I’m thinking about starting a model railroad club. Does anybody know how I may get some info on starting one?
The first thing is to find out if there is any clubs in your area already established. Join one to find out what it is like to interact with others in the hobby. Then if you still want to start your own club you will have some ideas, experience, and others in your area you can recruit. Sometimes there is a lot more than gathering a bunch of people to run trains. Around here the state department of revenue is going after a bunch of clubs for non payment of taxes. A representative of DOR has been coming to train shows making sure vendors are complying with tax laws. A local woman’s group was indicted on tax evasion for non declaration of income from donations. These are the ladies that planted flowers in the traffic islands around the area. I don’t want to scare you away from starting a club. If you declare you club non profit and collect dues or have some sort of treasury then you better have the proper documentation.
Pete
A Club takes People, Purpose and Place. It also take a strong, quiet leader. If you have those things you can get through the legal stuff, but as the other poster says, there is a lot of legal stuff. You can’t even rent a movie to show at a meeting and be legal.
You also need some way to make sure the people all have the same purpose. Joining a club is easier that starting one and starting one is easier than running one. It can be done, but the person who starts it and runs it needs to like running a club more than the modeling.
Good luck. I admit that once was enough for me.
Aside from all of the legal and tax implications and the management skills to run a club, what do you plan to do with the club if you start one from an operational standpoint?
Would you build a club layout? Do you have a dedicated building or space to set up a layout? Would you follow a prototype or go freelance? What skill sets would you need in the way of carpentry, electronics, landscaping, etc.? DC or DCC?
Those are just a few of the thoughts that come to mind.
Lots of issues and logistical concerns.
A successful club needs three things:
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Members. If you have any hobby shops in your area, ask if they will allow you to post a notice on their counter expressing your interest in forming a club and seeking members. Don’t forget to tell potential members what scale the club will focus on, what the membership dues will be, and your contact information.
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A location. Do you have a layout? Do you know of a building in which a club can build a layout? Will the club be a “round robin” type where members visit each other weekly/monthly, or will the club have a dedicated building into which a layout can be constructed.
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A Constitution and By-Laws. Once you manage to recruit a few members, the club needs to be formed into a legal non-profit entity to avoid troubles with the local tax authorities if you want to conduct any type of fundraising activities. If you do find a clubhouse, it is highly advisable to have liability insurance to protect individual members from lawsuits if someone is injured on the premises
Dedication,dedication and more dedication.
That’s what it takes to form a club from the ground up…
The early meetings will be the forming discussions and will tell if a club will fail or stand.
All of the rest will fall into place as the club gains members.
I been there and done that.
Good luck!
There are lots of considerations when you are starting a model railroad club. Like a chain, your group will only be as strong as the weakest link (member). Participation is the key to success or failure. A club needs to have written bylaws that will be the rules of the road everyone will live by. The bylaws should address several aspects including but not limited to: objectives and purpose, membership, dues, assessments, who owns what, approval process for equipment and materials purchases and how these things are paid for, duties, code of conduct, and election of officers. You need to have a strong leadership core that are on the same page as far as vision and enforcement of rules that the club puts in place.
Once your layout is completed, you should also have a set of operating rules that include but not be limited to: equipment specifications (ie: car weight, couplers, types of wheels) and operating rules. Any organization is going to have disagreements over large and small issues from time to time and having rules in place will help you navigate through them.
I suggest you visit and talk to members of other clubs in your area about how their club works or doesn’t work for them. I also suggest you go to the NMRA’s list of clubs and check out the clubs listed there. Several have their bylaws posted on their websites.
The most important part of a club is members. The ideal club member attends every meeting, pays his dues, relates well to others, and pitches into club activities. These guys are hard to find although they do exist. With enough ideal members anything is possible. With out enough of them the club won’t be able to execute on projects. Was it me, I’d make the early club activities simple and undemanding. Work up to starting a club layout only after successfully executing on some easier stuff.
You might also consider going modular–free-mo or the like, especially if the above comments kinda “scare you off”.
Advantages of modular: not nearly so much club “politics” (at least, in my experience); no need to find and hold onto and pay for a permanent location; the potential layout can get bigger as more people “join”–if people drop out, it’s a bit less traumatic, too; there’ll be far fewer demands made on you by other members–you can pretty much go whole hog or little piglet at your own choice; aside from meeting the standards, you have a HUGE amount of say on the design of your module(s)
Disadvantages: You can’t just drop by the club and run some trains; you’ve got to store your module(s) somewhere; you’re most likely going to have to drive a distance (or a great distance) to “play”; you’ll need to transport your module(s) in some sort of appropriate vehicle (hint: not a bicycle); someone (perhaps you) is going to have to find set-up space
With modular, you have flexibility and less stress and a more “personal” experience. With a standard club, you can have a grand sorta monolithic vision and carry it out. And it’s always there, for good and for bad.
Ed