Page 8 - March April 2002

balance between layouts, traders, bring and buys, clinics, meetings, and anything else that we want to fit in. Sometimes we get that balance wrong and it is only through feedback from other members that we can learn from this and improve things. I welcome constructive criticism about any meet that I organise and I am sure that other meet organisers feel the same way. I would emphasise the word constructive. It is not helpful to say that you did not like something unless you add “because...” and “it would have been better if”... However, the bottom line must be that whoever is organising a meet has the right to the final say about the way in which space is allocated.
Re. representation for traders at meets, I would think that we are a mature enough organisation that we can do this in a sensible way without resorting to name calling and throwing our teddies out of our prams. For example traders could be restricted to meets in their divisional or geographic areas, meets could have the various traders on a rota so that they each got a turn at attending a particular meet or venue, or attendance could be on the basis of cash bids where, if a meet had room for six traders, any trader could submit a bid and the highest six could attend. I am not suggesting that any of these is, in itself, the simple answer, merely pointing out that there are answers available if we are prepared to look for them. Making personal attacks on meet organisers is not a constructive way to proceed because they will simply not organise any more and everybody will lose out.
From Chris Hobbs
(Issues relating to December Roundhouse)
National Dues: What you say about the increase is quite correct, in itself it is hardly a fortune. However if the result is a substantial loss of membership (and potential break-up) of British Region, the price is too high.
Today’s communications allow us ready access to research material and new friends and contacts across the ‘Pond’. Much of this information and expertise is over here anyway and we certainly have more than adequate and easy access to products.
In my eyes access to Bulletin (and to Chattanooga) is hardly a plus, being in the main relevant only to the USA member. We do not need the NMRA like we once used to. As a BR member, only perhaps as a ‘Standards Agency and Co- ordinating Body’, can I see some merit.
Therefore I have to say that at this time I am one of those who would support the idea of a more independent BR with affiliation to the National NMRA with some budgeted funding (from the Region as a whole) in respect of this.
Re: Meets - My feeling is that an official NMRA (BR) Meet (and the Convention) should be open to all BR Members and if they are members as well, to all Traders.
agree, but see reasons given elsewhere. (Hindsight is a magnificent telescope.) David detailed the proportion of his acquisitions obtained from numerous well-known dealers - a pretty even spread over 8 named sources plus (5%) “others”. No-one trader is indispensable,
though some no longer on the scene are sadly missed. Heavy regulation, pre-booking and
deposits will not get far because many people make their arrangements in a last minute fashion.
Alan Corkill...
...felt that when he travelled some distance to a meet, he would rather see the traders local to the meet area, as he was already familiar with the goods “at home”.
Steve Quick...
... “as somebody who organises meets, I have come to realise that there are two inescapable facts about any meet - there is never enough space for everything that you would want to fit in and, whatever you do, not everybody will be happy about it.
Organising is a matter of getting a
heads together and sort this out in the friendly manner we used to, and perhaps agree that not every meet can have the floor space that we have at the convention.” (Very much abridged!)
Another long letter...
...also here abridged heavily came from David Foster who felt the adverts should have been blue-pencilled. In retrospect I
Modelling detail – BNSF loco facility at Newton.
8 ROUNDHOUSE
John Hey Collection