Scott Larson wrote: I was just hoping to get a clearer picture of how the organization operates.
I think it is pretty straight-forward how the organization operates and for what purpose. Their webpages make that pretty clear, starting here:
http://www.yangfamilytaichi.com/association/.
It states, in plain language the following:
The purpose for the Association is to enable everyone to work closely together to promote Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan worldwide. The main work of the Association will include:
developing new Yang Chengfu Tai Chi Chuan Centers;
increasing interaction with other martial arts organizations;
accepting individual Association members;
holding seminars and competitions;
evaluating Tai Chi practitioners' levels of skill;
organizing teams of judges trained in Traditional Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan;
providing International Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Association products
It also states who runs the organization and what is the role of each of those persons. Each, at least on paper, has a specific role: develop standards, curriculum, forms, judges, competition rules... all related to the material, the art, they teach: Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan. Don't confuse generic "Yang Taijiquan" with "Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan": Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan is something very specific and is as the heads of the organization define it to be.
Like many other such martial arts organizations they exist to promote their particular style, standardize it, increase the numbers of its practitioners/members and sponsor promotional events for its members. Are they good at doing that? Sure. Their numbers continue to increase worldwide.
As Fubo alluded to, the question isn't really about are they good at promoting, standardizing, etc. The question is are you interested in the art as they are teaching and practicing it? Are you interested in the newsletters, T-shirts, sharing with like practitioners, becoming certified...? Or is your focus simply on studying with someone who has traditional skills and who's primary focus is passing on that knowledge and skills? I suppose one could do both, but it seems they are usually mutually exclusive.
In the early days of the organization in North America, I spent a week with Yang Zhenduo and Yang Jun. Had fun, got the T-shirt, got my picture taken with the masters, met some very interesting "characters", but never felt the need to return. They simply weren't teaching the aspects of the art that I was interested in. That doesn't make it "bad", just not what I wanted from my practice.