Page 4 - NMRA Roundhouse March-April 2018

Volunteering is at the heart of what we do as the NMRA British Region. Volunteering literally makes the wheels go round for the whole British Region.
I’d like to pay a very warm tribute to Ant Quinlan who has given tirelessly over the past 18 months to the role of Region Sec- retary. His care, thoughtfulness and atten- tion to detail and insistence on due process have been exemplary. Sadly, due to issues of ill-health within his family, he has had to stand down from that role.
I’m delighted to welcome Peter Lloyd Jones as the new Region Secretary. Many of you will know that Peter formerly held this role and is therefore very well qualified to serve the Region and its BoD in this very important way.
I’m also delighted to welcome Life Member Carol Webb as the BR Nominating Committee Chair and the 2019 Atlantic District Nominating Committee Chair. If you are interested in serving on the 2019 Atlantic District Nominating Committee please email her on nominating_chair@nmra.org.uk
National BoD roles for 2019 election are coming up shortly. Submissions of candidate statements for the Atlantic District Director and Atlantic District resident candidates for At-large Worldwide Director need to be submitted to the Atlantic Dis- trict Nominating Committee Chair Carol Webb no later than 15 May 2018.
NMRA BR members are able to hold British Region volun- tary roles and be either a National BoD member or a Region BoD member at the same time. However, one cannot be both a National BoD member and a Region BoD member at the same time.
Thank you so much, too, to Gordy Robinson for so willingly agreeing to take on the role of NMRA BR Events Coordina- tor. Gordy has also suggested taking on the role of NMRA BR Media Coordinator, a role he already fulfils for NMRA National.
As President, I envisage Gordy developing these roles in consultation with the BoD as we endeavour to involve the Region, its members and groups in sharing not only know- how and friendship but of knowledge of what is going on, when and where!
I’d like to add my own very warm thanks to Robin Swan, Michael Ingham, Michael’s family and their other dedicated volunteers for their collective hard work in putting on the fan- tastic Benson event in January 2018 to those of Vice Presi- dent Charles Hendy in his ‘From the Head End’ on page 5.
Benson is a tremendous annual event: a great gathering of friendship and fellowship and a wonderful start to the New
Year! For future years we really do need new volunteers to help with the physical setup and take down on the day if this event is to be able to
continue.
The Benson meet was also an opportunity for a brief British Region BoD meeting. Top- ics included a discussion on the Achievement Program and the forthcoming Achievement Program Assessor Training proposed by Achievement Program Chair Keith Webb. Please read his article on pages 22 and 23 and volunteer for these important roles. Fu-
ture Region conventions were also discussed along with the review of the member database in relation to membership renewal issues.
A week later I had the privilege of being hosted by Jonathan and MaryAnn Small in their lovely home on the Wirral where I was privileged to see Jonathan’s fantastic N scale Great Northern Empire with its stunning scenery, beautiful detailed scratch built N scale engines and exquisitely detailed fascia panels with trains being operated to timetables through night and day with beautiful night effects and stunning mountain scenery.
Many congratulations to British region members Pete Colton and Paul Harman on their role in the track laying ‘D team’ taking part in the multi-part TV extravaganza ‘Biggest Model Railway in the World’ following the 74 miles (!!) of the Great Glen Way from Fort William to Inverness!
And now there is the forthcoming Great Model Railway Challenge! See their full page ad on page 19. I’m hoping that the NMRA British Region can put together a team to demon- strate a wide range of fantastic modelling skills, celebrating our diverse and creative membership, share know-how and promote North American model railroading in the UK! Watch this space!
I’d like to pay a special tribute to Roundhouse Publisher and Editor Peter Bowen for his fantastic work over this past year in bringing forward Roundhouse. Each issue takes over 50 hours of preparation. As I write, the April issue is completed and about to go to the printer, the June issue is well under- way and the August issue has been started.
So, Peter, as President, I am very grateful indeed to you for all that you do for the NMRA British Region both as Mem- bership Director and as Roundhouse Publisher and Editor. You have raised the standard of Roundhouse immeasurably. It not only looks fabulous but your care and thoughtfulness in commissioning articles and your judgments of balancing prototype and modelling articles is impeccable.
David McLaughlin
President NMRA British Region
New Secretary Elected
Good news! Following the receipt of one nomination, Peter Lloyd-Jones has been duly elected as British Region Secretary, effective from 31 January 2018.
Rai Fenton Ballot Chair.
4 ROUNDHOUSE - April 2018