By now many of you have received the news that The Boston Computer Society has ceased its operations. This decision was made by a unanimous vote of the Board on Tuesday, September 10, 1996.
We realize that this may be a surprise and a disappointment to the many activists who have long supported the BCS with dedication and enthusiasm, and to the 18,000 members who participate in our user groups, bulletin boards, educational courses, publications, public service and other activities.
It is important that you understand that this decision by the Board follows a thorough review of all of the services offered by the BCS as an umbrella group, of its organizational structure, and of the feasibility of continuing to operate in various forms. Membership, and therefore revenue, have declined dramatically over the past few years, and the BCS has not been able to successfully compete with similar services offered by commercial and even by smaller non-profit organizations. The vote reflects the reality that despite the vast resources of this volunteer membership organization, we would not be able to sustain the financial viability needed to continue in the future.
The Board realizes that this decision has saddened many of us who have made The Boston Computer Society such a large part of our lives. Professional careers have found their beginnings here, lifelong relationships have formed and the interaction among members has affected many of us in important ways. Many members have called and sent messages expressing sadness and disappointment. Board members and staff are thankful for the many messages of support and gratitude which have also been sent to the BCS offices. We will continue to try to respond to each of them.
The Boston Computer Society has fostered many strong and active groups led by energetic activists. It is our hope that these groups can organize themselves successfully through their own resources and continue to attract and serve new members. We are working with a number of vendors and other organizations to offer a package of referrals, offers of membership, and discounts in the hope that as many current member services as possible can be continued elsewhere. We will get further information to you as quickly as we can. We will be sending out a final mailing to members in October with information about these offers and the closedown of the Society, and will also post this information on our Web site at www.bcs.org. We appreciate your patience as we work through this difficult transition.