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Grex > Coop11 > #79: Sending people to Kiwanis for cheap computers to join Grex | |
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| Author |
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aruba
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Sending people to Kiwanis for cheap computers to join Grex
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Feb 26 03:53 UTC 1999 |
I'm over at Kiwanis with keesan, jdeigert, and tpryan. Jim has an idea
that Grex could put a link on its home page called "How to get
dirt-cheap computers in Ann Arbor", which would lead to a page that told
people how they could get computers (starting at $20) from Kiwanis, good
enough to connect to Grex. This seems to me consistent with Grex's
mission to bring computers to the have-nots, and it could potentially
bring us more local users. Perhaps there could also be a reference to
Kiwanis in the text associated with Grex's ad on cable channel 11. (It
also wouldn't be bad for Kiwanis to have their own ad on channel 11.)
What do people think?
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| 55 responses total. |
steve
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response 1 of 55:
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Feb 26 03:56 UTC 1999 |
I think this is an excellent idea. It's exactly the sort of
thing that many folks could use.
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cmcgee
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response 2 of 55:
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Feb 26 04:31 UTC 1999 |
Great idea!
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devnull
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response 3 of 55:
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Feb 26 09:46 UTC 1999 |
One minor detail: this sort of info is likely more useful on a some
pre-computer medium than on a web page...
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remmers
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response 4 of 55:
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Feb 26 14:28 UTC 1999 |
Right, by definition, the "have-nots" wouldn't be able to access the
web page to see the information about how to cease being have-nots. On
the other hand, their friends might see it and tell them about it.
Having the information appear on Grex's cable tv ad, or on fliers
posted at strategic locations, could reach the have-nots directly.
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bruin
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response 5 of 55:
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Feb 26 14:41 UTC 1999 |
Go 4 it!
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dang
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response 6 of 55:
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Feb 26 16:24 UTC 1999 |
(They could read it at the library...)
I think this is a good idea, at least for a start.
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krj
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response 7 of 55:
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Feb 26 16:32 UTC 1999 |
The web page is a good start. Perhaps flyers at the library would be
in order?
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tpryan
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response 8 of 55:
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Feb 26 17:23 UTC 1999 |
We also need some volunteers to be one-on-one tutors. Hopefully
as one person learns, they may be able to teach some others.
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krj
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response 9 of 55:
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Feb 26 18:45 UTC 1999 |
If there is a viable program in place, I'd guess one could get some
publicity by asking the Ann Arbor News for a small story or
community announcement.
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keesan
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response 10 of 55:
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Feb 28 02:47 UTC 1999 |
Cable TV would certainly reach non-computer literate people. We would offer
lessons on how to use email along with the cheap computer, and eventually on
how to read websites and use the conferences. I am willing to let people call
my phone number for more information. Today we got one of our Kiwanis
volunteers online on a $20 Mac (low density floppy). Roto is his loginid.
I may run a few Freebie ads offering computers for free email with lessons.
Dpfitzen came back today for a disk to run grex on the Commodore 64 that they
will give a friend. They originally came in because I was running an ad for
cheap Commodore software and they wanted to learn to use their Commodore. Bill
Levak put something together for them for the Commodore and grex. They are
using a newer model themselves, a 2-floppy IBM clone, and enjoying it.
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dpc
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response 11 of 55:
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Mar 3 14:54 UTC 1999 |
I also like the idea for starters.
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scott
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response 12 of 55:
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Mar 9 11:11 UTC 1999 |
Just out of curiosity, what is the "goal" of Kiwanis? are there any issues
that Grex might not want to be affiliated with?
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cmcgee
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response 13 of 55:
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Mar 9 13:22 UTC 1999 |
Yes, I'd like to see their mission statement and values. If one of their
volunteers is using Grex to publicise Kiwanis, I think we need that discussion
here.
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aruba
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response 14 of 55:
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Mar 9 13:29 UTC 1999 |
Well... Certainly Grex is an open forum and anyone can use it to publicize
something. I believe Valerie entered an item in the laundry conference about
how great Tide detergent is. It's only if Grex takes an official position
that we need to talk it to death. That, of course, is what we're considering
here, hence this item.
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rcurl
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response 15 of 55:
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Mar 9 16:42 UTC 1999 |
What Sindi and Jim (and other volunteers) are doing was a objective of
Grex before they started, as the "computer rehab" project. That floundered
because those involved (like me) did not have the time *or place* to
keep it going. What Kiwanis is now offering is the place, while grexers
are volunteering the time. I see this effort as furthering a Grex
objective with no financial cost to Grex. Likewise, the original concept
was to give rehab computers away, so no financial return was envisaged,
and there is none under Kiwanis. So the question comes down to, what
does Kiwanis do with the income from selling these computers? I would
judge nothing that a 501(c)3 tax exempt non-profit can not do. Of course,
knowing what Kiwanis (International) is about is still of interest. You
can get lots of information at their web site http://www.kiwanis.org/
Here are the Objects of Kiwanis from that site:
"The six permanent Objects of Kiwanis International were approved by
Kiwanis club delegates at the 1918 Convention in Providence, Rhode Island.
Through the succeeding seventy-five years-plus, they have remained
unchanged.
"To give primacy to the human and spiritual rather than to the material
values of life.
"To encourage the daily living of the Golden Rule in all human
relationships.
"To promote the adoption and the application of higher social, business,
and professional standards.
"To develop, by precept and example, a more intelligent, aggressive, and
serviceable citizenship.
"To provide, through Kiwanis clubs, a practical means to form enduring
friendships, to render altruistic service, and to build better
communities.
"To cooperate in creating and maintaining that sound public opinion and
high idealism which make possible the increase of righteousness, justice,
patriotism, and goodwill."
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i
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response 16 of 55:
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Mar 9 20:17 UTC 1999 |
What the Ann Arbor Kiwanis club spends the $ it gets for stuff on
is probably more of interest to us. I seem to recall keesan talking
about this once, and it was pretty much "help the needy with basics"
charity. (No real overlap with Grex's objectives, but certainly not
objectionable.)
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steve
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response 17 of 55:
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Mar 9 20:34 UTC 1999 |
Thank you Rane. Sounds like the Kiwanis is pretty Grexian. Or rather,
Grex is rather Kiwanian.
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tpryan
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response 18 of 55:
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Mar 10 00:27 UTC 1999 |
What is also needed are trainers and hand-holders for those trying
out Grex for the first time. You don't have to know how to fix the
equipment, some others are doing that. Also need people to help those
trying computers or Windows for the first time.
I can try to explain a directory system. I really though can not
comprehend not comprehending what it is once explained.
One of the thing I just discovered I have in the pile of monitors
is a few Touch Display monitors. Bill Levak found the drivers for one,
so we might get to play with the one I brought to Kiwanis.
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keesan
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response 19 of 55:
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Mar 11 01:45 UTC 1999 |
Money received by the local Kiwanis club is spent locally by giving it to a
variety of other nonprofit organization. Some donated items are given
directly to people in need, such as the former homeless who have been helped
to find homes - they come for furniture and televisions.
The time we would spend helping people to join grex on our low-end computers
could be used to make more than $25 for Kiwanis by our doing something else,
so Kiwanis is hardly benefiting from sending potential new users to us (unless
they also become new customers, of course). We could give them free machines
but Jim has discovered if you give something away for free people will take
it and then throw it out, so the $25 is token.
On the assumption that adding a mention of Kiwanis to the current grex
TV ad brings us hordes of potential new users, would other grex members be
willing to take on the task of helping new users, one on one? Jim would give
them a little program that dumped them right into grex (menu or pine or bbs)
after they chose a loginid and password. Could we have a list of volunteers
to help any new user who request a mentor?
We will bring home and post a list of local nonprofit organizations which
receive money generated by Kiwanis sales.
There is a website for the Ann Arbor Kiwanis, don't know the URL.
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keesan
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response 20 of 55:
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Mar 11 01:59 UTC 1999 |
I did not find a local Kiwanis website, but I did find mention that Kiwanis
had given $11,000 to the local fire department for a Smoke House, and $500
to Friends in Deed in Ypsi to pay a driver (hopefully a low income person)
to deliver furniture to people in need.
Kiwanis is not a religious organization but does not discriminate for or
against organizations with a religious affiliation. Friends in Deed seems
to be associated with numerous local churches and is volunteer. They help
people with emergency needs. People from the receiving organizations come
to the Monday Kiwanis lunches and explain how the money is being used.
The Shelter gets money from Kiwanis. Girl Scouts. Long list.
Kiwanis focuses on service, not social activities.
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rtg
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response 21 of 55:
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Mar 11 08:43 UTC 1999 |
Gee, I don't know... That one precept "To
develop....more...aggressive...citizenship" sounds like they want to
incite a riot. I'm not sure I'd want grex to support that!
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steve
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response 22 of 55:
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Mar 11 12:36 UTC 1999 |
Heh. I'm impressed with what Kiwanis does. I had a vague notion
about what they did before. It certainly seems a like-minded organization
to me.
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rcurl
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response 23 of 55:
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Mar 11 18:38 UTC 1999 |
Sindi, do they ever talk of your joining Kiwanis and participating in
their meetings, etc? Since it is a service club, they would have member
meetings and activities. I do not know what they do in those. My
encyclopedia (1953!) says it consists of "men's clubs meeting at weekly
luncheons, each club having not more than two of a community's leaders in
a business or profession". Is it still just a men's club? Maybe it says on
the web site.....
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i
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response 24 of 55:
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Mar 11 20:22 UTC 1999 |
I'd understood that Kiwanis signed them up as "honorary" members a
while ago (most rights of membership besides voting, zero dues).
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