JAVS Fall 1990

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-Location of participants/respondents -Distance to Congress -Canadian Viola Society (CVS) Unfortunately, Ms. Frederking has missed the significance of the Summary and Conclusions in the Survey Report. It is in the interests of existing organizations, to monitor their members' mandate in order to ensure and maintain their interests. Questionnaire conlpletion rates of n1en and women: Questionnaire returns were 2:1 in favor of women based on returns from the survey. The report stated that "one could speculate that women will complete questionnaires more readily than men ...." By having access to additional information after the Congress, Ms. Frederking simply confirmed that women at the Congress completed the questionnaire more readily. Location of participants r res pondents: The report indicated that seventeen states plus D.C. and three provinces were represented at the Congress. One's residence was taken from completed questionnaires. Once again, additional information, has provided Ms. Frederking with knowledge of an additional eleven states, one province, and three foreign countries, who had participants. However, these individuals failed to submit their input at the Congress. Furthermore, what is important, is the fact that a significant number of states and provinces had no one registered at the Congress. The Report comment was directed to the market penetration and universal appeal of the AVS and CVS. As national organizations, is the lack of universal participation an important issue? Is it a realistic goal to have a significant number of members from all states or provinces? Distdnce to the Congress: The map of the U.S.A., that was included in the JA VS article, illustrated pictorially that distance did not prevent registrants, and subsequently survey respondents, from travelling to California, States such as, NY, ME, MA, CT, MD, PA, IN, IL, KY, and provinces such as ON and AB were represented at the Congress. The report also stated that "the host state contributes significantly to the total

attendance." Ms. Frederking simply confirmed this result in the report, once again, by stating "California residents accounted for 47% of the Congress participants." Mrs. Frederking suggests that the lack of Canadian participation at the Congress is due to the distance factor, and that "California is a long way from Canada." However, geographically, California is closer to the Canadian provinces of MB, SK, AB, and BC, than some nineteen states. In fact, there were respondents, who were not members of either the AVS or CVS, who travelled from DC, MO, AB, and IL. Her feeling "that distance has to be counted" is contrary to the survey responses. Her comments may in fact be based on a very small number of questionnaire returns to the CVS, regarding an event, where those who did not attend indicated, "that it was just too far away ..." (CVS Newsletter #22, Fall 1988). CJ/S: The report stated that "Canadian participation was weak at the Congress. Should the CVS continue to be a separate organization?" Ms. Frederking found this "most upsetting" and states that "The Canadian Viola Society still numbers eighty members, most of whom see distinct value in a separate Society." Perhaps her position as Secretary Treasurer with the CVS, has something to do with her statement. Interestingly, "a meeting of the CVS was chaired by Ms. Frederking ..." at the Redlands' Congress. "One outcome of the discussion was a debate on the merits of the CVS as a unique organization, an entity distinct from its much larger founding body, the AVS... \Ve decided that it was important to maintain a distinctly Canadian organization ..." (CVS Newsletter #24, Fall/Winter 1989). \Vhat is remarkable is that the question of the CVS, noted independently in the Report, was also discussed at the CVS meeting. This meeting confirmed the independent view based on survey returns. Apparent discrepancies, that Ms. Frederking comments about, do not adjust or modify any conclusions drawn

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