Re: AUGD: Thread about charging dues and donations
Re: AUGD: Thread about charging dues and donations
- Subject: Re: AUGD: Thread about charging dues and donations
- From: Paul Richards <email@hidden>
- Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:29:26 -0500
On Feb 23, 2009, at 11:41 AM, Brian Coleman wrote:
As far as insurance, I've never seen any group asked for that.
Come on, really? I find that very surprising.
and I'm starting to see why there is such a decline in user groups
and why they don't get new members
Our group certainly isn't in decline. We are here for those who need
us. Largely that is a group of people who fell between the generations
that grew up with computers in school and those who did not. User
groups have in fact changed dramatically already from what they were
in their beginnings - grass-roots organizations where geeky computer
hobbyists could get together and breadboard or tinker with software or
whatever. The personal computer went from being a hobbyist device to
an appliance. User groups followed along and changed to suit.
Will the need for user groups disappear as this group of people
dwindles? Possibly. That's fine with me. I don't get paid in any
fashion for what I do. I do it because I enjoy working with people and
helping others. Preparing a topic for presentation, dragging equipment
around to meetings, writing for a newsletter, arranging meeting
facilities, all of that can be a huge pain in the @$$ and it can be
hard to get other members to share the load.These are characteristics
of _any_ volunteer-based organization, not just user groups.
It seems like most groups the "leadership" is titular, where in the
"real world" leaders need to offer something to be on the board.
The classic TTT: Time, treasure, or talent. If you aren't giving
something of yourself, you shouldn't be a leader.
Umm, we _do_ give to our groups. Extensively. Without compensation
other than satisfaction. I would have to say that time, treasure and
talent _all_ apply.
What I am seeing is many groups are "stuck" in old ways. Being a
newer group we aren't stuck in the old cliquish ways. Everything in
the User Group world is secretive.
Really? This forum seems pretty open. What do you want to know?
How you get recognized, the unelected advisory board, rules about
what you can and can't do. New groups aren't let into the party,
and you know what...we don't care. We aren't listed with Apple
despite many times of trying...and you know what...we don't care.
We get 40-50 people at meetings and get referrals from the local
computer shops and AT&T store. I can't even find out the benefits
of being recognized with Apple, much less what they offer us. We're
promoting *their* product, yet they won't help us.
You sound rather bitter about it. If you change your mind, start here:
<http://www.apple.com/usergroups/questions/>
and here:
<http://www.apple.com/usergroups/leaders/>
To me, a club computer and projector is the "corporate jet" of the
user group world
How many people does your group present to at a given meeting, and how
do you present it? Gathered around a 17" screen?
Disk of the month? I'm utterlly shocked anyone is doing that. Just
put links in yoru newsletter and have them download them
We don't do a disk of the month anymore. However we do still have a
few users on dial-up. It' hard on them, not being able to justify
going to satellite service for financial reasons or whatever other
reasons they may have. I know of at least one who saves up all his
file download/computer update times for his trips into the city and a
local Panera that offers free wireless access. Should user groups just
turn their backs on these folks?
Buy for raffeles....again, why?
Some groups do these for fun, not just for fundraising. Again, we
don't do that anymore. In fact, the library we were in forbids on-
premises fundraising activities of any kind by the community groups
that use their facilities.
but it really irked me to ask for donations AND charge dues.
How a group - _any_ group including business, government, community,
whatever - raises its operating capital is a matter of choice.
Certainly a group can drop all donations and either reduce services
accordingly or increase dues. Or vice versa. Does it really matter so
much to you if some of those operating models include methods you
choose not to employ? Your way or we're all doomed?
Paul Richards
Ambassador
Syracuse Macintosh Users Group
Syracuse, NY, USA
http://www.iSMUG.com
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