This is kinda digging up an old thread, but I wanted to think about it since
I
didn't have a good answer right away, and even now, not sure that I do.
I can say with absolute certainty that the BRHS will change. Just to be blunt,
I'm probably one of the younger interested parties, and I'm a "2nd gen"
fan...the CB&Q went away when I was 6 years old. I like it now because of its
original ownership and history of the line that I used to live next to...but
I'm
not an expert nor do I have any personal experience with the Q. I actually
model the BN on my home layout.
You don't see an Hannibal & St. Joseph group. It's demise was so long ago that
it's interest stems from those who want to know a history of a particular
region, or a predecessor to a later railroad. You could start a H&StJ group,
but you'd have only a few members, and probably never get much
participation...certainly not enough to warrant an annual meet, much less 2 of
them.
How do you persuade a younger member to join? Typically, they have to have a
"hook"...family member who was part of the railroad, dad who is interested in
modeling the railroad, something of that nature. Those kinds of "hooks" get
farther apart the more time passes since a railroad packed it in.
I thought about the comment from someone that you'd never see a "merger"
between
the NP, GN & CB&Q groups. However, *I* have no animosity towards those groups,
and I'd say with certainty that if it came down to combining groups to keep
them
alive, I'd do it. I see no need to rehash some 50 year old arguments.
10 more years, and what will the Q look like? I don't know. We've got a
large,
fairly active population right now, which means that a lot of people are
forgetting that things always change and are happy to make hay while the sun is
shining. I think that if we want to keep the Q as an "active" group, we do
need
to keep in mind that not everyone who may want to join this group may be like
"us". You have to have a good product if you want others to "buy" it. If you
don't really care, sometime down the road you won't have a product to "sell"...
What's the answer? I still don't know. But I think an active membership that
is interested in "hooking" new members is a great place to start.
Just a few thoughts...
Cheers!
Jan
On 12/21/2009 2:19 PM, Robert McNay wrote:
> I"ve always thought the best way to get younger members is to make a club
> more relevant to them.
>
> I'm probably part of the last generation that sees groups like the BRHS
> relevant because of a direct experience, riding the CB&Q from Chicago to
> Quincy as a kid in the late 1960's. For most people younger than me, its old
> history. And, unless they are into history, it means nothing to them.
>
> So, how to make it relevant to younger people? Get involved in the present
> day. Maybe rail groups should make themselves heard and felt on matters like
> Amtrak's continued existence, and initiatives like Midwest High Speed Rail
> Corridor. If they can get people enthused over these things it would spill
> over into the history part, because there will always be a segment that
> want's see what led to it.
>
> Without making ourselves relevant, we will become just a bunch old folks
> pining over the past.
>
> Rob McNay
>
> --- On Mon, 12/21/09, Gerald& Virginia Edgar<vje68@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> From: Gerald& Virginia Edgar<vje68@hotmail.com>
>> Subject: RE: [CBQ] RE: exisiting BR steam locos& "10 Meets
>> To: cbq@yahoogroups.com
>> Date: Monday, December 21, 2009, 12:29 PM
>>
>> Tks Bob. Where BRHS falls short if membership
>> retention& attraction. EVERY officer needs to get
>> involved and frankly, membership should be THE topic of
>> every Business mtg. ALL things stem from mbrship:
>> money, volunteers, donations of memorabilia. Mbrship
>> is the lifeblood of any group, esp. one with a VERY aging
>> membership. I was college kid when I founded CB&Q
>> H.S. nee BRHS - am now 61! Overton, Corbin, Masterson,
>> etc are all long gone not to mention the vast majority of
>> former Q emp's. Al Holck is 80, Bill Glick's health is
>> marginal, etc. We need to act now to get all the mbrs
>> we can& somehow attract young guys/gals looking for a
>> 'fallen flag' to become THEIR interest. Hard job but
>> if we don't try, we die. Several rail groups have
>> "passed away" and frankly are are but a few yrs away from
>> doing so as well as a lot of mbrs will die (or become too
>> senile to keep a mbrship; I AM blunt!) in the next 10
>> yrs. With such a thin group of active mbrs what
>> happens when Dave&/or Hol suddenly croak or 'retire'?
>>
>>
>>
>> However I remain the optimist, we have a heckuva of a
>> "product" to sell IF we promote!
>>
>>
>>
>> We do very poor @ "marketing" BRHS with far too many mbrs
>> solely being dues payers. Any group (per sociological
>> studies) will only have a small % active, whether a church,
>> service club, etc but our % is far less than other special
>> interest groups. We need to fire 'em up! Thus
>> there is good potential to add mbrs& 'activate'
>> existing ones IF we have a plan& we activate it.
>>
>>
>>
>> Tks again& Merry
>> Christmas! gerald
>>
>>
>> Gerald A.& Virginia J. Edgar
>>
>> 230 W. 5th St.
>> Garner, IA 50438-1404
>>
>> (641) 923-2573 evenings& w/e's
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
>> From: cinnamonjunction@yahoo.com
>> Date: Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:05:10 -0800
>> Subject: Re: [CBQ] RE: exisiting BR steam locos& "10
>> Meets
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Gerald
>>
>> The Society needs to put you on retainer. You are a great
>> promoter of the BRHS and BRHS meets. I appreciate all you
>> do. Keep up the good work.
>>
>> Bob Grenier
>>
>> ________________________________
>> From: Gerald& Virginia Edgar<vje68@hotmail.com>
>> To: cbq@yahoogroups.com
>> Sent: Sat, December 19, 2009 11:47:21 AM
>> Subject: [CBQ] RE: exisiting BR steam locos& "10
>> Meets
>>
>> Lists of existing CB&Q (inc. C&S) steam locomtives
>> are either in Corbin's "Steam Locomotives. .." or "Burl in
>> Transition" (I forget which& am not @ home) and have
>> been repeated and updated in BRHS publications; may also be
>> @ the BRHS site.
>>
>> Folks - if you need CB&Q info/data, join BRHS& get
>> to a meet once in awhile. Plan your 2010 vacation now to
>> include a day or two @ Streator this spring or Geneva this
>> fall. Dates& locations are out well in advance so you
>> can plan at work and with the Mrs& kids.
>>
>> Both locations in Chicago area so either plan other parts
>> of your vacation by the Windy City or pass thru on your way
>> to& from ulitmate destination as Chicago area is still
>> a big crossroads! I-80/90 nearby, airports& Amtrak's
>> hub.
>>
>> Make it your 2010 Resolution (get to a Meet) and Christmas
>> gift to yourself (BRHS mbrship and a CB&Q book or two!)
>>
>> The clock is ticking. The mbrs who railfanned or worked for
>> the Q nearly 40 yrs ago are disappearing fast. You can NOT
>> do anything about the pics you never took BUT you can join
>> BRHS& get to a meet AND buy, for example, one of Bill
>> Glicks magnificent Q passenger car books, the Pea Vine book
>> mentioned recently, etc. Encourage our authors!
>>
>> Gerald
>>
>> ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________
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>>
>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>
>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------
>>
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>>
>>
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>>
>>
>>
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