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Happy New Year! Ihope that you had awonderful and a terrifictraditional family holiday season andthat your start to thenew year is a greatone. It seems asthough 2008 just

zipped by and here we are in a new year. Wheredoes the time go?

We ended the year with another wonderful timeat the early December Holiday Party. Almost 80QCC members and significant others weretogether once again for a fun evening. In myremarks to the audience, I recounted the eventsand activities that the Board arranged throughout2008 and was surprised by how much we didlast year, and, on reflection after the meetingended, how many of you participated in total. In2009, I hope to see more of you either

participating with us orperhaps suggestingevents yourself. Ofcourse, we need yourhelp with any ideas youmay have so that theyare a success.

I also reminded the audience that the Boardinvolves the QCC in charitable events throughouteach year, events such as MedShare and

GREATER ATLANTA CHAPTER

IBM QUARTER CENTURY CLUBJANUARY 2009

PRESIDENT’SMESSAGE

By BartBartholomew

Want to join the Atlanta IBM QCC? ContactBart Bartholomew 770-428-2731(bartb30144@yahoo.com)Check out our web site: www.atlqcc.org

Message CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

SEE ALL THEUPCOMING

ACTIVITIES: PGS 2&3

HOLIDAY PARTY:FULL HOUSE - QCCERSCELEBRATE SEASON WITH FOOD,EGGNOG AND CAROLING WITHTHE BIG CHICKEN CHORUS

EVENTSCALENDAR

Our very non-professional photographer got pictures of awhole lot of backs of heads. But look - I see some faces!Can anyone identify these people? If you can identify anyone in either photo, e-mail any board member and we’llre-run that photo next newsletter with names.

Marietta’s own Big Chicken Chorus sent a VLQ to singChristmas carols after the dinner. Several sing-alongs (“YouBetter Watch Out” and “Silent Night”) let everyone stretchtheir vocal chords and feel the season’s spirit. (If you knowwhat a VLQ is, raise your hand! Answer is below.)

QCC annual holiday party atSidelines Dec. 4 was a success

Answer: AVLQ is a “Very Large Quartet”, and we can all chuckle at that!

We also need moremembers to jointhe QCC Board.

We can always usefresh, new ideas.

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Upcoming Events

By playwright Robert Bolt, at Marietta’spopular Theatre In The Square. About theperformance: A captivating and grippingrecounting of Sir Thomas More’s moralstruggle to obey his conscience in

defiance of England’s young King Henry VIII. In this play,

which became a critically acclaimed work in both stage and

movie versions, politics and intrigue interlock powerfully in church and Tudorcourt circles. Tickets are $25. Contact BobSlaney at 770-222-4853 or rjslaney@comcast.net.

SPRING THEATER EVENT: Friday, March 27, 8 p.m.Theatre in the Square – MainStageSeries: “A Man for All Seasons”

SPRING ICEBREAKER: DATE TO BE DECIDEDFebruary or March

SATURDAY JANUARY 10 & SATURDAY MARCH 14MedShare InternationalVolunteer Event: 9a.m.to Noon

MedShare International performs an incredible job ofproviding medical supplies towell over 100 mostly thirdworld countries across theglobe. They do this work withvolunteer efforts of hospital and other medicalpersonnel in greater Atlantaas well as all over the U.S.who provide medical supplies that would other-wise wind up in landfills.

But MedShare is only able tototally fulfill their worthwhile mission with help from volunteers such as

the IBM Atlanta QuarterCentury Club who preparethe supplies for shipping by packaging and labelingthem.

MedShare named the QCCtheir volunteer organizationof the year for 2007, thanksto the many volunteers whogave of their time and energy in this importanteffort. We now have a tradition to uphold.

WSB-TV ran a short segment on MedShare onJune 29. It provides a visualintroduction to MedShareand its activities. Go to theQCC website (atlqcc.org) to view the video.

Below are the dates theQCC is scheduled to provide 30 volunteers: 1-10-093-14-095-9-097-11-099-12-0911-14-09 The turnout for theNovember session was a bitdisappointing, but we still gota lot of good work done.Everyone left physically tiredbut with a strong feeling ofaccomplishment. If there’sany way you or someoneyou know can volunteer, callDave Books at 404-266-1935 or e-mail Dave atdwbooks@juno.com

+

Got an idea for an event?Call or e-mail any QCCboard member.

Watch e-mail blasts for date, details.

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QCC Board Needs You!Please consider joining the QCC board. We have a great team leading our QCC but several of our team have left us after havingdone some wonderful work for our club.

Being on the board is fun. You’ll get to know some terrific peopleplus you’ll be giving back to your club. Please contact BartBartholomew (770-428-2731) if you are interested or have anyquestions or suggestions. Come to a board meeting as our guestand learn what we do. The board meets on the second Wednesdayof each month, 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m., at Sidelines on Roswell Roadeast of the Big Chicken.

1/08-9/08

Last October, an enthusiastic group ofQuarter Century Clubbers met at SweetwaterCreek State Park to enjoy the beautiful out-of-doors and get a little exercise. It wasso successful that they decided to do it againin the spring, only this time closer to town.

Jim and Susan Slemenda volunteered tohelp put the next one together in the LenoxPark/Morningside area of Atlanta. The areaboasts several large and small parks, occasional wildlife sightings including deer,hawks, owls and raccoons, and also interesting and beautiful historic homes. The

Slemendas will help us create two routes toaccommodate people desiring a more casualwalking, sightseeing experience and thosemore serious about hills and longer distances.

Our plans are for late March or early April, so watch your QCC email blasts forspecifics. Whether you like strolling or you’remore into hiking, we’ll have a suitable chosen path and fun people for you to do itwith. And we’ll all end up at the same placefor refreshments together.

Questions or suggestions? Contact Bob Axt: robertaxt@earthlink.net.

Upcoming EventsWALK-OR-HIKE: DATE TBDProbably late March or April

Continued From Page 2

The following QCCers are new to our club and have joinedsince our September 2008 newsletter. Welcome! If you’dlike to contact them, look them up in our online directory.

Lou WilsonRod PattonSkip SparksTed Busch

Welcome To Our NEW Members! Wayne DuncanDorothy GuzmanPaul VotourManuel Jackson

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By Bart Bartholomew

A November 12, 2008 Associated Press articlethat was published in several newspapersnoted that IBM was among a list of companiesasking the Federal government to liberalizefunding requirements for pension plans put intoplace in the The Pension Protection Act of2006. That request was based on the currenteconomic state with which we are all veryfamiliar.

This article generated a number of questionsfrom members of the IBM Greater AtlantaQuarter Century Club (QCC) because

some of us received e-mails claiming that the legislation would allow companies toback away from pension obligations.

The QCC Board wrote to Ann Cramer, DirectorNorth America IBM Corporate Citizenship andCorporate Affairs. Although Ann herself is notdirectly involved in pension issues, shechecked with the IBMers who are, and theyprovided the following response below

Our special thanks to Ann for providing thisresponse and for alleviating QCC members’anxiety.

Your Pension In The News

• Once a pension benefit is earned, it cannot be reduced. And once retired, a retiree’spension remains fixed, according to what the retiree has earned and whatever payment option was chosen at the time of retirement.

• Regardless of investment performance, at the end of the day, the IBM Company isresponsible for ensuring that pension assets are sufficient to make future benefitpayments. As proof of this commitment, since 2002, IBM has contributed a total of$6.4 billion to the U.S. Pension Plan to improve the funded status of the plan, eventhough such additional support was not required under applicable funding laws.

• The proposed changes described in recent articles have to do with the timing ofcertain pension funding requirements. It has nothing to do with individual benefitamounts.

• IBM joined with other employers, including many of our clients and business partners, in signing a letter in support of what we believe is good public policy in a year when so many companies are facing cash flow issues. IBM is not active in this effort, nor are we seeking relief from our current funding requirements.

IBM’s Response To The AP News ArticleThe e-mail grossly distorts both the intention of the pro-

posed legislation and its implications. The facts are these:“

”

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Rebuild Atlanta. When these are announced inthe weekly e-mail blast, we very sincerely hopethat you will join with us in ‘giving back’ to ourglobal community. We also need more members to join the QCCBoard and hope that you will consider giving usthe 2 to 3 hours a month that this takes. We canalways use fresh, new ideas. We share laughsand feel a good sense of camaraderie.

We were over 400 members strong in 2008 andour desire is that even more IBMers and retiredIBMers with 25 years join us in 2009. If you knowanyone who qualifies but has not yet joined,please ask them to contact any Board memberfor details.

Best wishes for a successful, prosperous, andfun 2009.

Message CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Please submit your dues for 2009. The latestdirectory is on the web (www.atlqcc.org)and shows wether or not you have alreadypaid your dues. If there is a date to the rightof the “2009 dues paid?” text of your directory entry, then you have paid. If thereis no date, then you have not yet paid.

Please pay your dues by January 31 inorder to continue to receive our weekly e-mails and to remain in the directory.

Please send your check for $10 made out to“Atlanta Chapter IBM QCC”. In the memoarea, write “2009 Dues”. Send your check to:Atlanta Chapter IBM QCCP. O. Box 1193Woodstock, GA 30188

Also, please open the directory(http://www.atlqcc.org/Membership/member-ship_dir_secure/Directory.pdf) and verifyyour information, particularly your homeaddress, phone number and e-mail address,so that we in the club can stay in touch withyou. Use the new id and password that hasbeen e-mailed in the weekly blast. Please e-mail any changes to Bob Slaney. We willmail out a reminder with your current infor-mation in early January.

Have You PaidYour 2009 Dues?

In September 1956, IBMlaunched the 305 RAMAC,the first computer with ahard disk drive (HDD). TheHDD weighed over a tonand stored 5MB of data.Makes you appreciate your4 GB USB thumb drive,doesn’t it?

Do You Know What This Is?

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Following are the answers tothe five questions posed in theSeptember newsletter:

1. Thomas J.Watson Sr.led IBM for42 years.However, hedidn’t cometo the com-pany thatwouldbecome IBM(CTR) at anearly age.How old was

Watson Sr. when he cameaboard? He was 40

2. Although time cards and theclocks that "punched" themhave largely disappeared, theybecame a fixture in many businesses by the early 20thcentury. ITR (InternationalTime Recording and the R in CTR) introduced theMechanical Time Recorder in what year? 1889

3. Many early applications ofIBM equipment around theworld were for a country’s

national census. However,there were innovations involving the punch card too.Amsterdam became the firstcity to use IBM punch cardequipment to create their firstpublic ______. Hint: Think oftwo words involving the consumption of electricity.Utility bills

4. When it came on the scenein 1959, it contained 10,000transistors and a chain printerthat turned out 600 lines aminute. Which well-known IBMproduct does this refer to?1401

5. As we all know, the IBMSelectric was a new innovationin typing and words like pivoting, tilting and skimmingwere often used to describethe ???? ????. What are thesetwo words that many used todescribe the item that put inkto paper? Golf ball

Now, can you answer thesefive questions?

1. Once a teacher in a girlsschool in Nairobi, East Africa,

Anne Rawson MacFarlanebecame the first woman (twowords) in IBM in Reno,Nevada, in 1970. What positionwas Anne promoted to?

2. Also in 1970, Dick Watson(Watson Junior’s son) wasconfirmed as America’sAmbassador to what country?

3. In 1960, the Sperry andHutchinson Company installedan IBM 702 Data processingSystem to help control theissuance and redemption ofwhat item that has long sincegone away? (Two Words)

4. We all recognize the word“Think” as an IBM motto, butstrangely enough, it wasn’t created at IBM. By whom,where and in what year wasthis motto created?

5. The first IBM PC was introduced in 1981. In 1982,Time Magazine broke a longstanding tradition by doingwhat on the cover of one of theissues of the magazine?

?HISTORY& TRIVIABy Ron Floyd

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President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bart Bartholomew. . 770-428-2731 . . . . bartb30144@yahoo.comVice President . . . . . . . . . . . Mike McGuire . . . . . 770-394-5690. mikemcguire2@earthlink.comTreasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ron Floyd. . . . . . . . 770-591-3578 . . . . rfloyd1094@comcast.netCommunity Programs . . . . Dave Books . . . . . . 404-266-1935. . . . . . . . dwbooks@juno.comMembership . . . . . . . . . . . . . OPEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Special Events . . . . . . . . . . Tom Satterlee . . . . . 678-641-4309 . . . . . satterlee@bellsouth.netWeb Master &E-mail Blasts . . . . . . . . . . . . Bob Slaney . . . . . . 770-222-4853 . . . . . bob.slaney@atlqcc.orgBoard Member At Large . . Bob Axt. . . . . . . . . . 770-998-2365 . . . . . robertaxt@earthlink.net Board Member At Large . . Dave Zilles . . . . . . . 770-395-0290 . . . . . . . dzilles@earthlink.netBoard Member At Large . . Vic Mazza. . . . . . . . 770-396-7802 . . . . vicmazza@bellsouth.netNewsletter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amy Slaney . . . . . . 770-222-4853. . . . amyslaney@comcast.net

IBM Quarter Century Club Advisory Board 2009

Inspiration from IBM’s “THINK”

“ Some minds seem almost to createthemselves, springing up under every disadvantage and working their solitary butirresistible way through a thousand obstacles. -Washington Irving

By Ron FloydIBM’s long-running monthly THINK magazinepublishes a great many articles about the worldat large, not just news of the company. As we

enter another new year, I found the following,as published in THINK for December 1953. It isinspirational and reflects on the past, presentand future.

”

“ The divine nature is perfection, and tobe nearest to the divine nature is to be nearest to perfection. -Xenophon ”

“Let our object be our country, our wholecountry, and nothing but our country. And,by the blessing of God, may that countryitself become a vast and splendid monu-ment, not of oppression and terror, but ofwisdom, of peace and of liberty, upon whichthe world may gaze with admiration forever.-Daniel Webster ”

“ Education and study, and the favors ofthe muses, confer no greater benefit onthose who seek them than these humanizingand civilizing lessons, which teach our natural qualities to submit to the limitationsprescribed by reason, and to avoid the wildness of extremes. - Plutarch ”

“ Though reading and conversation mayfurnish us with many ideas of men andthings, yet it is our own meditation mustform our judgment. -Isaac Watts ”

QUARTERCENTURYCLUB

Greater Atlanta ChapterP.O. Box 1193Woodstock, GA30188

www.atlqcc.org