Club Description: The club is an organization with a goal; it is to help members get better usage out of their personal computers. The club is free and primarily for Microsoft Windows PC users because we meet in the UWF computer room that only has PCs. Our once-a-month informal meetings (on the 2nd Thursday) provide a relaxed environment in which to share computer stories, learn new skills, and solve tech problems. Our problem-solving approach depends heavily on various free Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools.

What to Expect...

• Help with Modern Tech: Any one of the latest AI tools that we use, like ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft CoPilot, and Google Gemini, can be particularly useful for tackling computer problems. Probably everyone with AI experience has concluded that any AI-based approach is definitely superior to the old-style reliance on an application’s built-in help files.
• Interactive Meetings: Each session provides an opportunity for all attendees to hear a presentation and then discuss their own computer problems or successes. Sharing such information is beneficial to all and is strongly encouraged!
• Meeting Details: As of April 10, 2025, the club meets monthly throughout the year. The date is the 2nd Thursday of the month at 10:30 a.m. in Room 357 on the UWF Campus.

Moderator Bio(s): Hal Pruett has relevant PC expertise that dates all the way back to the original IBM personal computer in the 1980s. Previously, near the end of the Korean war he was a Navy fighter pilot. Subsequently, he earned a PhD in Physics at UC Santa Barbara. Since 1994 he has instructed numerous CLL computer classes, written software to facilitate various CLL operations, maintained the CLL website, and served on the Board of Directors.

Course Description: Have you ever wondered what that ‘star’ is in the evening sky? Join a NASA Solar System Ambassador in exploring the solar system and beyond. Learn how to use a small telescope, how to navigate the night sky and identify the objects that you see. Discussions will cover the solar system as well as celestial objects such as constellations, nebulae, star clusters and galaxies. We will also cover the language of Astronomy from appulse to syzygy to zenith. This is a 7-week class.

Class Leader Bio(s): Tom Haugh is a long-time amateur astronomer. He is a NASA Solar System Ambassador and the outreach coordinator for the NorthWest Florida Astronomy Association. His personal observatory is recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). His observations concentrate on asteroid and comet orbit verification and he has submitted more than 12,000 astrometric observations to the IAU’s Minor Planet Center.

Notes: This is a 7-session IN PERSON class, meeting Mondays on January 12, 26, February 2, 9, 16, 23, and March 2. (No classes at UWF on Monday, 19 January, Martin Luther King Holiday).

Course Description: This class will look at our relationship with machines, and some disastrous accidents, and incidents, that have happened over the years in the aviation, maritime fields, and some even some unusual criminal activities. We will look at what went wrong and what was done to fix the problems. Accidents are normally a series of small incidents that end up causing something to fail. I will provide visual aids and summaries for each class.

Class Leader Bio(s): Robert Huffman retired as an Air Force NCO after 27 years of service. He was a C-130 Crew Chief and Air Force Instructor. He also worked for Boeing. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science.

Course Description: Birds, sensitive to changes in their environment, are literally canaries in the coal mine when it comes to global environmental issues. This 8-week course will cover the biology, ecology, and ethology of the more than 11,000 species of birds that populate our planet as well as global topics of climate, biodiversity, conservation, biomes, and terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecosystems. This is a university level study. If you are a serious birder, an environmentalist, or just enjoy watching birds in your yard, this course has something for you.

Class Leader Bio(s): The instructor, Dr. Ron Weiss, earned a doctorate degree in Avian Population studies, Directed the Bird Observatory in Central Indiana, held a Master Bird Banding license, and taught Ornithology and field methods at the university level. He conducted avian population research for the US Army at their Newport Indiana Chemical Depot, for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, and directed a tropical bird research effort in Central America. His research and general interest publications appear in Scientific Journals and popular magazines both here and abroad.

Course Description: Are you ready to learn how to use your iPad effectively? This course will take you from the very basics to making your iPad your own. Individual needs will be addressed to make sure everyone has an opportunity to learn. We will explore the most popular iPad tricks and topics, including how to get the most out of your iPad experience. Students must bring their own iPads to class. This is a six-week course.

Class Leader Bio(s): Dolores Noechel is a former Ruckel math teacher, OCSD Instructional Technology and Media Services Specialist, and Assistant Principal at Fort Walton Beach High School.

Notes: This is a six-week course meeting on January 15, 22, 29, and February 5, 12, and 19. Prefer room 836

Course Description: In today’s world, your phone can be your best travel companion. What do you do when you arrive in a foreign port? How do you find internet access, restrooms, restaurants, or stay in touch with your family? This class will help you travel with confidence by exploring the best apps for communication, navigation, photography, and security. Learn how to take, edit and organize photos, protect your information, use AI for travel, and discover which apps can simply make your journey more fun. This will be a hands-on working class, so be sure to bring your iPhone or android.

Class Leader Bio(s): Dee La Garde has a MBA from the University of Kansas. She has over 700 days cruising and has circled the World 4 times touring all 7 continents. On the Cruise Ship one of the featured classes was “Tech for Travel.” Sean La garde has an engineering degree from Widener University in Philadelphia, PA. He is currently working as a system engineer.

Notes: Bring your phone (iPhone or android) to every class, it will be a key tool throughout each session.