-- non-subscriber, please reply to sender and MMD --

Hello,  This is my first posting on the MMDigest, however, I have
a feeling it won't be my last.  I have been professionally restoring
automatic musical instruments for 33 years and have been a member of
AMICA since 1975.  In addition, I was the chairman of AMICA Minneapolis
Convention 2005.

It took a dozen volunteers hundreds of hours to organize this year's
convention.  We had requests to

 * attend only the Friday evening organ concert,
 * to attend Wed.- Fri.,
 * to attend Fri.- Sun.,
 * to attend only the mart.

As you can imagine, it would have been virtually impossible to have
different levels of registration.  Once you break the registration
[rules] for one person, one would feel obligated to do so for all.
It was a complex process putting the convention budget together.
Partial registration would have made it more complex.

I might also point out that with the $299 registration fee one received:

(3) breakfasts
(1) lunch
(1) buffet dinner
(1) banquet with 14-piece orchestra
(2) organ concerts
Tours of James J. Hill House, Foshay Tower observation deck, Mill City
Museum, the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting, Minnesota Transportation
Museum, Como Park Carrousel Technical workshops.

Having lived in Minneapolis for the past 35 years I had also seen most
of the sights, but I paid my $299 plus hundreds of hours of planning.
It was fun seeing (showing off) familiar sights with new friends.

I have a very strong opinion that "if you are not part of the solution
you are part of the problem."  If Mr. Farmer feels we are not good
stewards of AMICA, then I would suggest that he join us and change it
for the better.  Perhaps opening up the mart to the public might have
been a good idea, but pouting and stomping away from organizations that
are attempting to provide a forum for people who want to preserve
automatic musical instruments isn't the answer.

Join us, Mr. Farmer.  National membership is only $47 per year and
local dues to the Northern Lights Chapter are $15.  Send me your
address and you will be invited to our next meeting.  Check us out!

Don Barton, RPT
Minneapolis