Proposal to Dissolve Business and Professional Microcomputer Group, Inc.
September 26, 2017
For 35 years BPMUG has been serving the needs of many people for information about their use of computers. Unfortunately, as we all know, all good things must end sooner or later. In the case of BPMUG, the time has come for us.
The number of members reached a peak in 1997 at 369 members. Since then, our membership has declined steadily to its present level of 43 members. The reason why is easily understood. The population of people who have received the most benefit has mostly consisted of people that didn’t grow up with computers, along with a few that thankfully had some computer knowledge that they were willing to share. Over the years the percentage of the population that didn’t grow up with computers has steadily diminished. Meanwhile, the technology has evolved so that the level of knowledge required to use a computer has also diminished. The net result of these trends is that there aren’t nearly as many people that need BPMUG.
A consequence of the shrinking membership is that filling the ranks of officers, directors, and committee chairs has become increasingly difficult.
A further consequence is that BPMUG is no longer eligible for membership in the Association of Personal Computer User Groups, which requires a minimum of 50 members. APCUG has been very helpful to us in providing articles for the Help Key.
Taken collectively, all of the above trends point toward discontinuing BPMUG.
BPMUG is incorporated in the State of Connecticut, and has a 501c3 exemption from federal taxes. That status requires a vote of the membership to approve ending operations. This message constitutes the legally required notification of the members that at the regular meeting of the group on October 16, 2017 at 7:00 PM in the First Baptist Church, 90 North Main Street, West Hartford, CT, the members will be asked to vote to approve the following attached documents:
- Proposal to Dissolve the Business and Professional Microcomputer User Group, Inc.
- Plan of Distribution for the Business and Professional Microcomputer User Group, Inc.
It is with great regret that the Executive Board has reached this conclusion, but the end of BPMUG is clearly in sight, and it’s only a matter of when. The Board has concluded that the time is now.
Steve Langford
President
Business and Professional Microcomputer User Group, Inc. (BPMUG)