And many of them do, with sustaining memberships and donations.
Sheldon
Rich,Everything we take for granted today is because of the NMRA standards and RPs including RP25 wheels-remember the stiff rolling out of round wheels and having to buy replacement trucks from Central Valley?
Even the DCC systems is compatible because of NMRA standards covering DCC.
I can remember the time when the majority of the modelers was in the NMRA and proud of it…Also many manufacturers fought the idea od having production standards since it would raise the prices of their models.
As it should be.
All of that may be true, but what’s the point? Good for the NMRA, but that doesn’t translate to me writing a check each year to support it.
Rich
Dude, why would you do such a thing? The principle of self-interest (enlightened or otherwise) dictates that one never, ever engages in such self-defeating activities.
Andre
Look at both sides of the coin…
At the same price of a fast food meal( at $5.50 month) you get to attend your local division’s mothly meetings and take in layout tours or you can buy that fast food meal gain weight and clog your arteries.
Mark B. and Ray, it’s an impressive list, and I thank you for persisiting, Ray, in showing a comprehensive list of what the society offers its membership, and in many ways, the entire hobby by default.
Mark, I hadn’t considered the cost of the venue which might be a university campus lecture hall, as it was in the case of the RASC Winnipeg Centre. In some cases, the venue is available free of charge, but that is not normally how it goes. For insurance purposes, if nothing else, there must be a nominal charge to establish a client/patron relationship. But some places charge $200 a night, and the membership should not be expected to continually subsidize the freeloading walk-ins who maintain that status perpetually.
In that case, charge them a nominal attendance fee, regardless of how many times they attend. I think it’s too hard to maintain an accurate record of how often a non-member attends. All members will be able to show a certificate or membership indicator at the door, while those without should pay $5.
I’ve been a member for a while (10-15yrs). Admittedly I don’t take much advantage of any of the listed “benefits”. It’s been a while (yrs) since I’ve been to a local NMRA monthly meeting.
But I have no complaints over the annual dues. It seems to be a good conduit for promotion and expansion of the hobby. The “3-strikes” rule does seem to be a little self-defeating (though I wouldn’t begin to second guess the liability insurance arcana that is said to make this a requirement).
Seems to me the NMRA could do a better job of more closely looking at/defining which events are intended as strictly NMRA members-only benefits and which are open/public and are, at their heart, promotional.
Monthly meetings would seem (to me) an ideal “promotional” event you wouln’t want to put under a 3-strikes rule. On the other hand, workshops, Masters clinics, contests, etc. would definitely be a members-only happening. I’ve always thought that if you can’t get someone excited enough about the activity at an open meeting/meetup that they don’t want to join for the increased benefits/fun/excitement…you’re doing something wrong.
Aa a NMRA Division VP and DAL for a Region, I was going to do my Pro-NMRA dialogue, but Brunton, Howmus and others have said iall that needs to be said.
I joined because I want to associate with the organization that is recognized as the Model Railroading organization that started it all, and I’ve met a ton of great folks as a result. The people alone are worth the price of admission. Going to a NMRA function and having time to chat with the likes of Tony Koester and Jim Hediger is invaluable regarding how I approach the hobby afterward.
So all of you guys that say it “ain’t worth it”, you should dig a bit deeper. To put it in terms of hard cold cash, I always ask for the NMRA Discount at a hobby shop. Even if they don’t have one, they will usually offer up something such was the case this past weekend in Ft. Wayne IN. I saved $7 by just asking and showing my card. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that those savings can add up to the price of memebership.
Have fun!
Dan
I’m a 22-year member of a model railroad club, and while we certainly welcome visitors almost any time we’re in the club, we would not appreciate people who come to our club week after week or month after month without joining.
We’re friendly and open to strangers off the street. A member will give anyone the nickel tour, give a history of the club, what our plans are, etc., and we will do this for anyone. It doesn’t matter if they live 3000 miles away (and thus would never join our club) or if they live down the street. We want to make our visitors happy.
But to have them show up repeatedly, hanging out, talking trains with the members, perhaps running trains (under supervision), using our club library, etc.? Now that’s something else.
And if you think $44 or $66 per year is too expensive, you won’t be joining our club where our monthly dues are $30 (or $360 per year).
Now I am not a member of the NMRA, never have been. But at one time, every member of our club was required to be an NMRA member because we had an insurance policy through them (we now have our own insurance policy).
Paul A. Cutler III
I’ve been a model railroader for 30 years (40+ if you count playing with the Lionel I got for Christmas when I was 3-years-old). In that 30 years I’ve considered joining the NMRA on several occasions, both before and after the birth of the internet, but the biggest thing that has stopped me was the lack of “local” events.
I live in a small town called New York City and travelling out to Long Island or New Jersey events means 2 or 3 hours (in each direction) via mass transit - and let’s not speculate about how to get from the nearest train station to and from the venue. That also assumes you can make a one-day round trip. I was a member of the O&WRHS for several years, but couldn’t make any of their meetings as the last train to Hoboken left Middletown in the middle of their evening meetings.
If these events / meetings / etc. were closer – and by “closer” I am going to define it for myself as round-trip travel time being less than time actually spent at the event – then I would have / would be willing to join the NMRA / rejoin the NRHS / etc. in a heartbeat. While the internet has placed information at my fingertips and allowed me to communicate with fellow enthuasts around the world, that isn’t really a substitute for face-to-face human interaction.
That said, I think the big national organizations are following the same path as the brick-n-motar hobby shops. People are going to go where they can get what they want. If the local hobby shop doesn’t stock paint, or styrene, or detail parts, and those are what they want, then they’ll go to the one place that has all of what they want rather than going to 3 or 4 different stores. If the nationals are giving ultimatiums about membership to people on the fence, they are probably going to go where they feel welcomed and not pressured. Life is stressful enough with things we begrudgingly have to pay for (rent, electric, food, etc.).
~AJK
I have been a member since 1975. I have found that it has been a great help. I visited 3 nationals and a handful of BR conventions. I think I got my money’s worth and more than that. Just think DCC, LCC and the older Standards and RP’s. And they’re all volunteers. Any dollar spend on NMRA is well spend. Oh, and I do live in the Netherlands!
[quote user=“Mykhalin”]
I’ve been a model railroader for 30 years (40+ if you count playing with the Lionel I got for Christmas when I was 3-years-old). In that 30 years I’ve considered joining the NMRA on several occasions, both before and after the birth of the internet, but the biggest thing that has stopped me was the lack of “local” events.
I live in a small town called New York City and travelling out to Long Island or New Jersey events means 2 or 3 hours (in each direction) via mass transit - and let’s not speculate about how to get from the nearest train station to and from the venue. That also assumes you can make a one-day round trip. I was a member of the O&WRHS for several years, but couldn’t make any of their meetings as the last train to Hoboken left Middletown in the middle of their evening meetings.
If these events / meetings / etc. were closer – and by “closer” I am going to define it for myself as round-trip travel time being less than time actually spent at the event – then I would have / would be willing to join the NMRA / rejoin the NRHS / etc. in a heartbeat. While the internet has placed information at my fingertips and allowed me to communicate with fellow enthuasts around the world, that isn’t really a substitute for face-to-face human interaction.
That said, I think the big national organizations are following the same path as the brick-n-motar hobby shops. People are going to go where they can get what they want. If the local hobby shop doesn’t stock paint, or styrene, or detail parts, and those are what they want, then they’ll go to the one place that has all of what they want rather than going to 3 or 4 different stores. If the nationals are giving ultimatiums about membership to people on the fence, they are probably going to go where they feel welcomed and not pressured. Life is stressful enough with things we begrudgingly have to pay for (rent, electric, food, etc.).
~AJK
I will preface this by saying that I am not an NRMA member myself. Reason being goes along with what many people have said: small town, lack of area events, etc. I have one additional one: I don’t drive by choice. (Not comfortable behind the wheel.)
Reason I decided to chime in is this: My town has a local art center that offers classes for both adults and children as outreach. When those classes are offered, they have reduced rates for members of the organization. But they DO allow non-members to participate for the additional cost.
While I don’t know whether this increases their membership or not (I am usually too busy to attend the classes), they have kept going for many years with this idea. The art shows that they host are even open to the general public. (They do have a jar for donations as well.)
Our Community College even has Community Outreach events where they use their bus to transport community members to various events around the region. The cost is equal for anyone attending. They do not require the people to have gone to the college to participate in those events. (I participated in one of these events many years ago and was able to take a very enjoyable dinner train trip on an ex-Milwaukee line as a result.)
Sheldon, to answer your question, no I wouldn’t join if the cost was $5. $60? THAT is just ridiculous.
No, it’s not really the money. I don’t think I ever said it was. I, like everyone else, looks at the value and what you get for your money. To me, the NMRA ain’t worth the money.
The day that I spend that kind of money that you mentioned on model trains, I’ll have my head examined. Unless, of course, it’s Sn3…
I think some of you are confusing Membership Meets/Meetings, with public events. The NMRA Divisions and Regions still can and do put on public events such as Train Shows. etc. Difference is those activities have to be billed as “Public” events and are a bit different from the Meets for the membership. We also can be part of other groups events with no problem. My Division has a couple tables at 3 train shows every year where we do a “Modeler’s Corner”. Several of our members will be at the table working on projects, answering questions, and encouraging the hobby to the general public. We have also put on “Public” events (Meets) where the general public can see what we do at our Meets and ask questions about the hobby and/or the NMRA.
The 3 visit rule is about the member meetings that many divisions do monthly. It is to disinvite those who are trying to milk the system and get the benefits of membership for free. Again, very few organizations can have “Members” who are not actually members. This becomes an insurance problem as the first thing they will want to see is a list of who attended the event to check it out should there be a claim.
73
Actually, I felt worse hearing about the C&NW Historical Society than the NMRA when the OP first posted this thread. I devote a portion of my layout to the C&NW, a grand old road name here in Chicago, but now a fallen flag. Sad to hear that the historical society is feeling some old age pains.
Rich
When you break it down, it doesn’t sound like a whole lot. But, it still adds up to a cost that I think is too much. My AARP membership costs, what, $15 a year and I get a monthly discount on my cell phone service that far covers the cost of my membership.
It works for some. I’m just one of those that would prefer a monthly Big Mac meal instead.
[quote user=“Mykhalin”]
I’ve been a model railroader for 30 years (40+ if you count playing with the Lionel I got for Christmas when I was 3-years-old). In that 30 years I’ve considered joining the NMRA on several occasions, both before and after the birth of the internet, but the biggest thing that has stopped me was the lack of “local” events.
I live in a small town called New York City and travelling out to Long Island or New Jersey events means 2 or 3 hours (in each direction) via mass transit - and let’s not speculate about how to get from the nearest train station to and from the venue. That also assumes you can make a one-day round trip. I was a member of the O&WRHS for several years, but couldn’t make any of their meetings as the last train to Hoboken left Middletown in the middle of their evening meetings.
If these events / meetings / etc. were closer – and by “closer” I am going to define it for myself as round-trip travel time being less than time actually spent at the event – then I would have / would be willing to join the NMRA / rejoin the NRHS / etc. in a heartbeat. While the internet has placed information at my fingertips and allowed me to communicate with fellow enthuasts around the world, that isn’t really a substitute for face-to-face human interaction.
That said, I think the big national organizations are following the same path as the brick-n-motar hobby shops. People are going to go where they can get what they want. If the local hobby shop doesn’t stock paint, or styrene, or detail parts, and those are what they want, then they’ll go to the one place that has all of what they want rather than going to 3 or 4 different stores. If the nationals are giving ultimatiums about membership to people on the fence, they are probably going to go where they feel welcomed and not pressured. Life is stressful enough with things we begrudgingly have to pay for (rent, electric, food, etc.).
~AJK
I have been reading this topic over the past two evenings. I was a Regional Board Officer for 5 years. I remember the original ‘fight’ about membership/insurance quite well. It all comes down to Liability Insurance - The NMRA was told by the insurance carrier that everyone attending a National/Region/Division meeting must be a paid up, card carrying NMRA member. And every other carrier basically said the same.
National Conventions, Regional Conventions, and Divisional Conventions are ‘member only’ functions. That said, if your local Divisions has a train show(mine has a spring/fall train show), that is open to the public. The contest and actual ‘meeting’ are for paid up members only. One of our Divisions has a monthly meeting, with clinics - They are for members only(as are the layout tours). The NMRA insurace covers liability issues. If you think liability insurance is cheap, get a quote from a provider for a weekend event(many venues now require documentation that you have liability insurance, or will provide it on a one time event for a rather hefty price). This is not the old days! In the state where I live, even though the local Division/Region are incorperated as a non-profit entity - The ‘officers’ can be sued for medical costs from an injury at an event. Insurance is madatory. I would have resigned from my position as a Region Officer if My family and home were left exposed due to someone else’s neglect.
AMA membership($58/year) is required at most club flying fields, as the AMA has insurance built into the membership cost(just like the NMRA). So, this is not just an NMRA ‘thing’.
Our local gun club provides insurance through the NRA for the indoor/outdoor ranges. There is ‘value’