John Feltham, current President of the NQMUG (North Queensland MAC User Group), Townsville, North Queensland, Australia.
Our Apple Club has been meeting since at least 1986 when I first joined, having just bought an Apple IIe.
I left after a couple of years but returned to the club in 2003 when I bought a MacMini. I now have an Intel iMac.
We have a monthly meeting which runs for around two hours. The first hour is a session where members ask their question and those who know the answers respond. The QT is generally followed by a presentation of some sort, again by members.
The second meeting of the month (a week later), is a workshop session - 6.00 pm to 9.00 pm. We use a computer room at a local school. Members bring their own machines to this meeting and again those of us who can, assist them with the apps that they're having problems with. Or even show members how to use particular apps.
Around 20 members attend the monthly meetings and up to a dozen attend the workshop meetings.
The club has its own 27" iMac which is taken to both meetings for members to observe points raised in QT or at the WS and for presentations.
At both meetings CDs or DVDs with the latest Apple software is provided to members who have low download limits or no Internet connections.
We have an Apple Ambassador amongst our members. A very useful asset! :-)
There are four Apple outlets in the city. Two of them know as much about Apple machines as I do about brain surgery. We have one very good outlet and we have a very good working relationship with them.
We are fee paying. Just enough to make it worth paying and not enough to keep folk away A$20.00 pa. At both meetings we offer free tea/coffee and biscuits, (cookies to some).
The club has its own email List which is very active.
The email List is not restricted to members only. We have Listers located in other states of Australia and in the UK, New Zealand, USA, and India.
We also have a web site run by our Ambassador. See it at...
ooroo