 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group CPU (Club President's Update) Colin Lovitt colinl@melbpc.org.au |
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Readers of this magazine will be somewhat bemused to see, in suitably fine print, a complete draft of our proposed new rules together with those being replaced, deleted or rewritten. There is an accompanying memorandum detailing the highlights - if that is a word that can ever describe Rule amendments. It's been fun, folks! <sigh>
As pointed out in the memorandum, the draft has been published here in order to comply with our current rules requiring notice of all special resolutions (all amendments to our Rules are so categorised) not less than 28 days prior to the general meeting which is asked to approve them.
In order to cope with the predictable two or three doomsayers, preachers of the apocalypse and back-door whisperers, might I here request that all expressions of distrust and foreboding be made to me instead of in the office corridors and at private grumbling sessions.
IOW (a common BBS acronym aimed at saving space - which incidentally doesn't work if you have to explain it each time), let me know if you have a genuine concern with any proposed amendment rather than privately tut-tutting and waiting till it is too late to further amend, and eventually wasting time at the general meeting.
The relevant general meeting will take place immediately before the AGM at the December Monthly Meeting.
Family Memberships
Whereas the Committee initially decided to wait for Gary Taig to write the new members' database before introducing a new category of membership, it has now been decided to go ahead and introduce a family category immediately.
Anyone wishing to apply for a family membership please note:-
Cost:
a) New families - $40 plus $10 joining fee plus $10 per additional family member.
b) Current members - $10 per additional family member.
A family member must be living at the same address and have the same phone number as all other members of that family. If a member has a son or daughter living away from home, then that progeny does not qualify for family membership. To allow family membership in these circumstances would only encourage abuse of what is a generous offer to our members.
Family membership will entitle each member of that family to full registration on the BBS, training, SIG membership and all normal membership entitlements, save that only one magazine will be delivered to that address.
Family membership numbers will be an extension of ordinary numbers, eg. Joe Blow, member No. I(ndividual).12345, will become F(amily).12345.1; his wife, Myrtle will be F.12345.2; his son, Claude will be F.12345.3, and so on. You can add family members when desired; although, to reduce the administrative burden, we would appreciate it if such additions were approached as much as possible in one block rather than one every few months.
One of the more difficult areas is if a current member whose membership falls due for renewal on, eg. 28 February 1995 seeks immediate family membership of his two children and pays the required $20 for such membership, when is his and their membership up for renewal? We decided that pro rata memberships in such circumstances were too difficult and time consuming bearing in mind the administrative costs of setting up and processing family memberships.
In short, all memberships within the same family will fall due on the same date, and current memberships will still need to be renewed on the date originally fixed. So in the example above, the current member would need to renew his and all other related family memberships by 28 February 1995 and then and thenceforward pay the renewal total of $60 (or such other fee as is fixed by the Committee) by that date each year.
I suggest current members wishing to take up family membership ring Tricia at the office.
Committee News
Dave Mitchell joined the Melb PC committee ranks last month. He's one of our hardest workers on the BBS. Good on ya' Dirt! ..
I'm pleased to report that Peter Smith has kindly volunteered to take over as Secretary until the AGM. He emphasizes that this is a stop-gap measure only, and has resisted all entreaties from yours truly (glad he's not a professional juror!). IOW (there it is again!), we have a vacancy which desperately needs to be filled. I described the nature of our Secretary's role in last month's CPU and was somewhat underwhelmed with responses. Surely there are some out there with office management, personnel or Public Officer experience who would relish the opportunity to dispel approaching senility? Why do you think I took this job on? . Or am I being too optimistic?
Members' Survey
The survey has closed and I express the heartfelt appreciation of the Committee for the extraordinary response which it has generated. Almost 2100 responses! Remarkable!
Gary Taig and Ross Parkhowell are currently collating the data which has been keyed in by Stan Johnstone, Peter Byrne, John Morris, Bruce Rosier, Tony Smith, Kathy Linde, Robert Fisher, Trevor Jacobs, Ian Hamilton, Ross Parkhowell, John Talbot, Alan Carter, Neville Harrip, Mark Delton, Tom Perrott, Geoff Skews, Glen Brown, Lisa Byrne, Louis Bokor, Ren Benko, Andrew Speirs, and Tim Walker. Thanks to all, and a special mention to Stan Johnstone, who keyed in 435 responses and is still doing it in his sleep!
Elections
As announced last month, the AGM will be conducted at the Monthly Meeting on December 7. Nominations for Office-Bearers and Committee will close on October 28. Please ensure your nominations are with the Secretary by complying with the requirements set out in last month's PC Update. Incidentally, the Draft Rules referred to earlier include the removal of the Assistant Secretary as an Officer of the Group, and a reduction by two in the number of ordinary Committeemen. It may therefore be of little point nominating for the former post, but do not let the intended overall reduction deter you from putting your hand up.
Name This Space
As the day of judgement neared, verily the members contemplated life as they knew it and were heard to say in a fearful crescendo - "Don't change it, Claude!" This must have come as good news to Peter Smith, who welcomed not a name not of his making - for he agreed with the multitude. IOW !, I have relented to the wishes of the loudest section of the electorate (Well, it is election time!) and have subjected the rest to the continuation of the title "CPU", at least until one of us tires of the other. Alan McNamara nevertheless wins the coveted prize for the best suggestion, and is hereby made Secretary..... er, is awarded a free WAFFLE at the November or December WAFFLE SIG.
Reprinted from the November 1994 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
