Many groups do not meet from late December to early January, but there are things you can do while your group is on hiatus. Nicholas Pyers, Apple User Group Advisory Board member and popular presenter from AppleUsers.org, offers thoughts on ways to thank those who have served your community in the past year and ways to plan ahead for an even better year ahead for your group and members.
http://www.appleusers.org/ugr/end-of-year-tasks-for-apple-user-group-leaders/
Taking his advice regarding thanking those who have made our user group experience better, we’d like to say thank you to Nicholas for his many articles over many years. We look forward to taking his advice on planning for the year to come and thank him for all of the expertise and wonderful resources he has provided over the years.
Nicholas Pyers is known for AppleUsers.org, the Apple Users Spotlight, his clever puzzles, and long-time championship of all things Mac.
Learn more at:
AWUGU Meeting Report about Visual Organizing
by Tom Piper, Coordinator
This Apple World User Group University online gathering of Apple user group leaders was held at 5:00pm CDST, on February 20, 2023, via Zoom. We had 29 participants for the topics of CES Report and Apple Visual Organizing. The 80-minute video can be viewed at https://youtu.be/RKUcSRBHb7M (unlisted on YouTube).
This session opened with my welcome, plus a quick review of the meeting protocols. Doug Smith, Chair of the Apple User Group Advisory Board (AUGAB) provided backup support during the call.
apple user groups
The number of Apple User Groups worldwide is amazing, especially considering that many groups have been in existence for decades. Still, as new groups form, some groups cease to exist, often because key members retire or membership numbers drop. This article offers the the quick and simple, step-by-step process for delisting a group with the User Group Locator and the User Group Program.
Have your members asked about Freeform, the new free Apple app that helps users see, share, and collaborate on an infinite virtual whiteboard? Released on December 13, Apple includes the free app with the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. It can even be used while you are on a FaceTime call.
Freeform could make for a fun and interactive meeting activity.
Check it out!
Apple Support on YouTube – How to Use Freeform
Apple Press Release About Freeform
AWUGU Meeting Report about WWDC 2022 Followup
by Tom Piper, Coordinator
This Apple World User Group University online gathering of Apple user group leaders was held at 5:00pm CDST, on June 20, 2022, via Zoom. We had 40 participants for the topic of “WWDC 2022 Followup” (see attached JPG image and PDF attendance list). The 77-minute video can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/p2bH4wUzvfs (unlisted on YouTube).
This session opened with my welcome, plus a quick review of the meeting protocols. Doug Smith, Chair of the Apple User Group Advisory Board (AUGAB) provided backup support during the call. (more…)
This Apple World User Group University online gathering of Apple user group leaders was held at 5:00pm CDST, on March 21, 2022, via Zoom. We had 42 participants for the topic of “AUG Media Resources” (see the PDF image and attendance list in Tom’s email). The 75-minute video can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/aw1TYrd8pWM (unlisted on YouTube).
This session opened with my welcome (especially to new registrants), plus a quick review of the meeting protocols, and an invitation to submit user group Product Review web links. Doug Smith, Chair of the Apple User Group Advisory Board (AUGAB) provided backup support during the call.
Additional questions were asked, experiences shared and suggestions made by other user group leaders. The following links were offered for further information on this meeting’s topics:
Are your group’s Apple User Group Locator records up to date? This winter the Locator team will be updating the database. Groups who have not updated their records in the last two years, and groups with dead web links or non-functioning email addresses will be put on pending. The team is also checking web sites: has your web site been updated since 2019? Make sure your group stays on active status. Update your group’s records today.
When GarageBand was introduced in 2004 it was amazing! Mac users could record up to 8 tracks at once, fix timing and pitch, view and edit in musical notation, and so much more. Who could have imagined the 2021 version? GarageBand v10.4.4 for macOS is a whole music creation studio right inside your Mac—with a complete sound library that includes software instruments, presets for guitar and voice, and virtual session drummers. Better yet, is runs on your current Mac and optimized for Apple silicon. But wait, there’s more: GarageBand v10.4.4 for macOS includes a new collection of instrument sounds and loops across a variety of genres, including from some of the world’s top producers.
Why not plan a meeting around GarageBand v10.4.4?
GarageBand for Mac – First Look (L544712A-en_US)
Ambassadors, November is a great month to check out ASW.
Written by Tom Piper, Past President of appleJAC User Group and Head of the Apple User Group Vendor team
One of the most valuable services provided by Apple User Groups to their members are the “question and answer” sessions. For the past 35 years of our existence, appleJAC has evolved through a variety of Q&A processes. This How-To session will describe each of the successful methods that we have used.
