Large Scale Central

2020 Convention will be in ??????

Just found out who got the 2020 Convention.

Any guesses?

Nashville… it’s all over the forums… is this your fault doing Dennis? (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)

Dennis

I guess Nashville…because I posted it on the Atlanta thread a week ago last Friday. (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

https://www.largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/28324/live-from-atlanta-it-s-the-2018-ngrc?page=2

During the week of the convention Albuquerque (absolutely a no go), Amarillo, Dallas, Phoenix and Denver were also bandied about. At the banquet Friday night Nashville and Denver were the only ones left standing and Denver very clearly said no thanks. As you would expect Nashville won the vote unanimously.

I have seen Philadelphia also listed as a possibility but there was no mention of them at the convention and no representatives on hand.

I can’t get the New Mexico Garden RR Club to do a convention in Albuquerque but maybe I will do one here in Edgewood. It would be mighty small but on the upside we could have the BBQ dinner at my house. mmm BBQ (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

Damn you’re good Boomer!

I’m driving to your place for BBQ tomorrow…

Then the next day we can go see the annual Edgewood Father’s Day Car Show… Is it in the WalMart parking lot this year too?

oops, the community cowboy supper is tonight at Chili Hills… drat, going to miss it.

https://edgewoodchambernm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Cowboy_Cook.png.jpg

Greg

On Facelessbook someone suggested southern California, San Diego or Orange county, should host 2021, great idea, hope they can garner enough support to make it happen.

Yeah, we are ramping up our club in San Diego, has been a struggle, but in the last year we have increased membership by almost 50%.

It will take some time to reach our “former glory” but would love to host a convention.

San Diego Garden Railway Society: http://www.sdgrs.com

Greg

Time to get the web site filled in, most of it still in the Thai language: (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

http://nashvillegardenrailway.org/5-dich-vu-du-lich-thai-lan/

Greg Elmassian said:

Yeah, we are ramping up our club in San Diego, has been a struggle, but in the last year we have increased membership by almost 50%.

It will take some time to reach our “former glory” but would love to host a convention.

San Diego Garden Railway Society: http://www.sdgrs.com

Greg

Greg, and how does one increase membership. The NMRA division I belong to, and the other club I belong to, have been rather stagnant for years.

David Maynard said:

Greg Elmassian said:

Yeah, we are ramping up our club in San Diego, has been a struggle, but in the last year we have increased membership by almost 50%.

It will take some time to reach our “former glory” but would love to host a convention.

San Diego Garden Railway Society: http://www.sdgrs.com

Greg

Greg, and how does one increase membership. The NMRA division I belong to, and the other club I belong to, have been rather stagnant for years.

Location, location, location.

David, the answer is work.

Our club was on a downward spiral, I had not attended meetings for years. Then a friend convinced me to come to a meeting… I came to a few and there were 6 or 10 people there, no fun, no personal interactions.

Then a couple of members decided they were going to make a display at our county fair, where competitors are given a 20 x 30 or so area to make a landscape of plants and are judged on that, and years ago the club would do this plus add a garden railroad. These 2 guys did this whole project not only without help from the club leadership, but actually the leadership was fighting them, claiming they were not getting approval, this logo was wrong etc.

So I volunteered to help set up the layout at the fair (I built a 5 foot long trestle, never did that before) and everyone was complaining about the club leadership. I said instead of complaining, just run for office and get a few people on the board of directors (9 directors)… they groused a bit, and I shamed them into running saying stop bitching and do something.

The upshot is we got 5 members to run, hoping we would get a couple of people on the board. Well all 5 of us were elected and the 2 people that people wanted out we not re-elected. We have rejuvenated the club with people that realize that they have to take action and contribute.

We now have approximately 50% more members than when we were elected in October 2017. At the fair the year before we got no new members, at this fair we got not only about 20 new members, but a number of them even manned the display for the fair (it runs from early June to the 4th of July).

It can be done, but not by complaining, but by action and volunteering your time. We spend time thinking of how we can improve the club for the members, not sitting smugly in our seats because we are the “board of directors”…

Greg

Greg, I understand. I think the Div 2 of the NMRA will probably stay as is. The folks who go to the shows sit and talk with each other, leaving me and Paul to talk to members of the public. That usually gives a net gain of 0 new members per sow.

The South Hills Group is more personable, and occasionally we do gain a member or two. But we keep loosing members. One became wheelchair bound, and 3 have died.

I’m a little confused about the NMRA mention, as I do not see them as ever being very involved or helpful. Likewise I am in Z scale and similarly ignored.

But how the NMRA affects our hobby is nil in my estimation, this is a unique blend of gardening and outdoor life and trains, and the “slider” can move anywhere between a sophisticated garden with a loop of track to a complex operations layout with little regard for plants, to whatever you want.

But getting new members means you need to attract them somehow, and look at the changing desires of new, younger people.

I got a call last night from our volunteers at the Fair, and it appears that we will not have hit our goal of increasing membership by 50%, but we will have doubled our membership. The garden show is definitely a venu where we get that mixed crowd of people that like the outdoors and garden aspects.

Greg

Greg Elmassian said:

I’m a little confused about the NMRA mention, as I do not see them as ever being very involved or helpful. Likewise I am in Z scale and similarly ignored.

But how the NMRA affects our hobby is nil in my estimation, this is a unique blend of gardening and outdoor life and trains, and the “slider” can move anywhere between a sophisticated garden with a loop of track to a complex operations layout with little regard for plants, to whatever you want.

But getting new members means you need to attract them somehow, and look at the changing desires of new, younger people.

I got a call last night from our volunteers at the Fair, and it appears that we will not have hit our goal of increasing membership by 50%, but we will have doubled our membership. The garden show is definitely a venu where we get that mixed crowd of people that like the outdoors and garden aspects.

Greg

Well, I guess my math skills just aren’t what they used to be as that statement doesn’t make any sense to me at all. You have doubled your membership, yet failed to increase it by 50%? The other way around, I could understand, but I am struggling with this one. If membership is X…then your goal was 1.5X…but all you attained was 2X? I do NOT understand.

I suspect I just need a couple more beers? (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)

I left our local club, because all they wanted to do was run shows…and when they got to a show, they just wanted to socialize with each other, not the guests. When I brought in a model I was especially proud of, nobody said one thing about it - neither good nor bad. Yes, I felt out of place.

Our original goal was to increase by 50%… but I was kidding about failing since we increased by 100%…

I should have put some exclamation symbols to show it was clear we exceeded our goals.

We are making it a point to stop talking to each other (the board members) and talk to the new people and “mix”…

Yes, people form “cliques” and do not realize (or sadly do not care) that they are excluding others.

Our new Board completely understands we need involvement and to steer the club where the members are… if you looked at our home page, where it says “this site is for you”, we are serious…

Greg

Ah, THAT makes sense. Clubs generally are cliques…and it’s wise to recognize that, but it is human nature to talk with folks you know. “Cold calls” are difficult, but that’s really the only way to find new members - and heck, it’s not really a cold call if somebody is showing interest by coming to the show!

Always put yourself in the other guy’s shoes, new to the hobby anxious for information but maybe intimidated by the “clique”… have to put your money where your mouth is, if you want your club to be better, you make it better… it’s working here.

Greg

Heck, we can have the 2021 convention here in Ottawa, and not conflict with anything else by staging it on the frozen canal in January, or February…instead of BBQ we can have "Beaver Tails, and have bed races on skates on the longest skating rink in North America…trains…well we can visit the Museum of Science and Tech…

Get your passports ready, in case you are allowed to leave the USofA… by then you may all be fighting to leave…!!! (Oh; sorry…that was politics…me bad !!)

Fr.Fred

Heck, we can have the 2021 convention here in Ottawa, and not conflict with anything else by staging it on the frozen canal in January, or February…instead of BBQ we can have "Beaver Tails, and have bed races on skates on the longest skating rink in North America…trains…well we can visit the Museum of Science and Tech…

Get your passports ready, in case you are allowed to leave the USofA… by then you may all be fighting to leave…!!! (Oh; sorry…that was politics…me bad !!)

Fr.Fred

I’d bet the layout tours in the dead of winter would be a real hit.

Greg

Well, drat…Honolulu was off the list…