As I write this in early February, Louisiana is having a springlike winter. Squirrels fight each other over the dining facilities of what I thought was a bird feeder, the birds are thinking seriously of setting up housekeeping, and a screech owl, still in winter gray, has moved into one of the larger bird houses. I have already planted potatoes, onions, and peas while the winter crop of greens is still producing. I must have slept through winter!
Since taking the position as Executive Secretary/Treasurer of the Society I have really had an excellent learning experience. Working with computers was relatively new to me, and I have made my share of "operator" errors. It really is quite frustrating to have a "machine" sit there and in calm measured tones tell you "Syntax error - operation aborted." or that mindblower "Can Not Find File." Yet, it has been fun as well as educational. I began this office with my second computer, a Radio Shack Model III with four disk drives, a printer, a buffer, a data base program, and a word processing program. It seemed as though I had just learned the correct "syntax" when I promptly ran out of storage space. All four drives were filled, three to full capacity, and the fourth having room for only some 50 more records.
I have therefore purchased a new outfit built around the Tandy 1000 (IBM compatible) computer with a hard disk built in, and with two new programs, Filepro 16, an extremely powerful database, and Wordperfect, an excellent word processor. I have now successfully linked the two computers and the 1000 read all the Model III files into the Filepro 16 program (I don't know about you, but I enjoyed seeing the two machines establish contact and "talk" to each other). All files are now being kept on the Tandy 1000 and are working fine. I have, though, had a spectacular lack of success in merging the word processor with the datebase. I hope to conquer that little problem soon.
Any of you computer buffs out there are sure welcome to send in any ideas, suggestions, etc., but please remember that I am not a computer whiz! I know Profile III Plus, SuperScripsit III, Filepro 16 to a degree, and Wordperfect to a slightly lesser degree. I have a fair knowledge of BASIC and I have a few fun programs I run. Soon, I hope to run a phone line to the computer and experiment with that.
Your Society is headquartered in my home in what was once the "girl's room" but is now known as the "computer room." Presently, the room contains two computers, printer, printer
buffer, a tall bookshelf full of various Society items such as cards etc., a desk, typewriter, a few scattered plants, and a stereo to keep me company. Norma's banner hangs on one wall awaiting our next meeting, and there are assorted pictures here and there. I hope the Society continues to grow until even this Hard Disk computer will need help!
During the transfer of data from the Model III to the Tandy 1000 1 did have one misfortune. Somewhere in that period I lost one important bit of information which I can not find. This was about those who paid their dues late in the year and who may not have received all their publications. Therefore, if you paid your dues late in 1985 and DID NOT receive all four issues of the year, PLEASE write to me and I'll try to get them in the mail pronto and like right now!
When you receive an issue, please take the time to check the label and let me know if there are mistakes. Due to space limitations, there may be some truncating or abbreviating, but the basic information should be correct.
And speaking of labels, we still have too many returns from our bulk mailings, because of change-of-address, temporarily out-of-town, etc., etc. Each return costs the Society about $3.16 so please do turn in a change -of-address as soon as possible.
My thanks to you who have tried to help find our "lost" sheep. A "lost" member is one whose issue first comes back from our bulk mailing with a cryptic note from the post office. When I receive this issue, for the $1.28 1 pay the post office, I receive your forwarding address and the issue. Please remember that our publications will not be forwarded unless you have agreed to pay for all junk mail etc. This is true even if, as several members discovered, you simply move from apartment 10 to apartment 16 in the SAME BUILDING. I then mail this issue via First Class postage to the forwarding address I receive. If it returns again, you are classified as LOST and your issue is placed in the lost file until I hear from you or one of your friends. Please do take the time to read the list of lost members, and try to help. If you live near someone, check the phone book and give them a call and tell them they are lost, whether they know it or not! One member wrote that she was not lost, that the address was correct, but that she had a bad time convincing the post office.
Some of you have expressed concern about "tearing out" the membership page to pay your dues. Please do not mutilate your issue. I will mail out dues reminders every year. If you are a member, simply send the check and a hello. If you must use the form for some reason, just put the information on a piece of paper.
Some contributing members have written about receiving two copies of several issues. This was due to a problem with the "nut' , on the front of the keyboard. We began mailing all contributing members' issues first class as one of the benefits of being a financial supporter of the Society. When it came time to print out the labels, I called for all contributing members first, and then goofed while trying NOT to include them again in the bulk mailing. For you computer folks, it was a case of negative "ands & ors.
William M. Fetcher suggested at our last meeting that we try a marking system for instruments patterned after the American Watchmakers Institute (AWI) National Triangle Case Marking System. I quote from his letter of January 22, 1986...
The idea is to secretly mark an instrument so it can be identified if stolen, and recovered if the serial number is gone or illegible. I've since had a few months to think the matter over and offer the following suggestions. First of all, the code system assigned watchmakers who are AWI members is and remains purely voluntary; not all watchmakers are going to engrave their code in every watch that crosses their benches. Second, any code system can not discriminate; I.D.R.S. member against non-members (and there are a lot of them), flute players against trumpet players, etc. As a means of further identification in case of theft I suggest that all musicians have their own four digit number engraved somewhere on their instrument. This can be done by the dealer, a repair technician, or themselves. Suggested places might be as follows: for woodwinds, under a key that is normally silenced by a layer of cork or felt; strings, inside the pegbox; brass, under a waterkey. The number may be part of the owner's social security number, phone number, automatic bank teller secret number, a made-up number, etc. Hope this idea may be of some use. As for me, being an AWI member I've marked my instruments with my AWI code.
Those wishing more information on this subject may reach Bill at:
William M. Fetcher
Box 5032
Steamboat Springs, CO 80477-5032
Our membership continues to grow. We now have about 2,000 members listed as active with about 450 former members from 1983 & 84. Please do take the time to encourage new members. Try giving a subscription to a student for a birthday present; invite every double reed player you meet to join; show folks an issue; send names and addresses to me, and in every way try to help our continued growth. If you are a faculty member at a summer music camp or some such, write and I'll send you some issues and applications.
In closing, let me again say thank you to all you folks who make this job worth the time it takes! If you are ever in the Monroe area (on 1-20 about halfway between Natchez to the east and Shreveport to the west) please drop by. You can look over the Society's paper home, share a cup of coffee, and tell me about that great reed you had last week . . . right after the recital!