The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group
President's Update
 Lyn Goodall

Increase in Membership Fees

As mentioned in last month's column, the committee has agreed that membership fees will increase from $55 to $60 per year and students / pensioners will increase from $44 to $48 from 1st July 2007. (Figures inclusive of GST).

The increases come some 11 years after the last one and judging by comments received from members, Melb PC is still considered to be good value for money. When I took on the role of President last year I asked all committee members to focus on maximising resources and minimising costs, so that we could provide more for members. We are already seeing the results of this effort.

The committee have developed a budget for next year that continues to maximise revenue and resources and the following areas will be the focus of our attention over the coming year. We hope there will be increases in:

  • New and renewed membership
  • Training revenue
  • Office space for rental
  • Rental income
  • Hiring out of meeting / conference rooms and training facilities
  • General yield per square of floor space at Chadstone
  • Services for members
  • Quality of equipment for use by Interest Groups
Of course underpinning our ability to operate from the Chadstone facilities is the fact that we have enough reserves to yield a level of interest that pays a large proportion of the rental of the premises. These reserves have for a long while been "ear-marked" as a building fund. The Finance sub committee is strategically managing this fund to ensure that we have enough reserves in the building fund to provide us with better options when our lease is up at Chadstone. With approximately three years to go on the lease we need to be thinking about what we will do at the end of this time and manage our resources accordingly. Options could include remaining at Chadstone or purchasing a building to suit our purposes. Members will be provided with opportunities to contribute to this discussion as we lead up to 2010.

As you can see from what I have written above, membership fee increases will play their part in providing the group with resources to do the things we need to do. However, they are a small part of a much bigger, strategic picture.

HELP and the Real Value of Membership

I was contacted last month by a member who wanted to express his thanks and appreciation to our HELP Teams. He and his wife reside in a retirement village and about six months ago, they acquired a new replacement computer with Windows XP installed. He relied on considerable help from his son to get them onto Broadband and after several hours they were up and away.

Everything went well until a non-lethal but very annoying glitch occurred with his email system. He didn't want to impose any more on his son's generosity as from past experience, any requests for a "fifteen minute" help session turned out to be a couple of hours.

Reluctantly, he contacted a "professional person" who visited him for fifteen minutes and charged, as agreed, for the callout, plus on-site time. Eventually the professional departed to think about the problem and said he would return. He must be still thinking as to date there are no further suggestions as to what could have been wrong.

Nothing seemed to work but then one day, a copy of PC Update arrived. The answer was before his very eyes. Even though he was now on Broadband he was still a Melb PC member and as such was entitled to ask for HELP. He had also retained his Melb PC e-mail address.

He called the office on 9567 8000 and left a "help, please help" message and shortly after a volunteer phoned. As there were some difficulties in describing the precise nature of the problem, the volunteer offered to make a personal visit, despite it being very late in the afternoon. The volunteer took one look at the problem, did some magic (according to the member who contacted me) and fixed the problem in no time.

The price was a cup of tea and a biscuit and the member was most insistent that I ensure thanks were passed on to both the volunteer and Melb PC helpers in general.

The Moral of this Story?

If you are changing over to Broadband, remember to keep up your membership of Melb PC - it is the best accessory you can buy for your computer and you can be assured that real HELP is always at hand.

The Committee welcomes all feedback - contact me at president@melbpc.org.au or the office (03) 9567 8000.

Reprinted from the July 2007 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia

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