|
The St. Louis Convention: there's something for everyone!
Gateway 2020 wants to invite every NMRA member to come and experience a wonderful and educational convention where you can learn from fellow modelers and see your friends. Come to St. Louis for Gateway 2020, where you'll be our guest.
Gateway 2020 will be in downtown St. Louis from July 12-18, 2020. The host hotel is the Hilton at the Ballpark, a very inviting and grand hotel just two blocks west of the Gateway Arch and catty-corner to the Old Courthouse, both of which are historic attractions.
The convention will have everything you've come to expect, with a St. Louis flavor. Expect informative clinics and hands-on learning opportunities such as Modeling with the Masters®.
We'll have famous clinicians that you read about in Model Railroader and Railroad Model Craftsman, presenting topics in which they're well-informed.
Of course, we'll have layout tours and you'll be able to see famous layouts such as the Utah Belt by Eric Brooman, the Norfolk & Western by Gary Hoover, the St. Louis Junction by John Schindler, and Ken Patterson's layout, just to drop a few names.
St. Louis offers the opportunity to tour numerous prototype locations. We'll tour Amsted Rail, which is both a steel plant and producer of heavy railroad steel parts such as trucks. We're working on getting tours to Granite City Steel and the old Missouri Pacific DeSoto Car Shops (now operated by Union Pacific).
No trip would be complete without a trip to the Museum of Transportation with its great collection of railroad engines, cars, and other railroad equipment.
We'll offer tours of St. Louis' best attractions, such as the zoo, art museum, history museum, and Grant's Farm and Presidential National Park.
We're working to make this a great convention. Go to gateway2020.org to register now!
|
|
New companies added to our growing list of Partners!
These companies are giving NMRA members discounts for buying their products when using a special discount code. You can find their websites and discount codes on our Partnership Page at
https://www.nmra.org/partnerships
. Remember you need to be logged into our site as a member to see the codes!
(See the pink box below.)
New partners since the last NMRA eBulletin issue are in red.
Bear Creek Model Railroad LLC
-- Products sold worldwide include O, HO, and N scale maintenance cradles, carrying/storage cases, track cleaners and templates, and HO workstations.
CatzPaw Innovations
Clever Models LLC
CMR Products
Deluxe Materials
East Coast Circuits
Gatorfoam
Great Decals
Green Frog Productions
Hot Wire Foam Factory
Jason's Brass Poles
K.I.S.S. Method
LARC Products
Logic Rail Technologies
Micro-Mark
MinuteMan Scale Models
Model Railroad Benchwork
Model Train Catalogue
Modelers Decals and Paint
Motrak Models
MRC (Model Rectifier Corporation)
OK Engines/Streamliners
The Old Depot Gallery
Old West Scenery
Ram-Track
RR-CirKits
Rusty Stumps
Scale Model Plans
Scalecoat Paint
Scenery Solutions/Fusion Fiber
Showcase Miniatures
Stepcraft, Inc.
Team Track Models
The N-Scale Architect
The Train Show, Inc.
Train Installations, LLC
Trainmasters TV/Model RR Hobbyist
UGears
Unreal Details (Magic Water)
USA Airbrush Supply/Badger Airbrush
WiFi Model Railroad, LLC
If you're a manufacturer or know of one who'd like to join our Partnership Program, please contact Jim Gore, At-Large North American Director, at
alnadir@nmra.org.
|
Important NMRA eBulletin news you may have missed
Thanks to volunteer Tom Bensberg, all
NMRA eBulletin issues are archived on the NMRA website and these links will send you directly to them and show what edition of the
NMRA eBulletin they appeared in.
|
Remember: your email address has to be registered
on the website (not just with Headquarters) to get to the Members Only section of our website!
|
The NMRA eBulletin is an official bi-monthly production of the National Model Railroad Association, Inc. Publishing Department (Don Phillips, Manager). Its purpose is to keep every NMRA member informed about organization news and events. If you know of an NMRA member who is not receiving this mailing, please direct them to here to update their email address. If you no longer wish to receive these mailings, please don't mark them as SPAM. Instead, click the Safe Unsubscribe link at the bottom of this page. ©2019 National Model Railroad Association, Inc., P.O. Box 1328, Soddy Daisy TN 37384.
|
|
ERRORS IN THE LATEST eBULLETIN
Unfortunately, several errors crept into the September/October NMRA eBulletin, which was just mailed out on September 1. The corrections are below in red. Please disregard the NMRA eBulletin sent out on September 1.
Sorry about any inconvenience, and thanks to those who caught the errors.
-Gerry Leone, MMR
NMRA Vice President / Special Projects
Editor, NMRA eBulletin
|
A few words from the president
Growing Pains
Growing Pains. Yep, we have them, as a brief glimpse into my in-box for the last several months will indicate. Lots of notifications of major medical issues hitting the NMRA, what with ankle surgery (mine), new hips (several), new knees (several) new shoulders (several), cardiovascular issues ranging from relatively benign to pretty serious (several) and so on. The list is getting longer, and it's not pretty. But it is a reality, and sooner or later, we're all going to have to deal with it. We're aging. And growing pains, one after another.
I am now a week into the recovery period for ankle fusion surgery, which went well, and I'm a relatively happy camper. My little knee scooter, which is getting me around in the house with relative ease, is named "Austin Kneely," although some of my so-called friends have suggested "Kneesy Rider" or "Ankles Aweigh." And although things work really well, I have growing pains. I need to learn about crutches again, as it's been over half a century since I last used them. And I have been reminded of an unpleasant truth: I'm not nineteen any more. This takes work!
And speaking of "work," those of you downsizing, or thinking about it might want to consider the down-the-road parts that include wheeled devices such as Austin, or walkers, or wheel chairs... none of these devices are warm and fuzzy with carpets. The wood floors are great, but even the low-rise bank carpet I have in my office here dislikes the scooter. And the feeling appears to be mutual. So plan ahead!
Back to the growing pains issue: we're really pretty good at recruiting members, but we don't do so well at keeping them. I had a phone call today that is of the kind I do not ever want again. A member joined, attended a Division event or two, was completely ignored by the Division people he saw at the gathering, and is ready to quit. This is someone just getting started in model railroading, someone who thinks the NMRA might have answers to his questions and might be able to teach him about model railroading. But he was completely ignored, and is now unhappy and ready to pack it in. This is not acceptable. We had a long chat, and I hope I satisfied his concerns, but frankly, I'll repeat. This is not acceptable.
NMRA Magazine Editor Cinthia Priest wrote an editorial commentary in the September 2019 issue entitled "People Skills." She described things eloquently, and I think the piece should be read, thought about, digested, discussed and thought about again by every one of us. We are the issue, all of us. And we can fix things easily. People skills count! The beauty of this is that it is not at all difficult, either.
I hear a lot about how we need to grow the hobby and what is "National" doing to grow the membership and so on. The simple, short answer, which I've stated more than once before, is that National cannot do this alone. It is up to the Divisions to do this, as that is where the major interactions between the individual and the NMRA take place. The Divisions need help from the Regions, and the Regions can get help from the National organization. But it's the Divisions that need to do the heavy lifting on this one.
The process is fairly simple, and at some time, someone used it on you. All this needs to work is for you -- yes you -- to use your eyes to smile and make contact, your ears to listen, your mouth to smile and welcome the new person aboard, your hand to shake the new person's hand, and your attitude to make this all work for everyone. You can do this, someone has done it for you, and it's now your turn to be the mentor. Make it so!
High Green!
|
|
|
Highlights of the Board of Directors meeting in Salt Lake City
The NMRA Board of Directors meeting was held on Saturday, July 6 at the Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City. These are some highlights of the meeting.
Please note that this is an
unofficial summary of what took place at the meeting. The official minutes, authored by NMRA Secretary Rick Coble, are posted on the NMRA website,
www.nmra.org.
- The NMRA Board of Directors approved a dues increase for USA members, beginning January 1, 2020. Dues without a subscription to NMRA Magazine, will be increased from $47/year to $50/year. The subscription price for NMRA magazine will not be affected. The dues increase is based on the current consumer index. Dues have not been raised since 2017.
- Marketing consultant Christina Zambri announced that she is nearing completion of a "Retention and Recruitment" guidebook/toolkit for Regions and Divisions.
- Former NMRA president Charlie Getz gave a detailed update on "The Magic of Scale Model Railroading" exhibit that is currently being built and is scheduled to open this year at the California State Railroad Museum. He again emphasized that the exhibit is aimed at educating non-model railroaders about the hobby, and that no NMRA dues money is being used to fund the exhibit. The grand opening of the exhibit will be announced shortly.
- The Board approved a 3-year extension of Marketing Consultant Christina Zambri's contract.
- Atlantic Director Mike Arnold has completed an initial draft of a guidebook for Region and Division officials. At-Large Worldwide Director Jack Hamilton will be writing job descriptions for Region Presidents and Division Superintendents to accompany the guidebook.
- The Board approved Dallas/Ft. Worth Texas as the site of the 2023 National Convention, providing that appropriate contracts can be negotiated and finalized.
|
|
Thinking about running for an NMRA office?
Serving on the NMRA Board of Directors (BOD) as an elected Director or Officer is a big commitment. Board service requires some special knowledge and a fair amount of time and energy. This material is intended to assist you in making the decision to put your abilities to work to serve our Association and the people it serves.
How do I qualify to run for an NMRA National BOD position?
In 2004, the Board enlarged the pool of potential candidates for Board service by instituting term limits for Board members. While this has been successful in bringing in members with new ideas and viewpoints, it has resulted in at least one unintended consequence: many newly elected Board members have taken office and begun serving their first term without being familiar with the nature of and legal requirements for non-profit Board service.
At the National level, the NMRA is not just a big hobby club. It is a not-for-profit corporation, chartered by the State of Ohio and subject to Ohio's laws and the laws of the United States, while doing business in many nations around the world. At the same time that we are encouraging interested and committed people to run for office, we need to make sure that the National leadership has members who are seasoned and understand that the NMRA is a corporation rather than a local model railroad club.
To qualify for elected service as NMRA National President, Vice President, or member of the Board of Directors, a candidate should have at least a passing familiarity with the workings of the NMRA at all its levels, and with the basics of non-profit law. We're looking for persons who have:
- at least one year in an office (President, VP, Secretary, or Treasurer) at the National level, and/or
- at least one year as a Region President and another year as a voting member of a Region Board, and/or
- at least three years as a voting member of a Region Board.
Please note that the Nominating Committee may consider an applicant's equivalent responsibilities or experience on similar non-profit or for-profit corporate boards, as well as similar or equivalent business experience. But some kind of corporate experience is crucial to anyone who hopes to make a contribution to the workings of the NMRA Board of Directors.
Who would I be working for?
The first thing to know is that members of the NMRA BOD have only one constituent: the NMRA corporation itself. Some Directors have been elected from a district, some Directors and Officers have been elected by the entire membership, but no matter how you get there, your sole duty is to promote and protect the interests of the NMRA as a corporation. Sometimes you have to make decisions that may be unpopular with individual members, even with people who voted for you, but are necessary to protect the corporation as a whole.
Who wouldn't I be working for?
Now that you know that you're working for the entire NMRA, let's look at what the NMRA isn't. Legally, as we mentioned earlier, in the eyes of the U.S. Federal Government and the State of Ohio, the NMRA isn't a hobby club. It's a not-for-profit corporation chartered in the State of Ohio, a business handling millions of dollars per year, subject to the oversight of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, with members, responsibilities, and commitments all over the world. As a Director or Officer, you will have very specific legal responsibilities to Regions, Divisions, members, donors, consumers, paid staff, and many other stakeholders, but your primary responsibility is to the NMRA as a corporation. You have a legal and ethical responsibility to conduct the affairs of the corporation according to the law.
As a volunteer, no one expects you to be an expert in all aspects of non-profit operation, but some experience in operating non-profits is necessary. All that you are asked to do is to apply your skills and your informed judgment for the betterment of our Association. It can get complicated, which is why our Legal Counsel attends every one of our meetings!
Who would I be working with?
All of the Directors and Officers are trying to achieve the same objective: the best possible service to our members. Each of your fellow Directors and Officers brings skills and talents. You will learn from all of them, simultaneously sharing your skills and expertise with them. Participation (questioning, gathering information, suggesting alternatives, considering options) by every Director and Officer is essential in moving our Association forward. Take a "Things do not just happen; someone has to make them happen" approach. To assist an incoming Director in the early days of your Board membership, a longer-serving Board member will work with you as a mentor.
As a member of the NMRA BOD, you are responsible for setting the policies that enable our Association to execute its mission and deliver programs and services, and for overseeing and approving the allocation of the money the Association handles. For most people this is a new way to look at NMRA service, so be prepared to meet new challenges.
If you can meet the qualifications and are interested in one of the most interesting and challenging volunteer positions you'll ever seek, we look forward to hearing from you!
|
|
Region and National Conventions
(Only those Regional conventions occurring in the next three months are listed)
|
|
Newest Master Model Railroader® recipients
|
|
644: Joe Walters (MER)
"Master Model Railroader" and "MMR" are registered trademarks of the NMRA
|
|
|
In an upcoming issue of NMRA Magazine
|
|
- Boy Scout NTrak Modules
- Love Those Loads
- Track with John Bussard
- Stone Mileposts
|
|
|
| |
|
