Off the Rails

2015 Election Results

First, I’d like to thank all the candidates who participated in this year’s election, we can’t have an election without members willing to take on more workload and donating their time.  I would like to announce the results for our 2015 – 2017 Directors; welcome to Stan Jennings (Northern Utah) and Jeff Cahill (Pike’s Peak) and congratulations to Duncan Harvey, for a second term.

Special Recognition

Congratulations to Jack Sousa on his “retirement” as the Rocky Mountain Region Company Store Clerk, faithfully serving from 2006 to 2015.  Jack has travelled all over the Region (and even beyond), peddling the wares of the Store and many fellow members, at train shows and Region conventions.  The Smoke & Steam Convention concludes Jack’s tenure with the store, after a long run, lots and lots of hard work, countless hours, and a well earned rest.  The Region would like to thank Jack for all the special years of service!  Thanks, Jack!

Also, thank you and kudos to Denny Krausman and the Smoke & Steam in 2015 Convention committee, for all the long, hard hours putting together a fun and entertaining convention for all of us this June.  It was a very busy and active convention, for several days, with a great tour up through Greeley, operating sessions, layout tours, clinics, banquet, breakfast, model contest and train show.  Thanks and well done!

Rocky Mountain Region Gold Award Referendum

I have submitted the Referendum to the Presidents of all the other Regions, which is the next step in the NMRA Referendum Initiative process.  Each Region President is to distribute the petition to each of their Divisions.  For the petition to continue, we must receive 25 signatures from at least one half of the Regions.  So far, I have heard very positive support from across the “pond” from our friends in the British Region, of all places.  I am still waiting to hear back from the Regions in the homeland.  Assuming we get sufficient support, the RAC (Region Presidents) vote to add the petition to the Election.

In case you are unawares or forgot, the Gold Award Petition is to change the rule where the Gold Award Recipient’s model  (Best of Show at the National Model Contest) is removed from its category and 2nd-4th place are elevated to 1st – 3rd Place, and change to the Gold Award Recipient’s model - it remains in its category and retains 1st Place in its category.

Open Chair Positions

Company Store Clerk - With Jack stepping down as Company Store Clerk, we now have an opening available.  This position has been demanding, requires significant time, and Jack had been looking for someone else to take on this job for awhile.  The Region acquired a trailer for the store, which is now available also.  With the amount of travel and costs involved attending shows around the Region, I would not be adverse to someone running the Company Store through the Region website, if interested.  It is really up to the Store Clerk, how he would like to manage the store, and we do have several assets.  The trailer does require immediate storage in the meantime, so we are looking for a volunteer who can store the trailer.  Please contact me if you can help with the trailer or if you would like to consider becoming the Company Store Clerk.

Promotions Chair – I have opened a new position to divide Promotions into Promotions and Recruiting.  I envision Promotions to be an advertising coordinator/advisor for Region and Division activities. Recruiting Chair would be coordinator/advisor/activist to recruit members at Train Shows and NMRA events.  If interested, please let me know.

Youth Chair – I have a couple volunteers, Kristen Phillips and Robert Allen from Pike’s Peak, who have agreed to try out this position “unofficially” and take on this position part-time.  For now, I am grateful to both Kristen and Robert for stepping up and testing the waters.  This is an important area requiring attention and National has been inquiring into this recently, as well.

Region Website - http://www.rmr-nmra.org/