Page 4 - November December 2011

Head End Business Cars
Robin Swan
October was a wonderful month. The Convention and the Calder Northern do at Crewe were great. I enjoyed myself and so did everyone to whom I spoke. In fact, I enjoyed the 2011 Convention so much that I have already signed up for next year’s Convention at Kegworth.
The NMRA Convention Contest attracted many very good entries. As always I am impressed by the quality of work of many of our colleagues. Congratulations to them all.
I will keep my entry very brief, since a lot of space in Round­ house will be devoted to the AGM and the Accounts.
However I would like to let you all know the sentiments of my brief address to the Banquet. It was a personal view of why I have enjoyed my first year as President. Basically it’s because of you, the members. I can summarise it as:
People with very different views and knowledge bases, BUT WITH A COMMON INTEREST.
Comradeship and warmth
The examples I gave came from the Crewe event, but equally apply to the Convention. I travelled with people I would other­ wise have not known had I not been a member. I met many people for the first time, some of whom I knew by their doings. People showed me great kindness: for example Derek Milby and Andy Henly. Thank you to you both and the many others. We need to find a way of conveying those qualities and charac­ teristics to new members. Although the BOD has a role, it is something to which we can all contribute. If you see me at a meet or exhibition please come over and have a chat. I always try to wear a badge.
The Directory and privacy
For those who were not at the AGM I would like to repeat the information about privacy that was in the last Roundhouse and to remind members to take action if they do not wish to have their details published in the Directory.
As you will recall, we consider that it is a key benefit of membership that members can get in touch with other Region members who live locally or share interests. In consequence, we shall be continuing to produce the annual Directory. We have produced a Privacy Statement that will appear in the Directory and on the Region website. It sets down how the data we store is used.
We have always offered
the option for members
to opt out of having
their details appear in
the Directory. In future,
the Directory will only
be circulated to those
members who agree to
their names being in­
cluded. This means that
if you want to know
who the other members
are, you will have to let
the other members
know who you are. This
year, because of time
constraints, we will use
the present criteria for
including members in
the Directory. A notice
in Roundhouse invited
those members who want to be excluded to let the Renewals Officer know. From next year, the membership renewal form will provide a simple means of positively opting in to being included in the Directory.
Set out below is a very short summary from our Treasurer of the Accounts to 31 March 2011.
Elsewhere we have included a chart showing where the region spends its money. If you would like a copy of the more detailed accounts made available at the AGM, either email or send an SAE to the Treasurer. Copies can also be picked up from the Treasurer during the morning at the Benson meet in January. Headline figures:
Income received
Expenditure
Surplus for the year
The level of dues for the coming year will remain unchanged. During the year we had a fall in income from meets from £1133 to £470. Though meets expenses fell from £959 to £880, we still had a deficit of £410 this year. Not including “Ardenrail” the expenses actually rose from £758, and most of that relates to the increasing cost of liability insurance and a rise in insurance tax.
Even Lionel got a look in at the Calder Northern Western Themed Meet at Crewe
Photo: John Baggaley
£21,645 £21,593 £52
A Challenger rounds the curve on the
Snake Bend Wye at Bournemouth convention. N scale modular layout