Page 19 - January February 2008

NMRA Dues – It’s renewal time again
The rate for NMRA dues including Region Services was set at £20 in September 2005. Since then the NMRA portion of the dues has risen by 9% and may rise again this year. Postal rates are expected to rise this year. In addition, Roundhouse is now being published more often with an extra four pages per issue.
To cover these increased costs, the BOD has decided that the cost of Region Services will rise, taking the NMRA plus Region Services package from £20 to £22. This will come into effect from 1 April 2008.
Those of you whose membership lapses on 31 March 2008 will have found a renewal slip enclosed with this copy of Roundhouse. This slip includes a voting form for the Author’s Award so that you can vote without needing another stamp. For those due to renew at another time, you will have received only the voting form.
For those being asked to renew, I need to know if your entry in the Directory is correct, whether you are renewing for one year or two, and whether you wish to subscribe to Scale Rails. I would also like to know whether you would be interested in renewing by Direct Debit in future years.
Cheques should be made payable to “NMRA British Region” and sent to me at: 17 Stockens Dell, Knebworth, Herts SG3 6BG.
Prompt payment ensures continuity of supply of benefits. This applies particularly to those wanting Scale Rails because NMRA HQ send labels for a particular month’s magazine to the printers about 4 weeks before the start of that month.
John Firth, Renewals Officer
‘Roundhouse Author’ Award Winner
This year’s winner of the ‘Roundhouse Author’ Award is Mike Ruby, who will hold the award shield for the coming year. Candidates for the award were authors with Roundhouse articles published during 2006. Mike’s winning article was ‘Fitting DCC lighting and sound into HO diesels’, published in February 2006. If possible we try to announce and present the award at the annual convention. Unfortunately Mike wasn’t at Copdock, but the shield has now been delivered to him.
As usual, the result was decided by members’ votes. Mike was a clear winner with 56 votes. Alan Corkill was second with 32 votes and there was a tie for third place between Jonathan Small and Roger Sekera with 27 votes each. This year 194 people voted – a big increase on 2005. This was helped by the inclusion of the voting slip as part of the annual renewal form.
Tom Winlow
If you voted, thank you very much for taking part. Thanks are also due to the team who generated the shortlist – Vice President (at the time) Tim Rudge, Tony Martin MMR and Atlantic Director Nobby Clarke. Special thanks go to John Firth for allowing the voting to be part of his renewals process, and so saving us all the cost of a stamp! Many thanks also to Gillian Firth for counting the votes.
So, congratulations to all the winners and a big ‘thank you’ to all our Roundhouse authors; we really depend on you for the quality of our magazine. If all goes to plan, the voting slip for 2007 articles should be part of the annual renewal form mailed with this issue of Roundhouse. Please vote and show your appreciation for all our authors. Thanks.
Mike Arnold asks . . .
Would all members attending the Spring Meet (and any other show where the publicity stand will be in attendance, eg Nottingham and Derby) bring any unwanted model railroad or North American Railroad mags to pass on to the Publicity Officer. Thanks
february 2008 19
See “What’s On” for advance news of American Year Derby 2008 Model Railway Exhibition. Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 April
John Hey