Off the Rails - May 2013

In this issue of the Callboard, the Board of Directors has made a few changes to the RMR Constitution.  Please read the changes and let us know if you agree or disagree.  Unfortunately, we have come up short in our list of candidates for office once again, with only enough candidates for open positions.  It is disappointing to me that we could not offer more choices, but we did get very well qualified candidates.  Please submit your ballot for us to process at the next Board of Directors meeting, in Albuquerque following the convention.  Anyone interested in attending is welcome to sit in and see your representatives in action.  An area of immediate need is your help at the Division level, where many have served for many terms, and new blood is needed.  Hopefully an influx of new membership can help offset our need, and there will be a trickle effect to Region positions where there is also great need.

So far, I have received little response to my list of questions I posed in the Winter 2013 Callboard, either there is a severe lack of interest in responding or few of you even read my column!  I am still interested in what you really like about the NMRA, what you don’t like and what needs to change.  I will be at the convention in Albuquerque so please feel free to share your ideas with me in person, if you care not to write (e-mail: garymyers06@comcast.net).

Speaking of the convention, I hope to see many of you there.  It’s a great way to recharge your batteries, get new ideas, talk about model railroading, and have fun for a few days.  Our Region consists of about 900+ members, approximately a third of which participate in Division meetings, and about 150 – 200 attend the conventions.  It would be nice to get more of you to participate, to me, you are missing out on the main purpose for which the Divisions serve: to provide a social network of model railroaders to share ideas, fun and joy.  I am sure a major reason people joined the NMRA is to support the hobby in a national way, as true today as it was in 1939, for example, standards for new products are continuously in development.  Although I joined for very similar reasons, I have found and met many new friends in the hobby, and been able to expand my hobby horizons from my club and basement.  If you haven’t been to a convention, please think about attending one or visiting your local Division meeting.  Otherwise, you may be missing the best part of the NMRA, it’s about model railroading, fer Gawd sake!