Here’s a question for anyone who is in a model railroad club…
My step son, Tyler, 11, and I have recently joined a modular HO club. During our search for a club to join, there are four in our “area”, I found that not many clubs seemed to be interested in a child joining, even in some sort of junior member fashion. The hobby is new for Tyler and he is really taking a big interest in it. I was surprised to see such a response from several clubs. I would think the would want to help the younger generation take an interest in what really is an amazing hobby. Thankfully the modular club we joined welcomed us both with open arms!
Our club does not allow anyone under the age of 18 to join. We had some very bad experiances years ago when two 15 year olds were allowed to join. They just were not true model railroaders and caused a number of problems on our layout. We do allow them to come down and run or work as long as another member is there with them.
We have 4 members under 18, three of which are under 12. They don’t work on the layout much, but they are respectful of the rules–cleaning loco wheels before running, etc.
Our club allows a father/son to join IF the son is at lease 10 years old.The N Scale club I am a member one has to be at lest 16 years old to join.However,if a father/son wanted to join I am positive they would be able to join.
Both clubs I am a member of believes a club should promote the hobby throughout the community…
The club I was with in Leesville had what they called a jr modelers club aimed specifically at children. I was amazed at how many girls there were in the group.
Thanks everyone for your response. I can understand not wanting a younger child to join alone but two of the clubs even had issues with us as a “father/son team” just having Tyler watch and learn. The club we finally joined had their first true operating session using waybills last weekend. Tyler was at first annoyed because he just wanted to “run trains” but once he got the idea of how the waybills worked he went home and started looking online for templates to do the same with our layout, all because of a great club experience.
The youngest member that ever joined our club was 5, it was something he and his dad could do together and every one in the club liked the kid. All kids that want to join have to be accompanied by a parent and approved by club members. We are not a baby sitting service.
I actually was a “junior” member of my club before I became a full member when I turned 18. At the time, the club had what they called the “Highballers” youth group, open to kids 14 to 18 (high schoolers, IOW). Meetings were twice a month on an “off night” compared to the regular member meetings, and dues were reasonable at the time…something like $4 a month for materials (if that).
The group died out because of a lack of interest, both in the number of kids and in the membership to run it.
Instead, I became a “guest” of my father whenever we went, and I was allowed to participate in Operations and such…not running trains but being the conductor/brakeman.
Since then, attempts have been made to restart it, but there just isn’t the interest in the membership to do it in this day and age.
But like what happened to me, sons and daughters are more than welcome to become guests of their member parents and help out at the club all they want. So far, we haven’t had too many.
I have been around a couple of clubs where it was just big boys wanting to play with their trains, and anything outside of that box was unacceptable. They had no interest in sharing knowledge with others…well maybe if it was to criticize another members model they would.
I could understand limiting the participation of the younger members, but the longer they are in the enviroment, the quicker they can mature within the hobby and be an asset to the organization.
Our club allows youth to join, as long they are sponsored by at least one full does paying member, and they work under the supervision of that member. We have had some interest by parents who wanted to dump off kids, but they found our membership costs and rules prohibitive. That said, I was sort of a ‘junior’ member many years ago of the Twin City MRRC. There was no formal program, and I did join as a regular member when I turned 18. Of the 5 of us at the time, we all still have some interest in modeling or railfanning.
If by “kid” you mean under 18 then yes our club allows that. I am one of the under 18 group myself. There are actually quite a few “kids” that come to the meetings with thier father or grandfather or whatever. From my experience many of them are more mature than some of the old guys.
I’ve had similar experiences with this. Like Jim touched on above, you have to find a balance between getting young people into the club that may be interested in model railroading and becoming a glorified baby sitting service. The club where I’m currently a member has a good solution to this, anyone who wants to join under the age of 18 has to be sponsored by a full adult member, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a relative. There is no minimum age. They can only be at the club when the adult member is there (responsible adult). Up to age 14 they don’t even pay dues. From 14 to 18 they pay half the adult dues.
The club I was in allowed junior members age 13 and higher without the presence of an adult. There were some that came and went and one that was around for a while that was quite annoying, but overall, things went well.
The only problem we ever had was actually with an adult member with two children. He only ever came on operating nights and kept his young (~4 yrs old) son until as late as 11 at night. (His older son was fine.) The membership really felt like they always had to keep an eye out for the younger child and couldn’t just relax and enjoy trains. The last straw was when the younger son wet himself and the father did not take the kid home to clean him up because the kids didn’t want to leave. Pew.
Not only did a HO modular club I am part of let me join, I was also a charter member when we formed a year and a half ago, and run a yahoo group for our club. I am also the “unoffical” club Secretary (We have no titles or positions, but I’m the guy who keeps offical notes at the meetings so for explaining my position I call myself a secretary). Considering I’m only 15, that’s pretty good I think. I’m a full fledge member in the club, and so if my Dad. My club really has no problem with anyone under 18 joining at all, independent or not, and infact we have a few adults that tend to act like they are under 18 themselves…
I’m 15 and I know I am allowed in one of the two, but I haven’t checked at both clubs. I think if you show potential and know a little about what you are doing, it should be ok.
I am in a HO scale modular layout club. Our club allows 13 to 17 year olds to apply for junior membership as long as thier parent or guardian also apply for membership. Junior members pay half of what the adult’s dues are. So, the parent or guardian has
to pay regular dues and the child has to pay half of regular dues. The parent or guardian must be with the junior member at any events where we are operating our layout and at any meeting. Upon becoming 18, they can apply for regular membership.