User groups share many common problems, and that's one of the reasons so many groups participate in newsletter exchange agreements. By reading the newsletters from other groups, we sometimes find solutions or inspiration for dealing with our own issues. One problem I see discussed with depressing frequency these days in the newsletters we receive is the dearth of volunteers for essential tasks.
In group after group, long-time volunteers are stepping down and no one is coming forward to fill their shoes. This is particularly critical, of course, when the unfilled posts are those of elected officers. It's pretty hard to continue a group without a treasurer or a president. SPCUG dodged a bullet a couple years ago when we were able, at the last possible minute, to find candidates willing to fill a slate for the elected positions. But there are plenty of non-elective posts that are important, too.
Just recently, Chris Seip hung up his keyboard as a contributing editor responsible for reviewing game software for Sacra Blue, and no one has taken his place. Chris filled that spot for a very long time, but he must be wondering about now if anyone even noticed. I have recently decided to give up my long-held post of Book Review Editor for Sacra Blue. I'm hoping we'll be able to find a replacement, because I think this is (or can be) an important post. Looking ahead, I can see that I'll want to resign my post as Content Editor in the foreseeable future, too. I expect to continue writing for the newsletter, but I'll want to pass on most of the editorial and organizational work to someone else. I can't speak for Ken Hopkins, who as Layout Editor shares the job of producing Sacra Blue each month, but I suspect real life may be getting to him, too. He has had to reduce the time he puts in because of the requirements of his business. Milt Hull, long one of the most reliable volunteers the group has had, is building a house in the mountains. He hasn't said anything about it, but it stands to reason he may not be around as much as he once was. People like Rick Hellewell and Gordon Adams are no longer members of the group. Tony Barcellos and Larry Clark, while still members, are not available for volunteer duty.
It would be wrong to assume that we don't like what we do. I like writing, and I like editing. I wish I had more time to spend on designing Sacra Blue and on creating columns and articles that I think would be useful for the membership. But if you have a life and a family, it's inevitable that they will at some point move to the forefront of your attention. Some of you know my wife bought a new car not long ago and afternoon drives have taken on an entirely new dimension. My daughter recently moved back to California (from Germany) to get her Master's at Stanford. So family demands are taking more of my time, and on top of that, I have several work-related projects going at once that take more time than they once did. The net result is that I've cut back on the time I devote to Sacra Blue. This is, of course, all part of the normal ebb and flow of a life. Your interests shift, your focus goes from one area to another.
But it takes on some crucial overtones when you look at it from the perspective of a group like ours. We depend very heavily on volunteers to carry out the tasks of the group. We're approaching a period where we need to generate a new group of volunteers, and I don't see them coming along yet. If you're wondering why we (the officers) keep talking about the need for volunteers, it's because we see a real and growing need for people to help out. There are so many ways this group could help the community, and attract even more members, if we only had the volunteers to do some of the work.
I'd like to see us hold a regular "swap meet" kind of meeting, and host more happenings like the Jamborees we held last year. I'd like to see a few volunteers outside Fry's and CompUSA for a weekend, handing a brochure about the SPCUG to everyone entering those stores. I'd like to see a dozen more people write occasional articles for Sacra Blue about the tricks they've discovered that make their jobs easier, or the documents they produce more attractive or impressive. I'd like to see more employers call us when they have jobs to fill, or send employees to join the group because they would learn so much.
But all these ideas—some would call them dreams—require more volunteer labor than we can muster. That we don't have the volunteers makes the officers wonder if we're missing the point somehow. Are we not providing the kinds of things members want from the group? Are we boring you? Are there services you need that you don't get from the group?
Since membership keeps slipping a little each month, there must be something we could do better. Or maybe it's just that groups like ours have lost their raison d'être. In the Internet age, is there still a reason for people to meet face-to-face?
