Journal of the American Viola Society Volume 6 No. 3, Fall 1990

-Location of participants/respondents
-Distance to Congress
-Canadian Viola Society (CVS)
Unfortunately, Ms. Frederking has
missed the significance of the Summary
and Conclusions in the Survey Report. It
is in the interests of existing organizations,
to monitor their members' mandate in
order to ensure and maintain their
interests.
Questionnaire conlpletion rates of n1en and
women:
Questionnaire returns were 2:1 in favor
of women based on returns from the
survey. The report stated that "one could
speculate that women will complete
questionnaires more readily than men...."
By having access to additional information
after the Congress, Ms. Frederking simply
confirmed that women at the Congress
completed the questionnaire more readily.
Location of participantsr res pondents:
The report indicated that seventeen
states plus D.C. and three provinces were
represented at the Congress. One's
residence was taken from completed
questionnaires. Once again, additional
information, has provided Ms. Frederking
with knowledge of an additional eleven
states, one province, and three foreign
countries, who had participants. However,
these individuals failed to submit their
input at the Congress. Furthermore, what
is important, is the fact that a significant
number of states and provinces had no one
registered at the Congress. The Report
comment was directed to the market
penetration and universal appeal of the
AVS and CVS. As national organizations,
is the lack of universal participation an
important issue? Is it a realistic goal to
have a significant number of members
from all states or provinces?
Distdnce to the Congress:
The map of the U.S.A., that was
included in the JA VS article, illustrated
pictorially that distance did not prevent
registrants, and subsequently survey
respondents, from travelling to California,
States such as, NY, ME, MA, CT, MD,
PA, IN, IL, KY, and provinces such as ON
and AB were represented at the Congress.
The report also stated that "the host state
contributes significantly to the total
attendance." Ms. Frederking simply
confirmed this result in the report, once
again, by stating "California residents
accounted for 47% of the Congress
participants."
Mrs. Frederking suggests that the lack
of Canadian participation at the
Congress is due to the distance factor,
and that "California is a long way from
Canada." However, geographically,
California is closer to the Canadian
provinces of MB, SK, AB, and BC, than
some nineteen states. In fact, there were
respondents, who were not members of
either the AVS or CVS, who travelled
from DC, MO, AB, and IL. Her feeling
"that distance has to be counted" is
contrary to the survey responses. Her
comments may in fact be based on a
very small number of questionnaire
returns to the CVS, regarding an event,
where those who did not attend
indicated, "that it was just too far
away..." (CVS Newsletter #22, Fall
1988).
CJ/S:
The report stated that "Canadian
participation was weak at the Congress.
Should the CVS continue to be a separate
organization?" Ms. Frederking found
this "most upsetting" and states that "The
Canadian Viola Society still numbers
eighty members, most of whom see
distinct value in a separate Society."
Perhaps her position as Secretary­
Treasurer with the CVS, has something
to do with her statement. Interestingly,
"a meeting of the CVS was chaired by
Ms. Frederking..." at the Redlands'
Congress. "One outcome of the
discussion was a debate on the merits of
the CVS as a unique organization, an
entity distinct from its much larger
founding body, the AVS...\Ve decided
that it was important to maintain a
distinctly Canadian organization..." (CVS
Newsletter #24, Fall/Winter 1989). \Vhat
is remarkable is that the question of the
CVS, noted independently in the Report,
was also discussed at the CVS meeting.
This meeting confirmed the independent
view based on survey returns.
Apparent discrepancies, that Ms.
Frederking comments about, do not
adjust or modify any conclusions drawn
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