established - Desktop Video Group

1985:
Reorganizing
Staff creeps up to seven. Membership
hits 17,000 by September, all of
whom seem to call the office at once.
Phones jangle off the hook; more lines
are added. Manning the reception
area becomes a test of mettle—lessthan-hardy
souls can burn out in a
week. Survivors, wearing their
badges proudly, join the ranks of the
slightly unhinged staff. User group
count reaches 41 in February, not including
satellites. Addison-Wesley
publishes our first book, Things the
Manual Never Told You.
The Society's internal structure
gets a good once-over, and big
changes result. The Board alters in
size and structure, with more intricate
levels of responsibilities. Striving for
a more professional demeanor, certain
Board members no longer trade
spitballs at meetings. The end of an
era. The Member Services Committee
and Conference are created to better
serve all the new groups and activists.
More people than ever before become
involved in running the BCS.
1986:
Catching up
with Growth
As the new year starts, staff surges
to eight. As the new year wanes,
membership surges to 23,000. We
finalize our first overseas affiliation,
with the Denmark Personal Computer
Society. Thirty-seven of the 50-odd
active groups now publish newsletters.
Activists number well over 500.
The office begins to resemble a
7-Eleven—volunteers scurrying in
and out at all hours of the day and
night, every day of the year (yes, even
Christmas). Calendar lists over 100
meetings and events each month for
members. We start planning for our
tenth birthday celebration. The future
is bright. Before and after. Views of the current BCS office.
90 COMPUTER UPDATE