Zerka's response

Wed Apr 18 04:28:54 CDT 2007

Thanks to Patti for taking the time to request a more in-depth
commentary from Zerka on this important subject.

Thanks also to Ed, who mentions Zerka's commentary as the base for an
equally important serious conversation for this month's conference.

I also want to thank, in advance, the conference committee, which I am
sure has worked so hard in bringing the conference to us this year, as
well as others involved in the leadership of ASGPP. I would like to
offer some comments in response, and I hope they will be taken as
observations and experiences to consider...

Regarding members...

It would be good to have specific information about members - how many
do we lose and gain each year? Has anyone on the council, or elsewhere,
ever done any kind of survey, formal or informal, about why people do
not renew? I don't recall seeing any of this information. Have I missed
it?

Immediate problems...

>From a marketing standpoint, yes, more attention to getting the printed
program out earlier makes sense. While it is nice to have "save the
date" - information that helps us clear our calendars and not schedule
anything else during that time - I am simply saving the date.
Information about exactly what will be happening at the conference,
including keynoters, special events, honorees, etc., might tip the
scales if the person is uncertain about attending.

Regarding our own sociometry and breaking up subgroups which dominate
the scene...

Adam makes a good point about identifying actions that might address
this concern. I am thinking of the importance of diversity here - and
diversity is not just related to skin color or language but also the
diversity of ideas, needs, incomes and interests. This might include
being aware of students and others on a limited income, retirees, TEPs
who no longer "need" credits, etc.

Regarding planning ahead and high rates for registration and workshops
are high...

Yes, yes, and yes. While we're scratching our heads on this, here is one
aspect that isn't too complicated. Cost IS a very important issue here.
It's real. The average member who is certified is also writing a check
to the ABE to maintain certification and perhaps other fees to provide
CE hours as well. Most members, certified or not, typically maintain
state licensure, malpractice insurance, renter's insurance and fees for
memberships in other professional organizations. Some may also have fees
for certification of state clinics, periodic testing or inspections,
etc. Then there's the actual membership fee to belong to ASGPP, and
certification candidates are also paying tuition for training,
supervision, travel, etc.

Conference-going is much more expensive if a person does not live in the
immediate area of the conference location. For several years now, many
of us have formally and informally, and even in open membership meetings
discussed the option of using a college campus, boarding school and/or
some other off-season venue. This is an option that is already used by
other organizations for their annual meetings and conferences, and this
decision alone would bring down the cost considerably. Rebecca mentioned
this matter in an e-mail earlier this week. I can't understand why we
continue to have these programs at expensive big-city hotels. 

Regarding guidelines for selecting workshops...

I am curious if there are guidelines for selection of events, other than
a title or theme that is generally related to the theme of the
conference. I do not recall seeing or knowing of any specific guidelines
although I have been a member for quite some time. I have read on this
list - and have talked with individuals who have expressed genuine
disappointment and upset that their applications were marginalized,
refused, limited, etc., and the reasons didn't make logical sense to me.
Even though I know we can't please everyoe all the time, I have some
level of sympathy and empathy for these concerns.

Regarding poor young students...

It's been said before that many of us are middle aged and older, and we
all play an important role in bringing in new people - particularly the
leaders of tomorrow. I observed some very cool marketing ideas to reach
out to young people this year, including the video and song on My Space,
which looked a like great way to introduce young people to psychodrama.
(it would be cool to continue creating a My Space page for psychodrama
through the year, not just at conference time, but that's another
e-mail). However, we still have the matters of cost and young people and
newcomers often may not yet have the sociometric connections for room
shares or ride shares. If we are not careful, ASGPP conferences will be
an entertainment for the elite and not the masses. Which, by the way, is
not a bad thing in itself; it just means that a limited amount of people
will be participating at a given time. We just have to ask ourselves if
that is what we want.

I continue to think how the costs can be reduced, while still having an
excellent core of the conference - the psychodrama that all of us love
and has meant so much to our own growth process - as well as contact
with other people who know and love psychodrama and those who are
curious about it. In addition to a non-hotel venue, may I offer some
ideas as reasonable cost-cutting measures:

- Reduce the number of pages in the conference catalog, which is
certainly quite expensive with paper, printing and person hours, not to
mention postage. The catalog is one of the largest I've seen as I
compare with others.

- Consider a reduced-page catalog (half the size, perhaps) to mail with
the longer version available online for download.

- Use a less-expensive paper for the printing of the catalog. The
quality of the high-gloss paper that is being used is high cost. It's
similar to the paper used for the PNN, which is also expensive. I've
spoken about this earlier, when I was PNN editor, and I can't understand
why we continue to do this.

- Encourage "home hospitality" option for members who live in the area
and are willing to open their homes. A donation might be made to ASGPP.
Several organizations, including the Unitarian Universalists, do this.

- Encourage and inform us, and especially young people, of other options
for lodging.

Other ideas? Thanks for listening.

Karen Carnabucci, MSS, LCSW, TEP 
Companions In Healing 

Lake House Health &  Learning Center 
932 Lake Ave. 
Racine, WI 53403 

(262) 633-2645 
karen at companionsinhealing.com
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www.lakehousecenter.com <blocked::http://www.lakehousecenter.com/>  
www.companionsinhealing.com
<blocked::http://www.companionsinhealing.com/>  

________________________________

From: list-bounces at grouptalkweb.org
[mailto:list-bounces at grouptalkweb.org] On Behalf Of PATRICIA DESERT
Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2007 7:04 PM
To: GrouptalkNewAddress
Subject: Zerka's response

Dear Grouptalkers--here is Zerka's response to my request for her
thoughts on the question "Is ASGPP dying?"  Patti

I am not going to get involved in "she says", "he says" and
"I said," or take time to go on group talk.  If this goes there,
that's fine with me.

I have expressed my concern about the ASGPP in the past
to the officers, that we needed to be more democratic, inclusive
and also efficient. In fact, there had been steady erosion of
membership although recently we were informed that, due to
the internet connection, membership is now picking up.  There
were no numbers given, just a general statement made. So
just how well are we doing in that area?  

There are several problems that are immediate and should be
remedied. The printed program of the conference is mailed out
too late. It arrived at my house a bare few months before the
April date.  The BPA, not endowed with any more funding than
we, sends out their program 6 months ahead.  Programs on the
net are fine, but even if I'm old fashioned, I like to have it in hand.
I have been informed that registration is not going as well as is
desirable, although in NY City there is usually a rather good size
walk-in registration.  Could it be that we are too little and too 
late?  We need to look at our own sociometry and break up subgroups
which dominate the scene. 

Professionals need time to plan ahead.  Giving out dates and place at
the conference is not enough; people are pressured and going to our
meetings is expensive. The rates for registration and workshops are
high.  

The program needs to get organized, finalized  and mailed out well
before the conference.

We are a group who feel passionate about Moreno's spirit and getting
together is important. It is also a financial sacrifice.  We
are not a centrally needed group for professionals to become
licensed. People come because they want to be there and they
have no outside financial support these days.

The reception to contributions to the program needs to be more
equitable. I liked the choices on the program but was upset to hear
later that some contributions were turned down for lack of space or
because they already were on the program, yet looking at it clearly
there were a number of people who appeared more than once. And
while I admire the input from the legal profession, why were those
persons twice on the program?  That is dishonest and I have so
stated.  How are such decisions made?  What are the guide lines?
There is general concern about this.

I think there is a danger that we do not offer enough to poor, young
students.  The future is theirs. If we are not flexible enough,
inclusive and fair to our current membership, there is a danger that the
downhill slide will take hold again.  In the past we used to let
students in for free and they came. Maybe a far more modest fee
is needed.  But, the publicity needs to be done, to let them know we are
there and what we stand for.

I do not think that the Council allows the Executive Director the
space he needs to be effective and give his input. 

There have been improvements on the program in welcoming the
newcomers; are there other ways in which they can be included?

I realize that all the work is a genuine labor of love, that everyone
involved is pressured. But let's not forget what gives the spark
to our organization. If we are not spontaneous and creative, how
can we account for ourselves? 

What would our lives be like if we did not have Moreno's spirit in 
our own world?

I miss being able to go to the conference but send you all my 
very best.

Zerka 

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