Reinventing DACS
Let's Shake Things Up a Bit

By Mike Kaltschnee

I've been involved with DACS for about 20 years now, and it really hasn't changed much. I think it's time that we reinvent the organization. It's disheartening to see the membership dwindle to less than 300, when we had close to 1,000 a few years ago (more than 500 people attended the Windows 95 launch). DACS has a lot to offer the community, and when almost every household has a computer, they must need help, advice, and information.

It might be time to rethink the structure of the general meeting. We get the majority of people to attend only one night per month, and instead of a Q&A session we might want to have two or more presentations, with
mini-SIG meetings as well. The first presentation could be a demo from a member on something about which they are passionate. I understand that one of the highest-attended meetings recently was a member demo, and we could have one every month. By having two presentations we could double the odds of the meeting being of interest to someone.

Another possibility is that instead of a Q&A, we would break up into groups to discuss different topics. SIG leaders could hold up signs for Linux, Newbies, Q&A, Mac, etc, and they could have mini-meetings
in different sections of the auditorium. This would be great way to expose new members to the different SIGs, and give people a chance to participate.

The following is one way we might structure the general meeting:

7:00 Club business
7:15 First presentation
8:00 Mini-SIG meetings
8:30 Break
8:45 Main presentation
9:45 Closing and raffle

The current meeting structure does not allow for socializing, something I look forward to at the Pig Sig. The problem is that only a handful of people show up, and I wonder if one of the reasons we are unable to retain members is that they don't see DACS as a social club. Are we missing out on the bonding and friendships that develop if people can mingle and network?

I hate to say it, but I think the resource center is holding us back. Yes, it's an incredible bargain, but I know some people don't feel safe on Main Street Danbury at 9:30 p.m. It's small, and there is limited parking. What if we had our own building? Why not? Look around Danbury and you'll find a train museum, military museum, PAL center, Elks lodge, and a multimillion dollar Portuguese community center. Why not raise funds for our own building? While we're dreaming, why not combine it with a computer museum?

How would we fund these bold dreams? There are many corporations in the area (Duracell, IBM, etc.), and we should look to see how the Portuguese funded such an amazing facility. Imagine the things we
could do if we had our own building. We could build a computer lab that was open to the public, host training classes, special events, SIG meetings, and much more. Geeks need a place to socialize, just like the Masons, Elks, Lions, and the Rotary.

I hope that this article doesn't upset anyone, especially the people that have put years into building DACS into the great organization that it is now. My hope is to spark a discussion that will help grow DACS into something new and wonderful.

Let's dream big, and make DACS into an amazing organization.