LOOKING BACK

A timeline for Firelands Computer Club

 February 1995     First Meeting held in the back room of PG Manney’s store (now Henry’s Florist) 12 people
                             present (Click here to see photo of our founders)

April 1995           First newsletter, 4 members contributing,  Ted McKenzie is editor
                            (Click here to see what it looked like)

June 1995            By-laws approved

June 1995            Having special interest groups discussed

June 1995            First fund raiser – a flea market at the meeting – profit $60.55

June 1995            Newsletter touted as the first bi-lingual newsletter thanks to Lorenzo Nunez                        

July 1995             First logo, a maple leaf and our name

July 1995            Computer donated to FCC by Mike Cowan of Advanced Computer Connection [ACC],
                           (monitor & modem donated anonymously), is given on loan to Norwalk Public Library and a
                           letter of understanding signed that all assets, but not liabilities, of FCC will transfer to Norwalk
                           Public Library if FCC is dissolved.  This computer was subsequently replaced and is still in use
                           at the Norwalk Public Library [NPL].

August 1995         Members meet sitting around one table

September 1995  Pay for installation of phone line for our computer at the Library, cost $100, and agree to pay
                            monthly phone bill of $24.95.  Brave folks with $192 in the treasury.

October 1995      First sign-in sheet, 9 members present     

November 1995  PG Manney orders business cards; Members on Sound Off radio program

August 1996        FCC mentioned on Norwalk Ohio website

September 1996  Officially give phone line to Library

October 1996      First field trip meeting, to Norwalk High School computer lab

October 1996      First Community Service Project – donated $25 to NPL for a computer book

November 1996   Upgrade first computer on loan to NPL

December 1996   Our computer at NPL is now available for public use on the T1 line

December 1996   The library now has 3 computers for public use:  ours, the OPLIN computer provided by the
                            State of Ohio and one purchased by the library

March 1997        Having our own web page is discussed

April 1997           ACC offers free web page space

July 1997             First fundraiser outside a meeting – selling donated used equipment and books donated by
                            NPL at Uptown Sidewalk Sale.  Profit $5.00

January 1998       Community Service Project – Smart Computing magazine to St.Paul’s &
                            Norwalk Middle Schools

January 1998       Jeff Franklin, PG Manney and Lorenzo Nunez on Sound Off  (local radio program)

April 1998           Jeff Franklin, PG Manney and Sally Marcum on Sound Off ; First mention of Sally Marcum
                            bringing her famous homemade cookies for refreshments

May 1998            First morning open executive meeting

May 1998            FCC web page completed by Brian Alger II and Sally Marcum

July 1998             Paul Henry is a new internet provider and has offered us free email   fcconline@hmcltd.net

September 1998   Purchased a new monitor for our computer at NPL                    

November 1998    Five members volunteer for a community service project of inputting data for the Salvation 
                              Army to track output of donations

December 1998    Our mouse dies

February 1999      Library donates new mouse for our computer

February 1999     Welcome packets introduced

April 1999            Jeff Franklin takes over our web page

April 1999            Seminar on Y2K

June 1999             Bob Curtis nominated as our first Member At Large per our by-laws

September 1999   First Peddler's Day, distributed handouts on computer maintenance 

September 1999    Edith Proctor volunteers to be our Historian and keep a scrapbook of memorabilia

October 1999       Seminar on Y2K (again)

December 1999    First Year End Party

January 2000        Discussed Y2K events and non-events  (this was a big subject in 1999 and early 2000)

March 2000         First pizza party

April 2000           Created a “hostess” position to organize volunteers to bring refreshments.  Bonnie Goodman
                           was suggested and she accepted

May 2000           First website night

June 2000           First FCC Notepad, Todd Brewster is newsletter chairman with Barb Kimberly assisting.
                           (Over the years our newsletters have been named:  Newsletter,  FCC: The Newsletter,  
                           FCC Computer News,  Pocket Protector Journal and now FCC Notepad.)

July 2000            Community Service Project – donated Smart Computing subscriptions to 6 area middle schools

September 2000   Peddler's Day – handed out  “Protecting Yourself Online”

October 2000       Treasurer authorized to open checking account

December 2000   By-law revisions voted on and passed

August 2001         Library advises us we must move as they need our meeting room for other purposes

November 2001   Initial inquires have not produced a new meeting place.  Committee formed to search

October 2001       First FCC T-shirts and sweatshirts.  Maggie Timmons designs The Computer Guy                              logo

January 2002       Move meeting place to Em’s Software Plus, Todd Brewster’s store.

February 2002     Move meeting place to the Recreation Hall at Luther Oaks Apartments for more room

March 2002      Community Service Project -  purchase and install modem and set up computer for the residents
                         of Luther Oaks Apartments

April 2002         First 50/50.  Vance Carlisle volunteers to handle.

May 2002          First equipment fundraiser – selling Tupperware, profit $307.93

June 2002          Move to the Great Room in the First Presbyterian Church for more room. 
                          Cost is $45 a night for the room.

June 2002          First time we had 50 people at a meeting.  Jeff Franklin lip-synched a song for us to pay off his
                          bet with Barb Kimberly about breaking the 50 mark in attendance.

June 2002          Lorain County Computer Users Group becomes our mentor and gives assistance in preparing to
                          become a non-profit organization

July 2002            Being dependent on borrowing Jeff’s laptop and the Library’s projector hits home as Jeff is
                           unable to attend this meeting and we are without equipment

July 2002            Member of the Month article (aka Meet Our Members) debuted in FCC Notepad. 
                           Clarence Ellet was the first member featured.

September 2002  Barb Kimberly prepares and submits our application for 501( c ) 3  status with IRS

October 2002      501 ( c ) 3 non profit organization approved

October 2002       Name tags on lanyards in use for the first time thanks to Maggie Timmons

November 2002   Begin monthly publishing of Secretary and Treasurer reports in newsletter

December 2002   Continuing fundraisers to purchase our own equipment.  We are still borrowing NPL’s
                            projector and Jeff Franklin’s equipment.  Fundraisers are selling Avon, Tupperware, Tastefully
                            Simple followed by a party at Barb Kimberly’s home with 3 sellers donating profits. Then
                            garage sales and the officers matching all donations by club members and raffles for items
                            donated by members.

February 2003     Purchase our first piece of equipment, a projector sold to us at cost by Viking Technology

April 2003           Barb Kimberly becomes newsletter editor

July 2003            Independence Day!  We do not have to borrow any more equipment.  With our
                          fundraising efforts and generous donations, we have acquired $5,400 in assets.

July 2003             Purchase insurance on our assets

April 2004          Community Service Project:  donation of 2 new Samsung monitors, 1 printer donated by
                           Maggie Timmons and 1 printer donated by Barb Kimberly to The Learning Zone of the
                           Salvation Army.

January 2005      Set up display case at NPL to commemorate our upcoming anniversary.  Judy Klotz
                           headed the committee (Click here to see photo)

January 2005      Thanks to Terry Granneman and Jeff Kimberly, our new screen for the projector was
                           installed in our meeting room

January 2005     Three members on WLKR am radio Sound Off program:  Jeff Franklin, Mike Volker
                          and Ed Herman

February 2005   Tenth year anniversary ! (Click here to see photo)

March 2006        Luke Vavricek from Smart Computing magazine presents a program to us describing the
                           features of the magazine and web site.  Everyone receives a free magazine and Luke brings
                           door prizes. It is a great meeting.

May 2006            The June 2006 issue of Smart Computing magazine has an article about User Group
                            Web Sites and our web site is given a really good review by Josh Gulick who was also at the
                            March meeting. Congratulations to Jeff Franklin to creating a great site!

October 2006       Jeff Franklin announces that he is getting married and moving to Arizona in Feb. 2007

November 2006   Jeff Franklin teaches a class on “Protecting Your Computer” at the ElderCollege of Firelands
                            Campus of Bowling Green University.  Bonnie Goodman assisted with hand outs and questions

January 2007       Our largest Community Service Project to date – a new computer for Norwalk Public Library
                            to replace our aging one on loan there.  This PC is a gift to the library.
                            (Click here to see photos)

February 2007     Jeff Franklin’s last meeting.  He is getting married & moving to Arizona.  Presidency
                            passes to Maggie Timmons. (Click here to see photos)

May 2007            Electronics Recycle Collection  as a community service project with Huron County.
                            (Click here to see photo)

July 2007             Donated 5 Smart Computing magazine subscriptions to Milan Public Library, Monroeville
                            Public Library, Wakeman Community Library and 2 subscriptions to Fisher Titus Medical
                            Center for the Oncology and the Radiology waiting rooms

March 2008          Begin the ABC Series of lessons – About Basic Computing – short, easy to follow
                             computer lessons

May 2008              Electronic Recycle Collection for community service project – on our own this year 
                             (Click here to see photos)

June 2008              First annual summer picnic. (Click here to see photos)

January 2009         Sally Marcum and Maggie Timmons upload a new club web site design.