Page 4 - November December 2007

President’s Car...
President’s Report to
September 2007
I believe the Region has continued to make good progress in the year to date.
Our finances remain healthy and mem- bership buoyant. We had some concern over sustaining the big rise in member- ship of the last couple of years. Indeed around August time it did rather look as though we had lost a number. However, this was more a case of slow renewals, and I am pleased to report that member- ship is still around the 700 mark.
Once again, though, the challenge of prompt renewals is still with us and we still seek a ‘practical’ answer to this problem.
Three important sets of guidelines were issued this year – those for Grants, Financial Support for Groups running Region Meets, and Insurance. Hopefully in the years to come these guidelines and the help they offer will be of very real benefit.
The issue of insurance for all meets, in- cluding local events, is an ongoing matter and hopefully details will be available soon. An offshoot of this is insurance for personal collections, which we also hope to progress in the year to come.
An important item that has come to the fore recently is the way in which the Region organises itself. This concerns Divisions, Sub Divisions and Groups. Just what constitutes such a differen- tiation? What is the definition of each? What ‘rights’ if any should each hold? Do we need three types anyway? And so forth.
A lot of questions – throw in recent pronouncements from National, and you have quite a complicated situation that will need a lot of work by the BOD and input by members.
I believe also that until this is resolved it will be difficult for the Region to progress with its investigation into the advantages or otherwise of turning the Region into a Company Limited by Guarantee.
Also of note – the appointment of Steve Quick as the Region’s Health and Safety adviser this year is, I believe, a useful service to Groups and members. Please make use of it.
Also, expect to see some upgrades of the website in the months to come and a few presentation changes to Round- house.
Talking of changes – I do detect in National a very real seed of change. I feel the revised Scale Rails (particularly if we can get the distribution right) plus many updates for standards in many areas are important developments. There is obviously more determination
than for many years to make the NMRA the foremost US modelling organisation and at the forefront of setting standards for the hobby. This is something we should be proud to support and be a part of.
I would like to finish on a very positive note, that is, of Themed Meets. We have had three this year, plus the Region’s first official Train Show – that of ArdenRail.
I think these events have been an outstanding success and look forward to their continuation. They are great events for members and very much a part of the Region’s services for members. I particularly thank Barrie, Dave, Kathy, Nigel, John and Terry in respect of these events, but in no way forgetting all the others who are involved in making them happen and indeed for that matter – all events from the Convention to the smallest local meet. Thank you all. I will now leave Tim to just finish off this year and look forward to the next.
Chris Hobbs
President's Report from September 2007
President’s Car December 2007
Tim Rudge
Introduction
Welcome to my first President’s Car. I hope that I can prove myself worthy of the role with which I have been entrusted.
The 2007 Convention
It is Monday night and Kay and I have, along with many of you, just returned from the 2007 Convention held at the Elizabeth Hotel in Copdock. This weekend was both most enjoyable, and nerve-racking, as the first public expo- sure as the new President. The venue was comfortable and the Train Show being all in one room was enjoyably different. I managed to squeeze into one of Pelle Soeborg’s clinics on weathering, which was excellent, and I learnt a few new tricks. I’m sure each of the clinics gave insight to all who attended.
Our accommodation was clean and in excellent order, and the staff were very attentive. We had no complaints other than the closure of the leisure facilities, which was beyond the control of the Convention Committee. The refresh- ments available throughout the Satur- day and Sunday in the Train Show room were good quality and good value. The Thamesiders must be commended on the choice of an excellent venue to- gether with a finely planned and executed weekend.
The raffle prize ‘pile’ was one of the largest I have seen, and I understand the raffle ticket sales broke all records! With a little organisation and a simple system John Hey, as always, did a great job of running the raffle draw and managed to ensure that all of the raffle tickets were drawn and prizes awarded within a record time of 35 minutes! One disappointment was the rather poor turnout of the number of contest models this year. This is one part of the Region that needs to improve, and the only way this can happen is for you, the membership, to enter more models in the contest. The way the contests are run and the way points are awarded has been overhauled. I believe there is nothing better than the satisfaction of knowing your modelling is improving as successively entered models gain higher marks as your skills advance with the help of the remarks made by the judges. So please contact Terry Wynne or Steve Park and let’s see if we can return to the practice of contest models being entered at the meets, as well as at the Convention.
The Gala Dinner was yet another winner, with good English fayre delivered promptly to the tables, and I know the members and wives on table 2 all enjoyed the food. After the meal, an auction was held for the donated ‘Big Boy’ locomotive with on-board DCC and sound; all proceeds were to be donated to ‘Children in Need’. After a bout of quick bidding, Alain Kap won the loco with a bid of £215. When we awarded the prize Alain very graciously made the donation up to £300 – thank you Alain.
Sunday was the usual slow start as members rose late after the night before (even though we all got an extra hour
 rOUNdHOUSe