The classroom will be getting smaller tables to accommodate the card players who want to use the room. The tables will be snapped together so they won’t come apart when this Club is using them. The card players have agreed, when they’re finished, to put the tables back the way they found them. They also will be using hard, stackable chairs rather than the wheeled desk chairs that are here now.

The Club will do all we can to avoid any conflict in timing of meetings. However, n the case of a conflict, the POA has assured us the Computer Club gets first choice.

Though Schneck had no report, Knouse commented that she liked the idea of putting the Oak Ridge presentation by Robert Whitten, which was very interesting, on a CD for those not in attendance to hear. Bob Foster said he will help Schneck with the process, if needed, and will try to get copies of the presentation slides as well.

Distributed the financial accounting for the month of June. The Club received $105 in dues and $0.25 of bank interest. On the expense side was $34.23 for meeting expenses and $8.40 for supplies, affecting a positive net cash flow of $62.62. The Pass-Through account received income of $320 and expended $459.40 for ink cartridges, paper, etc. leaving a balance of $584.38 in that account. The Treasury’s ending balance for the month was $2,921.41 of which $584.38 is designated for the Pass-Through Account.

Reminded the Board and Committees that he needs to know their intentions for the 2009 year regarding whether or not they are willing to stay on in their present positions. He sent an e-mail out and is still waiting for about 4 responses.

Requested that the Board appoint a Nominating Committee by next month.

Bob Kutschera’s written report states that the General Meeting drew 43 attendees including 3 guests and the speaker from Oak Ridge. There were 74 memberships with 4 additional members. A total of $60 was submitted to the Treasurer with required documentation.

The Club now has 234 paid memberships for 2008 plus 152 additional members, bringing the total member count to 386.

Bob Treece, a past Membership Committee member, assisted Kutschera at the registration table at the last General Meeting which was certainly appreciated.

Kutschera sent an e-mail to Robert Whitten’s boss thanking him for the presentation. Foster also sent an e-mail to Robert Whitten expressing the Club’s gratitude. We will be trying to get a tour of the Oak Ridge facility for Club members.

An audit of the 2008 membership count and receipts is being done by Kutschera with the assistance of Dick Schmeling.

Ethel Tatro is currently without a computer and Kutschera is attempting to update the data during Ethel’s absence. Dick Schmeling was given a copy of the database to assist with this project.

Bob Foster asked where the microphones were when they could not be found for the General Meeting.

Peterson: Haven’t found out yet what happened to them.

Foster: Due to the frequent problems with our own equipment, we need to troubleshoot the system before the next meeting.

Schmeling: Bill Jochem, who designed the system, has said that he would be willing to help with that. Jeff Gagley said he will check out the Yacht Club system. Jochem said that he’ll be available anytime next week. He’s too busy this week.

Foster: Will get some people together, along with Bill Jochem. Other people besides Chuck Hill need to know how to operate the system, too.

Sanders: Suggest Chuck Hill be a part of that group, too.

Peterson: They can all work on it here in the classroom. We can store the equipment here, too, and pick it up before meetings. It’s in a large suitcase.

Foster commented that he heard many good comments about the July 1 General Meeting.

He needs to talk to the Apple guy, Carl Beck, at Best Buy about presenting a program on Apple.

Has talked to one man who has set up a couple of websites. He may be amenable to giving a presentation on the subject.

Joyce Knouse has given him some information on a person who may be able to give a presentation on digital photography.

The Program Committee is meeting tomorrow at 3:00 at the workhouse by the church.

Peterson has not been able to contact Penny Visconti by e-mail. He will try to call her.

Karen Brown is the temporary Communications contact and is reachable by e-mail even though she’s in Michigan until about Labor Day.

Sanders advised that Victor deGroote is facing surgery next week. We must keep him in our prayers.

Sanders reported that as of last week, 103 systems have been given away. They have another 27 ready to go of which 2 have been promised, leaving 25 with no recipients yet known. Let him know of any worthy recipients.

Sunday evening the Community Church will be voting on the expansion program. If approved, the first phase will entail tearing down the part of the building that contains the offices. That group will be moving into the "workhouse" so we may have to evacuate rather quickly. Sanders has spoken with the Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs and others to see if they would help us fund, on a 2-3 year continued basis, a move into the Cooper building across the parking lot. It would cost about $2,000-$2,500 a year with 1/2 of that going to the $3 million bond required. We can’t do that on our own. Kiwanis guy seemed favorable. Needs to find 3-4 organizations that could split that amount and guarantee it for a few years. We have to pay electricity, water, cable and some other things.

Sanders had an attorney look at the Microsoft contract to become a Community Authorized Refurbisher of Computers. The contract is extremely confusing (several have tried to read it, including a couple of attorneys). She said that we could go ahead with the project and she would defend us without charge on the basis of ignorance, if need be. He will first call Microsoft, tell them what we’re doing and make sure that they don’t see a problem based on our explanation of what we’re doing. It would allow us to put Microsoft software on the refurbished equipment for a very small cost, perhaps $5-10 per system. Sanders would like the Board’s approval to proceed. Joyce Knouse motioned to approve moving ahead as suggested by Warren Sanders. Sanders seconded. Board approved.

Kutschera suggested offering systems to new Habitat occupants. Sanders responded that he has had 8-10 referrals from Habitat. Most of his referrals have come from teachers and schools. Some people have said they would contact Girls and Boys Clubs, but he hasn’t heard back yet.

TAP has another 9 systems ready for the September garage sale, too.

Kutschera recommended contacting some local churches, the Women’s Clubs and those charitable organizations for recipients and also for potential funding.

Dennis Malcolm said his group only had a couple of calls in the last month.

Mugge said this classroom will be used from 11 AM to 3 PM every day this week for the Summer Camp. Hopefully, next week we can get some computers ready to go. He and Peterson explained some of the complexities they ran into trying to set the computers up. They are now getting them done, but each one takes about 6 hours.

Mugge distributed a list of the 43 classes being planned and the 51 people who have indicated interest in the multiple classes. He has a matrix noting all of these as well as the times people have indicated as preferences.

He has completed an outline for the How Your Computer Works class. He prefers not to charge for that class as there will be no cost to the Club. He has several who want to sign up but at all different times. Part of the class will be passing around hardware to show students. The class will be taught in 3 segments. Sanders offered to provide the shells and old hard drives if Mugge can use them.

Peterson contacted the scanner manufacturer trying to find out how much it will cost to fix it. He should be able to report something by next month.

Uncapher advised that we now have 4 Smart Computing subscriptions that may be used as door prizes. For each 5 Club members who subscribe as such, the Club is awarded one free subscription. After some discussion it was decided that the on-line subscription instructions should be listed along with the Club’s reference number to be presented a few times each year at General Meetings.