January 19, 2008 - Meeting Summary

Seven San Diego area S gaugers met at the home of Peter Gagnon in the city of San Diego to explore formation of an ongoing club or association of S gaugers in the area. They discussed a number of issues of common interest, developed a top level list of potential goal and objectives for the group, kicked around some ideas for a group name, and reached consensus on holding additional meetings. An additional three persons indicated strong interest in a San Diego S group but were unable to attend Saturday's kickoff meeting. Attendees agreed to contact other S gaugers in the area who may be interested in joining the group.

Goals and Objectives.

1. Club would seek to promote S gauge model railroading to the general public with a strong emphasis placed on making promotions "kid friendly:"

a. Module bench heights low enough for kids to see the action.

b. Provision for kids to actually run some trains.

c. Make manufacturer's brochures and literature available to interested visitor.

d. Develop and make available to interested visitors club brocures and literature on S Gauge model railroading in the San Diego area.

2. Promote and support S gauge model railroading in San Diego area and within the larger S gauge community:

a. Conduct regular meetings

b. Keep organizational structure simple and informal.

c. Publicize formation of the San Diego area S group.

d. Compile and distribute within the group a membership list with individual biographical and interest information.

e. Compile and distribute a group resource directory identifying local sources of expertise or materials that support S gauge model railroading.

f. Expand our list of potential S Gauge group members. The setup and conduct of the kickoff meeting increased that list from 15 persons to 22.

g. Establish collaborative relationships with other area model railroad associations and clubs, such as the San Diego Model Railroad Museum, and the All Gauge Toy Train Association.

3. Develop a portable layout to showcase S gauge at shows and public events in our region.

a. Develop an inclusive module specification that includes Flyer/High Rail, S-Scale, and Sn3.

b. Research existing modular specifications and use this information to guide San Diego groups efforts in order to promote interoperability among S club and association members.