By Charlie Anderson
Recently, Commander Krawitz invited me to test Web conferencing software to view monthly post meetings because we now live in Montana. Later, Pete asked me to write an article about my experience.
On Nov. 9, I sat down at my PC in the den of our mountain home and downloaded the necessary small application. I put on headphones, logged into the conference site and prepared to watch. For the next 90 minutes or so, I heard everything that happened in the post meeting. With a few exceptions everyone who spoke was very clear.
With video conferencing remote users can listen, watch and communicate during the course of the meeting by text or voice. If a secure authentication system were created to verify legal membership it might be possible to participate in votes. Implementing this last feature probably would need a bylaws change.
To use this program effectively you need either a PC or Apple computer, a laptop/pad or Smart Phone. Lacking one of these, you still can listen to a meeting with a landline or wireless phone.
Using conferencing software from your home or office is easy—almost a no-brainer. Given the percentage of the total membership typically attending meetings when I lived in Seattle (around 20% I think), live video meetings could be a way for members who don’t or can’t make monthly meetings to regain some sense of participation. It might even encourage some to get back into active involvement.
Give it a try!