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Because I love painting it has become my hobby. I like to paint, my wife likes my paintings as do my friends. I've sold several paintings even to people I don't know, which is a real thrill each time.

I paint usually at my home studio but was encouraged to join the South Delta Artists Guild 3 years ago and found it to be valuable as a great place to paint in the workshop and to hang paintings to show off and possibly even sell for the lowest price of all $3.00 to hang and 15% commission to the SDAG. The friends I have met and the information I derive from those friendships is invaluable. There is all the advice one could hope to get, available just for the talking. I haven't even mentioned the wonderful Workshops and Seminars that are brought to us almost monthly. Each one is an opportunity to hone the skills and learn new ideas.

When I belong to an organization and I feel I get real value, I also feel that I should contribute back. Some people like to just contribute money, but usually I will offer my time and talents and try to make it a better place for all and to ensure the organizations success.

Why is it then that the Peter Principle seems to be always with us. That's the 80/20 principle where 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people. Our Board of Directors is 14 people out of 140 total membership. They do most of the work along with another dozen people that do lots as well. The rest of the membership just use the facility and although they appreciate what they have, there is no consideration for who makes it work. I often think that if our rates were higher, there would be more appreciation of the value of our guild. It's like the Perceived Value theory that if something is cheap, it can't be worth much. Vice Versa, if it is expensive then it must be valuable. But then is free advice worth what you pay for it?

What is really needed, at every organization, is a feeling of belonging and a need to contribute. Time is usually worth more than money but both are needed. Some people have the time and not the funds. Some have the funds and not the time. That's how it works.

The moral is, Whichever organization you belong to, do your part to change the Peter Prinicple to at least 50/50 and increase the Perceived Value belonging and contributing.

Rod Winning