I don't know if anybody is working on the next newsletter but I for one would be happy to go digital for the foreseeable future if that saves somebody having to go out.
A very good suggestion, especially as, like the Sales Team, they have to get together to label them... I'd be more than happy to go digital.
Stephen,
Work on the 009 News is more or less continuous and is in the capable hands of our Editor, Chris Ford. As an example of the timelines, we are currently planning part of the contents of the June edition as it will concern the AGM.
I was thinking this morning about the impact of yesterday's announcements on the News, both from the point of view of our printers as well as our distribution team, so your idea is very timely. I'll pick it up with Chris and Bill Luty (who organises distribution) to understand exactly where we stand for the various editions and what we can do.
Julian
Julian Evison
Chairman
A worthy idea on the surface but it needs thinking through. Only a small proportion of the membership are members of the forum and a significant number of members are not on the internet at all. It is becoming commonly assumed that everybody is online and digitally savvy etc for everything nowadays, which we know is not the case.
Also worth bearing in mind that most of those who are not in a position for whatever reason of being able to receive a digital version of the News would be in the older and vulnerable group of the population, many of them being on their own. Receiving society mags of all types and interests is probably a lifeline for many and during this period of self-isolation which we have all just entered, but some have been like this through way of life for a long time, receiving things through the mail, which by the way is still working perfectly fine, is something of a morale boosting "essential" to their life.
Think of the wider picture rather than your own narrower perspective when throwing in good ideas please.
Mick
Hi Mick
Thanks for the great work you and the team are doing, it always brightens a day up when the newsletter arrives, and it is one of the reasons I am a member.
That's a good point I hadn't considered, I was just trying to save you and the team having to go out more than necessary.
Stephen
We currently only have less than 400 members registered to use the members area of the website out of about 2000 members. This is less than 20% of the current membership. We have 529 members registered on the forum, the vast majority have never made a post in the many years they have had membership. We have approximately 150 visitors a day to the website and 10 to the forum!
We currently show on the website back issues of 009 News with a delay to publication of 6 months. We could, during this crisis, publish at the same time as the paper journal if the Committee so decide but it would, at best, serve only 20% of the membership.
The deciding factors may well not only be the availability of our envelope stuffers but also the ability of the printers to service the Society's print order.
Please be aware that the Committee are doing their best in these trying times to minimise the effects on our members but that there are many external factors now in place that we do not have control of.
For those of you with internet access please keep an eye on this forum and our website for news and encourage those members currently not registered as website and forum members to do so so that we can inform them of changes as soon as possible.
Keep safe out there and let's see you all again on the far side of this pandemic.
I am not a committee member I am just a normal member like most of the rest on here but I think I have to state the obvious about the publication, posting and distribution of the hard copy of 009 News that I am sure we all know already.
It is not essential.
It is just my opinion but the simple question that I think needs to be asked is will the publication, packing, distribution and delivery of 009 News involve personal contact between people that would otherwise not have happened?
This includes those working at the printers, those that pack and label the envelopes, the postal service workers who will be delivering it to member's homes, and the members themselves.
Just a few facts: the Sales team have nothing to do with the distribution of the NEWS. The envelopes are labelled "stamped" and stuffed by a hardy group of volunteers here in Leeds (including myself when I can). This is co-ordinated by Bill Luty.
The current issue, which should be on its way to you as I type, was "done" solely by Bill this time, I believe.
Kind regards
Quote from: hughn on March 24, 2020, 15:32
Just a few facts: the Sales team have nothing to do with the distribution of the NEWS. The envelopes are labelled "stamped" and stuffed by a hardy group of volunteers here in Leeds (including myself when I can). This is co-ordinated by Bill Luty.
The current issue, which should be on its way to you as I type, was "done" solely by Bill this time, I believe.
Kind regards
Wow! Well done Bill! What a super effort and no contact with others.
Brian Meldon
Quote from: Stephen Rainsbury on March 24, 2020, 12:07
Hi Mick
Thanks for the great work you and the team are doing, it always brightens a day up when the newsletter arrives, and it is one of the reasons I am a member.
That's a good point I hadn't considered, I was just trying to save you and the team having to go out more than necessary.
Stephen
Hi Stephen, thank you for your comments, but I have to point out that I am not a member of the publications team, nor am I a committee member, just a member and was just bringing to your attention, as Andrew has also done, that there are a majority of members who would for one reason or another not benefit if the News was issued purely digitally.
Best wishes
Mick
This is the same argument trundled out every time this is discussed not to allow digital copies to those who want it. Mick (and others who "liked" his original post), this was a suggestion to try to reduce the workload of those who pack the news and in today's current climate help others who are involved in it's production and distribution. We are aware that there are those for whom it wouldn't work but there are plenty who could. The suggestion has been made, lets leave it at that for those in charge to consider, I think the pros and cons have been discussed enough already! :)
Quote from: hughn on March 24, 2020, 15:32
The current issue, which should be on its way to you as I type, was "done" solely by Bill this time, I believe.
Kind regards
Hugh,
Thanks for mentioning this. I didn't know until yesterday that Bill had done the packing and posting by himself and I am sure those who become aware will be very grateful to him. My copy has just arrived and I am looking forward to dipping in to it.
We made a lot of progress yesterday on what we can do to continue service to members. First prize, if we can do it without undue risk, is to continue sending out the printed copy. However, we are looking at a contingency plan in case we can't. To try to allay fears: this is not about doing away with the printed version of the News; it is about getting the News to as many members as we can under ther current circumstances.
I hope to be able to post more in the next 48 hours on what we are doing.
Julian
Quote from: Hobby on March 25, 2020, 08:52
This is the same argument trundled out every time this is discussed not to allow digital copies to those who want it. Mick (and others who "liked" his original post), this was a suggestion to try to reduce the workload of those who pack the news...
Blair - I appreciate your intentions but can you imagine the extra work involved in sorting out those who want a digital copy from those who don't (as a short term measure)?
David.
From what I've seen they are printed labels, so will be a list on a file, just need to delete those of us who don't want the paper ones from the list before printing... I've damn all else to do for the next 11 weeks so could help if they need it...
However as Julian said, let's wait and see, eh? If they can't, they can't, but there's little point in coming up with excuses why it can't be done when we don't know the details.
Quote from: Julian Evison on March 25, 2020, 09:44
I hope to be able to post more in the next 48 hours on what we are doing.
Julian
Thanks for doing this Julian it is much appreciated every month but if you are in any doubt please don't put yourself at risk because of us. Stay safe :-)
Blair,
You are correct in saying its a printed label, but they are not in alphabetical order.
They are printed in membership order and if anyone was at Rainford in February they may have seen the problems handing out the
newsletter.
From memory 59 newsletters where handed out, but it should have been around 80, but many members did not know there
membership number or could not remember it.
Bill was tearing his hair out and he did nt have much to start off with and he was nt really happy with me for having the idea to
give them out.
It took a couple of drinks in the pub after the show to ease the pain.
All these ideas seem simple until you attempt to do them and with people spread around the country I would suggest that makes
it more difficult.
Stan.
As I look forward to the email revealing the link to the newest NEWS it occurs to me to wonder if it could also be shared here on the forum?
Quote from: Stan Williams on March 25, 2020, 19:37
You are correct in saying its a printed label, but they are not in alphabetical order.
They are printed in membership order and if anyone was at Rainford in February they may have seen the problems handing out the
newsletter.
I was and did see the issues he had... However it's not insurmountable,
and this is a totally different scenario to that day, any requests for pdf versions must include membership number (from people's standing order details, or old label from the front of the News envelope, or even from their membership card!) Simples...
Lets wait and see and not make obstacles that are nothing of the sort...
Please?
Thanks for everyone's input and words of appreciation for the people who do the work.
First the good news is that the member who organises our printing has confirmed that he is confident he can get the May News printed and, if necessary, distributed.
Obviously things can change at a moment's notice, so despite people's efforts, perhaps we won't be able to do as usual. If that is the case the Committee will do its utmost to get the News to as many members as possible electronically, while intending to catch up with print copies as soon as we can.
To make this work, we do need up-to-date email addresses. Brian Ellsmore, the membership secretary, is currently checking everything we have (about 75% of the membership), but if you know of somebody who might not have made the Society aware of their (latest) email address, ask them to let Brian know: memsec@009society.com
I should state this does not affect our arrangements for Overseas members who receive electronic copies.
We will keep people informed here and on the website. I hope none of this becomes necessary, but it feels wise to have a plan in place in case it does.
Julian
Julian Evison
Chairman 009 Society
Edited to correct spelling error.
Thanks Julian!
Very pleased to report that the April 009 News dropped into my letterbox today, in Australia. One day after the March issue!
When can we digital readers have a look?
I have mine Tom
QuoteWhen can we digital readers have a look?
Sorry I should have quickly added that I received the link on Friday. Thanks as always to all volunteers.