Best Laid Plans of Mice and Me
I thought I had the program ready to use all those nice diacritics,
but alas, no. I can enter them, but the data base program will
not print them, instead doing things like a line feed. I will
try some more and let you know. Meanwhile, check your label to
make sure it is correct. Be sure to let me know if there is ANY
mistake in your label. If you are not happy with your label, you
are welcome to send me something better. It must however fit the
following space limitations: Last name (16), first name (20),
address (42), city (18), state or province or whatever (10), postal
code (10), and country (15). All except the country may be done
in any fashion you like. U.S. Postal regulations though, require
that the country line on a label contain NOTHING but the name
of the country.
1993 Dues are Due!
Dues notices were mailed out in early January to all names in
the computer. Those of you who have not as yet paid your 1993
dues should do so, like NOW! Seriously, if you have not received
your pretty white 1993 membership card, then you probably have
not paid your dues, so GET WITH IT. Take a look at the membership
application in this issue to see ALL the wonderful ways you can
send in your dues! Some of you may have received a nice EMPTY
envelope! Just seeing if you are paying attention! They were supposed
to contain your dues notice, but the machine goofed on a few and
just mailed out the envelope. I might add that at this time I
have no provision in the program to bill dues to someone else.
If you wish to pay another's dues, they will have to send their
notice to you or work it out with you.
German Members
I understand that most postal numbers will change in July. PLEASE
send me the correct number when yours is changed.
Swiss Account
Those of you using the Swiss Account, PLEASE READ!
Members outside the U.S.A. may use a VISA or MASTERCARD; an International
Postal Money Order drawn in U.S. dollars; or an International
Cashiers Check drawn on a U.S. Bank in U.S. dollars. Make sure
your name appears on the check or money order., For your further
convenience, you may pay your dues by a BANK TRANSFER to the account
N4-155.380.0 in the Swiss Bank Corporation, Bahnhofstrasse Branch,
8023 Zurich, Switzerland. Kindly do NOT issue checks or make cash
transfers because this will involve expenses to the debit of our
account. Make SURE your bank includes your name in the bank transfer.
I have at present two payments from the Swiss Bank from someone
who did not make sure their name was on the bank transfer or if
it's there I can't figure it out. All I can tell is that the Swiss
Bank included "TEXT" as follows with the first possibly
being a name:
Antonio Valt Fried Another dated March
Rechn. DD. 011292 23rd with nothing on
(Libreria Herder) it but that date.
Crash!
All you computer users beware! Yes! It can happen to
you. Complete hard disk break-down. Norton, PCTools, and all the
King's men couldn't put hard disk together again. Virus programs
had begun to report a "stealth" virus, but neither our
computer consultant nor I could find it. Besides I don't DO "virus"
things, no downloading, no booting off strange disks, etc.. I'm
now convinced there never WAS a virus, but that it was the beginning
signs of a disk crash. I do back-ups religiously, so all I had
to do was to wait for the new drive to come in and then restore
everything on the new drive. It did put me out of business for
about ten days, but everything now seems all right and the virus
programs do not find a virus present.
Finances and Annual Report
The Society is doing well. We finished 1992 with enough money
in Certificates of Deposit to take care of present commitments.
We have 3,244 members in 47 countries. What I don't understand
is why we lose almost as many as we gain each year? What we really
need is for EVERYONE to get involved. Talk up the Society! How
'bout a gift membership for that special student or friend. Send
me their name and I'll send them a back issue and an application.
This office is bonded and we have a C.P.A. who oversees finances
and makes an annual audit which is sent to the Executive Committee.
You may request a copy of the annual audit by writing to me.