ABOUT MCUG

Our History

The Towns Area PC User Group was conceived in 1988 by Paul Marshall, a teacher, and Joe Ringwalt, a Baptist preacher, for the purpose of providing a forum in which local computer enthusiasts could discuss various topics related to the computing industry. One year later, the group began holding monthly meetings at the Mountain Regional Library in Young Harris, Georgia. They soon changed their name to Mountain Computer Club.

1992 was a big year for the club:

• In April, the first newsletter was published.
• In May, the club joined the Association of Personal Computer User Groups, Inc.(APCUG), a nonprofit, international organization dedicated to promoting communications between PC user groups and the computer industry.
• In July, the Mountain Computer Club was incorporated under the laws of the State of Georgia.
• In November, the club, supported by a special grant received from Zell Miller, the then Governor of Georgia, presented a 486SX computer system to the Mountain Regional Library in Young Harris. The system, mean to be used by the public, included a printer and an overhead projection/display panel. Soon after, the members established a shareware library, also meant for public for use.
• 1992 also saw the first presentation by a vendor representative. Aldus Corporation's, Diane Dean, presented a presentation on Pagemaker, the popular desktop publishing software created by the corporation.
• That year the club also established its first Special Interest Group.

In 1993, the club continued to expand its activities, but one its most significant events was the re-design of the newsletter. The group began to use a folded 11"x17"-landscape format, yielding a 12-page publication. This format continues to be used today. In addition to the re-design, the newsletter was renamed, Mountain Bits & Bytes.

That year, the club also legally changed its name to Mountain Computer User Group, Inc. The members felt that this new name more accurately reflected the purpose for which the group was formed.

In 1994, through the generosity of Young Harris College, the group began to hold its monthly meetings at the Goolsby Center, a 150-seat multimedia auditorium, located on the college's campus. In July, the groups was granted 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status by the IRS and bulk mail privileges by the US Postal Service. In December, the first annual MCUG Benefit Auction was held, with the proceeds going to Toys for Tots.

In 1996, the group held its First Annual Mid-Summer Software Auction.

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Our Purpose

The Mountain Computer User Group is a nonprofit, tax-exempt educational organization without corporate or vendor affiliation. Its purpose is the encouragement and advancement of computer information and knowledge through "users helping users".

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