NMRA InfoNet

News from National - November 2009

  • After five years of research and planning, the NMRA and California State Railroad Museum (CSRM) have announced the signing of an agreement authorizing the development of a 3,500 square foot model railroading exhibit at the CSRM. The exhibit will be housed in the museum's gallery, which is visited by more than 600,000 people annually. This will be great public exposure for model railroading! More details will follow in an article in Scale Rails.
  • A very belated happy birthday to Sydney Hendricks, daughter of NMRA Office Manager Jenny Hendricks. Sydney was born on August 14, 2009.
  • The Kalmbach Memorial Library has announced that the book "The History, Making, and Modeling of Steel" by Dean Freytag is back by popular demand. After several years out of print, 700 identical reprints of the original 165-page hardcover book will be produced and released in December. This is the book's third printing. NMRA members can purchase the book for $47.95 (plus s&h); all others pay $65.95 (plus s&h). Visit the online store at www.nmra.org.
  • Those driving to the 75th Anniversary Convention in Milwaukee next summer who have some extra time may want to check out the Milwaukee Area Railfan Guide (MARGE) at http://alturi.com/bj3r. The guide points out many railfan sites, hobby shops, and other points of interest.
  • The NMRA "return address" label fundraiser was a great success this year and many members have asked the NMRA to repeat it annually (versus every-other year, which it now is). The matter is being taken under consideration.

News from National - August

This installment will be slightly longer than normal, because it includes the activities from the July Board of Directors meeting.

  • The Hartford Convention drew over 1,000 attendees and returned a surplus larger than the Anaheim and Detroit conventions combined.
  • 28% of Hartford Convention registrants used online registration.
  • Volunteers at the NMRA Membership booth, headed by Jody Hendricks and "Doc" Robert Chait, signed up over 250 new NMRA members at the National Train Show in Hartford.
  • The RailPass program ($9.95 for a six-month trial membership) is increasingly successful, with about 45% of those signing up for RailPasses converting to Regular memberships when it's time to renew. This is up from 35% at this time last year.
  • The first in a new series of NMRA Data Sheets is ready for publication. They'll first appear in Scale Rails and then be placed on a members-only section of www.nmra.org .
  • Want to host a National Convention? The Board is still accepting bids. The 2014 convention is scheduled to be held in the central portion of North America. Interested host groups should contact Henry Jordan at nmracd@aol.com .
  • Wanted: Division and Region handbooks! A special committee is assembling a guidebook for Regions and Divisions and is looking for any existing handbooks to use as a guide. If your Region or Division has one, please send it to me, Gerry Leone, at nmra-infonet@earthlink.net .
  • In addition, the book will also contain a listing of what Regions and Divisions have done to successfully raise money, increase membership, and revitalize. If you have a success story you'd like included, please email it to me.
  • Highlights from the Board of Directors meeting:
    • Major topics included retaining and attracting members, reducing the cost of attending National Conventions, and moving the Howell Day Model Railroad Museum and Kalmbach Memorial Library to the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, CA.
    • Treasurer Tom Draper reported that the NMRA is operating at a surplus through May 31, 2009. He also noted that membership remains steady at around 19,500.
    • Revenues for Scale Rails were up this year, over the same period in 2008.
    • The Board approved a $1,000 fund to enable the Standards and Conformance Department to purchase products through normal retail channels, ensuring that all samples are typical of those being purchased by consumers. Models purchased through this program will be sold in the Silent Auction at the National Convention.
    • The Board voted to end the "Patron" category since it closely resembled the "Sustaining" class of membership.
    • Tom Draper will soon retire as Treasurer, to be replaced by Kevin Feeney, former Eastern District Director. Mr. Draper has taken over the duties of Marketing, Advertising, and Promotion (MAP) Manager.
    • Nominations Chair Frank Koch stepped down and has been replaced by Standards & Conformance Manager Didrik Voss. The Nominating Committee is currently soliciting candidates for the office of Western District Director.
    • The Board viewed a presentation of turning Scale Rails into an electronic publication. The Board has not yet made a decision about whether to explore this venue further.

If you have any questions or comments about any of the above, please send them directly to a Board member or Officer. You'll find those addresses at www.nmra.org or in Scale Rails.

Gerry Leone, MMR
NMRA Communications Director

News from National - July

Welcome to the July installment of the NMRA's "Info Net." Below you'll find up-to-date news of what's going on in the NMRA.

This installment contains highlights of NMRA news other than what happened at the Board meeting in Hartford. We'll give you an overview of the Board meeting in next month's InfoNet.

  • The Federal CFC program (which was mentioned in Mike Brestel's Scale Rails column late last year) raised almost $5,000 so far this year for the NMRA. Contributions for this program come in throughout the year. Plans are to continue the program again next year.
  • The NMRA return address labels, which were mailed out last month to all NMRA members, is a major fund raiser. It paid for itself with member donations within two weeks, and continues to generate income for the NMRA. To date, over $31,000 has been raised.
  • Speaking of fund raisers, the 2009 NMRA calendar raised almost $10,000 in contributions this year, in addition to the funds raised during 2008.
  • The Milwaukee Convention National Train Show vendor booths are already 20% sold out!
  • The Kalmbach Library's "Postwar Freight Car Fleet" book has been wildly successful, and is now in its 3rd printing.
  • The NMRA Convention Committee is currently looking for cities in the Central U.S. to host the 2014 convention. If your Division or Region is interested, please let one of the NMRA Officers or Board members know.

If you have any questions or comments about any of the above, please send them directly to a Board member or Officer. You'll find those addresses at www.nmra.org or in Scale Rails.

Gerry Leone, MMR
NMRA Communications Director

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