Page 22 - NMRA Roundhouse March-April 2018
P. 22

 Parallel Lines
 Keith Webb
David McLaughlin, our Pres- ident, as you may have
read in the previous issue of Roundhouse, is encouraging
everyone to be positive and encour- aging towards each other. This is
not just a request to the Officers in the British Region, but to everyone. I want to say that I fully support this re- quest, as I believe we are by far, the friendliest model railway group in the UK. We do not have barriers at our shows, and what other show offers the opportunity for Bring and Buy? However, the real value-for-money you get from membership, over and above the highly acclaimed Round- house (and this includes the contro- versial bit that goes to National), is
a whole raft of modellers and layout owners who are only too happy to discuss techniques and personal experiences with you, and help you where they can. I’m not just talking UK here, but world-wide! Most give their time freely, and even more so when it is likely to be appreciated and acknowledged, but especially when it is likely to be built upon (no pun intended). This is not some- thing I’ve ever experienced at other model railway clubs or societies, and certainly not at any other railway shows in the UK! It was even hard to engage people in conversation at the Model Engineering show at Ally Pally recently where there was quite a good representation of US outline in several gauges.
Model manufacturers now seem to be reducing the need for us to make our own detailed models and are even now making them to be correct for our favourite roads, rather than generic. They are even producing finished (and fully detailed) buildings!
22 ROUNDHOUSE - April 2018
However, despite this, I’m pleased
to say that there appears to be a slow, but growing trend towards more members getting involved in the AP Program – most starting with areas that are fairly easy to achieve: Vol- unteer, Official and Chief Dispatch- er. The modelling certificates are harder, and correctly so, it is called an Achievement Program for a rea- son – you are expected to achieve a reasonable level of skill and quality
in your modelling, and continue
to improve. As one of our region’s accomplished modellers pointed out to me, you can see the progression of quality in their modelling when you compare the models made now over the ones they had made earlier!
Since I took over the AP Chair from Steve Park we have seen the follow- ing awards gained:
by other members, please add the witness’ membership number so we can identify the signature! If that person is not a member (and this is acceptable in certain circumstances – contact me to check), then please supply full contact details for them. Thank you.
Convention Contest Confusion!
I want to once again clarify to all those who complained about the lack of a Contest at the Convention. This has absolutely nothing whatsoever
to do with the Achievement Program, nor am I (as AP Chair), or Mick Moignard as my assistant, respon- sible for either the lack of a Contest, or for organising Judges for it! If you want a Contest at either the Conven- tion or at a Meet, then you need to find a Contest Chairman to run it. The last one stepped down at the 2016 Convention. Being the Contest Chair does not exclude you from entering! However, what is more important, is that as Contest Chair you encourage members to submit items for con- test, and you need the submission
of more than one or two models and a few photos! You cannot have a contest with one item in each cate- gory – which was the main reason the Contest Chair stepped down. It’s now over to you, the members, if you want a Contest.
What’s that I hear you ask? “How do I get my models judged for the possi- bility of a Merit award?”
The answer is quite straight-forward. Instead of filling in the Contest Forms #901 & #902, go to the National AP website and download the appropri- ate forms appropriate for the model https://www.nmra.org/forms. Please read all the info on all the forms care-
1 off 1 off 3 off 1 off 1 off 2 off
Well
Master Builder – Structures Master Builder - Cars Association Volunteer Association Official
Chief Dispatcher Model Railroad Author
done to all.
To follow on from that, I would also like to encourage all those that vol- unteer their time to the NMRA to read the requirements for the volunteer certificate which you can find here: https://www.nmra.org/volunteer and here: https://www.nmra.org/official. Please download the forms and fill them in. You deserve this recognition even if you feel that you don’t want to aim towards your MMR!
All I would ask, is that all those having their time or work witnessed
  






































































   20   21   22   23   24