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"From a saved backup. . ." |
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"From a saved backup. . ." |
Planning the Atari Agenda. |
| In this column I hope to foster communication and support for 8-bit and ST computer owners... presenting a positive and directive approach. This will help to strengthen the users group base and encourage the executive element. |
| If you have a question you would like me to answer, or a topic you would like to see covered; send me an Email! |
| This seems to be the time of year to make plans. In the past year we have seen changes, improvements, disappointments, and surprises. The year in review can be a lesson to learn from. |
| Recently I checked with other Atari Users Groups to see what sort of planning takes place. I did this for two reasons. One was to have something important to write about, and two was to help me plan the Atari Boise Users Group planning meeting. While I have planned the meeting agenda before, I wanted to see if I was doing what other groups were doing around the country. And since I was thinking about this, maybe you were, too. So the following are excerpts from messages I received in answer to my question: Do you have planning meetings, and if so, what do you do? |
John @AUNT:I just got in from the AUNT "Newsletter editing meeting/dinner" -- which is as good a premise as any. One guy who is a real fanatic (22 year old Journalism Major) actually proof-reads the newsletter while the rest of us discuss what theme we want to attempt for the next few meetings/newsletters. Sometimes they work out, sometimes they don't. Then we get down to the IMPORTANT issues -- where do we want to eat next month? We've been to 10 restaurants in 11 months that most of us never would have found, much less tried. |
George @HACE:We had a Board of Directors Meeting the Wednesday after our regular monthly meeting. Generally, we got fair attendance from board members, but since they were all at the regular meeting too, two months ago we switched to having the board meeting BEFORE the regular meeting (AFTER would be better though).We discuss the focus of upcoming meetings (what the topics will be for the next 3 to 4 months). We pay bills, and review finances. And we plan for special events (such as the annual Atari show we have in Houston). Big expenditures (new disk drive for the BBS for example), or major changes (new meeting location, etc) are typical business subjects. |
Brian @NSACUG:We basically have our Exec Meetings when the need is there. Our plans are both micro and macro but usually no more than a year except for equipment breakdown planning.Since I became Prez., the meetings has all been at my house. ... We use the exec section of our BBS for a lot of our decisions and emergency phone calls for most of the rest. Hence, only about four exec meetings per year. |
Robert @TAF:TAF: Toronto Atari Federation has a 7 member Executive. We meet every month, usually the first Monday or Tuesday of the month (depends on what pub has good food specials what day :-) ). That gives about 2 - 3 weeks lead on meetings. We certainly do advance planning. We have to, otherwise our general meetings would be more chaotic than they are.Our monthly newsletter is normally set up, edited, laid out, etc by one person (me since Sept), but the editor is welcome to solicit opinions, plans, articles etc from other members, particularly executive members. As executive members we also have a private area on the TAF BBS and we take advantage of e-mail and regular phone conversations in order to make any decisions needed between meetings. |
Daniel @DACE:Well, we do have exec board meetings. They're always held two weeks after the general meeting and we meet at a local pizza house. Mostly we discuss how we might attract new members, keep the ones we have, and generally survive another year. We try to plan what will happen several meetings in advance so that we can advertise this to the membership and try to generate some interest. It's hard though.We are supposed to have a newsletter, but since I do it, and have also been President the last three years, sometimes it doesn't get out. I suppose if we had more submissions it would be easier. When we don't do a newsletter I do put out a small brochure for the members to remind them of what is going on. If we have been exchanging newsletters with your club and you have not received one from us lately, this is why. But fear not, we will be producing a newsletter again by January. If you do not exchange with us and would like to, send me e-mail or simply drop us a newsletter to DACE Desktop 2834 Rockridge Dr Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 Another reason we have not done a newsletter is that the old one got corrupted and chewed up. The back-up I had turned out to be faulty as well and I simply havn't the heart to rebuild it yet. But the urge is returning so I should get to it soon. |
Phil @ABACUS:We have executive board meetings every once in while (about 2-4months). Usually when there is a problem or to plan what's going to happen in the next couple of meetings.The last executive board meeting we had was in September where we talked about several things which include:
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| I was pleasantly surprised at the various methods the different users groups used in planning. One thing seems to be apparent in each of these groups. They have a goal: to support Atari computer owners. I am sure that most groups have a goal written down. If not, they should. This goal or purpose is the reason you meet. This is sometimes also called the 'mission statement' of a group. It states not only why you meet but also what you plan to accomplish by meeting. The ABUG's newsletter, Home Computer News (HCN), has had a sentence in the inside cover that emphasises this statement, "To provide information and support for and foster communication between Atari Computer owners." This has been ABUG's mission statement for a long time. At our recent executive planning meeting we expanded this statement to a full paragraph: |
| "Supporting Atari computer owners by providing a forum for discussion and education. To provide a forum for discussion during the monthly meetings and on the Apc BBS; To provide timely information about Atari news, products, vendors, and service; and To find solitary Atari computer owners and encourage them to join the group." |
| This statement then provided a groundwork to build the rest of the ABUG's plans on. Ideas that promoted this purpose were used, those that didn't were thrown out (not because they weren't good ideas). The plans of the meeting included selecting topics for the next 12 meetings and assigning people to handle each one. Ideas about the Newsletter, BBS, advertising in the local paper, and others were discussed. Each one evaluated against our stated purpose. We spent 2 hours at a pancake house on a Saturday morning. Time well spent. |
| We generally meet for this type of planning once a year. Although this year might be different since our plans include a computer swap meet (we might have to meet to plan that). Members of ABUG have a special conference on the AcP BBS to discuss users group things, send articles to the HCN editor, and generally handle small issues (like, should we fix the groups MONO monitor or use it for a boat anchor). |
| If your users group is going from meeting to meeting without a plan, take a tip from some of these groups who plan. And, as you plan remember the KIS principle, "Keep it Simple." |
| Until next time... |
You may contact Ron on the Internet. or view his Atari web page . |