Gerald,
Thank you for taking the time to give detailed answers/explanations to my
"scandalous" question. <g>
Just a couple thoughts after reading them...
At 04:37 AM 6/22/2004, you wrote:
The 2005 Annual Meeting, Sept. 23-25, is NOT a joint meeting.
Semantics. All who read it knew what I was referring to.
As stated, there will be as much of a presence as we can encourage from
groups representing the Milwaukee, I.C. & CGW. Why? 1) the more
fans, modelers & collectors present, the more money to be made by
BRHS & those members selling/swapping, the more information to be
shared, etc. 2) the Q shared trackage rights with the IC & CGW,
shared a depot with IC, etc. 3) more dealers and mfg's are likely to
be present if a larger group is assured. Thus more for you to see &
do! 4) More area residents will attend (& spend money, share their
memories, etc) if there are more RR's represented. 5) More publicity
can be gained. 6) Most fans of any particular RR, whether the Q or
the Milw or whatever, usually have some interest in other RR's to the
extent that "their" RR shared something; i.e. Milw/Q had a Jt TT on
the north end of the LaCrosse Div & used each other as detour routes
along the Mississippi; the Q originally used IC to get to Dbq via
Forreston until CB&N was built; CGW/C&NW-Q had reciprocal switching,
etc. As for TRUE "joint meets", there have only been a couple, all
others were 100% under the auspices of BRHS.
I guess the relative validity of the above varies depending on what any
individual goes to the meets for (value). In my case, society membership is a
means to an end...that end being modeling of a fairly accurate representation
of the CB&Q in the late 1960's (subject to modeler's license, which is another
item varying by individual). Consequently, since I am not modeling other
railroads, or any to as great an extant as the CB&Q which is the "star of the
show", so to speak, I personally have no great interest in them whatsoever, at
worst, to only a glancing one, at best.
As I am more of a modeler than an historian, my primary reason for attending a
BRHS meet, then, would be to acquire models for, and information on, the CB&Q,
ranging from structures to rolling stock to historical "railroad paper" of the
line, providing it meets the desires of my main modeling context. I logically
feel the odds of acquiring Burlington items at a Society meet would be much
greater than at a swap held in any other venue. Having other railroads
repensented in the swap room should not hurt this availability, in my opinion,
UNLESS there is a physical space limitation which could limit the amount of
vendors able to display their wares, and/or this lack of available display area
or inclusion of non-Burlington vendors would limit or dilute the amount of
Burlington items any one vendor could transport to the meet.
IF you feel there was
some loss to BRHS members at previous BRHS meets due to other RR
Historical Societies being present, please share the specific
problems so thay may be addressed.
Ah, we're down to cases...
Streator Spring Meet a couple years back. This is the one I left halfway
through because I was so disappointed. As always, I went with expectations and
my "wish list" of items to look for at the swaps...and not a single item was
available. I remember the prior year's meet in Mendota where the swap tables
were dripping with GP-20's. At Streator I decided I needed another, and not a
single one to be found! Talk about feast or famine, but such is the
availability of items nowadays in our current atmosphere or "limited runs" and
"buy it now".
I know the above example doesn't apply to "the membership", in total, of
course. Though, in fact, I doubt if anything does as we all come to the
Society teat with different "needs" and expectations. So maybe it's all moot,
eh?
But the single biggest, as you put it, "loss to BRHS members at previous BRHS
meets due to other RR Historical Societies being present", again in my opinion,
is caused by the fact that there is a limited, finite time available for
presentations of clinics. Therefore, a discussion in a clinic concerning
anything OTHER than pure Burlington, shortchanges the membership (and is of
personally no interest to me). One case in point which comes to mind at the
moment, was a clinic in, I believe, Mendota a couple years back on Milwaukee
Road cabooses. I wonder how many didn't attend that one simply because it
wasn't Burlington Route related. THAT is a prime example of "some loss to BRHS
members at previous BRHS meets due to other RR Historical Societies being
present", as far as I'm concerned. Railroad "fans" are fiercely loyal to their
road, (witness current battle between U.P. FANatics and U.P. "detractors" over
the trademark/logo modeling fees hotly being debated in other venues as we
"speak"). And though many of us may be interested in other railroads, this is,
after all, the "BURLINGTON ROUTE Historical Society", and not the "Other
Railroads We Think You Might Be Interested in Historical Society".
Many of the points you bring up may be valid and achieve the ends which the
"powers that be" in the upper tier of the Society have decreed as desirable,
but are they the ideal "means" we want to employ to justify that perceived
"end" (or the ideal end, for that matter, in giving the members what they
actually prefer)? I think all decisions regarding Society goals and Meet
content should come primarily from the perspective of "Burlington First".
Let's not lose focus on what the Society is supposed to be or represent.
Thank you for "hearing" me out.
Paul (Kossart) - "The CB&Q Guy"
Peru, IL *USA*
Modeling 1960's in HO.
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