Leland Torrence wrote:

> Volunteer organization... */[Leland Torrence] /*I always think 
> non-profits or volunteer outfits should behave as real businesses.

Leland,

I certainly agree w/ you though I am always conscious how D. Boone had 
to deal w/ a volunteer army in the wilderness. There is a great deal of 
energy, time, patience and heartache that has to go into taking 
otherwise unruly volunteers who may, or may not, have a clue where 
things are going, or even for them to agree where they want to go & 
getting them all aligned to not run for the deep woods when they first 
get shot at. I am certainly not in favor of the extreme of a military 
discipline. Whereas in business there is a need for vision & leadership 
there are also very compulsive forces and rather straight forward 
influences such as the need for a pay check. I am not talking so much a 
non-profit with a volunteer element, I am talking an essentially 100% 
volunteer organization.

When it works for everyone to come together, though, it is really neat.

][<

Along those lines:

PTN Mission: “To empower traditional building trades through network, 
good works, community, fellowship and education.”

Network
The essential element of the Preservation Trades Network is the NETWORK. 
Why should we network? Because it empowers us in our lives, it 
reinforces and builds upon our individual talents and our personal 
values. It manifests through our ability and willingness to connect and 
share openly with others that takes us beyond our individual selves. 
Though membership is an important element of a healthy community, a 
network goes the next step and the next steps onward beyond the 
immediate community. To network is to continually reach out to other 
people and to new territory beyond ourselves.

Good Works
We intend through the practice of our combined trades to leave something 
of value behind us in the built environment, but more importantly we 
intend to honor values of traditional trade practice in our lives, in 
our teaching of others, and through our good works. Though we intend to 
do good work in our individual professions, the effect of good works is 
that as a community we provide something of value to enhance and 
celebrate the human condition within the cultural heritage of the built 
environment.

Community
We do not build and rebuild alone. We build with friends regardless if 
they be from any walk of life, any country, trade or profession. We 
share and bond in our experience of working together and with our coming 
together to build and rebuild we build community. We share of ourselves 
within community and live fully through our sense of service to our 
community.

Fellowship
We strive to know each other within our particular trade interest, but 
more importantly to know and to recognize each other across the 
interests of many variations of traditional trade practice, personal 
interests and diversity of professions.

Education
We want to teach others and we ourselves want to learn from each other 
and from others.

Preservation Trades Network, Inc.
PO Box 249
Amherst, New Hampshire 03031-0249
Phone: (866) 853-9335 (toll free)
FAX: (866) 853-9336

E-mail us: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>

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