[ale] First meeting of the new UUCA Computers for the Community volunteer group next Mon Feb 25 at UUCA at 7 pm

[Smeadspam]

Yeah Daniel,

For those of us who missed the ALE Central Meeting you'll have to catch 
us up.  Of course, I did dig this up:

http://sudan.ubuntuforums.com/showthread.php?p=4252799

so let the rest of us in on the secret. I have a will to volunteer but 
have little time (heck my last Install Fest was in November).

K


Daniel Howard wrote:
> Dear Team,
>
> I wanted to remind you all that our first meeting is next Monday at 7 pm 
> at UUCA, and to give you a quick update.  The response to my call was 
> fantastic: Over 30 UUCA folk responded with interest in either 
> volunteering or in donating PCs, and many with interest in both.  Three 
> of you even have Linux experience!  And thanks to one UUCA member, we've 
> already identified a potential partner who could help us get hundreds of 
> donated PCs on a regular basis.  So we'll need all of you, and in fact I 
> hope to discuss at the meeting how we might get other UUCA groups 
> involved, such as the high and middle school youth groups.
>
> Along those lines, there's lots of initial decisions for the group to 
> make at this first meeting, for example:
> 1.  Mission of the team/how it helps the environment/how it fits within
> UUCA goals/principles
> 2.  What is involved for volunteers
> 3.  What resources from UUCA are needed
> 4.  Potential partnerships with other UUCA or community groups
> 5.  What are the best days/times to have the refurb meetings
> 6.  Where to store PCs in between Refurb Meetings
> 7.  How to get the message out to local businesses and individuals
> 8.  What groups to target as recipients of our donated PCs
> 9.  How the group should be managed
>
> Not that we have to do all of them the first nite, and some will likely 
> evolve over time, but I'm hoping to get an initial plan for the group to 
> at least the point where we can start seriously soliciting donated PCs.
>
> I've copied Chance Hunter (our UUCA mentor for the group) and Anthony 
> David to also remind them of some logistical needs for next Monday's 
> meeting:
> 1) I would like to demo the software, so we'll need a projector and an 
> Internet connection for the meeting room.
> 2) a room on a weeknight or Saturday with power and Internet 
> connectivity to download the software and test the refurbed PCs.
>
> I've also copied some of my colleagues in the Atlanta Linux community in 
> case any of them can come to answer any questions about Linux or Open 
> Source Software that any of you might have.
>
> I can't tell you all how excited I am in this program.  It has the 
> potential to significantly impact both individual lives as well as 
> schools and education in Atlanta in general.  I'm convinced we're going 
> to do great things, and when you see the faces and joyful tears of the 
> recipients as I have, you know you're doing something important.
>
> If you have any thoughts about the above prior to Monday's meeting at 7 
> pm, feel free to email me, especially if you have a topic to be added to 
> the agenda.  I'm thinking we'll try to get the main discussion done in 
> the first hour and I'll demo the software and perhaps even do an install 
> in the second hour.  I'll have handouts for everyone as well as CDs 
> containing the Open Source Software so you can all try it out at home as 
> well.
>
> Thanks to all of you for helping a great cause,
> Daniel
>
>