Re: Paying to present

[Bernard Cleyet <anngeorg@PACBELL.NET>]

Probably a bad idea to not regularly delete old posts, as not doing
engenders more replies.

I have two new (to me) thoughts:

1,  This sound's a bit like bait and switch, which here in CA is illegal
and results in fines, etc.  If you're still ticked off you (DS) might
check with your friend, the attorney.

2,  I think it would certainly be in order to, during your presentation,
discuss your thoughts about how you were treated, including all you
mentioned below.  I think such behavior on their part is execrable.

bc, empathetically "ticked off" too.

p.s. you don't have anything left over, do you?  e.g. wind tunnel
instructions, etc.

Dwight K. Souder wrote:

> Greetings everyone.  It has been a while since I=92ve last posted, bu=
> t
> something recently has been bothering me.  I have a situation that I =
> would
> like some input on the topic and possible ways of addressing it, if a=
> ny.  I
> may be in the wrong or may not=85I just want to hear what everyone ha=
> s to say
> about it.
> =20
> About a week ago, I was at a science conference as one of the present=
> ers.  I
> was there just to present.  Shortly after I arrived, I was told that =
> I
> needed to pay before I presented.  I was told that I needed to regist=
> er
> before I could present and the registration fees were $140.00.  I tri=
> ed
> explaining that I=92m just here to present, not do anything else.  It
> apparently didn=92t matter, so I paid and presented.
> =20
> Granted, I believe my school will reimburse me, but that is beside th=
> e
> point=85especially considering the financial situations many of the s=
> chools
> are in.  What bothers me was that I was one of the few science teache=
> rs
> presenting and sharing my experiences and ideas to help aid other tea=
> chers
> at their own schools.  I spent a huge amount of time and my own perso=
> nal
> money to prepare so that the teachers will leave with a lot of materi=
> als
> that they could use immediately in their own classroom.  On top of th=
> at,
> driving about a 100 miles, my school having to pay for a sub, I even =
> had to
> find someone that I could stay with, rather than staying at a hotel, =
> so that
> I could make it more affordable for my school to allow me to leave an=
> d
> present.  A couple of months earlier, when I was filling out the info=
> rmation
> about wanting to present and the details of my presentation, there wa=
> s never
> any mention on the form of payment.  So to arrive there, eager to pre=
> sent
> and share my information, and to have someone tell me right before I =
> present
> that I need to pay them=85it just ticks me off! =20
> =20
> Is this a common practice?  If so, then I question whether or not I=
> =92ll
> present again=85especially for them.  To me, it seems like common sen=
> se if not
> common courtesy, if someone is coming out of their way to present at =
> a
> workshop/conference, you don=92t make them pay.  If anything, you giv=
> e them
> some sort of compensation/tokens/free meal for doing so.  To me, it i=
> s like
> having a guest speaker at a graduation commencement and right before =
> they
> get on stage and give their speech, you tell them there is an entranc=
> e fee
> of $$$ into the building.
> =20
> Everything earlier aside, my workshop went very well.  My workshop wa=
> s how
> to teach the concepts of flight (using inexpensive materials).  The r=
> oom was
> pretty well packed, but everyone was able to leave with all sorts of
> handouts, plans (hovercrafts, wind tunnels, ornithopters), gliders,
> solarballoons, boomerangs, etc.  I had several teachers that attended=
> my
> workshop tell me that mine was the most worthwhile they=92ve attended=
> .  When I
> inquired what they liked about it, the general statement was that I w=
> asn=92t a
> salesperson trying to sell their product, instead I had materials tha=
> t they
> could find at their local Wal-Mart, experience how they worked, and a=
> ctual
> things for them to take home to use immediately at their school.  For
> example, I showed one of the workshops how one of my classes built a =
> wind
> tunnel that listed for over a $1000.00 in a catalog and how we built =
> the
> same thing very easily with materials around the house (total cost wa=
> s
> $1.50).
> =20
> So I don=92t know if I=92m just griping over nothing or what.  In my =
> mind, if
> you want to attract more people to a science teacher conference, you =
> make it
> worthwhile for those who are coming to present (especially if they ar=
> e
> teachers)=85this could also be a reason why the numbers have been ste=
> adily
> decreasing.
> =20
> Thanks for listening to my griping,
> Dwight Souder
> Ashland, OH
> HYPERLINK
> "http://www.crestview-richland.k12.oh.us/HS/Faculty/Souder/myweb4/ind=
> ex.htm"
> http://www.crestview-richland.k12.oh.us/HS/Faculty/Souder/myweb4/inde=
> x.htm
> =20