February 2010 - Vol 6 Issue 1

Newsletter
In This Issue
Board Meeting
2009 Financial Report
Membership
TAP
The Learning Center
Website
POA Announcement
Free Stuff, Cartoons & Photographs
 Dear Victor,
 
The TVCUC February General Meeting will be held Tuesday, February  2nd at 7pm on the fifth floor of the Yacht Club.  Registration as usual will be on the Mezzanine level - 4th floor.
 
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Our program will be: "Overview & Update on Online Banking -- Methods & Procedures plus Security Issues", presented by Colleen Fitch & Judi Hinsen, of BB&T Bank.
 
          
Board Meeting

The next board meeting will be held Tuesday, February 9th, at 3pm at the Rec. Center.  All interested members are invited and welcome to attend. Visitors are welcome.
Quick Links
 
Your Web site has a new look!
 
Check it out at www.tvcuc.org and see more details in the article below by Lou Miller! 
 
2009 Financial Summary
by Dick Schmeling 
Here for the review of interested members is our final financial report for the 2009 year.  If you have any questions or comments, you can reach me at:  DickIsabel@aol.com
 
 
2009 Financial Summary
Membership
by Bob Kutschera
 
It is my pleasure to inform our members that JIM AUTRY has agreed to assume the responsibility of chairman of the Membership Committee. I will remain on the committee and will continue to assist Jim as much as possible.  I want to thank all of those who have worked with me on this committee over these past several years.  It is only with your unselfish participation that I have been able to serve our club.
 
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MARCH 16 TRIP TO ORNL IS COMPLETELY FULL!
 
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We have had 18 new memberships since last month!  Be sure to look for each of them at our meeting and elsewhere in the village and welcome them to our club.  They are:
                  
Bob and June Bierman
James and Nancy Butler
Tony and Cathleen Cirone
Sandra Elson and Patricia Muffley
Elva and Alan Follows
Jim and Carole Frohardt
Dennis and Pam Gurley
Lee and Joan Kramer
Robert and Alice Krause
Douglas and Judy LaCouver
Don and Sue Littrell
Roger Madson
William and Barbara Malone
Claire Manzo
James and Janet Myers
Jack and Sondra Rhymes
Patricia and Ronald Seaver
Jonathan and Janet Smith
 
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MAILING OF CHECKS AND DUES   
FRIENDLY NOTE!!!  Club dues ($15) for 2010 must be paid by MARCH 31st!  If you have not paid by that date we must remove your name from our rolls and you will no longer receive the newsletter, other important club communications or use of First Level Support.
 
 
Instructions on how to pay dues are given below.
 
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Please mail checks FOR ANNUAL DUES AND CLASS FEES to a NEW ADDRESS which is located in the More Than Mail office in the village.  That address is:
 
 
Tellico Village Computer Users Club
298 Village Square Drive, Suite #128
 Loudon, TN 37774. 
 
TAP
by Warren Sanders 
 
As of 1/26/10, we have given away 386 systems, with 650 children in the homes that received the systems.  Not all systems go to private homes.  Some go to organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club where they serve numerous children, and we do not include those children in the 'Children Affected' count.
 
Thank you for the great response to our request for people to join the Staples Rewards program and turn in 10 empty cartridges per month and then turn over the $30 rewards check to us.  Unfortunately, the response was so good that we are running low on empty cartridges.  If you have any empty cartridges, whether original or refilled or generic, please bring them to the general meeting on February 2.  We will have a bin there to receive them.
 
We have added several new volunteers in the past month, and they are helping a lot.  It takes about two days to prepare a system to give away, so extra hands are much appreciated.  Our thanks to all volunteers, new and 'old'.
 
A reminder that we have usable laser printers available for a very good price (free).  These are black print only, and have been checked out by our printer guru.  We are giving them away because we do not want them to go to a landfill, but they are taking too much valuable space.  Remember, laser cartridges cost more, but they give much more.
The Learning Center
by Bob Mugge 
 
Below are tentative class schedules which are subject to change based on comments made at this month's general meeting.   I can and will change this schedule based on your input.  I don't think any of the courses will take the entire reserved class room time, so the subject course will be the first half of the time, and there will be open house the last half of the time listed.  Come join us!

Wed 2/10 -        9 AM-12 noon - Basic Excel class - session 1
Thurs 2/11 -       9 AM-12 - How Your Computer Works
Mon 2/15 -        3-5 PM - Excel Investment Tracking course
Tues 2/16 -        2-4 PM - Basic Excel class-session 1 (repeat for those who couldn't make 2/10)
Mon 2/22 -        12 noon-2 PM - Excel Investment Tracking course
Thurs 2/25 -       9 AM-12 noon - How Your Computer Works
Sat 2/27 -          1-4 PM - Excel Investment Tracking course

Session 2 of the Basic Excel course will be in March.
 
 
How Your Computer Works
Instructor - Bob Mugge
 
Have you ever wondered what really goes on inside your computer and what the various parts do?  This document will tell you.  It's not really a course.  It's just a description of how the parts of your computer work together to get things done.  There are also some suggestions for keeping it in top shape.  Class notes will be furnished. 

 
Developing an Investment Tracking System Using Excel
Instructor - Bob Mugge
 

This course is a one hour one session course in how to use a free Excel template file to update price data on command for a file of stock and mutual fund investments.  These files can be personalized by students to meet their individual needs.  Class notes will be furnished.  Bring a USB flash drive if you want the actual files.
 

 
Basic Spreadsheets Using Microsoft Excel (2003 or 2007)
Instructor - Bob Mugge
 

This course is intended for people who are interested in learning about how to use spreadsheets using Excel, but have no or very little experience with spreadsheets or with Excel.  Students will have hands on experience with Microsoft Excel (included in Microsoft Office) using the club laptop computers or their own laptop with Excel if brought to class.  This is a multi-session course and requires a fee per the club class fee guidelines.
 
TVCUC WEBSITE
by Lou Miller 
 
The TVCUC website www.tvcuc.org sports a new look.  We've rebuilt the website from the ground up using the Drupal content management system.  Drupal is designed to promote community websites and encourages participation by all viewers.  The more people who participate, the more valuable a resource it will become.  Registered users at the TVCUC website can add comments to articles and participate in the forums.  The TVCUC leadership can create and edit content through an easy to use web editor interface - NO HTML CODING REQUIRED. 
 
Drupal allows uploading and display of images and playing of videos and audio files.  It can be used to poll members about different topics.  TVCUC.org can be a very dynamic website if you want it to be. 

If anyone from the club would like to learn Drupal (www.drupal.org) and work on the TVCUC website or has any comments or suggestions about the website, contact me at: loumilp@bellsouth.net
 
SIG's (Special Interest Groups)
by Don Stieghan 
 
For Mac computer users there is a new SIG, the Mac Users Group.  Any TVCUC member who uses a Mac computer, or would like to know more about using a MAC, is welcome to become a member of the SIG and attend meetings.  The meetings for 2010 are: fourth Mondays of January through May, then September, and October at 3:00 PM at the Chota Rec Center.
 
Jan Miller is the contact for the SIG, and she can be reached at 458-0658 or TVjeMiller@aol.com for additional information.
 
Another way for new SIGs to be created is for persons who attend the TVCUC classes or the one-on-one help sessions and want to continue the learning experience to request organization of a SIG.  Actually, any member of the TVCUC who wants to consider having a SIG can express that interest to a class instructor or to me directly.  Just send your e-mail address to Don Stieghan at tvtndon@gmail.com, or call me at 458-2142 or see me at the general meeting. 
 
You do not have to be the expert to lead a SIG or to propose the creation of a SIG.  Just having an interest in the subject matter and talking with me will begin the process.
POA ANNOUNCEMENT
 
Kate Jacobs working with the POA Long Range Planning Advisory Committee has asked the TVCUC and other clubs to include the following announcement in our newsletters so that their message will get the widest possible distribution.
 
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"Watch for neighborhood gathering April dates to hear and give input into the Tellico Village Long Range Strategic Plan. An updated vision for the future is being generated to address the needs of anticipated growth as we move toward buildout in the years ahead. The goal is to enhance property values and quality of life as we respond to current residents' expressed desires for the next stage of development. Over the past three years, the POA Board, Advisory Committees and Management have been working together in the development of a draft strategic plan.  Moving forward, property owners' ideas and suggestions on the draft plan are vitally important to help shape our community's future success.
For more information, visit  tvpoa.net/lrsp.shtml and watch an interview on the process that will air on Channel 3 in February."
Free Stuff, Cartoons & Photographs
by Frank Fritchman 
 
Do you want to improve you typing skills?  Here is a site which will help you do just that.  Go to keybr.com and see it will help you make better use of your keyboard.

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It is just amazing what is out there on the WWW.  Here is a site which gives you some beautiful time lapse pictures; they are for sale but also free for us to experience part of what is offered.  Go to http://magictimelapse.ch/v2/en/index.htm and enjoy pictures of some of the beauty of our earth.
 
 
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Many of us don't like the cold weather that winter brings us but you have to admit winter also brings with it exceptional beauty.  Below is a picture taken by a friend (not a club member) of a recent view of Bald River Falls, which many of you know is only a few miles from here, just above Tellico Plains.  I want to encourage you members who use your camera to send me winter wonderland pictures for our next issue.
 
Bald River Falls
 
 
Several of you have recently volunteered to work in club positions and that is much appreciated.  Many hands make light work so please consider adding your talents to those of others who already make this club a valuable asset to our village.  You are needed and welcome!
 
See you at the February meeting!
Frank Fritchman
Tellico Village Computer Users Club
Tellico Village Computer Users Club | 298 Village Square Drive | Tellico Village #128 | Loudon | TN | 37774