Presidents message December 2019

Hope you had a fantastic O scale 2 Rail filled Thanksgiving.

I’m going to start off this message with a reminder. It Is December 2nd as I write this.

As I hope the word has gotten out, our dues are going up from $10 a year to $24 starting January 1st 2020. I will not rehash all the reasons for this, it’s old news. But I will spend a couple lines reminding you that the $10 a year dues structure will be honored if you prepay for 2020 and 2021 before January 1st 2020. I hope this will be taken advantage of by many of you. Yours truly has already paid for 2020, 2021 for both my wife and I.

And speaking of 2020, another reminder that our 2020 SONC will be held in St. Louis in conjunction with the NMRA convention. The SONC part will be July 16,17,18. The NMRA event runs the 12 to 18th. The website is up and running. New information is being added on a regular basis. John Wubble, the convention chair and his executive committee and other volunteers are working hard to make this a successful convention. Check out the website at http://sonc2020.com

Well, 2019 is all but gone. My next Presidents message to you will be in 2020. So, I would propose that it’s time to start thinking about New Year’s resolutions and setting some goals to get there. I would challenge each of us to do something to help promote O scale 2 rail in 2020. I hope each of you will set some goals to get you to “promoter” status. My thought here is that this status would be someone who actively opens their layout to others. via a round-robin group, or just invites friends, family, neighbors those non-O scale2 railer’s you associate with. Maybe you attend non O Scale 2 Rail events and give a clinic or do a show and tell about O Scale 2 Rail. How do you help promote O Scale 2 Rail? Please share!

Elections!

I have asked that the “name change” be put on the ballot. I have heard form many of you, both opposed and those that are pro name change. Some that are actually demanding with the threat of wishing not to be a member of the organization that is so politically incorrect and brash enough to declare themselves as Central. So, here’s my stump speech: In my opinion (for what it’s worth). I personally have no problem with the name of O scale Central. It has never occurred to me that I am trying to show superiority by being member of an organization called the O scale Central. I understand that this name probably came about as an advertising concept and that’s fine with me. But honestly, the number one reason I am opposed to a name change is because of the expense involved and the possible risk of losing our 501© status.

Now there are others that can explain this much better than I, including what the benefits of being a 501© truly are and if we use any of those benefits. I do not know of anyone that has donated their collection nor do I think we would want to try to handle one, because of the tremendous amount of work involved in selling a collection. This, I think, I know a little bit about as I’ve been buying/selling/trading trains for at least 50 years. But I digress, this decision really needs to be made by the paid membership and not the Board of Directors. I feel that our duty is to respond to the needs and wants of the membership. I do not have all the details of the elections just yet, more details will be coming and we will send out emails and directions on how to vote. Please let me assure you that it is not too late to get your name on the ballot! We have a couple of board members that are retiring and new blood always helps an organization such as this. So if you know of someone, PLEASE, again, contact one of the Board of Directors or myself and nominate that person. If you would like to serve, please nominate yourself.

Thanks, Bruce

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