Jenks;
 Here is my two cents observation of history and crafts Having done my
apprenticeship
in a country which then had a true but changing" working class" North East
Scotland.
I will try to be brief to make a point and not win arguments.First premise to
consider is we no
longer have a "working class' by this I mean class (and not blue collar ) in
Scotland and still in England;
 shop boys and girls all wore similar dress and similar color distintive of
their class ; blue...marrying the bosses daughter or
 even living next  to was not an option; eating or drinking where managment
did was not an option;
even the pub had a division for the upper class. "Are you being served " is a
humuors example of this class
system; however imagine the program without jokes but with the cold efficiency
of mecantile class;
and in a long strectch you have the attraction and socialism of the Labor
Party.As an American living
and working like this "to fit in "was stiffling' however the craftsmen were
rewarded  and honored in this class system.
 The craftsman through the "clerke of the works "( super;boss,site
architect.site engineer and accountant rolled into one)
who also was blue collar had reall power on the job site; they played the tune
behind scenes
to which the owners; money lenders, National trusts
;assurances,universities;doctors lawyers,
and management danced to.The result was top craftsmenship; with recognition to
the craftsmen (as it is expected of his class)
Managment got a top class building;taxes got most of the profits, and the
system repeats itself
A. Traditional craftsmenship;
 all my mentors; teachers;master builders , have never been academic or blue
blood ( children of the upper class)
they by their own sweat
and creativity were role models to their own. and in a way; because of the
class system; held real power
and recognition in the very world they toiled in.Not much different that the
masons guild of the middle age;
where the master mason had reall power and regognition( in his work world)
B. Enter America;
now in the late 90 s Blue collar cities and towns are rare; and do not have
the "culture" of high standard working class of England or European  working
class cultures
 America has always had "a can do "mentality
 and spirit as exhibited in some of our best and worst architecture; I can't
tell you on how many jobs
Ive been on where when something wasn't "known how its done" went ahead and
did it anyway.
."Dats America" my old Sicillian master mason used to say. Centuries of class
and Guild order aren't there;
 art education and appreciation isn't there; I was on Nantucket recently with
a builder friend of mine looking
at an 8 million dollar home; looking at mediocre to bad stone work; "isn't it
beautifull ....everyone agreed"..
.this isn't going to change...the fortunes of our capitalism dosen,t  go hand
and hand with education taste, and consciousness of order .
..low bidding does...leave it up to the poor under paid architect  to get
results out of skinflint contractors
 trying shake down change orders with underpaid quasi literate  workers
scrambling to please both contractor and architect out of fear he will be
disqualifi
ed and/ or be fired
 C. Teaching for 5 yrs I ran a training program with some very talented
cathedral builders from all over the globe.
 It had some major flaws;..I t was for its time the image of being politically
correct..
only minorities.
.neighborhood people could join the training program. Money was contributed
by the Donald Trumps of the day;
 and like all sucess programs on paper it looked like big business helping the
urban poor learn a skill
 on one of the cities premier cathedrals.Young people from affluent suburbs
would come money in hand
looking for training; and the door would be closed to them; unless a minoity
came from an appropriate
"democratic "steering comitee; the door was closed, I must say of 70% of
applicants were
 "professional  "to training programs. Show up... you get.. paid don't show up
and they still can't fire you
or you sue...lovely... Out of millions contributed for the "building program"
and after the various
 "social services" took its "skim"; I can be proud to say there might be 20
minoritiy graduates
 employing their craft in their adult life out there.
Lesson: all applicants for training  have to demonstrate eagerness and
apptitude for diciplined study
 habits and be goal orientated in their life through their choise of study.
Field of study..
 projects and quality of craftsmenship and trade disapline
and their
non dependence on bureaucracies. A good example of this are boat building
schools. I love these schools
as there is no fooling around ,small , intimate,disaplined, the product has to
work; no short cuts;
 and"no stinking badges" to build one ....she floats and is gracefull .., or
tubby and crude(primitive art?) or she sinks
Lesson: As a member of the preservation community We can bond; organize our
guild;
influence government and business but the culture of exclussion is still
sensetive to americans;
 the only "qualified craftsmen need apply " is a red light to self made
millionares and self respecting journeymen alike.
Imitations
of Rodin's "The Kiss " are still alive on many american coffee table as are
drvite arches in churches and unless
we as a culture demand more standards McDonalds and Rickey Lake are our
future.
.Its going to take an army of well educated 12 yr.olds asking their parents
congresmen
and teachers why we have no quality in our buildings and skilled art in public
to turn it around///as we in our old age will always
look like yet another special interest group..to more cunning observers...
there you have it ...da woild in a nut shell....
 Im out of coffee and ... Well Ive prattled on too long ;
 and your into a long snooze.
.but thats my story and Im sticking to it. ..regards       Michael