TUG news and 2003 renewal

[Mimi Jett, TUG President]

December 13, 2002

Dear TUG Member,

Happy Holidays!  Thank you for your support in 2002 and over the years.
Once again, it is time to renew your membership with the TeX Users Group.
As you know, your membership dues help support worldwide projects like
TeX Live, LaTeX3, the CTAN archives and TUGboat production.

Starting in 2003, dues will also support the TeX Development Fund.  The
development fund was created to aid the growth of TeX-related technical
projects.  TUG has budgeted $5000 USD for the first year of the fund and
hopes that other groups and individuals will contribute to the fund as
well.  Deadline for applications is February 1, 2003. If you have an
idea or project that would be eligible for inclusion on CTAN or TeX
Live, please consider applying for a grant. TUG wants to help!  For more
information about the development fund: http://tug.org/tc/devfund/

- TUG Contributions:
Perhaps you also know that for many years TUG has contributed $2000 per
year to the bursary fund, which provides financial assistance for
attending the TUG Annual Meeting to those in need.  We are very pleased
to inform you that individual TUG members additionally contributed $850,
and GUTenberg (www.gutenberg.eu.org/) contributed $1000, to the bursary
this year.  Thank-you very much!  The bursary funds were allocated to
five recipients who attended TUG2002 in Trivandrum, India, in September.
The TUG board of directors also approved an additional request for
support for conference speakers.

TUG also donated $2000 to GUST (the Polish TeX Users Group,
www.gust.org.pl/) in 2002.  Looking ahead, the TUG BOD recently voted to
contribute $2100 for a workshop to be held in Pune, India in June, 2003.
If you would like to contribute to the bursary, the development fund
and/or make a general contribution to TUG, you can do so via the renewal
forms linked below.  Thank-you!

- TUG2003 Conference: The Silver Anniversary -- 25 years!-- of TeX
The TeX Users Group 24th Annual Meeting and Conference is scheduled for
July 20-24, 2003 at the Outrigger Waikoloa Beach Resort, Big Island,
Hawaii.  Abstracts for talks and workshops (deadline 30-Nov-2002); Final
Paper or Posters (deadline 9-Jun-2003). See
http://www.tug.org/tug2003/callfor.html.

Please help to publicize TUG2003 by posting copies of the following
flyer (PDF) at your office and around your institution:
http://www.tug.org/tug2003/flyer/.  Contributions are welcome! To find
out how you can help: http://www.tug.org/tug2003/help.html.

As in previous years, a bursary scheme will operate for the TUG 2003
conference, which will endeavour to offer financial support to potential
delegates who would, without such support, be unable to
attend. Information on the bursary scheme, and deadlines for TUG 2003
bursaries, will be made available on the web, at
http://www.tug.org/tug2003/bursary/ (email bursary at tug.org).

- TUG Election:
The terms of the TUG President and of 11 members of the Board of
Directors will end as of the 2003 meeting of the TUG Board of Directors,
which will take place in conjunction with TUG 2003 in Hawaii.  After
serving as president for three terms I have decided not to run for
re-election this year. Please consider getting involved with TUG by
running for the board or for president! Nomination forms are due by
February 1, see http://tug.org/election/ for more information.

- How to Renew:
The TUG web site contains several methods to renew your membership --
online using our secure server: http://www.tug.org/join.html
printable renewal form: http://www.tug.org/forms/2003/memberapp.pdf
Also, in about a week, the TUG office will mail "pre-printed" renewal
forms to those who have not renewed electronically, along with a
conference flyer and election form.

Again, thank you for your support.
I sincerely hope you will join us again in 2003!

All the best,

Mimi Jett
President
TeX Users Group

Note, especially for TUG members who joined towards the end of 2002:
this renewal notice is sent to all 2002 members to let you know that the
2003 membership forms are posted on the TUG web site. Everyone who was
a member in 2002 will receive all TUGboat issues for 2002, as they
become available. (You should have already received the CD's for 2002;
if not, contact office at tug.org.) Thank-you!