Special Announcement

Due to the spread and concerns about Covid-19, out of an abundance of caution we are taking the following measures:

All of our public Meetings, including Meet FLS, are cancelled until further notice.

Our FLS Team can still provide help via phone or remote-control software, but will not make in house calls.

As soon as the facilities we use are returned to being available and it is generally deemed safe by the CDC for people to meet in groups as before, we will resume our functions.

We Have changed the dates for some Tours until August, if the concerns about Covid-19 and groups of people gathering are still on going at the time of our April Tours to Sea Ray and Mastercraft, we will reschedule them.

See the entire newsletter Here

As we approach Spring and warmer weather, we have been able to get some great Tours lined up and are putting together Presentations for the upcoming General Meetings.  The Picnic Committee is holding meetings now to plan for the June 2nd Annual Club Picnic.  TAP is busy getting systems ready to give to Youths that are in need.  FLS has been beyond busy with the number of Members that are in need of help.

As can easily be seen, there is a small group of people working to help others; but, can’t we get anyone else to step up and give us a hand?

It is as easy to give help as it is to accept it; it only takes some small measure of care for others and a will to offer a bit of time.

We need a Secretary now!  Ginnie agreed to stay on while we get someone, but this cannot be open ended.  We need a volunteer to step up and take on this responsibility.  The position requires only about 6-8 hours a month to attend and record the minutes for two meetings:  the monthly Board Meeting and General meeting.  Also, some infrequent and incidental jobs include getting cards out to members who are ill or grieving and updating some lists from time to time.  All of the functions require but simple office skills and a willingness to serve. 

I would like to thank all our Club volunteers:  those in TAP, who perform the functions necessary to deliver refurbished computer systems to deserving children and help realize the empowering gift of future potential to so many deserving students; those in FLS and Mac SIG, who benefit our members directly through personal technical advice and hands-on assistance in order to enhance our members experience with their own devices; those in Tours, who arrange and coordinate visits to some highly informational venues for members’ benefit and enjoyment; those in Membership and Grant Writing, who are so vital to securing the funds necessary for the Club to operate and make everything else possible; those on Standing and Special Committees and other volunteers (Meeting Hosts, Picnic, Communications, TellicoLife Admins, and members of the Board), without whose continual efforts the Club could not succeed.  Only through this collective volunteer effort can we succeed and provide benefit for our Members and the larger Community.  Thank you all!

I encourage all members to become more active in the Club to assure its vitality and survival.

See the entire newsletter Here

See the latest Windows 10 Update information:

Microsoft Releases Patch to Severe Windows Flaw Detected by NSA
By Tom Verbeke and Ann Leaman

Please installed the newest update to your Windows 10 machine immediately.  The easiest way is to go to Settings, then Update and Security, and finally Check for Updates.  If there are any updates available, go ahead and install them.  Questions???  Check the Windows Updates FAQ and Update Security Guide, or call the FLS Hot Line:  (865) 408-8223.

Microsoft Corporation released a patch to fix a software vulnerability in its Windows operating system that could allow hackers to breach or surveil targeted computer networks, after the National Security Agency detected the flaw.

U.S. government officials described the vulnerability in Windows 10—Microsoft’s most popular operating system—as especially severe and one that Microsoft customers should work to fix immediately by updating their systems.  Both Microsoft and the NSA said they hadn’t found evidence the flaw had been exploited for malicious purposes.

“A security update was released on January 14, 2020, and customers who have already applied the update, or have automatic updates enabled, are already protected,” Jeff Jones, a Microsoft senior director, said in a statement.  “As always, we encourage customers to install all security updates as soon as possible.”

The flaw at issue involves a mistake in how Microsoft uses digital signatures to verify software as authentic, which helps block malware from being deployed on a computer. The error would potentially enable hackers to install powerful malware on systems undetected.

  Read More…Here.

Read the entire Newsletter…Here.

Welcome to the new decade:  The 20s.  We hope that all is well and we look forward to the New Year and new opportunities to be of service to our Members.

Last year marked a milestone for our TAP volunteers with the delivery of a computer system to the 10,000th youth we have helped, that system was number 6,674 given since TAP started, many years ago.  But TAP never rests and pushed on, always preparing and delivering more systems, ending 2019 with 7,261 systems given, which corresponds to 10,656 youths confirmed to have been assisted through the end of last year. 

Last year marked another big number:  628 Members calling for help from FLS and 128 Members coming to the “Meet with FLS” sessions.  That is an amazing service the FLS Volunteers provided our Members. and it is truly appreciated.

Last year we had a great Picnic attended by 135 Members sharing good food and friendship in perfect weather at Tugaloo.  Another great effort by Kathy Milam, Keith Milam, and all the others they gathered to put it together.

In sum, last year we had a great year thanks to the efforts of our Volunteers, they are the ones who make this the best service organization in the Village.

This year is being formed—what will we be looking back at a year from now?  How will you help shape what that is?

Volunteer and help make history.

Thank you all.

Read the entire Newsletter…Here.