ACUTA members move to take back their organization.

Members of the Assocation of College and University Telecommunications Administrators (ACUTA) will vote on numerous bylaws changes at their annual meeting July 31-Aug. 4 in Anaheim.

The changes follow the removal last year of their long-time administrator and a year-long search for a replacement. It was thought a replacement had been found earlier this year--an individual from Washington, D.C., with good association experience--but he was forced to decline due to his wife's poor health.

Deeper than that were user problems and vendor problems, the latter being more important to the group's annual exhibit and trade show. As it was, with the appointments ACUTA's president could make for committee slots, a president's "kitchen cabinet" could outvote all of the board members elected by the full membership. As one long-time observer noted, "It all just got out of hand."

Prophet sees change

W.R. "Bill" Gary has been in our industry long enough to command our respect and as far as I'm concerned, has earned the title of "Prophet."

Like the prophet of old, he spent time wandering around in the desert with the Arabian American Oil Company as their telecomm manager. Such a job requred Bill to build and operate a telephone company out in the "boonies." Bill used every weapon available in his telephone arsenal, including microwave.

He now predicts that large users of private microwave will eventually opt out of microwave and move toward using common-carrier services.

Bill "retired" in 1986. He is still actively involved in the industry, especially in Entelec, which has been part and parcel of Bill's career. He is Executive Editor of Entelec News, the Assocation's quarterly publication.

Bill continues to speak out as a true prophet should. He notes increasing outsourcing of non-core business expenditures like telecommunications services. He cites Chevron as essentially handing over their entire network to AT&T and Tariff 12.

The name of the game, according to Bill Gary, is to take advantage of any technology which requires the use of fewer personnel to operate it. He cites spread spectrum, which had enjoyed moderate success in the military, minicomputers and PC-LAN networks to replace mainframes.

By the way, the Entelec News is available to non-members on a subscription basis for $25 a year. For information, contact Entelec, P.O. Box 795036, Dallas, TX 75379.

At their 1993 Fall Seminar, Entelec offered free enrollment and dues paid for one year if you joined. This was done to attract new members.

Entelec, like some associations, contracts out the association office function. This works out well for them. Martha Fike is Entelec's executive manager. Martha is responsive to questions about successfully running an office's operations. Martha is also Entelec's TAC (Tele-communications Associations Council) representative and has made presentations at the annual TAC meeting. For details, phone Entelec at 214-235-0655, fax [phone].

TCA regional

The Tele-Communications Association's 11 presidents for 1994 are:

* Arizona David Wiley

* California Los Angeles: Joel Campbell Orange County: Mary E. Clark Sacramento: Susan Nicely Greater San Diego: Naomi Ritz San Francisco Bay Area: Oscar Lafortaine Valley: Raymond Ford

* Colorado Marty Cahill

* Oregon Bob Trasher

* Puget Sound, Wash. Margaret Coppock

* Utah Geoffrey Williams

TCA's 1994 Corporate Chairman of the Board Dugal Easton follows in the footsteps of TCA's recent board chairmen by re-emphasizing TCA's policy of expansion--Manifest Destiny East, as I call it.

Dugal is quoted in TCA's New Connections, "To all of the 1994 offices, the challenge is at hand! TCA needs to expand geographically, to increase our membership and to provide those services we do best to our members and those currently unaware of us...."

Around the circuit

The 46th annual Utilities Communications Council Conference will be held at the Sheraton Washington, D.C., hotel June 19-23. Look for a special presentation by the FCC's Private Radio Bureau and a post-conference session on the 2 GHz transition. For information, call 202-872-0300.

The Association of Banyan Users International is looking for abstracts for presentations, workshops or training sessions for its Fall '94 Conference. It will be held Sept. 25-30 in the new Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence. Contact ABUI by voice at 508-779-2724, CompuServe 79744, 1333, or MCIMail at 517-0238. If you're still on snail mail, write P.O. Box 160, Bolton, MA 01740.