Club History

How it all started...
While the founding few club members have lost contact with us, we estimate the club started back around 1990 with the help of James Oppenheim.  The club began holding monthly meetings in the computer room of the Sullivan County Community College.  It slowly grew to fill the entire cafeteria.  At this time the club was called Catskill Power Users, abbreviated with the cute, yet appropriate acronym, C P U.

The club grows...
The club and the interests of its members began to outgrow what the general monthly meeting could offer.  We began receiving a large number of computer "newbies" as well as quite a few seasoned users.  At around 1992, the club added new meetings to its monthly agenda.  The group added two Special Interest Groups (SIGs),  CPU:AdvDOS and a Beginners Meeting.  

The CPU:AdvDOS was hosted by Scott Waschitz and Paul Paradiso and focused on advanced topics of the day.  At the time we taught DOS memory management, showed how to automate tasks with batch files, connect to area bulletin boards using modems and the ever popular TELIX program.  Later, we demonstrated the OS/2 Warp Operating System and even brought Microsoft down to demonstrate an Operating System called "Chicago".  Today we know this Operating System as Windows 95.

If you were around at the time, you would have noted such regulars in the meetings as:  James Oppenheim, Steve Lerner, Orshii Boldiis, Scott Waschitz, Paul Paradiso, Bruce Swanson, Steven Levy, Mitch Strauss, Mitch Cooper, Nancy Cooper and quite a few others.

Disturbance and Restructuring...
In the Winter of 1994, what seemed like the height of CPU, something went wrong.  Some of the original key players began to disappear.  The future of the group was in serious question.  The group was restructured in a meeting on May 12, 1994 in SCCC Room F-104.  At this time, CPU:AdvDOS SIG leader Scott S. Waschitz was elected the group's new president and a new core group of members took the reigns and have carried the club to present day.  They included our strongest and most devoted member, Orshii Boldiis, Steven Levy, Mitch Strauss, Nancy Cooper, Bruce Swanson, Mitch Cooper, Irwin Litt and later Sig Slifstein.

The club and the computing change course...
After some minor setbacks, the club recast itself under the name Computer Power Users.  Meetings moved from SCCC to the Neighborhood Facility on Jefferson Street in Monticello.   Computing changed to encompass a new thing called the Internet.  Back in those first meetings at the Neighborhood Facility we tackled new issues such as getting on the internet, home page building and home networking.  The club grew and added many of the faces we see at the table today.  

Present day CPU...
We continued meeting at the Neighborhood Facility until 1997 when the president came to a very nice agreement with John and Family of the Blue Horizon Diner.  We would be granted a nice space to meet along with a phone line and computer hookups in exchange that members enjoy a slice of pie and coffee or more.

With changes in Scott's career, he is often unable to make meetings.  The club's strongest longstanding member, Orshii Boldiis, has taken the lead and continues to bring new and exciting things to the group.  We welcome you to visit us at our next meeting!