APCUG

Stu Silverman Hello Region 5

This is January's edition of NOOZ, sent to member groups from APCUG.

Welcome to 2008. We at APCUG wish all of you a most happy and healthy New Year. There are many big things happening this year.
To start, we would like to invite you to our 14th annual Party, uh conference.

I would appreciate some information about your user group. Let me know if you have had a successful program. I would love to share it with other user groups.
Several of you are sending me copies of your Newsletters. I find them most informative and feel a sense of pride at what clubs in Florida are doing. I have not received information about newsletter from all the groups. If possible, put me on your mailing list and send me a pdf copy. I hope to hear from you soon.
Stuart Silverman - EMail
APCUG Region 5 Advisor , FACUG Directors

NOOZ - January 2008

1. 2008 APCUG Officers
2. 2008 Convention Highlights
3. Convention Contest Winners
4. 2008 Early-Bird Membership Renewal Winners
5. Upcoming Regional Conferences

Join us, come to the FACUG Spring Conference:

March 7, 8, & 9, 2008 - Zephyrhills, Florida

We have scheduled the finest program for our members in years. See our website www.facug.org for the whole scoop.

The FACUG Spring Conference is getting closer. The early bird prices are currently in effect; this will end Feb. 10, 2008. Do not miss the finest computer event of the year. We have many vendors returning. Look at the program, look at the new events, they are really looking wonderful. This will be a fun packed, yet highly educational event. We have instituted many new procedures; we even have a new venue. There will be wonderful tech sessions along with our leadership development program. Go to the website, register and make your hotel reservations while the price is right.

$50 (member rate) allows you to attend the Friday Night event, which will provide light finger foods and beverages, be enthralled once again by Dave (Doc) Dockery’s vision of the future, and enjoy playing some trivia for great door prizes.

Spend Saturday attending our sessions. Hear from Jay Ferron, APCUG President, Sam Wexler and Tom Thiel FACUG Directors, tell of their proven strategies for improving membership and receive meals to boot.

Sunday gets you breakfast and lunch and more door prizes. Is this the bargain of the year? Those of you coming from out of state can register for the same $50 that in-state member’s pay. Now you have no excuses but to register now.

Attached (PDF) is a listing of various tourist sites within 2 hours of Zephryhills. This could turn into a great vacation

The APCUG Convention was a great success.

It was informative, interesting with some financial success. We had many top-notch speakers talking about the latest and greatest products that are being or have been produced. Corel, AMD, Microsoft are Gold sponsors and should be recognized for their continued support of User Groups. A good time was had by all.

Slide show from 2008 CES.

This is the Super Bowl of electronic toys. Thousands of new products were introduced. I saw an 11 foot Plasma flat panel screen. A wireless handheld projector was shown that could show stills and videos from your phone, iPod or camera along with a wireless video conference device that where a video conference can be held without using a computer. Look out Skype and SightSpeed.

Membership

Those of you who have not renewed your membership need to do so now. This NOOZ letter and PUSH articles are among the many benefits of membership that you will be denying your members.

Treasurers – your group’s dues are payable by February 29. You will find the online renewal form at: www.apcug.net/members/member_select.htm. If you pay by check, please send a copy of the form, along with the check, to:

APCUG
3155 E. Patrick Lane Suite 1
Las Vegas, Nevada 89120

Florida Contest Winners

Florida needs to have greater participation in the various APCUG contests. We congratulate the winners from our state.
2008 Early Bird Renewal Winners
Spring Hill Teaching Computer Club, Florida (www.shtcc.org)

Newsletter Contest.
Honorable Mention — Lake Sumter Computer Society, FL (www.lscs.us)
Honorable Mention — Space Coast Users Group, Inc, FL (www.scpcug.com)

Website Contest.
3rd place - Charlotte County Computer Group Corporation, Florida (www.cccgc.net/

1.2008 APCUG Officers

Board of Directors

President – Jay Ferron
Vice President – Don Singleton
Secretary – Jim Evans
Treasurer – Birl Smith

Board of Advisors

Judy Taylour – Chair
David Steward – Vice Chair
Secretary – Melvin Weekley

2. 2008 Convention Highlights

More than 170 officers and members from APCUG-member groups attended the 2008 event in Las Vegas.
A big thank you to the vendors that supported the event. You will find contact information at: http://apcug.net/events/2008/2008_vendor_contact_info.pdf

Special thanks goes to the meal / presentation sponsors: Corel, Microsoft, AMD, Raxco, and Pinnacle. User Group members and vendors enhanced the attendees’ knowledge with Roundtables and Tech Sessions.
You will find PPT / PDF presentations from these sessions at: http://apcug.net/events/2008/files/program.htm.
Feel free to use them at your meetings.

3.Convention Contest Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the Jerry Award competition and Newsletter and Website contests.

Jerry Awards
http://comservice.apcug.org/jerry.htm

First Place and $1,000 went to the Palmetto Personal Computer Club, South Carolina, for providing usable computers for underprivileged people.
Their ComputerAid SIG was formed in the spring of 2006 to provide computer-related services to the disadvantaged people of the Greater Columbia area. Generally, this consists of reconditioning and installing free software on old computers. Typical groups that received some of the 80 refurbished computers included:

An AHEPA (American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association) Home for disadvantaged senior citizens (15 computers)
The Greater Columbia Literary Council (12 computers)
The Nurturing Center (6 computers)
The Women’s Shelter (10 computers)

The Nurturing Center and Women’s Shelter were able to subsequently obtain training grants not otherwise available. The remaining computers went to various deserving others such as a low-income learning-disabled child. www.palmettopc.org/

Second Place and $750 went to Sandwich Computer User Group, Illinois,
This service project is an ongoing project. They are helping a group in Sandwich called Fox Valley Older Adult Services (FVOAS). One of their primary goals is to help seniors remain in their own homes. Since there is no public transportation in the Sandwich area, they provide transportation for seniors to doctors, hospitals, shopping and other necessities. They also provide moderately priced lunches and social and informational programs.
The Director of FVOAS asked the Sandwich Computer User Group (SCUG) for help by supplying them with two computers. SCUG donated and upgraded two computers, including appropriate software, installed a local area network and are providing ongoing service to the machines. One of their members volunteered to teach the seniors how to use the computers. She wrote a computer curriculum to meet their goals which were to have the seniors be able to communicate with their family and friends through e-mail.
www.scug.org/

Third Place and $250 went to the Tellico Village Computer Users Club, Tennessee. TVCUC received permission from Habitat for Humanity, the Good Neighbor Shoppe, the Beautification Committee of the POA, and the Community Church Crafters* to launch their Computers for the Needy program. Forty-four families were identified as needing computers and the group gave completely refurbished systems to 12 of them on June 2 and the remainder on October 6, 2007.
The Good Neighbor Shoppe and the Community Church Crafters (contributing $150) have been generous in supporting the costs incurred for the computers being upgraded for the program. The TVCUC will continue this program as long as there are individuals being referred that would warrant TVCUC providing them with a free computer. www.tvcuc.org/

Newsletter Contest.
http://www.apcug.net/events/2008/NewsletterWinners.htm

Small Groups (<100)
1st Place – Topeka PC Users Club, KS (www.topekapcusersclub.org/)
2nd Place – Phoenix PC User Group, AZ (www.phoenixpcug.org)
3rd Place – Amador Computer Users Group, CA (www.acug.net)
Honorable Mention — Big Bear Computer Club, CA (www.bigbearcc.org)
Honorable Mention — PC Users Group of Connecticut, CT (www.tpcug-ct.org/)
Honorable Mention —Computer Users of Erie, PA (www.cuerie.com/)

Medium Groups (>100 & <300)
1st Place – Mid Hudson Computer User Group, Inc, NY (www.mhcug.org/)
2nd Place – Tie - Danbury Area Computer Society, CT (www.dacs.org) - PC Community, CA (www.pcc.org)
3rd Place – Twin Cities PC User Group, MN (www.tcpc.com)
Honorable Mention — Lake Sumter Computer Society, FL (www.lscs.us)
Honorable Mention — Space Coast Users Group, Inc, FL (www.scpcug.com)

Large Groups (>300)
1st Place – Tucson Computer Society, AZ (www.aztcs.org/)
2nd Place – Brookdale Computer Users Group, NJ (www.bcug.com/)
3rd Place – Channel Islands PC Users Group, CA (www.cipcug.org)
Honorable Mention – Manatee PC Users’ Group, FL (http://manateepcug.org/
Honorable Mention – Hilton Head Island Computer Club, SC (www.hhicc.org)

Website Contest.
http://www.apcug.net/events/2008/WebsiteWinners.htm

More than 250 members (Very Large)
1st place - Tucson Computer Society, Arizona (www.aztcs.org/)
2nd place - Tri County Computer Users Group, Florida (www.tccug.net/)
3rd place - Charlotte County Computer Group Corporation, Florida (www.cccgc.net/)

249 to 100 members (Large)
1st place - TUGNET User's Group Network, California (www.tugnet.org)
2nd place - Brookdale Computer Users Group, New Jersey (www.bcug.com/)
3rd place - PC Community, California (www.pcc.org)

99 to 50 members (Medium)
1st place - Fredericksburg PC Users Group, Maryland (www.fpcug.org)
2nd place - Amador Computer Users Group, California (www.acug.net)
3rd place - Western New York Computer Society, New York (http://www.wnycomsoc.org/)

Fewer than 50 members (Small)
1st place – Arizona Society for Computer Information, Arizona (www.asciigroup.org/)
2nd place - Southwest International PCC, Texas (www.swipcc.org)
3rd place - Utah Computer Society, Utah (www.ucs.org/)

Digital Photography Contest.

Category A: People
1st Place – Untitled, Don Wiegel, Computer Users’ Group of Greeley, Colorado
2nd Place – Young Masai Girl, Northern Kenya, Rick Edwards, Big Bear Computer
Club, California
3rd Place Tie – Canoeing Paradise Cove, Douglas Agee, Southwest International
Personal Computer Club, Texas
3rd Place Tie – Historic Reflection, Ron Sherwood, Licking County Computer Society, Ohio

Category B: Animals
1st Place – Crowned Crane Drinking, Nairobi, Kenya, Rick Edwards, Big Bear Computer Club, California
2nd Place – Bird, Karl Wester, Temecula Valley Computer User Group, California
3rd Place – Tiffy, Bob Crossett, Southwest International Personal Computer Club,
Texas

Category C: Landscape
1st Place – Meeting of Shore and Sea, Marguerite Hobbs, Big Blue and Cousins: The Greater Victoria Personal Computer Users’ Association, British Columbia, Canada
2nd Place – Palm Trees at Kona, Douglas Agee, Southwest International Personal Computer Club, Texas
3rd Place Tie – Civita, Joe Nuvolini, Pikes Peak Computer Application Society, Colorado
3rd Place Tie – Untitled, Carol Laws, Quad Cities Computer Society, Illinois

Category D: Still Life
1st Place Tie – Under Construction, Les Muldorf, Mid-Hudson Computer Users Group, New York
1st Place Tie – Untitled, Larry Klees, North Orange County Computer Club, California
2nd Place – Two Leafs on a Step, Art Silvergate, Central Maryland User, Maryland
3rd Place – Untitled, Gary Miller, Evans Computer Society, Colorado

Judges’ Choice for Best of Show by the Center for Photography at Madison, WI
1st Place – Crowned Crane Drinking, Nairobi, Kenya, Rick Edwards, Big Bear Computer Club, California
2nd Place – Untitled, Don Wiegel, Computer Users Group of Greeley, Colorado
3rd Place -- Under Construction, Les Muldorf, Mid-Hudson Computer Users Group, New York

People’s Choice as Chosen by Attendees at the 2008 APCUG Convention
1st Place – Crowned Crane Drinking, Nairobi, Kenya,
.... Rick Edwards, Big Bear Computer Club, California
2nd Place – Young Masai Girl, Northern Kenya,
.... Rick Edwards, Big Bear Computer Club, California
3rd Place Tie – Historic Reflection,
....Ron Sherwood, Licking County Computer Society, Ohio
3rd Place Tie – Untitled, ....Cruz Moncivais, Evans Computer Society, Colorado

Again, congratulations to the winners as well as the individual members and groups that participated in the contests. Some of the photos will be in APCUG’s news magazine, Reports, mailed to selected officer in your user group – all of them will be posted on www.apcug.net.

4. 2008 Early-Bird Membership Renewal Winners

Groups paying their dues online by December 31 or at the convention by Friday, were eligible to be in the drawing conducted at the Advisor lunch.
Thanks to the109 groups that renewed by the deadline; the following groups are the lucky winners:

Macon Users Group, South Carolina (www.maconusersgroup.org)
Northern Virginia Computer Club, Virginia
Spring Hill Teaching Computer Club, Florida (www.shtcc.org)

5. Upcoming Regional Conferences

March 7, 8 & 9 in Zephyrhills, FL - FACUG (Florida Association of User Groups) www.facug.org

May 17 and 18 in West Nyack, NY - New York Leadership Conference http://apcug-ldc2008.org

May 30, 31 & June 1 in San Diego, CA – Southwest Computer Conference www.theswcc.org

September 19, 20 & 21 in Chicago, IL – Midwest Regional (fka the Chicago Mini-Expo)

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