Welcome to the New Year from your TPCUG Board of Directors.

1998 was most certainly a successful year in terms of our financial status and also the quality of our invited speakers. Having a dedicated Program Chairman has really paid off for the club, and Mary Sheridan most certainly stepped up to the job. The newsletter, Bits-of-Blue, and the quality of the web site has continued to develop due to the unselfish dedication of editor William LaMartin. Our membership is at least steady.

In 1999, my personal agenda is to increase our membership. The BOD discussed this last month. (Actually we don’t stop discussing it throughout the year.) We’ll be calling on all of you to participate in some way.

The elections went off very smoothly at the December meeting, for those of you who couldn’t make it. I won’t go over the slate here, having done that last month, but I’d like to welcome James Weber to the board as secretary, and give Kevan Sheridan, the outgoing secretary, a very hearty "Thank You" for his years of dedication. I know Kevan won’t be disappearing on us, since he’s been a very, very long term member of the group. His most notable job was as the BBS SYSOP. He was "Mr. SYSOP" for many years until his wife Mary took over the job two years ago. He was pressed into service as secretary last year despite his increasingly busier and busier schedule. So, thanks Kevan, and if you’ll stick around we promise not to elect you to something else.

Now my monthly nag. Let’s all try to bring in new members. Now. This Month. You know someone, friend, relative or co-worker who can derive as much benefit as you do from being a member. I know you do. Pick up some Tri-Folds. (These are handouts with club and membership information on them.) Drag a friend in. I’m doing just this and it’s working, and it really isn’t much effort.

I’d like to thank JASC, the Paint Shop Pro people for allowing Julie Altstatt to speak to us at the last meeting. We depend on companies like JASC who will devote some resources for User Group support for our monthly programs. And a special thanks for the door prizes too.

Did anyone manage to take advantage of the discount sales going on this season? I went to Best Buy on the 26^th and snagged up a 6.4G Hard drive for $99 (well, after I wait 2 months for a $30 rebate). While I was there I found some fantastic prices for scanners. I had bought mine a year ago, and I’m still amazed at how useful it is and how often I do use it. And there were great discounts on CD-ROMs and modems. There’s still free installation coupons for new roadrunner subscribers too, good through January 31st. Current cable modem subscribers have these coupons – actually from a web site. Email me, and I’ll send it to you with instructions.