Clean Out Your Closet
by Judy Taylour, Member Services
The ICON (Interactive Computer Owners Network) group in Missouri has an annual
“Clean Out Your Closet” event. Members are encouraged to round up all their used
(but still usable) unneeded software, hardware, peripherals, books, etc. and
bring them to the meeting for someone who needs them. Someone might find that
"one man’s junk" is just the treasure they are in need of. Their March 17
program featured "Us" – ICON’s members and leaders in a round table discussion
about how they can best provide the help members need.
They also have an Opinion Poll on their website. What a great way to find out
what your members need in the way of programs. Not enough members backing up?
Let’s schedule a meeting on back-up. More members select the choice “I don’t
care if I lose my data” probably means they wouldn’t be interested in attending
a meeting on backing-up. http://www.iconusers group.org/
Program / Advertising / Fundraising Idea
I’ve seen in several newsletters that groups are having a presentation by
Cartridge World (we had one at my group last year when the store opened in the
Santa Clarita Valley in California – got the idea from reading another group’s
newsletter). Some groups have Cartridge World ads in their newsletter, recycle
cartridges through CW and my members receive a UG discount.
Another Word for Help
Instead of having members who Help, the F1 helpers, etc. the Amateur Computer
Group of New Jersey has a Guru Corner. http://www.acgnj.org/
Recycle Bin
The Southwest International Personal Computer Club in Texas has a Recycle Bin.
The SWIPCC “Recycle Bin” is a method by which members may sell computer related
items, new or used.
By offering an item for sale through the “Recycle Bin,” SWIPCC members agree to
donate 10% of the selling price, rounded off to the nearest dollar, to SWIPCC.
All sales are face-to-face between the buyer and seller and are final. It is the
buyer’s responsibility to ensure that the item is compatible with the buyer’s
system. “Know what you are buying!”
In addition to their PDF newsletter, they also feature an Article of the Month
on their Web site. The March article was by their president, Douglas Agree, on
Lightscribe Labeling (which was included with the April PUSH articles.)
http://www.swipcc.org/swipcc_php/index.php
Digital Photography
The March meeting of Cajun Clickers Computer Club, Louisiana featured a local
news anchor who is an avid photographer as well as a newscaster. He presented
Tips-Tricks-Techniques for taking fantastic digital photographs. You never know
who you can find to make a presentation. Have you checked your local newspaper,
radio station, TV station? http://www.clickers.org/
Newspaper Online Hub
Santa Clarita Valley Computer Club and TUGNET, California have had
representatives from their local newspaper, The Daily News, make presentations
on the newspaper’s new online hub (community). The newspaper has stopped
publishing a separate section for the various areas it supports and has gone to
an online format where you can upload your own media release, photos, etc. Check
out your newspaper to see if they have anything online that you can use to
publicize your group. That way, you know you are getting your information in the
‘newspaper.’ The newspaper selects some of the articles and prints them in the
weekend edition.
Starry Night
Do you have a planetarium in your area? Or even an astronomy club? The March
meeting for BPMG (Business and Professional Microcomputer Users Group, Inc.) in
Maryland was led by the enthusiastic director of the Planetarium at the
Children’s Museum in West Hartford, Jason Archer. He took the attendees through
the skies and stars with three wonderful software programs: Starry Night, The
Sky, and Celestia. Members were encouraged to bring their wildest imagination of
the universe to this meeting and prepare to be dazzled! http://www.bpmug.org/
Robotics Meeting
Do your local schools have a robotics club? You might want to contact them to
see if one or more students will bring their project to your meeting for a show
‘n tell session. I bet those junior high or high school kids would love to show
off their projects and skills.
Reward your members for writing articles and giving presentations
How about giving your members the opportunity to win a $50 gift card for writing
an article for your newsletter or giving a presentation? It’s one way to thank
those members who are active partipicants in your group and, who knows, it might
even give someone just the incentive he/she needs to become a more active
participant. You could have a drawing every six months and if a member writes
one article and gives a presentation, etc. his/her name is entered into the
drawing twice. Central Maryland User Group. http://mycmug.org/
The Monthly Drawing
The Pikes Peak Computer Application Society, Colorado, has a drawing where
members bring their unwanted computer-associated items to the meeting for a
raffle. Each member, after signing in for the meeting, receives a ticket. The
members deposit their ticket on or near the desired item. The drawing takes
place at the end of the meeting and the winner takes the item home. By bringing
in an unwanted item both members benefit. http://ppcompas.apcug.org/