Hello John,
Could you contact me off list?
Verlin White, FCNGRy
--- On Wed, 9/8/10, John Manion <railbass@comcast.net> wrote:
From: John Manion <railbass@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [CBQ] Re: BRHS vitality
To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, September 8, 2010, 9:45 PM
Two items in which I am involved might help to get younger people interested
and involved here in Colorado. I am a foundation member and volunteer for
the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden. We have many activities which
appeal to the younger set, starting with these next three weekends in
Sept. We are one of the most active groups sponsoring the Thomas
activities. Before you complain about toys or cartoons, consider that this
is a very family event. Last year, we brought 23,000 additional paid
admissions to the museum in the six days of the Thomas events. It is well
publicized and marketed and draws much attention to the museum. I'm not
sure if IRM does Thomas, but it should. Other museums in the midwest do,
and it is an incredible fund raiser for each sponsor. I hosted last year,
and the youngest passenger on my car was a 7-month old in a stroller. What
could he get from this experience? His parents will show him tons of
pictures, and he may remember some strange sounds and motions. If they
show him video, even better.
I am also a member of the Nickel Plate Historical & Technical Society - I
first started growing up in Bay Village, Ohio - and the society is now
sponsoring a drive for modeling articles for the quarterly magazine. Many
of our younger members are building models, the prototypes of which were
long gone before they were born, and to have an article showing their
efforts is a great tool for retention and membership. With the modeling
market today, many items are available from which Q models can be made very
accurately. If we can do something to promote articles on Q models, that
might inspire our younger members and others who know the Q only through
books and magazines. I am now 65, and the Q ended when I was 25. I
remember the C&S vividly because it ran at the bottom of the hill on which
we and now I lived. Again, active support for museum activities would do
much to inspire others to join our hobby. I also work on two displays for
the Rio Grande Modeling & Historical Society and Friends of the Cumbres &
Toltec at the local train shows, and we have many interested visitors. We
need to publicize our hobby to the general public, to families, and to young
people. We also need to support local chapters of Youth in Model
Railroading. Our knowledge and expertise can help them do much more in the
hobby and develop their interest. The earlier we get them interested and
involved in the hobby, the better chance that they will remain interested
and active.
- John Manion
Denver, CO
On Wed, Sep 8, 2010 at 7:13 PM, Jan Kohl <j.kohl@wildblue.net> wrote:
>
>
> 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<vje68%40hotmail.com>>
> wrote:
> >
> >> From: Gerald& Virginia Edgar<vje68@hotmail.com <vje68%40hotmail.com>>
> >> Subject: RE: [CBQ] RE: exisiting BR steam locos& "10 Meets
> >> To: cbq@yahoogroups.com <cbq%40yahoogroups.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 <CBQ%40yahoogroups.com>
> >> From: cinnamonjunction@yahoo.com <cinnamonjunction%40yahoo.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 <vje68%40hotmail.com>>
> >> To: cbq@yahoogroups.com <cbq%40yahoogroups.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
> >>
> >> ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________
> >> _________ _
> >> Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection.
> >> http://clk.atdmt. com/GBL/go/ 177141665/ direct/01/
> >>
> >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >>
> >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> __________________________________________________________
> >> Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail
> >> Free.
> >> http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/171222985/direct/01/
> >>
> >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> ------------------------------------
> >>
> >> Yahoo! Groups Links
> >>
> >>
> >> CBQ-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com <CBQ-fullfeatured%40yahoogroups.com>
> >>
> >>
> >>
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CBQ/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CBQ/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
CBQ-digest@yahoogroups.com
CBQ-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
CBQ-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
|