Ed (and Martha and all others who had anything to do with putting on the
recent conference):  many, many thanks for a rich and very smoothly run
conference.  From the comfortableness of our meeting room to the good
food, bopth at Le Jeune Chef and other venues in Williamsport, I felt very
well taken care of.  The program was full of instructive and
thought-provoking material.  I'm glad I was there.
 
THen there was the chance to talk shop with a group of concerned,
insightful people.  I was wondering whether we perhaps reinforced each
other's feelings that grammar study continues to be in big trouble in the
country's schools and colleges, but last night, in conversation with my
son, who teaches ninth grade, I heard spontaneous confirmation of
everything that was being said.  I asked him whether he thought we could
get local middle- and high-school teachers to next year's Seattle
conference, especially if we could work out a pre-conference workshop with
in-service credit possibilities.  My son's response went something like
this:  "Will you get teachers to come?  Of COURSE!   Dad -- grammar isn't
being taught anywhere anymore, but we teachers are surrounded by the need
for it.  But most of us can't do anything about it because we don't know
it ourselves.  The University of Washington doesn't offer it as part of
its training of English teachers!  There are all SORTS of us out there
dying for lack of grammar knowledge."
 
Among other things, this reminded me of Bill McLear's comment from the
floor last week -- about how everything comes down to people's knowing
what they're doing, so that NOTHING turns out to work -- not Whole
Language, not traditional grammar, nothing -- because it's being tried by
p[eople who don't know what they're doing.
 
If my son is right, and if we can put something together that sounds
useful to secondary teachers as well as to college and university people
and get the word out to them, we may have a nice crowd in Seattle next
year.  By the way, North Seattle Community College's President, Peter Ku,
has -- with a pledge of $500 -- given the Collee's official endorsement to
our hosting the conference.  We have begun to look into housing
possibilities.
 
Morfe on that subject later.  Forf now, I am still enjoing looking back to
last week's conference and the pleasures of being around the lively, loyal
people of ATEG.  Thank you again, Ed.
 
P.S.  I am sending a copy of this to Edith Wolllin because she has given
up trying to join the ATEG listserv.  She believes her computer is simply
resolved not to do it.  Can you give her any help?