SUN CITY COMPUTER CLUB

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING

September 1, 2005 , 9:00 aM

CyberCenter Meeting Room

The Meeting was called to order at 9:00 A.M. by Gael Miller, President .

Present :

Nancy Alexander, Secretary

Rex Davenport, Programs Director

Dave Hanna, Communications Director

Gael Miller, President

Joe Razek, Training Director

Peter Roll , Founder

Linda Shanhouse, Treasurer

Dick Smith, Vice President

Don Snapp, CyberCenter Director

Peggy Uselton , Membership Director

Doug Willoughby, Special Interest Groups Director

Agenda Changes - None

Guests - None

Approval of Minutes

A motion was made by Gael Miller on August 7, 2005 to accept by e-vote and publish on the Computer Club web site the revised minutes of the August 4, 2005 Board Meeting. The motion was seconded and passed by e-vote.

Financial Report

Linda Shanhouse presented the August 31, 2005 Financial Report. A motion was made by Doug Willoughby and seconded by Peggy Uselton to accept the report. The motion passed. The Financial Report will be filed for audit.

It was agreed that accounts for New Computer Systems, New Software and Software Subscriptions should be renamed next year to better identify expenditures.

DISCUSSION OF DIRECTORS’ REPORTS RECEIVED BY E-MAIL

Communications, Dave Hanna

The issues on web site hosting and a new position for handling email communications with members were deferred to Unfinished Business and New Business respectively.

CyberCenter, Don Snapp

Starting this month we are going to try to be open from 9-3 on Wednesdays.  So far, there are only single signups and 3 days with no coverage for one of the shifts.  Also there is no coverage on the 6th, the day after the holiday.

A request has been submitted to Lane Bostick to advise on the floor plan in the Atrium concerning running a PA audio cable and connection to the floor receptacle near the point where we can place the podium for the sidewall presentations after the new screen is installed.  We can use wireless mikes which will require bringing over our own PA unit.  The cost for a single wireless system equivalent to the three that we now have is $439. If the outlet is placed in the floor, we won’t need the wireless system.

The Proxima projector died several times while in use. The quote from CCS Presentation Systems, Inc. on a new Epson 81p projector, like the unit in the classroom, is $2,008.04 (copy attached to the minutes). Don will get an update on any newer units that may be available and the pricing. Peggy Uselton made a motion to purchase a new projector at a cost to be determined and not to exceed $2,500 when Don deems it necessary to replace the Proxima projector. The motion was seconded by Linda Shanhouse. The motion passed.

Don will attend a meeting this Thursday afternoon regarding the audio/visual equipment for Senior University .  Don is willing to help train someone for their projector setups.  If anyone can think of several club members that would be interested in working with SU on setups, please advise.

There is a possibility that we will need to broadcast our Monday meetings on News & Views due to lack of seating in the Atrium when the Ballroom closes. Don will learn how to video tape the meetings.

Membership, Peggy Uselton

The number of club members as of August 31, 2005 1,771

The number of new members who joined in August, 2005 58

The total number of new members who have joined in 2005 438

We now have 104% of last year’s membership.

A Reception for New Members was held Tuesday, August 30, in the Atrium from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm . Peggy sent 150 invitations by mail or email and 5 were given to new members who joined Friday through Tuesday. We had 42 attend the reception. Each was given a handout featuring the volunteer opportunities within the club and the SIG’s sponsored by the club. The next New Member Reception will be November 29, in Meeting Rooms 3 & 4 from 9:30 am to 11:00 a.m.

The backup system that was installed in late July is working well. All of the club’s programs and data files are being copied nightly (except Sunday) to the 2nd hard drive on L19-Admin, with backups for the six days being retained on a rotating basis.

Programs, Rex Davenport

The Monday programs through December are as follows:

Sep 5: Labor Day – No meeting

Sep 12: SIG (Investments)

Sep 19: Finding People, Places & Things (Jim Crutcher)

Sep 26: Ask the Experts

Oct 3: SIG

Oct 10: Greeting Cards (Maryann Melton)

Oct 17: Precision Camera

Oct 24: John Polich – Everything Free on the Internet

Oct 31: Show & Tell (printing) Cybersocial

Nov 7: SIG

Nov 14: TBA

Nov 21: Netiquette (Barbara Resnick)

Nov 28: Buying on the Internet (Nancy Strayer)

Dec 5: SIG

Dec 12: Annual Meeting

Dec 19: A Free and Easy Way to Create Your Personal Website (John Bosch)

Dec 26: No Meeting

A program on printers is being considered for the November 14 meeting. This will be confirmed within a week.

Training, Joe Razek

August was a good month. The results are:

Introduction to the PC 101 5

Introduction to the PC 102 7

Windows 101 Introduction 10 (Full)

Windows 102 Files/Folders 9

Greeting Cards 101 5

Photoshop 102 7

PhotoShop 103 5

Genealogy in the Computer Age 7

Total 55

There were no course cancellations.

With respect to September, enrollments are about on target. Two courses have filled. Four courses are on the “critical list,” while the other eight courses have made, but not filled. The courses that are doing well are either core courses or photography-related courses. The exception, this month, seems to be Intro 102.

Our biggest problem is attracting and keeping instructors. Joe received excellent feedback on the new instructors and hopes that they will continue to teach for us. The current concern is someone to take over Intro 101 when Nancy leaves and someone to replace Myrna when she moves.

Joe is aggressively recruiting new people to teach for us. He would like to have at least two qualified instructors for each of the core courses

Special Interest Groups, Doug Willoughby

There were four SIGs which met through the summer with good attendance: Mac Beginners, Mac Advanced, Genealogy and Digital Camera. All SIGs will begin a full schedule in September.

Doug continues to monitor attendance at all SIGs to ensure scheduled rooms are adequate. One problem is getting all attendees to sign-in in the lab when meetings are in other rooms, giving low attendance numbers.

Doug will query the membership to see if there is enough interest in an Ebay related SIG.

  UNFINISHED BUSINESS

The Atrium screen will be centered on the left side of the room. The Computer Club has approved $2,500 to move the screen, and $320 will be contributed by other clubs. This totals $2,820 to move the screen, and this should be enough to cover moving the screen and other incidental costs such as $75-$100 for wiring. Rob McDaniel stated that the CA will pick up any amounts over $2,820. The screen should be installed within the month.

The Web site hosting situation was discussed. The Computer Club is currently paying for two domains, sctx.org and sctxcompclub.org. The Computer Club does not use the sctx.org site; it is used by several Sun City groups (both Chartered Clubs and otherwise) to host their Web sites. Peter administers and coordinates the use of the sctx.org site.  Even if the Computer Club decides to fund both sites until the new CA Internet access system is available, we need to get an estimate of the costs and how long this arrangement is expected to continue so that everyone is on board.

We need to decide if the Computer Club is going to stay with PrismNet until the new Sun City network is available or find another host. PrismNet will probably cut off for us by the end of the year.

The CA Board will meet on September 29, 2005 to approve a domain for the CA internet system which can be used by all clubs.

$1,000 has been paid for the landscaping of the patio on the east end of the Activities Building . This expenditure was approved by the Board in October 2004.

A letter of appreciation for our contribution was received from Ann Garrard, President of the Visual Arts Club. The Visual Arts Club is hosting an open house on Thursday, September 8 from 3 to 5 p.m. The Computer Club Board and members are invited to come to view the photographs and paintings exhibited in the Studio Gallery and enjoy light refreshments on the patio.

NEW BUSINESS

Since the Ballroom is closing January 1, 2006 , it was agreed by the Board Members that the annual meeting should be held in December 2005. The ballroom has been reserved for Monday, December 12, 2005 . The following action dates were agreed upon regarding election of officers:

Oct 1          Post notice of matters to be voted on

Oct 31        Deadline for members to nominate for the board

Nov 5         Post candidate names, voting instructions and voting time frame

Nov 21       Start of voting period (3 week period)

Dec 10        End of voting period

Dec. 12       Annual Meeting

Jan. 1          Elected Officers assume duties

The Board agreed that hamburgers would be served at the annual meeting.

The price of tickets is $5 and is open to all 2005 Club members and household guests. The tickets will go on sale November 1. Memberships for 2006 will also be available on that date.

The 2006 Budget Workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, September 13, 2005 at 9:30 in the CyberCenter Meeting Room.

With our increasing Club membership the task of handling email communications with our members has grown to the point where it is difficult for one person to handle these tasks in addition to the Webmaster duties. Dave recommends that a new SCTX Computer Club position be created for email communications with our members. After discussion, the Board agreed that a new position for Email Communication Specialist should be created and that Dave would prepare a general description of the position which will be sent to Board members for approval. Once the position description is approved by the Board, candidates for the position will be solicited.

OTHER BUSINESS

The next Executive Board Meeting will be 9:00 A.M. Thursday, October 6, 2005 , at the Sun City CyberCenter Meeting Room.

The meeting was adjourned at 11:15 A.M.

/s/  Nancy Alexander

Secretary

Date of approval: September 4, 2005