*****¢ (EDITORS note: This article was¢ submitted to the NEW ATARI CLASSIC¢ magazine. It is reprinted here in the¢ event that you have not subscribed to¢ this totally 8 BIT magazine, or you¢ lived in another planet. You can¢ subscribe by sending a check/money¢ order for $25.00 to ATARI CLASSIC,¢ Att.: Ben Poehland, Managing Editor,¢ 179 Sproul Rd., RT/RT 352, Frazer, PA¢ 19355.-3 Magazine disks $9.00)¢¢ TIPS ON WHAT USERS CLUBS CAN DO TO ¢ SURVIVE AND EVEN GROW!¢ by ALEX PIGNATO, member of the¢ OL' HACKERS ATARI USERS GROUP.¢¢ As the president, and one of the¢ 3 1985 founders of the OL' HACKERS¢ ATARI USERS GROUP, Inc., I wanted to¢ pass on some of the things we did, to¢ not only survive but to grow. We,¢ those of us in users groups already,¢ all know the value of being in a¢ users group, but how can we get¢ others to join us? How can we add to¢ our own knowledge (and fun) as well¢ as to impart some of our ideas and¢ knowledge to others? Here are some of¢ the things we found that work.¢**¢ Get a list of 8 BIT users. How?¢ From want adds, from BBS's, (ask for¢ names and addresses in private E-¢ MAIL, telling them your club will¢ send them a free newsletter, as an¢ inducement for them to give you their¢ full names and address) and from any¢ other source that you can think of. ¢ Then carefully prepare a letter¢ addresed to "Prospective 8 BIT¢ member", telling them that you are¢ enclosing a sample copy of your¢ newsletter, and extoll all the¢ benefits that they can get from¢ joining your club, but BE HONEST¢ above all if you want them to RENEW¢ and REMAIN as members after they have¢ joined you. Tell them how many P.D.¢ library disks are available to¢ members at BARGAIN rates. We are¢ currently selling 5 double sided,¢ single density library disks to non-¢ local members for a total of $8.00,¢ prepaid. Tell them that your members¢ are availbale to answer questions,¢ and or problems. At our meetings, all¢ correspondence is read out loud, and¢ are included as part of club minutes¢ which are put into our disk¢ newsletter, and it goes out to all¢ our members worldwide. I can't tell¢ you how many times members have¢ voluntarily responded to the problems¢ of other members, most often solving¢ the problem. Remember that your club¢ MUST SERVICE its members if it is to¢ survive. Give members a reason to¢ want to join and to remain a member.¢ **¢ ¢ Meetings must be interesting,¢ members who are present, must feel¢ deeply involved and willing to give¢ of themselves, in return because they¢ themselves are getting a lot from¢ being members. Those members that are¢ not present, and who read the minutes¢ from the newsletter must feel as¢ though they were there. Our club¢ secretary brings a little recorder to¢ meeetings, and uses that at home to¢ help him with what went on, when¢ writing the minutes. This frees him¢ at meetings to be a participant, and¢ to do demo's and whatever else. I¢ read all correspondence, and answers¢ that have been mailed out, so that¢ everyone knows what is going on.¢ **¢ ¢ Finally, remeber that your club¢ must REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEONE who¢ is a lonely lost 8 BIT'er, who feels¢ he is one of the last of the 8¢ BIT'ers. I can't tell you how many¢ times we have heard that expressed.¢ Now that we have a magazine once¢ again devoted to us 8 BIT'ers, lets¢ make sure we get behind it and¢ subscribe. In other words, put your¢ money where your mouth is, and stop¢ complaining any more.¢ **¢¢ A final caveat, to all those who¢ are members of users groups, please¢ get involved, and like any good¢ investment, you will get more than¢ you put in. Don't expect "GEORGE" to¢ do it cause there may not be many¢ GEORGE's around, and the death of any¢ club diminishes the ranks of the 8¢ BITers all over.¢ *** ***** ***¢ (EDITORS note: This is also a reprint¢ ofa letter to ATARI CLASIC magazine.)¢ ****¢ November 21, 1992¢¢ Ben Poehland, Circulation Manager¢ 179 Sproul Rd. RD/RT 352¢ Frazer PA 19355¢¢ Dear Editor:¢¢ The long awaited first issue of¢ ATARI CLASSIC arrived today, and OH¢ BOY, its just what the doctor ordered¢ for us ailing 8 BIT'ers. I have¢ devoured every word with a certain¢ inner pleasure, knowing that the¢ magazine is the result of the never¢ say die 8 BIT community.¢¢ I enjoyed every article, even¢ the ones that meant relatively little¢ to me, because of limited knowledge,¢ but at least I learned what can be¢ done with, and to my trusty ol' 8¢ BIT.¢¢ I, and the OL' HACKERS ATARI¢ USER GROUP, Inc. are solidly behind¢ the concept of a magazine BY AND FOR¢ the 8 BIT'ers, and in line with that¢ thought, please find enclosed my¢ $34.00 and subscription form for one¢ years subscription for both the¢ magazine and the 3 disks.¢¢ In passing, let me say that you¢ may freely use any articles and/or¢ programs from the OL' HACKERS ATARI¢ USERS GROUP, Inc. bi-monthly¢ newsletter in the future issues of¢ ATARI CLASSIC. Lets hope that like¢ POENIX, the 8 BIT has again arisen¢ from the ashes, and the ATARI CLASSIC¢ flys high and long on its wings!¢¢ Atarily,¢ Alex Pignato, President ¢ *end*¢
