I was troubled by Tim Trager's post in MMD 020708 and then Kevin
Kline's of 020712 and now must jump in to clear up a couple of things.
As for my credentials, I was Mid-Am treasurer and member of the MBSI
Finance Committee for the entire period in question, and was Registrar
and Treasurer for the 1996 Chicago meeting.

Tim and Kevin are talking about two different monetary contributions
from the Mid-Am Chapter.

The $15,000 that Tim refers to was made in payments over three years of
$5,000 each.  Each time the money was specified for the Endowment Fund
that my father, Bud Bronson, had initiated.  As it was an instrument
created for the long term continuance of the Society, only the proceeds
could be accessed, not the principal.  At that time, even they were
being plowed back into the Fund.  There was no shoring up of the
Society, as it was not necessary.

The amount Kevin notes was the proceeds from an auction held during the
Chicago meeting.  It is coincidental that the amounts are similar.  The
potential proceeds were never considered in the budget for the meeting
and the auction was seen by the Chapter as a side event, over and
above, but concurrent with the convention itself, which incidentally, had
a surplus already.  The Chapter requested that the auction proceeds be
added to the Endowment Fund.  Some of the Trustees felt it should go to
the Museum or other funds, but I'm not aware of anyone who considered
it for the General Fund as the Society was fine financially.  Eventually,
most, if not all, was allotted per the Chapter's original request.

I would also like to speak to Tim's characterization of a segment of
the Society that may prefer music boxes to larger mechanical music.
The term he uses is unnecessary and I believe, due to the grade school
or playground sound, inherently divisive.  If someone wants to specify
this particular subgroup, why not just say musicboxers?  I have been a
member since 1972 and have only missed one national meeting and about
six chapter meetings.  In that time, there have naturally been many
'changes', or maybe better said, 'additions' in the interests of
mechanical music.  Understanding this to be a natural course, the
existing membership recognized that to keep growing, they needed to
accept these new interests and did so each time with a very minor group
of dissidents.

I have found the Society to be a fine group of people with diverse
ideas and a common goal.

B Bronson
Dundee, Michigan