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Old duffers!

To: Nigel Horne <brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Old duffers!
From: "Bill Walker" <Walker@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 07 Mar 2000 10:29:21 -0800
Priority: low
Reply-to: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

There has always been a divergence of opinion between the old and the
young and it's a damn good thing.
About five years ago I had the misfortune to be the president of a
seniors harmonica band which consisted of a bunch old goats all  in
their late seventies.
The subject of grants came up one day at one of our meetings and it was
suggested that I enquire into a grant for the band.
I looked around and saw a bunch of reasonably dressed people who were
all apparently well fed and housed. I said it was against my morals to
ask the government for anything when there were still children going to
bed hungry. There was then an uproar and I was told that regardless of
any grants we received those children would still be hungry. I was angry
about the remark and several weeks later I left the group vowing to
never go near any seniors groups again.
I was wrong of course and should have suggested we put fundraising
concerts for childrens issues as one of our reason for being.  Also, I
should have realised that "something for nothing" is a human trait and
not exclusive to seniors.
But even more important,  had I been a little brighter I would have also
realised that it's seniors not children who vote governments into power
and governments only payback their supporters.
Accordingly, I congratulate Dave Williams and his mate for devoting
their obvious talents to doing some charity fund raising and suggest we
all may feel a little better about ourselves if we did the same.
In a separate mail I have written to Dave and said in part that contests
are not the only reason bands exist and adjudicators opinions are not
important to the survival of the art form which is Brass Banding.
Also, when Dave and I are twanging on harps in the "big band in the sky"
we will be replaced by aging ex-contesters who will no doubt agree with
Daves wise words!
The big wheel just keeps turning Dave and it eventually gets around to
all of us.
Please stick with us Dave as there will always be room for another
opinion even if it's from an old duffer!
Cheers
BillW


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