthwhile addition. > I also believe more sessions given by people *outside* the PofA, such as > business and marketing experts, would be extremely worthwhile - so deal with > *that*. > > I am continually dismayed by the you-are-either-for-us-or-against-us attitude > that seems to permeate the culture of the PofA. If you dare make a > suggestion, people respond defensively, you open yourself up for all sorts of > criticism, and your loyalty and support of the organization is called into > question. Often, it feels like you are told you somehow have not earned the > right to make a suggestion. No one has to agree with all suggestions, but > shouldn't new ideas be encouraged, rather than discouraged? (I guess I > should just learn to keep my mouth shut.) > > Additionally, if you suggest a new direction, you are accussed of being > somehow unappreciative of all the work done by others. Nothing could be > further from the truth, where I am concerned. I think highly of the PofA and > the dedicated volunteers who give so generously of their time to keep it > going. They are phenomenal in what they accomplish with the resources they > have. I have had marvelous experiences at festivals, and know from running > my own events, what a tremendous lot of work they are. In no way I am > implying that somehow these good people got it "wrong". > > However, isn't there room in this forum for discourse? Why isn't it okay to > suggest new ways we might further the organization's mission? > > It seems to be a paradox that the organization's mission is to "improve" but > so many members seem to want things to stay forever the same. You can't have > it both ways. Improve implies change. It doesn't, as so many seem to > believe, imply "bad before". It just means better and better all the time. > > Isn't that the whole point? > > Regards, > Rosemary > Icarus Puppet Company > > --- Personal replies to: IcarusPup-AT-aol.com > --- List replies to: puptcrit-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu > --- Admin commands to: majordomo-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu --- Personal replies to: "David A. Syrotiak" <nmt-AT-sover.net> --- List replies to: puptcrit-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu --- Admin commands to: majordomo-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
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