The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group
Which Way from Here?
Peter Smith and Charles Wright

Growing Pains

We'd like to think of all the creaks and groans and complaining noises that we've heard from some sections of this club as the necessary noises of the growing process. When a club suddenly takes off, as ours has done, and doubles, then trebles its membership; when it hardly takes a breath but continues to expand, some things have to change.

The structures and attitudes that support a membership of a thousand, or even perhaps 2000, collapse under the administrative weight of 7000.

It would have been far more comfortable just to go along the way we'd always done, to ignore the money that wasn't accounted for, the items of stock that disappeared without trace, the training that was increasingly irrelevant and costly, new lines on the BBS that somehow never got installed, the public domain software that members went somewhere else to buy, simply because we couldn't get our act together.

We could continue with a system so overloaded and lacking in structure and real initiative that it was rare to find a promise kept, where even those prepared to volunteer often became more of a liability than an asset, and felt resentful of so-called elitism.

Yes, things are changing, and its only the beginning. Those of you who come to monthly meetings will be aware that they're more lively, that there's always something interesting, that more members are turning up, that the vendors who hardly knew we existed are suddenly very aware of us, and want to talk to us. The members of this dub get a front row seat at the launching of new software and hardware, and they've taken home hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of free software. Some chook raffle!

A few of you will have watched the new premises talking shape. There's more space, and it's actually costing us less than we paid for those cramped quarters in St Kilda Road. We own our own furniture, most of which we could sell tomorrow for a good deal more than we paid for it.

Few of you will be aware of the negotiations that are proceeding to get substantial discounts on computers and peripherals for a learning centre and a resources room. There's a very great deal happening, and there's more to come. In a few months you're going to have a place to gather and try out the latest software before you buy it. You're going to be able to get the latest shareware before anyone else in Australia. You're going to have the best BBS in Australia.

There are already new SIGs, they're rapidly grooving and more are forming.

That all this has been taking place while the committee has been coping with the legacy of laissez-faire accounting and administrative practice is a tribute to the few people who actually work for the dub.

It's a tragedy that one or two of those who've put in the most have not only been burned out by their efforts, they've been subjected to a malicious whispering campaign, same of it defamatory, by people who either think we ought not to change at all, or think they could do it better.

Well, it's true, in the blazing light of hindsight, that we could have done some things differently. And it would have been nice if ore could have done things a lot faster. But it hasn't been through lack of effort or commitment. One thing we've learnt very dearly over the past few months is that there are a precious few who are prepared to work, and too many who are prepared to criticise. We've personally asked some of the most vocal critics to join the committee, to serve the club and satisfy themselves that there's nothing to hide. They refused. Some of them have refused more than once, but we still hear them judging and criticising.

We've welcomed them to every committee meeting, listened to them, and then watched them misreport the proceedings. This can only be divisive, and ultimately destructive. The fact that that criticism has cost us some of the dubs most honest toilers has been a bitter experience for the executive.

Just to clarify things:
  • The Committee is not closing down all the SIGs - it is creating more.
  • The BBS will continue to be upgraded and remain a free service.
  • The reason membership fees went up was not to cover an explosion in the cost of PC Update - PC Update costs are reducing, as planned, and are less than half the new membership fee.
  • We are not about to suspend some "dissidents".
  • No member of the committee receives any payment other than reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses. Despite the President several times urging all committee members to ensure that they're not out-of-pocket, expense claims are minimal. Your committee members are prepared to donate both their time, and their resources.

The committee has decided to engage a professional consultant to put into place the solid accounting and administrative structures that we need (and promised to implement) if we're to continue to grow and to expand the services and benefits available to members, to allow us to tap the enthusiasm of those who are prepared to commit, rather than complain.

There's always a few who take what they can, do nothing, and complain that they weren't given more.

We like to think that the vast majority who elected us to get the job done appreciate what we're doing, already detect the way things are changing, and are ready to act when called on. That time is now.

At the last monthly meeting, and at every future meeting and in the magazine, those of you who have the time - and we recognise and accept that many of us are committed In other areas and don't have time - will be called on to volunteer. There will be recognition and rewards for those who are prepared to do more than talk. We'd like to think that there is recognition from all of you already, for what been achieved on your behalf, for the absolute integrity of the committee, and its willingness to invest what will be a small sums of money compared to the savings and other benefits to be achieved over the long term.

It's time we heard from the silent majority...

Dial for Help

We are starting an extension to the Dial Help pages in this magazine. A dedicated help-line is being installed at the Albert Road offices, to be answered by volunteers. It will be a first "port-of-call" when you are unsure where to go or what to do. At the time of going to press the phone number is riot known, but we'll publicise it as soon and fast as possible. Noeline Finlay, (03) 338 2053, is coordinating the help roster. If you would like to help, please contact her. It doesn't matter that you can't come to the office - the line will be equipped with call-diversion. This means that members can always dial the one number, which can be diverted when needed to the volunteer's site at no cost to the caller or helper.

Good Times

We want to close this month with a vote of thanks to Noeline Finlay for her efforts in organising the sale of raffle tickets at our last monthly meeting. With the help of a number of willing volunteers - names mostly unknown, but our heartfelt thanks to them as well - we raised over $650 to help equip our new offices. It may not seem much when compared to, say, our annual rental, but the involvement and socialising generated is beyond value. In real terms it will pay for more than half the desks we recently bought for the training facility we are developing, and a number of members went home with goods that would cost well over $2,000 to purchase.

Reprinted from the April 1993 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia