What Is APCUG?
by Charlotte Semple, President / Editor
Los Angeles Computer Society, California
From the April 2004 issue of the I/O Port Newsletter
The Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG) is an international,
platform-independent, volunteer-run nonprofit body devoted to helping user
groups offer better services to their members. APCUG is an organization
dedicated to helping member computer user groups succeed. It helps to foster
communications by operating as an informal network between user group
organizations and also with companies that provide computer-related and
Internet-related goods and services. APCUG also assists member groups in the
fulfillment of their educational missions and activities by sharing with
officers of member user groups the knowledge of what it takes for user groups to
better serve their members. APCUG operates as a 50l(c)(3) non-profit
organization.
Is APCUG a user group?
Absolutely not. APCUG membership consists of user groups, not individual
members. While APCUG facilitates information to the user groups and provides
information about possible services, it is up to the individual user groups to
offer the services to their memberships.
Is membership in APCUG limited to user groups of any particular operating system or platform?
No. APCUG membership is open to all microcomputer user groups. Some of the
members of APCUG are computer societies that serve many different platforms.
How did APCUG get started?
The genesis of APCUG
came from a series of meetings by representatives from
various user groups around the country. Whenever user group officers and
directors met, there were continual discussions about the need to improve
communication between the groups and to share information such as newsletters,
strategies, ideas, etc. As a first step, the presidents from three user groups -
Boston Computer Society, Capital PC User Group, and Houston Area League of PC
Users - organized the First Annual User Group Summit meeting at the 1986 Fall
Comdex. As a result of the feedback from that first Summit meeting and
subsequent meetings among user group representatives, the leaders of 15 user
groups met in Seattle in October 1987, and proposed the formation of an
association for the purpose of fostering communication among and between user
groups. That proposal was presented before 130 representatives from 50 user
groups at the Second Annual User Group Summit Meeting in November 1987, and was
unanimously approved.
What is the organizational structure of APCUG?
The primary governing body of APCUG is a 9-person Board of Directors.
[ Editor's Note: Tulsa Computer Society President Don Singleton
is one of those 9 APCUG Directors. ] Each
Director is elected for a three-year term, with one-third of the Board elected
each year. The Board of Directors is responsible for the implementation of APCUC
activities and daily management of the organization. A 15-person Board of User
Group Advisors, each of whom is elected for a two-year, staggered term (one-half
of the Advisory Board is elected each year), is the ombudsman for their assigned
groups and is responsible for proposing new activities or directions for APCUG
and for advising the Board of Directors on user group concerns. All of the
members of the Board of User Group Advisors are active participants in
APCUG-member user groups. In addition, each Member User Group designates a
person to act as a representative to APCUG. The APCUG user group representatives
are responsible for keeping their group's officers and members up-to-date with
information sent to them by APCUG, as well as keeping their group's information
in the APCUG database current. They also receive the yearly ballot.
What kinds of things does APCUG do?
APCUG has established and maintains a National Registry of PC User Groups and
provides this information to participating groups, publications, and vendors. By
making this information available, more groups will be able to take advantage of
services provided by manufacturers, publishers, and publications. APCUG
encourages hardware manufacturers and software publishers to establish formal
user group support programs and provides them listings of APCUG member user
groups to facilitate the implementation of such programs.
APCUG provides a number of Internet services, including web pages with
information about APCUG, mailing lists for User Group officers to communicate
with their peers, Web Space for User Groups, and a number of other services, all
accessible through http://www.apcug.net.
APCUG also plans and coordinates user group activities at major computer shows
and expositions. These activities include a series of professional development
seminars for user group officers; computer product showcase and exposition; the
APCUG Summit Meeting held during the Fall conference; computer industry
sponsored technology briefings; and sponsored breakfasts, luncheons and
receptions.
APCUG serves as a clearinghouse for user group resources and vendor programs. In
this way, each user group will not have to re-invent the wheel when it comes to
creating something like a new member brochure or novice user diskette.
Similarly, APCUG has developed a vendor database that summarizes the various
programs and identifies the contact person within each company. User groups can
then contact the vendors directly to enroll their groups into the programs.
Does APCUG take stands on issues or lobby?
No. It is more appropriate for individual user groups and not an umbrella
organization to take positions on issues. As an information clearinghouse, the
APCUG can, however, facilitate the exchange of communication on issues and help
put user groups in contact with one another. Since the policy in most user
groups is that only the Board of Directors can establish policy, it would be
inappropriate and harmful for the APCUG to take positions on behalf of its
member organizations. If it is to be successful, it is essential that APCUG not
interfere or encroach upon the inherent responsibilities of its user group
members.
How does APCUG pay for its directors, officers, staff, and offices?
Like many user groups, APCUG is a non-profit organization that depends primarily
on volunteer effort. APCUG does not maintain its own physical offices but
instead contracts for services on an as needed basis. APCUG employs an
administrative assistant who handles updating the database, sends renewal
invoices to groups, etc. All director and officer positions are unpaid
volunteers. Thus far, many people have stepped forward from individual user
groups and volunteered their services to APCUG. This spirit is expected to
continue.
How much does it cost to join APCUG?
Each APCUG member user group is assessed an annual membership fee of $50 to help
defray administrative and operational expenses.
Is my group a member of APCUG?
Yes. Most APCUG member groups display the APCUG logo on their web page and in
their newsletter.
APCUG Member Services
To help new User Groups to form, APCUG offers a collection of information,
including sample
Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. APCUG puts on one or two
national events each year.
The many Round Table Programs offered are set up to
help leaders in running their user groups. There are also
Regional Conferences
held during the year where user groups can also meet to exchange ideas, share
the highs and lows of running a user group, meet vendors, etc. on a more local
level.
APCUG provides web space and other web services for user groups that have
trouble finding a local ISP to host their web page.
The WebBoard offers a
ListServe for groups to contact their members, chat accessibility for on-line
meetings, and conferences for a group's guru to answer technical questions.
APCUG publishes APCUG Reports
four times a year, and copies are mailed to
selected officers of all APCUG member user groups. It contains many articles to
help officers do their jobs better. These reports are also published on the Net.
Newsletter editors can often use more content for their newsletters. The APCUG
Editorial Committee emails four to six articles each month to all editors in
APCUG member user groups. These articles can then be published in the group's
newsletter. Articles are usually written by user group members from around the
world.
The monthly NOOZ newsletter from your group's advisor contains information about
APCUG and the group's region.
Tips & Tricks for Running your User Group are special articles written to
provide assistance to a member user group on some aspect of running a User
Group. Frequently they will be based on material presented at a Round Table
session at an APCUG or regional conference.
APCUG maintains a
Presentation-in-a-Box list that contains information about
vendor-provided material that user group members can use themselves to make a
presentation at their meeting.
Occasionally, member groups receive information about discounts being offered to
their members. Many vendors have special programs set-up for user group members
that offer continuous discounts.
APCUG maintains a user group locator
on its website which anyone can use to find
another user group to arrange joint projects, arrange a vendor tour for several
groups, and enable officers to find other user group officers in their area to
interact with to discuss topics of interest to the groups.
The APCUG logo
is available for use by APCUC member groups. Different sizes of
transparent GIF files (color) for the web, and BMP and TIP files (gray scale)
for print use are included, as well as AI, EPS, and PSD formats for those who
need different sizes or formats than those provided.
Help is just an e-mail away - groups can
contact their regional advisor or a
member of the Board of Directors. All officers are willing and available to
assist APCUG-member groups.
Compiled from information gleaned from the APCUG Website, http://www.apcug.net.
There is no restriction against any non-profit group using this article as long
as it is kept in context with proper credit given the author. The Editorial
Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an
international organization of which this group is a member, brings this article
to you.
For more information on the Tulsa Computer Society click here
Tulsa Computer Society 4/01/2004
Don Singleton, President