APCUG Reports Q2 is available here. The deadline for the next APCUG Reports is June 15 for an issue which will go to press July 1.

Join us the weekend of May 16th, 17th and 18th, 2008 for the Membership & Leadership Development Conference in West Nyack NY, 30 miles north of New York City. Check the http://ldc.apcug.org/ website and the flyer for more details.

The APCUG.NET site is now on a new server. If you experience any problems, please email dsingleton@apcug.net, and identify the URL of the page with the error.

Deadline for APCUG Reports Q2 is March 15. Get your articles in soon.

Click here to read about the APCUG Annual Convention.

APCUG Reports Q1 is online and available here

As previously announced the deadline for submitting your Websites, Newsletters, Digital Photos and Jerry Award was October 15, 2007. All entries had to be postmarked by midnight PST, October 15th to be eligible. There was an overwhelming response (Web - 78 entries, Photo - 59 entries, Newsletters - 41 entries, and Jerry Award - 8 entries) and the respective Committees thank those UGs and individuals that took the time and effort entering.

The results of the competitions will be announced at the APCUG’s Annual Convention, January 3 – 6, 2008 in Las Vegas; you do not need to be present to win. Awards and certificates will be presented at that time. Winning newsletters and websites will also receive APCUG newsletter and web logos for use on your groups newsletter and website. The results will also be posted on http://www.apcug.net/ and sent out via NOOZ and Reports. All submitted Digital Photos will be on display at the APCUG Convention.

Bill James, Chair
Melvin Weekley, Co-chair, Newsletters
Barbara Manning, Co-chair, Web
Lori Berenson, Co-chair, Web
Roger Tesch, Co-chair, Digital Photo

Don Singleton, Co-chair, Jerry Awards
Jay Ferron, Co-chair, Jerry Awards

At the 2008 Convention we will have three tracks for the Round Tables

• User Group Development,
• Computer Technology, and
• Consumer Electronics

What topics would you like to see covered in those tracks.

Registration for the 2008 Convention will be available here very soon.

This edition of NOOZ is sent to the President, Vice President, Director, Secretary, Treasurer, APCUG Representative, Newsletter Editor, Webmaster, Membership and Program Chairs of each APCUG-member User Group.

We urge you to share the information in NOOZ by including it in your newsletter, posting it on your Web site, or e-mailing it to members of your group.

In this edition of NOOZ:

1. 2008 Annual Convention (formerly known as Annual Conference)
2. August Q3 Reports Newsletter
3. IRS Updates, May 2007
4. Program Ideas
5. New Benefit of Membership

1. APCUG’s Annual Conference has a new name — Annual Convention. Co-chairs Ash Nallawalla and Jim Evans recently announced that plans are underway for the 2008 event, January 3-6 at the Riviera Hotel & Casino. The theme is Membership Retention and Growth. Highlights and benefits planned for the 2008 event include: Jerry Awards; newsletter, website and digital photo contest awards; roundtable / educational sessions; vendor presentations; opportunities to meet vendors; meal / social events; opportunities to meet user group members from around the world; and the spouse program. Later this summer, registration information will be posted on www.apcug.net. The co-chairs may be reached at convention@apcug.net.

Don’t miss the opportunity to get some recognition for your group by entering the newsletter and/or website contests. September 1 is the beginning date for you to submit your website URL and newsletters and October 15 is the last date for these contest entries. Those are also the dates for your members to submit their digital photos for that contest. The results of the contests will be announced at the annual event. The 2008 contest committee members are: Bill James (bjames@apcug.net), Melvin Weekley (mweekley@apcug.net), Roger Tesch (rtesch@apcug.net), Barbara Manning (bmanning@apcug.net) and Lori Berenson (lberenson@apcug.net).

2. August Q3 Reports Newsletter. A copy of the latest issue of Reports is attached. Please feel free to forward it to your members; selected officers will soon be receiving their printed issue. You will find the criteria for the above contests in this issue.

3. IRS Updates, May 2007 – IRS Announces the next round of changes for non-profits. From Paul Howard, National Capital Technology and Computer User’s Group, Inc. and the Washington Area User Group to Gabe Goldberg, Advisor, Region 1.

http://www.guidestar.org/DisplayArticle.do?articleId=1125

Here is an excerpt from the article:

“IRS Updates, May 2007
Note: The following discussion is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as legal or tax advice. For specific information about Form 990-N and provisions of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 mandating the revocation of exempt status, consult your attorney or tax advisor.

The IRS has announced the next round of changes required by the Pension Protection Act of 2006:

Smaller nonprofits will be required to file Form 990-N starting in 2008.
Organizations that fail to file Form 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, or 990-N for three consecutive years will lose their tax exemptions.

Smaller Organizations and Form 990-N
Starting next year, an organization that does not file IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ because its income is $25,000 or less will have to file Form 990-N, the “Electronic Notice (e-Postcard) for Tax-Exempt Organizations Not Required to File Form 990 or 990-EZ.” Churches, their integrated auxiliaries, and conventions or associations of churches; nonprofits included in a group return; private foundations required to file Form 990-PF; and section 509(a)(3) supporting organizations required to file Form 990 or 990-EZ will not be required to file Form 990-N.” You will find the complete article at the above URL.

4. Meeting Ideas.

InfoShare Session
We’ve all gotten hooked on the Internet as a source of information, but sometimes it’s tough to beat the old standby - the printed page! Bring your favorite book on a computer, technology, or “Do It Yourself” topic and share with the group. What’s your favorite source of reference information? Do you get a catalog from a favorite supplier of computer accessories, tools, or gadgets?
National Capital Technology and Computer User’s Group, Inc., Virginia
www.nctcug.org

On the other hand…..The New Orleans Personal Computer Club will have their
favorite website contest as part of their July meeting. Like their previous “favorite” programs, members will spend about five minutes each showing their favorite website. It can be a news site, a tech site or just a fun site. After the presentations, attendees will vote for the member with the best website. The winner will receive a $50 gift certificate and the runners up will get free subscriptions to Smart Computing.
www.nopc.org

Creative Memories. Do you have a Creative Memories consultant in your area? Ask him/her to give a presentation on making a book from your stories and photos.
Glendora Seniors Computer Club, California www.gscc.org

Why Software Sucks (and What You Can Do About It) – an online presentation by David Platt. Several groups in Arizona and southern California have hosted Dave’s online presentation. He is located in Boston and can be reached at dave@rollthunder.com. You can check out his book at www.whysoftwaresucks.com

The Southwest conference in July is having a workshop on how to use Skype for online presentations. Several vendors will be attending the workshop and, hopefully, we will all find many vendors whose travel budgets have been cut but would still like to reach the user group community via online presentations. After the conference, guidelines will be available for both groups and vendors on how to utilize Skype for online presentations – most importantly, it’s FREE.

5. New Member Benefit. As noted in Ira Wilsker’s Reports article on PPT presentations, we are asking groups that have members who give presentations via PowerPoint, Flash, etc. to share them with other groups. APCUG will host the presentations on www.apcug.net and member user groups will be able to download them for their own use. Ira has started the ball rolling by providing two presentations: Cyber Crime and one on Identity Theft. The Identity Theft PowerPoint he contributed has some Texas specific slides in it which would be easy for him or the host user group to modify to reflect information for any other state. Ira is willing to narrate either PowerPoint for any APCUG member user group on a time and facilities available basis. Another great use for Skype! Jim Evans has also contributed a PPT on recycling computers – a great one to give just before your community has its local recycling event. Please contact Judy Taylour (jtaylour@apcug.net) if you would like to have any of these PowerPoint presentations. And, please send her your group’s contributions to be included in this great benefit of Member Groups Helping Member Groups.

Your group is a member of APCUG; you have received this e-mail to inform you of updates, changes, or special news and information. Our policy is to send e-mail messages only to announce such information, and we will continue to honor this policy. If you no longer want to receive these e-mails, please reply to the sender. Thank you for being a member of APCUG.