IN THIS ISSUE

1. Lifetime Memberships for Current Members
2. Free Membership for Your Friends
3. Club Access and Dues -- Your Input Is Needed
4. Three Board of Directors Openings
5. Traffic Report
6. Coming Attractions

1. LIFETIME MEMBERSHIPS FOR CURRENT MEMBERS

In appreciation of those who helped get the Online Alano Club started, all of those now registered as members (including all subscribers to this list) will have their memberships converted to Lifetime Club Use Members. No dues for the rest of your lives, or the life of the Club, whichever comes first!

To take advantage of this offer, no action is required. Just maintain your subscription to this mailing list. If you unsubscribe, or you change your email address and you are removed from the list because of bouncing email, you may reactivate your Lifetime Club Use Membership for a period of up to one year.

2. FREE MEMBERSHIP FOR YOUR FRIENDS

Now is the time to invite your friends to join the Club. They can still take advantage of the Lifetime Club Use Membership. No dues for life. Just register within the next month or so.

3. CLUB ACCESS AND DUES -- YOUR INPUT IS NEEDED

No later than the beginning of 2005, there will be dues. Your help is needed in determining which services and areas of the web site will be left open to all (free for all) and which will only be accessible to members.

Three things that probably will be available only to dues-paying members: free email account, free mini-web site and hosting, free classified and personals ads. Additionally, Club members will have a voice in Club operation and development. Are there other services (feel free to suggest new services) or areas of the web site that should be "members only"?

Should there be membership options? For example, a 30-day trial, a choice of monthly, annual, and lifetime memberships? Other suggestions? Such as the invite-a-friend offer described in item 2 above?

How much should the Club charge for dues? (Keeping in mind that dues will help support the free areas of the web site -- those things open to anyone.) How much is fair and attractive?

* Monthly, $2.00; Annually, $20.00; Lifetime, $200.00
* Monthly, $1.00; Annually, $10.00; Lifetime, $100.00
* Annually, $6.00; Lifetime, $50.00
* Etc.

Suggest something different if you wish.

Note that no matter what is decided about memberships, the meetings areas will remain open to all and the Club will offer initial meeting hosting at no cost, with the expectation that meetings (or groups) will become self-supporting and begin to contribute for "meeting room" rent.

4. THREE BOARD OPENINGS

You are invited to become a member of the Online Alano Club Board of Directors.

There are three openings.

The Club is presently a nonprofit association (not a corporation) registered in the State of California. The current board is Rudy (New York); Stephanie (Michigan); Pam (Florida); Dianna (Illinois); Mark (California); Ryan (California); Dean (California). Once we have a final initial board, we'll do more with bios, bylaws, financial stuff, incorporation, and so on.

As a board member, it will be your job to help chart the Club's future development and growth. The club manager reports, is accountable, reports to the board.

Before applying, you should be familiar with the Club web site. In other words, please at least have a basic knowledge of what this thing is.

You should be a member of a 12-Step program with at least two years continuous membership in that program; for example, two years of continuous sobriety in AA. (We do have a "normie" on the board. If you are such a person, you may apply; however, the priority at present is to attract members of 12-Step fellowships.)

You should have considerable experience in one or more of the following areas:

* business management
* financial management
* internet/web development, hosting, or maintenance
* service within your 12-Step fellowship, preferably beyond the group level

This is not a time-consuming job, perhaps an hour or two each week. However, preference will be given to those who actually use, or are willing to use, Club services and participate in the various venues (email meetings, forums, chat rooms, etc.). In other words, if you aren't all that interested in using the Club and in knowing what's going on, don't apply.

To apply, send a brief, relevant resume or statement of interest in an email or as an attachment. (You can email me through this forum.)

5. TRAFFIC REPORT

There are now approximately 280 members. The web site is averaging about 300 visitors per day.

6. COMING ATTRACTIONS

We're working on some additions to the club.

Club Junk. That's right: cups, tee shirts, all that sort of stuff.

A "workinglife" sub-web is being designed to (a) help people who are looking for work or for help building their careers and (b) serve as a classifieds site for club members who have services to offer. At present, we're adding resource links. You can take a look here: http://www.onlinealano.org/wl/.

We're also developing a "Sober Travelers" component. For this, we intend to develop a worldwide contact list to assist travelers in not only finding meetings but also lodging, activities, etc. wherever they go. We'll also be collecting sober vacation offerings as we find them around the Web.

A fun thing we're looking into is an online bingo program. We can't have gambling, of course, but we have found a great program that allows multiple players and it has a built-in chat program (so players can talk to each other during the games).

-- Dean