LISTSERV - BULLAMANKA-PINHEADS Archives

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From: "Leland Torrence" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "ARWNY" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Bullamanka-Pinheads - First Response
Date: Sat, 3 Jan 1998 11:04:07 -0500
Message-ID: <19980103160421.AAA18277@default>
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Dear Ken - Happy New Year again and again.  I am pleased to be on your li=
st=0Aof pinheads.  I guess this is superior to the totally "headless hand=
" so=0Apopular with the sheepskin crowd of handless heads.  In Gaul of th=
e Long=0AHairs in 52 BC Caesar's final act to subdue the Celtae and Belga=
e peoples=0Awas to sever both hands of the most resistant foes.  The "Bar=
barians" of=0Acourse severed heads.  Hmmm?=0A=0ABy way of introduction - =
My role is as founder of THE GUILD of Fine=0ACraftsmen and Artisans based=
 in Connecticut USA.  Our goals this year are=0Aas follows:  1)  increase=
 membership  2)  increase network  3)  get=0ATraditional Building to do a=
 special issue on Guilds and like organizations=0A 4)  Get 50 members to =
agree to purchase insurance benefits as a group.  5)=0A Get architects an=
d craftsman working together on a more equal basis.=0A=0AAT least four of=
 our members will be in Boston at the EIG show in March. =0AWe will have =
info on our organization at the Resource Booth.=0AWe are all little peopl=
e with little businesses.  We believe in family and=0Aa career in preserv=
ation as the way to support that family.  We would like=0Ato see the netw=
ork strive to provide work for local artisans ... why should=0Amasons fro=
m New York be doing Boston work? Or vice versa?  =0ACraftsman should be p=
aid for their advise.=0A=0APrecept:  In the world of restoration - a give=
n product in a given region=0Ashould have a given cost. =0A=0AWhy do we w=
aste so much time and resources to writing in a vernacular that=0Acontrac=
tors and craftsmen don't understand (let alone most architects)? =0AWhy d=
o we waste so much of the total construction budget on trying to=0Aproduc=
e bid documents that are almost never complete?  Why must three or=0Amore=
 contractors be educated about the same project when any one of the=0Athr=
ee could do it competently?  Why if the general contractor "buys" a job=
=0Aafter being awarded it is he bidding against others? How does this imp=
act=0Athe monetary compensation of the craftsman?  =0ARestoration project=
s should be built from the ground up as a team.  The=0Acraftsman should n=
ot be spending valuable time on working on projects he=0Awill not get. Wo=
rking on "the promise" of a good days work.  There is=0Aenough work for a=
ll of us and we must band together to get a piece of the=0Apie commensura=
te with our skills and knowledge.=0ALost are the days of the mason's name=
 carved in stone - we must look for a=0Abetter balance of credit.  =0ALet=
's guess .... which is bigger?  Which group has the biggest lobby: =0ALaw=
yers, Architects, insurance or that big organized group of craftsman?=0AT=
he problem has been the same since the middle ages:  when the craftsman=
=0Aget's big he get's greedy.  He is no longer a craftsman, but a manufac=
turer=0Aand entity bound by the concept of corporate responsibility - pro=
fit=0Amaximization.  But we are maximizing the short term at our futures =
expense.=0A Even the cream of the investment world are cognizant of the s=
hortcomings.=0AI quote from a powerful New York firm publication:  "Many =
competitors will=0Abe seduced by short-term opportunities, will cut corne=
rs and will turn over=0Aemployees and customers.  We will need to demonst=
rate vision, perhaps=0Aclairvoyance, long term commitment and enthusiasti=
c loyalty"...to those we=0Awork with.=0AWe do not need to be a large lobb=
ying entity, but we can agree quietly on=0Awhat we will and will not do a=
nd what efforts should be given compensation=0Abeyond verbal "compliment.=
"=0A=0AWell, I'd better stop.. I'm loosing my sense of humor here and Ken=
, I know=0Ayou won't put up with that.=0A=0ATell me more about your pinhe=
ads and how you interact.=0A=0ABest,  Leland Torrence=0A=0A----------=0A>=
 From: ARWNY <[log in to unmask]>=0A> To: [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; Ar=
[log in to unmask];[log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; lelandrs=
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m=0A> Subject: Bullamanka-Pinheads=0A> Date: Thursday, January 01, 1998 1=
0:56 PM=0A> =0A> Happy New Year!=0A> =0A> I have added your name as a sub=
scriber to Bullamanka-Pinheads, an e-mail=0A> listserv, of which I am the=
 active owner and founder. BP is hosted, free=0Aof=0A> charge, on a serve=
r at St. John's University in Queens, NY. BP is not=0A> sponsored by or a=
ffiliated with any corporation or organization and is a=0A> voluntary act=
ivity of the list subscribers.=0A> =0A> BP is a space for those who share=
 an interest in historic preservation of=0Athe=0A> built and natural envi=
ronment and who have a desire to develop=0Arelationships=0A> and support =
each other, beyond professional restrictions, based on common=0A> interes=
ts and through the e-mail media. This is a multi-disciplinary=0Alist,=0A>=
 professional and non-professional meeting on common ground. Everyone is=
=0A> encouraged to engage in the discussions, regardless of viewpoint. Th=
is is=0Aa=0A> list of friends. Subscribers are expected to contribute bot=
h serious and=0Anon-=0A> serious content as they see fit. Share your stor=
ies. Lurking in silence=0Ais=0A> discouraged. The list is not to be used =
for commercial purposes. Language=0Ais=0A> expected to be creative. As a =
subscriber the list will be what you make=0Aof it.=0A> Please take the ti=
me to introduce yourself.=0A> =0A> If you feel that you should not be on =
this list then please advise me in=0A> private e-mail to [log in to unmask]
=0A> =0A> ][<en Follett=0A