Subject: Re: [Harp-L] SPAH convention locations.

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

Arthur: I don't believe Americans having passports or not would be the real 
 issue in going to Vancouver for a SPAH.
 
SPAH is an American organization and most of us simply wouldn't be willing  
to travel THAT far away or out of the Country since there still are several 
 Stateside clubs willing and able to help put on a SPAH (the very 
willingness of  St. Louis' Gateway Club to take on the task 2 years in a row due to 
SPAH  getting a great deal on the Hotel, speaks to this issue).
 
I completely disagree though with the idea of having SPAH 'in one place'  
every year as has been suggested and know for a fact that very many SPAH 
members  feel as I do because I've asked. The chance to travel to other parts of 
the  Country (if we aren't able to ever have it in our own specific areas), 
is a  plus. You're not the only one out of the loop--it'll never be held in 
the New  York area either for various reasons including the considerable  
expense which means I'LL have to almost always fly to 'wherever' despite my  
extreme distaste for and discomfort with flying. I make the sacrifice  
because SPAH's worth it. The single time I might have been able to get  there via 
a road trip--Virginia Beach, illness prevented my attendance.  Rats! Mais, 
c'est la vie.
 
 
Like Emile said: it'd be lovely to have it held there again purely for my  
own selfish wish to experience a SPAH reasonably close to where I could get 
to  without flying....but is the Virginia Club willing or able to do it 
again so  soon? Big question. Does New Orleans have people willing to put in the 
work  necessary? I don't believe so, but am curious since I've never had a 
chance to  visit New Orleans. My personal thoughts are that Florida might 
certainly have a  big enough club (or a couple of clubs which could join 
together) to host a  SPAH--but would those clubs have an accessible airport? 
These are all  valid questions the BOD has to consider.
 
We DO know that Texas is always willing to host (I missed Dallas too) and  
there are a couple of clubs there as are the people in California:  
SPAH,Sacramento and Denver were two really great SPAH's to my mind.
 
 
Kickstarter sounds intriguing, but how would one go about that? How to  
educate the people involved about all that they'd need to know TO put on a SPAH 
 --when the various harmonica clubs which have already done so have it down 
to a  science? As well, as far as I know all kickstarter campaigns require  
funding by a cut-off-date. Why would there be a requirement for funds and 
what  happens if/when SPAH turns the City running that campaign down? Usually 
there  are a few submissions and no guarantees.
 
 
The idea that clubs are not recruiting newer and younger members is  
actually not true. I know of two clubs in particular where younger members have  
joined up in serious numbers over the past 2 - 3 years. People in their 30's 
and  40's. They're the right age to be around for a while and able to 
volunteer. It  took serious work on the part of a couple of good people to get out 
 and recruit--many clubs don't seem to feel they should. I believe that's 
where a  lot of the problems of 'defunct' clubs stem from. Anything can be 
accomplished  with some effort and using one's smarts with today's technology.
 
 
This SPAH had more even younger people in attendance than I've ever seen  
before. Encouraging their participation with the realization that SPAH will  
eventually be in their hands is already having its effect from the 
conversations  I enjoyed with some of these interesting young people. They were eager 
to learn  more.
 
 
The groundwork is done and I think a lot of the 'worry' is pretty much a  
tempest in a teapot stirred up by folks who don't seem content unless  
they're complaining about something; creating concern where there shouldn't be.  I 
think you shouldn't worry unnecessarily about the future of SPAH since I  
honestly feel it'll be in good hands.
 
Elizabeth
 
PS: your comment about the average age-range of the St. Louis Club being in 
 their 'mid-70's' is a bit unfair, though. Those who are considerably 
younger  might feel a bit put out by being described as older, and those I  saw 
certainly ran circles around me, for one. And IF you saw him in action,  Stan 
Harper at 92 played and joked as sharply as he did when years younger.  I 
noticed only that he felt the cold a bit (as usual, some Hotel rooms were  
freezing, but that's typical of Hotels)...he's as brilliant a wit and  player 
as he always was. So 'tis true: harmonica playing seems to keep one a lot  
healthier and younger than the rest of the population so 'mid-70's' is 
nothing  to be overly concerned about today. :)
 
 
 
 
Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2013 12:10:27 -0700
From: Arthur Jennings  <timeistight@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [Harp-L] SPAH convention  locations.
To: Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>
Cc:  "harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>

"I'd love to be involved,  but I live in Vancouver, which I don't think 
would
be a good choice; the  hotels here are expensive, we're too far from major
population centres and,  besides, many Americans don't have passports.
 
I think New Orleans would be a great location, if there's a local  group
willing to step up."