PACC INTERESTS
Hello Fellow PACC Member:

I have mentioned in the other articles a few of the ways PACC can improve. There are many other ways the club can improve by learning what you want. I plan to find out what every member wants and find a way to help you accomplish your goals. I promise that you will get what you contracted for when you paid your dues and many other rewards besides those stated in the By-Laws. The By-Laws are very clear about what you should get.

Although most of what PACC does is spelled out in the By-Laws, there is much more that ought to go on to make the club successful. In many ways PACC is like a business, a school, a church, a health spa and a theme park all rolled into one. The principals of successful marketing still apply, even with such a broad organization like PACC. The marketing motto is "Get a good location and advertise." As any marketing student of Point Park would say: "Don't forget about CADS" or Coordinative, Aggressive, Dynamic Sales!

I remember when I was elected the VP of Communications. I ran the BBS where over five thousands calls were answered, and over five hundred different users would call each year. As the Internet became more useful, the BBSs across the country began to shut down and club sites began to appear. I used to market PACC at the computer shows by setting up a table there to promote the club. I marketed PACC by installing an extra phone line in my house and had another telephone number for PACC listed in the Yellow Pages. I also had the club listed in several magazines, BBS lists and in the local newspaper, all to get more new people to our meetings.

The greatest opportunity the club ever had was when we finally connected with Microsoft as a sharing partner with a special user group project called Mindshare. We had a table right up front when Microsoft and PACC helped launch Windows 95 and 98. Thousands of people attended those events. We also participated with Microsoft with several of its Extreme product launches at an area movie show and once at a hotel. I helped out at all of those events and only wished that the other leaders of the club followed through with all the contacts we made there.

When Computer User magazine came to the corner boxes in Pittsburgh, I got the club listed in it. I remember that several visitors used to tell us that they found PACC by using the Internet or by seeing our listing in Computer User magazine. The PACC BBS often got calls from users who needed help with computer problems they were having at home, at school or at work. Sometimes I asked other club members to help me and we would go to their place to setup their systems. One school even had over ten teachers join the club and perhaps, this is how the Information Technology section of the library got started.

I feel that most of us all appreciate all the work the leaders of the club do for us. One month I recall doing everything and paying all the bills out of my own pocket, because of a problem we had with our account at the bank. I picked up the mail, E-mailed all the vendors, scheduled the guest speaker, called a special board meeting to resolve the problems, edited and prepared to publish the newsletter all by myself. Now that I look back on the problem, it looks pretty ridiculous at how it all got out of hand.

The main reason for this article is to get you involved in the club. I used to spend over three hours a day on the BBS, on the Internet and enjoyed every minute talking with many potential new members. It takes a lot of work just to get a new person to a meeting, and more work to get a visitor to join the club and much much more work to get a member to become a leader of the computer club.

No one will keep coming to our meetings unless they are on time, and the club is interesting, friendly, and beneficial to all its members. The best way to make it all happen is by electing good leaders, who will get the job done and who will do much more than you ever expected.

Please send E-mail to me now saying if you will vote for me at the election. Then I will know what to expect, even before the meeting begins. This will speed up the elections and make the meeting more productive.

Warm regards,
Phil Cutrara