[vcf-midatlantic] Let's add value to the club, and have fun doing it!!!

[Dean Notarnicola]

​My two cents:
Fundraising and "portable" museum activities are great, albeit very time
consuming. I think it's enough of a challenge for current volunteers to
find the bandwidth to take care of the museum and current activities as it
is. Not to say more can't be done, but it requires time.

The debate about mail list vs. web interface can go on, but IIRC there were
solid reasons for going with this format vs. web.

I disagree with the grading services and members only auctions sites. Even
though sales occur here on an ad-hoc basis, it is kept casual and friendly.
While many of us happen to collect, I feel that offering grading and sales
services could ​turn to the wrong direction toward profiteering and away
from the spirit of education and preservation, which I feel is one of the
best things about this group.
I've seen this turn ugly too many times and there's really no need for it.
There are plenty of outside resources for selling, and a nice sale that
goes on at VCFe that benefits the museum.





On Sat, Dec 26, 2015 at 10:24 AM, Joseph Oprysko via vcf-midatlantic <
vcf-midatlantic at lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:

> Here is a list of things that I feel the Vintage Computer Federation can
> do to add value to their name, and to add value for their members.
>
> Add Value to their name:
> Offer grading services to their members for their vintage equipment.  As
> well as grading our own equipment in the library and coming up with
> standards for grading for vintage systems.
>
> Have members in various areas do membership drives at various events
> (Hamfests/Electronic Shows/Other computer club meetings/Etc.)
>
> While as far as I know, we don’t charge a membership fee, maybe we should
> look into other ways to fund club activities, or to be able to purchase
> parts we need to repair machines, so they can be kept as close to original
> as possible.  Since we’re doing educational activities, if anyone has
> experience in applying for grants, that’s one route we could explore.
>
> Find additional organizations to solicit donations from either in the form
> of funds or equipment or services.  I would recommend contacting companies
> that have been in business for many years, from Verizon, ATT, Lockheed,
> Sperry, IBM, as well as school districts, etc.
>
> Have a “portable” museum.  Lets be honest, besides a few people who live
> close to central NJ or the shore, most of our members travel at least an
> hour.  But this isn’t about us, it’s about our NAME and getting it out
> there.  If we took a small trailer/mobile home, either attached to decent
> generators, or to connect to a couple power lines at the site when we would
> get where we’re going.  No, we likely wouldn’t be hauling big-iron around
> in it, but if we brought around a trailer of the PC’s of the 80’s to
> various schools, scout meetings, etc.  We would be educating the young,
> spreading our name, and having a hell of a time doing it.
>
> Add Value for their members:
> Offer FREE (not Ad supported) webpages to members to show off their
> vintage collections
>
> Offer online social network (or member’s only/private group on Facebook)
>
> Offer online/web based emulation of many vintage systems with demos and
> programs to help introduce millennials to vintage computing.
>
> Replace/update the mail-list to one with a web-based interface.  I feel
> like we took a HUGE step backwards
>
> Have an members only auction/sales site
>
>
> I’m sure other there are plenty of other things that people would come up
> with, and likely these are things that would come up in more of a
> board/key-business type meeting.  But I felt it’s important to bring up now
> that we’re a legal NPO as opposed to just a “club” of hobbyists.
>
>