I am very pleased to see that there could be an amateur organ builders
rendezvous in the USA.  The one we have in the UK, put on by Peter and
Rosemarie Hood, has become the leading event of the year for a growing
number of builders.

We all go to many steam fairs, etc., throughout the year and see and
hear some amazing organs, but at Peter's event we are all there with
our common interest of making things.  We only take our organs there,
of course, but the friendships made have been many; everyone is eager
to show their innovations and of course improve for the following
gathering.

Peter and Rosemarie do put in a lot of hard work to organise marquees,
food and entertainment.  This year's event has been extended to a week
and two coach trips have been organised: one across the channel to
France and the other to a museum of mechanical instruments and organs.
All of this is great but if we had only been given a field to meet in
it would still be the gathering of the year for us.

I do hope a good number attend your rendezvous; I am sure any who do
attend will be well rewarded seeing other people's achievements and
comparing one another's backgrounds.  It always surprises me how similar
a lot of us can be, having built everything from model air planes and
boats to guitars and for many of us organ building is what we have
always dreamed of.

I do believe that amateur organ builders are the future of mechanical
music.  I look forward with great interest to this event and sincerely
hope it will be a success for you all.

John Smith
Flitwick, UK