"Adopt an Instrument"

Mickey Mills wrote at length about the issue of non-operating
band organs at public venues.  His proposal to restore and get
them used again has my support, but there are a few issues.

If the park has no money [invested] in the restoration they
will not value it.  The unfortunate fact is that, to most people,
what you get for free is not worth much.  I would suggest that the
restoration needs to be done with some matching funds from the
owner in order for them to care about the outcome.

The second issue is with future maintenance.  If the park would not
spend money to keep a band organ running before the restoration,
what makes us think they will after they get it restored at some
reduced rate, or for free?

In order to make this work you need an agreement to do maintenance
on a matching funds basis in the future, or we end up back where
we started.  In other words, the adopter has to keep the machine
running [because] the park just doesn't see the value or they would
not have let it become unplayable in the first place.

Scotty Greene - DeBence Antique Music World
Franklin, Pennsylvania
http://www.debencemusicworld.com/