Hi Everyone – yes it’s me again ! As I mention most weeks we really DO need more of you to volunteer to tell us about your recent escapades. All you have to do is send me an email telling me what you’ve been doing over the last few months along with some photos in a separate email if you like, and I’ll edit it all into a newsletter for all our members. Simples !!
PCC News of the Week:
Your new committee have now had two meetings over the last two weeks and have been planning how we might return to The Space and also how we might conduct a “Virtual Meeting” in the meantime. In order to facilitate the latter, last night’s meeting was conducted using the Industry Standard “Microsoft Teams” which many professionals now use for their work including our own Maru and Keith.
I have to say it was virtually seamless and worked so well I don’t know why we haven’t done it before? Maru was the facilitator and sent us all a link to the meeting, once I clicked on the link it asked me if I wanted to load Microsoft Teams, once I agreed it just all worked automatically and later on last night I clicked on the link (making sure my newly acquired £20 webcam was plugged in) and then everyone started to appear on the screen ready for our meeting. I must say it was so easy it was a doddle – and it worked really well. I thought there may be issues around everyone talking over one another, but it seemed to cope really well with us being able to communicate whilst seeing small “thumbnails” of the attendees. After going over our meeting actions, Maru then easily switched over to her PC screen which we could all view and which consisted of some of the Lockdown photos. The idea being that it replicated what we would like to do as a Club in order to critique one another’s images etc. Hence we could all send images to an administrator who would collate them into a simple folder, from which the administrator could simply run a “show” just like we do in The Space !! Attendees could then comment on the work with suggestions etc – again – just like we do in our “real” meetings.
Next Step:
What we are proposing is that Maru sends each member a link from which they can SAFELY click on and upload the INDUSTRY STANDARD Microsoft Teams software enabling the user to attend our next PCC Virtual Meeting in a couple of weeks time. We are also very lucky in having several members who are very conversant with the “techie” stuff and can help you if you have any issues around uploading the software. I have deliberately stressed “Industry Standard” as I need to stress that Microsoft Teams is highly reputable and used by millions of Professionals worldwide every day! Hence we have no qualms whatsoever about spyware of other “dodgy” apps which may be around.
The meeting itself would be a great demonstration of how we can move forward in two weeks time on 1st October at 7.30pm. I would give a presentation of Jan and me in Alicante last March just before lockdown. If you in any way concerned this SAFE link should answer any issues you may have https://www.brainstorminc.com/blog/microsoft-teams-how-secure-is-it-really-a-rundown
Resuming PCC Meetings
Your committee – especially your new Chairperson Victor – is keeping a very close watch on the ever-changing situation regarding the dreaded C19, and you can be assured that Cornwall Council is quite happy with the current controls in place at The Space, along with any additional controls we, as a club, would introduce. They have also assured us that the education aspects of our club mean that we would be free to hold meetings of even more than 30 people and so our plan as agreed at our AGM to resume with a test meeting in October is still planned. By the way Falmouth CC have resumed their meetings with a newly introduced one-way system and other controls in place.
Membership
At last night’s meeting we were really pleased to hear that we have two new members joining us. Firstly it is with great pleasure that Carolyn Coward has decided to re-join although she still has some health issues, she is looking forward to entering our weekly competitions so watch out (me)! The second new member is Maru’s husband Marcus who many of you will know as Maru’s chauffeur (Joke)!! Again it will be great to have Marcus join us as we know he has travelled around a lot and hence will have a different take on images to show us.
Don’t forget that we now have a new Treasurer in Chris Hamshaw, who is looking forward to receiving your £20 subscription which, as you will know, technically allows you to enter our competitions. You can either pay her in real money, (Note to self!) or do it via the club’s BACS account if you wish. Chris can be contacted via her email address.
That’s about if for now so I apologise if it’s been a bit wordy so I’ll leave you with a nice photo of my favourite place (apart from anywhere in Cornwall of course) – Guess Where !
All the best for now Derek
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