I received my issue of Scale Rails (NMRA periodical) and there is a ballot attached for NMRA officer elections. I’m curious about something. . .It seems like the same well known guys are running for various positions; would electing in “new blood” take the NMRA is a new and better direction? Does it really matter?
Lets give it a try - you run for an office and we’ll see what happens!
Most volunteer organizations have trouble finding one person for each job. And yes it winds up being the same folks over and over because they’re the ones willing to do it.
I remember some people used to complain that my son’s Boy Scout troop had a scoutmaster clic, the same 5 people as the Scoutmaster and assistants year after year - of course we were the 5 people willing to go out and sleep on the ground once a month with a bunch of kids[:D].
The new blood is you, get involved - join a commitee in your local division or region.
Enjoy
Paul
I found this on a union newsletter some time ago, just found it again:
“There are some areas where members seem to think it’s “Somebody Else’s” job to run the organization and do what work needs to get done. But the last time I checked the membership roster, “Somebody Else” wasn’t a current member! So if you think the NMRA isn’t doing enough, you might just get up off your butt and look in the mirror.”
And this too:
"Hitchhiker or Driver?
With his thumb, a hitchhiker says, “You furnish the gas, car, attend the repairs and upkeep, supply the insurance and I’ll ride with you. But if you have an accident, I’ll sue you for damages.”
It sounds pretty one-sided, but one wonders how many hitchhikers there are in many organizations. Many members seem to day “You go to the meetings, serve on the boards and committees, do the paper work, study the issues and take care of the things that need doing and I’ll go along for the ride. If things don’t suit my fancy, I will complain, criticize and probably get out and hitchhike to another group.”
Hitchhiker or Driver…which kind of member are you?"
Run for an NMRA office? You gotta’ be kidding me! What do I tell my employees when I can’t make payroll - “I’m sorry, I was out having a metting about model trains when I should have been out getting more business”, or “Sorry girls, I can’t help you with your home work, I have a meeting to go to discuss the new DCC standard.”
BTW - I wasn’t complaining about the NMRA, I just had a question about the elections.
Let someone else do it!
This is the typical response that we have all heard and the
And the Hitch-hiker is the best comeback yet!
I am a very active member of our local NMRA MCR Div 11 group. We (a bunch of modelers from the extreme end of Div 2 decided we wanted to have our own group as the local Div 2 was centered in Pittsburgh, PA. They did not like to travel 80 miles to a meeting when we ask to host one of the monthly meetings.
It was alright for us to go down there but not the other way around.
So we kicked the idea around for a while and getting fed up with the responses from the Division so during the National convention in 1990 we ask some of the top Brass about starting our own Division and they said go for it.
Well it took a lot of work (because back in those days there was no e-mail or internet) but we made it happen.
Division 11 became a reality in 1993 and I was elected the first Superintendent. And I have been one of the officers for 6 of the last 10 or so years, something I never thought I would do when I joined in 1983.
BOB H - Clarion, PA