The AP Chair

Golden Spike Awards

Heavens to Purgatroire!  No Golden Spikes since the last Callboard. Division AP and Program Chairs, as you line up layout tours this next quarter, check to see if layouts on those tours will qualify for a Golden Spike!  It could be a nice reward for all the work of opening up a layout for a tour!

Achievement Program Certificates

Well, I found out the delay in the last batch of issued AP Certificates.  We can all blame Jim Wanlass.  It seems to manufacture the fancy MMR plaque, it takes some extra time.  And the NMRA being as frugal as it is, mailed all the previous submitted AP Certificates with Jim’s plaque, delaying the delivery by the extra manufacturing time.  Oh well, congratulations to everyone for all the great work and I am just glad I didn’t lose ‘em in the mail!  Let’s hope we can continue the slow mailings with more MMR submittals! ☺

This has been a very slow quarter, apparently everyone is not working in the basement and having fun on vacation this summer.  Only one Certificate submitted, and that was because I submitted it late!

Merit Awards

We had fewer entries achieve Merit Awards at the Region Model Contest this year.  Some models could have scored higher with some additional work and cleaning up some details.  Even if you are not entering a model for the contest, just read and understand the model contest judging guidelines: https://www.nmra.org/sites/default/files/2006-judging-guide-lines_0.pdf

The guidelines should help you improve your modeling just by looking at exactly what the judges are looking at.  I am working on a clinic to help you achieve higher scores for contest modeling, which I hope to circulate around the Divisions before next year’s contest.  The modeling however, still depends upon you!

Recent RMR Achievement Program Awardees

Awarded  Category                         Member        Division

01-July-17 Association Official                         Charalee Topinka   Pike’s Peak

10-Jun-17 Merit Award – Non-Revenue         Don Bailey       Pike’s Peak

10-Jun-17 Merit Award – On-Line Structures Stewart Jones       Sunrise

10-Jun-17 Merit Award – On-Line Structures Martin Pirnat       Silver San Juan

10-Jun-17 Merit Award – Off-Line Structures Martin Pirnat       Silver San Juan

Congratulations to the Award winners for their great accomplishments. It is a privilege to recognize members’ modeling skills and accomplishments as a significant contribution to what our organization is about.

- Gary