Tellico Village Computer Users Club
 

November 11, 2008 Board Meeting

Meeting called to order by Jim Peterson at 3:00 P.M.

Board Members Present:  Jim Peterson, Bob Mugge, Dick Schmeling, Jan Schneck, Warren Sanders, Dean Miller, Vince Alline, Joyce Knouse and Karen Brown

Also in attendance:  Bob Foster, Frank Fritchman, Dennis Malcolm, Bob Kutschera, Don Stieghan, Howard Jones, Sharon Addison and Dale Noll

Karen Brown motioned to approve the minutes of the October 14, 2008 Board Meeting and the November 4, 2008 General Meeting; Bob Mugge seconded.  Board approved.  

OFFICER REPORTS

President, Jim Peterson

·         Allowed Howard Jones to bring the Board up to date on the status of the slide scanner.  His written report notes that the scanner was purchased on January 1, 2005.  Within the one-year warranty period, the scanner was damaged and returned to Academic Superstore for repair.  It has served a number of Club users who paid a $25 user fee.  At some point earlier this year, it was rendered “inoperative” for reasons precisely unknown.  The scanner was ultimately returned to Jones and Victor de Groote to assist in effecting a return to Pacific Image, the manufacturer, and repair if possible.  On November 4, Jones contacted Pacific Image and obtained a Return Material Authorization and on November 10, the scanner was returned via UPS.  There are two replaceable parts, either of which or both may be damaged.  They are the motherboard and the scan head.  Each would cost $50 to replace with a one-hour service labor charge of $45.  The maximum repair cost would be $145.  If the scanner can’t be repaired, we will be given the option of purchasing their current Version, a PS3650, for a price of $500 plus $65 shipping and handling.  The current price for this improved model is $899.99 at the Pacific Image Store.  Jones submitted a receipt for reimbursement of the $35.10 he paid for the shipping and insurance expense.

·         Schmeling asked about the worst case scenario and Howard responded that we could try to have it repaired for $145 and if that doesn’t work, we could buy the newer model for a total cost of $565.  There would be no charge, of course, if the repair doesn’t work.  Schmeling commented that these potential costs are not in the 2009 budget.

Vice President, Bob Mugge – No report.

Secretary, Jan Schneck

·         Apologized for not buying the classroom plaque because Karen Brown has no approval yet from Patty Robichaud to display same.

Treasurer, Dick Schmeling

·         Distributed the Treasurer’s Report for the month of October.  The Club received $420 in dues, a $25 gift and $0.46 of bank interest.  There expenses of $26.76 for supplies during the month to net $418.68 of income.  The Pass-Through Account took in $2,023.33 and expended $920.86 for supplies, for a net inflow of $1,102.47 during the month.  For the year, the Pass-Through Account has received a total of $8,115.71 and used a total of $5,165.99, leaving a balance of $2,949.72 in that account.  The Treasury’s ending bank balance for the month was $6,052.76 of which $2,949.72 is designated for the Pass-Through Account.

·         Schmeling also had distributed the completed Operating Budget for 2009 by e-mail on November 1, 2008.

·         Joyce Knouse motioned to approve the Treasurer’s Report; Jan Schneck seconded.  Board approved.

Past President, Warren Sanders

·         Introduced Sharon Addison as the Club’s president elect.  Her e-mail address is sharon.addison@att.net.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Membership Committee

·         Bob Kutschera reported that the General Meeting drew 56 attendees, including 3 guests, so we had a quorum for the election of Board members.

·         There were 4 new memberships and 27 renewals including 22 additional members.  $465 will be delivered to the Treasurer.

·         The Newsletter article asking for members to send Kutschera the renewal dues continues to be working very well.  The sign-up desk was again not under the typical pressure we had experienced in the past when processing dues and new memberships.

·         In the next Newsletter, we will thank members for joining and/or renewing.

Program Committee

·         Bob Foster said he has a program in mind for December.  He will advise Channel 3 and Frank Fritchman for the Newsletter when he has details ironed out.

·         He e-mailed all of the Committee members that he is looking for a Chairman for 2009, but has had no response yet.  He’ll assist whoever chairs, but cannot continue to spend as much time as he has been spending on programs issues.

·         Kutschera recommended using the POA Tel-E-Gram for meetings, classes, etc.  In January, Kutschera will contact Oak Ridge to set up a tour or tours of the Computer Center for March or April if possible.

Technology Access Program Committee

·         Sanders announced that our fund-raising effort has resulted in $3,497 of donations and we have $2,440 in one-year pledges and $940 in three-year pledges for a total of $6,877.  This is about $3,123 short of where we need to be for next year, but we don’t need all of that in hand to start the year.  Every newspaper box in the Village got a flyer last week in our continuing effort to get donations.  He’s been encouraged by the response so far.     

·         He has a call in to Cap Purvis, Chairman of the Library Board, to meet hopefully this week regarding sharing space.  We need 800 to 1,000 square feet for our purpose.  He hopes that by the December Club meeting, we’ll have something firm to report to the Board. 

·         Jimmy Matlock, our State Representative, may stop by the workhouse to witness the giveaway of a system.

·         Sanders sent Roy Trahan a copy of the fund-raising letter and the pledge/donation form.  He invited Trahan to call if he has any questions, hoping to get some kind of publicity through his Village newspaper.   

First Level Support Committee

·         Dennis Malcolm had no report.

Computer Education Committee

·         Bob Mugge asked, at the General Meeting, for all those interested in attending open house sessions at the Chota Learning Center to see him during or after the meeting to ask for specific times that they would be interested in attending.  He got no response at all.

·         The efficiency of providing answers in open houses will depend on who and how many show up to help and, therefore, how many laptops we can operate independently.  The open houses are not in-depth classes on specific application programs such as Word or Excel or Outlook Express, but hopefully we can demonstrate how-to solutions to individual problems which may appeal to a different group of people.

·         The student base from returned survey forms now approaches 80.  We have a lot of expressed interest, but the only classes taught to date are the show-and-tell Mugge did on How Your Computer Works and the Works classes taught by Ken Ray.  I will have handouts and equipment from my class for demonstration for those who may come that could not attend the class.

·         With this current situation, Mugge has decided to take upon himself to set some times that he can be available at the Learning Center and asks all of the Board members and potential instructors to help out at these times or at others of their choosing.  Proposed Open House Schedule:  Sat., Nov. 15 from 10 AM to 12 Noon; Wed., Nov. 19 from 1 PM to 4 PM; Fri., Nov. 21 from 1 PM to 4 PM.  He realizes this does not give much planning time, but more times will be available.  If this schedule is okay with the Board and some instructors or helpers, we can give the okay to put it in the Newsletter and perhaps send an e-mail to all members, too.  Mugge is open to other suggestions or ideas.

·         Mugge knows this has to be publicized although this is late notice.

·         Fritchman offered to do a Special Newsletter tomorrow.

Special Interest Groups Committee

·         Stieghan said that any new SIGS need to come out of the classes.  He’s been ill, but is better now.

OLD BUSINESS

Action Items

·         Karen Brown has given copies of Sanders’ solicitation letter and Trahan has agreed to get something in his paper for the Club.

·         Patty Robichaud has not yet responded to Brown’s request for approval of a classroom plaque.

·         Brown completed the revised Operations Manual and e-mailed it to all Board members.  Karen Brown motioned to approve the Operations Manual as revised; Sanders seconded.  Board approved.

·         Mugge addressed the Open House Workshop issues earlier in his Education Committee Report.

·         Slide scanner issues were addressed earlier by Howard Jones.

NEW BUSINESS

·         Peterson stated that the Rec Center wants to program room usage for 2009.  He and Mugge will work that out with them.

·         Schmeling advised that he will not be here for the December Board Meeting.

·         Warren Sanders motioned to authorize repair of the slide scanner or, if it cannot be repaired, to authorize the expense to replace it; Dick Schmeling seconded.  Board approved.

·         Karen Brown motioned to accept the Treasurer’s 2009 Operating Budget as presented; Sanders seconded.  Board approved.

MEETING ADJOURNED 4:20 P.M.

NEXT GENERAL MEETING DECEMBER 2, 2008 @ 7:00 P.M. AT YACHT CLUB

NEXT BOARD MEETING DECEMBER 9, 2008 @ 3:00 P.M. AT CHOTA REC CENTER