In message <ce65970b0d324a6c93c30293dadae...@geoffbqm5ccx41>, Geoff
Wicks <gtwi...@btinternet.com> writes
--------------------------------------------------
From: "Malcolm Cadman" <q...@mcad.demon.co.uk>
Sent: Tuesday, June 08, 2010 8:57 PM
To: <ql-us...@q-v-d.com>
Subject: [Ql-Users] Quanta Subgroups - Survival
Overall a good number of subgroups, yet two definitely meet at
someone's home, and three have no location for Meetings ( although
one of these claims 12 Meetings a Year ). Leaving three subgroups
that have a Venue.
It seems to me that Quanta needs its subgroups to be active and
thriving, to feed into the main organisation.
Therefore continued support is vital to survival.
It is my policy not to take an active part in this group, but I am
prepared to make an exception occasionally. In this case because
whenever you and I have ever tried to start a discussion on this
subject in the past there has been no interest.
As far as I can seen the present status is as follows:
There are not 8 subgroups but 6. Surrey and Sussex have been saying for
about 4 years now that they have no meeting place. It is reasonable to
assume that means they no longer exist. Unless, of course, that group
of men under Brighton pier are not alcoholics as I had assumed, but
vagrant QL-ers.
I also thought that Solent and Dorset no longer existed, but earlier
this year Solent gave new meeting details. It is a pity they did not
tell us what their numbers are and what they get up to. At the AGM John
Mason confirmed that Dorset still exists, but is getting smaller and
now barely viable. Since that time we have had the sad news of John
Meadow's death.
You know what happens in London. I believe you are getting smaller, but
you do maintain a website and some trade in second hand goods. I think
it's a pity the Quanta hierarchy do not want any more shows in the
hall, but the officers have certified themselves as being too decrepit
and senile to manage the stairs.
Scotland also maintains a website and is remarkably active for an area
with so few Ql-ers, mainly because of the enthusiasm of John Sadler and
George Gwilt. They gave one member good support when he had problems
with one of my programs. (Apologies, Colin, I still have not solved the
problem.)
Birmingham meet in a local pub and rely on the fact that inner city
pubs are delighted to have any customers in the evening. They are a
group of about 8 elderly men who meet to talk about everything and
occasionally the QL. Interestingly six of them, including the chairman,
are not members of Quanta. (The chairman for reasons of principle.)
Manchester is the largest of the subgroups and you have to touch your
forelock when you meet them because they are also the Quanta toffs.
(Quanta is shortly to be renamed the "External Affairs Branch of the
North East Manchester QL User Group"). For a large group they are
surprisingly silent about what they get up to, probably because of
years of covert plotting to take over Quanta. I once tried to goad them
telling us something of what they do by suggesting on this list that
they were not really QL-ers, but a secret Elvis appreciation society,
but it did not work.
Manchester do not have a dedicated website in spite of the fact that
the Quanta toffs are always moaning about how little interest the
lesser mortals on other subgroups show in having a dedicated page on
the Quanta website. All very hypocritical when you consider Quanta's
specialist web staff hale from Manchester,
Best wishes,
Geoff
PS Dilwyn, please feel free to reproduce this in its entirety in the
Quanta Magazine, but somehow I don't think you will want to.
Hi Geoff,
Nice to see you involved again ... :-)
It would be useful to get the status of the subgroups all up to date.
Meeting at a venue is quite different from meeting in a "pub" - a place
where on is expected to purchase drinks of an alcoholic nature ... :-)
Or, from meeting at someone's home.
Of course, the latter is a resort to keep things going.
So, overall maybe there are just 4 active subgroups now - in the UK ?
--
Malcolm Cadman
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