[Harp-L] Re: Good Old Days of SPAH & Good New Days of SPAH

[MilwHarmonica@xxxxxxx]

Hello, SPAH & Harmonica Fans.
 
Please excuse me for not responding to this discussion sooner. My computer  
was not co-operating for the last few days.
 
I've been a SPAH member since 1997 (not this year), and remember the  Iceman 
well. He is a very talented musician, and is welcome to his opinion of  the 
Good Old Days versus the Good New Days.
 
Iceman was a major contributor to the direction of SPAH in the late  1990s, 
through his many hours spent working with the SPAH officers and  convention 
workers to make the organization and convention better every  year.
 
Sometime in the late '90s or early '00s, SPAH and Iceman had a difference  of 
opinion on which direction the organization should pursue. When new  officers 
replace older officers, it's customary to praise the work of the  retirees, 
and give the new officers time and support to do the business of  running the 
organization.
 
As president of the Milwaukee Harmonica Club for 10 years (1997-2006),  I 
participated in the ups and downs of running a much smaller group  than SPAH, but 
it was not easy. Most of the MHC members refused to  spend any time in the 
running of the group.
 
The Iceman was not of that personality when he was with SPAH. He was highly  
respected as a harmonica player and as a tireless worker for SPAH.
 
The Milwaukee Harmonica Club hosted the SPAH convention last year(2007).  
Some of the Harp-L readers wrote that the modern-day SPAH Conventions are too  
restricted, that is, not enough national volunteers, and that the local clubs do 
 most of the work. From what I saw last year, that was untrue.
 
The local work was done by about 5-6 Milwaukee club members, including the  
MHC President Frank Geers, Vice President Dennis Rebek and Secretary Don 
Lorenz,  with a few helpers. I'm very proud of the work the Milwaukee club did. It  
was the only time in the SPAH's history that the convention was held in  
Milwaukee.
 
But the highest percentage of the convention work was done by the SPAH  
officers, and many SPAH volunteers, most notably SPAH President Tom  Stryker, Vice 
President Herb Eck, and the day-to-day convention details were  handled by 
SPAH Membership Director Roger Bale. Many other SPAH members 
did seminars, volunteer work, registration duties, etc. They should be  pra
ised and congratulated for their unlimited convention work. 
 
Personally, I don't see much difference in the volunteers of the Good Old  
Days of SPAH (1997-2002) and the Good New Days of SPAH (2003-2007). The faces  
have changed, and more young harpers are joining the organization, but the work 
 is being done by many dedicated harmonica players. As it has always been 
done. 
 
John Broecker
 
 
 



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