OT: Advice on starting a user group in the real world

Archiver

Hi group.

I'm going to start a (non-virtual) group in Los Angeles for people doing
fun things with stamps, electronics and art. I thought we could meet once
or twice a month, compare notes, help each other with stuff that doesn't
work, have short presentations, and eat doughnuts. I've found the basic
stamp mailing list a great resource and community, but sometimes nothing
beats talking and looking out in the real world.

I'll definitely announce it to the group when I have all the details
together, but before I do, I'm wondering if anyone has any advice about
setting up such a group. Have any of you been part of user groups in the
past? Any opinions on what works well and what doesn't work well? What is a
good frequency to meet? Weekend day or weekday evening? Organizational
structure? Snacks??

Any ideas greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Mark Allen

ps - if you're in LA and are interested email me and let me know.

Archiver

Group meeting advise;

chocloate covered donuts !


ummmmm....dooonuts....


--- In basicstamps@yahoogroups.com, mark allen <mallen@c...> wrote:
> Hi group.
>
> I'm going to start a (non-virtual) group in Los Angeles for people
doing
> fun things with stamps, electronics and art. I thought we could
meet once
> or twice a month, compare notes, help each other with stuff that
doesn't
> work, have short presentations, and eat doughnuts. I've found the
basic
> stamp mailing list a great resource and community, but sometimes
nothing
> beats talking and looking out in the real world.
>
> I'll definitely announce it to the group when I have all the
details
> together, but before I do, I'm wondering if anyone has any advice
about
> setting up such a group. Have any of you been part of user groups
in the
> past? Any opinions on what works well and what doesn't work well?
What is a
> good frequency to meet? Weekend day or weekday evening?
Organizational
> structure? Snacks??
>
> Any ideas greatly appreciated!
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mark Allen
>
> ps - if you're in LA and are interested email me and let me know.

Archiver

I am in LA (torrance). Don't have any ideas on the structure of the group,
when to meet etc, but I am interested in attending.

I will watch for further posts....


[noparse][[/noparse]Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Archiver

For what it is worth, I have a small group of hams in the Houston area
(well, the NASA area of Houston) that meets once a month for breakfast.
We are the "homebrew" hams -- guys who build things. We've met for 3 or
4 years now. Here's what we do (which may or may not be optimal - it is
just what we do).

We have a mailing list (you could do it with a Yahoo group) where we
communicate. If someone sees a good deal at the local electronics store
they might post to the list. Sometimes someone is in desperate need of a
part or to borrow some test equipment. The list is pretty low volume.

Once a month I proffer a few Saturday mornings for the month and see who
would prefer what dates. I try to take other events into account
(hamfests, FCC tests, etc.). I gather the consensus on which of the 2 or
3 dates will be most acceptable to everyone.

We meet at some Saturday morning at 0930. Usually breaks up around noon
although people will leave when they are ready (a few will leave around
11). We tried starting earlier but too many people sleep in. We try to
meet at the same place although we do experiment from time to time. I
announce the final date on several local ham radio lists (but I don't
ask for input on place/time on those lists).

At first, there won't be much attendance. Soon you'll see who your
"regulars" are. Then the group will grow slowly. I encourage people to
bring something they've built or are working on or even a magazine
article they have found interesting. Not everyone does and that's not a
big deal, but if some people will, it makes things more interesting. I
always bring something to set an example -- a Javelin Stamp, or a new
PCB we've had made, etc. Sometimes someone will do little presentation
on something. We've had someone talk about Maxwell's equations,
electronic patents, and I've done my CPLD talk (which is on the web at
http://tutor.al-williams.com/pldham_files/frame.htm). Sometimes someone
has come into some junk and gives it away. One of our members gave
everyone a GPS board. I've given out some "second" PCBs for some of our
kits. That sort of thing.

You'll find the group resolves to two categories: information providers
and information consumers. In our group there are some of us who are
"pros" -- that is, we make our living designing electronics. There are
some who are more consumers. They want to learn, they have questions,
they need to borrow gear, etc. Then there are a small number in the
middle. Our informal "membership" is 38. Of that, maybe half have ever
come to breakfast. We typically have anywhere from 6 to 15 at any given
breakfast (except in December when attendance drops off every year).

So the meetings serves lots of different purposes. Some of the older
retired guys like to have a social breakfast and share what they know.
The "pros" like to network and talk to people with similar backgrounds
(and share what they know). The neophytes like to have some mentoring,
ask questions, etc.

One final note: We originally tried meeting at a normal restaurant like
iHop. Too crowded and noisy. The trick is to find a little restaurant
that doesn't do that much morning business (or one that will put you in
a separate room, but at first you probably don't have enough members to
warrant that). Ask around, there are usually quiet breakfast places
around. In our case, the retirees knew where to go for a quiet
breakfast.

OK, sorry to on so long. But to everyone on the list, this is a great
way to network and exchange ideas. Everyone should start a little local
group like this. Good luck and if you need more info, drop me a note off
the list.

Al Williams
AWC
* Floating point A/D
http://www.al-williams.com/awce/pak9.htm



>
> Hi group.
>
> I'm going to start a (non-virtual) group in Los Angeles for
> people doing
>

Archiver

Anyone in the Wellington/Wairarapa region in New Zealand interested in a
similar thing over here??

--

http://www.lennard.net.nz/
Ben Lennard, NCEE, Dip EE

Electronics R&D - Kiwi Made, Innovative Electronics.

Hm: +64 4 972 7567
Mb: +64 21 536 627
87 Spencer Street
Crofton Downs
Wellington
New Zealand

"To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is
half empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be."

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