Are NMRA local meetings worth the time?

[Bill H]

Group:
Don't want to start a flame war with this question but I would like the opinions of those NMRA members as to whether they attend their local meetings - and were those attendances worth their time.

I have been a NMRA member for some time and do use their archives for research, and do enjoy the national conventions where I have to opportunity to attend some quite good presentations - which  as I can choose what I attend, are of value to me. Obviously the most significant difference between my attending national conventions  and attending local monthly meetings is that national conventions have a large selection of presentations to choose from, and I am not from the "entitlement generation" that fully expects everything to be tailored to their specific expectations, so I am not surprised and nor disappointed if none of the local meetings have any presentations in areas of my specific interest. I was certainly not surprised that my mentioning that I was modeling in N scale was met with some derision, I expected that, and have always assumed that many things from other scales remain applicable to N scale.

Nonetheless, I really wonder about continuing to attend. Most have rather reminded me of long ago Boy Scout meetings with scouts getting their merit badges, and elementary school "show and tell" sessions, and discussions for elections for every possible post under the sun so that everyone does have an opportunity to be elected to something. There seems to be little else of substance other than merit badges, show and tell, Roberts rules of order, and a good ole boys night out. To drive an hour each way to a meeting, and spend two hours with little substance other than what I have already described, I am indeed wondering if I should continue.

Is this something specific to my region or have others experienced something different?

Kind regards,
Bill

[Blazeman]

I have attended several Phila Div meetings in the last year or so including one that's an annual joint meeting with the S Jersey Div. Always several clinics or presentations on the docket and  modeling displays. Recent presentations that were very interesting and in great depth covered the new developments in lighting structures and layout sections and another on 3-D printing developments with numerous samples of work that is possible depending on the equipment used.

One personal favorite was a presentation on rail operations and facilities in Tuscaloosa in the late 60's/early 70's. Given that's when I was attending school there, it was quite enjoyable. I had forgotten about some of the features of the area.  But that it was presented in Haddonfield, NJ was surprising.

The meetings are always concluded early Saturday afternoon so attendees can grab lunch and visit layouts that are hosting the members that day.

Now as far as N, still the forgotten step child. But that's a numbers thing. Same could be said by the narrow gauge people. On the other hand, Bill Fagan is always present at the meetings....Bill being a N man and known for all his layout videos he's done in the last few years.

[conrail98]

I have attended several Phila Div meetings in the last year or so including one that's an annual joint meeting with the S Jersey Div. Always several clinics or presentations on the docket and  modeling displays.

One personal favorite was a presentation on rail operations and facilities in Tuscaloosa in the late 60's/early 70's. Given that's when I was attending school there, it was quite enjoyable. I had forgotten about some of the features of the area.  But that it was presented in Haddonfield, NJ was surprising.

Me too and that Tuscaloosa one was amazing as were the WIP ones, especially Mike Prokop's LED light strip demo and someone was showing scratch-building techniques with N-scale materials!

To add to what Blazeman says, it does rally boil down to how your Division interacts with membership. We happen to be near 3 active ones (counting the New Jersey division). I wish I could go more but right now their meets coincide with what is becoming a tradition with my daughters, kids clinics at the local big box stores. If I can get to one, I go, even if it's just to meet other members of the division outside of my normal operating circle,

Phil

[Denver Road Doug]

I don't have a lot good to say about the NMRA, but I will say that the local meetings were GREAT.   Very enjoyable and met a lot of good folks that way. (and some...well I'll stop there.    )

[atsf_arizona]

I think it's fair to say that NMRA local meetings vary in quality, content, excitement, value.  All a function of what the local Division or Region is like, and more specifically, the personalities of the people involved.

For what it's worth, the quarterly very large Coast Division meets of Pacific Coast Region of NMRA were pretty decent meetings for the years I was living there and involved ( 2005 - 2012 ):



http://www.pcrnmra.org/coast/contest.shtml

Your mileage will vary depending on your area. 

[w neal]

My local meetings are rather close by (30 minutes), so perhaps that gives me an unfair perspective. Our local meetings are held during "train season" (Sept. through May?). Lately, there have been a couple summer excursions to visit several layouts in the region. I seem to only attend the meetings where a topic that interests me is offered. Sometimes though, I just can't give up a Saturday afternoon to attend. Our group is smaller. Perhaps that gives them a different perspective also. Everyone attending is welcomed equally. There really is no "good ole boys" club. I suppose a group's leadership makes all the difference. Rather than send out a monthly mailing, our group sends out one via email. I look ahead and see what topic is covered and what layout is visited after each meeting before I decide to attend. Perhaps that gives me an unfair advantage as well.

I attend the meetings about 3 times per season. I have made some good aquaintances, and have learned, or aquired modeling ideas from these meetings. Using this schedule, its worth it for me and they have much to offer.

The other fun thing is when they ask you to host a "layout viewing" after one of the meetings. I've even been asked to give a talk or two.

Another key thing is that they are just glad to have you there. They really are not concerned with your memebership being up to date, or even if you are an NMRA member.

I still very much like to attend the meetings,as infrequently as I do.

[casmmr]

It all depends upon your local division and how it is run.  Some offer clinics every meeting, others rarely.  You can visit a local division 3 times according to the national before you must join.  This is due to insurance requirements.  So visit your 3 times and see if you think it worth while.  Also, remember, the division is only as good as the volunteers that create the programing.

[Rossford Yard]

It depends.  I am with Denver Road Doug, and the last few years of ft. Worth meetings have generally been good, and they look for good topics. I think they ought to just go with more home layout tours when they run out of ideas.  We went over to one meeting on the Dallas side, and that seemed even more active and dynamic. 

For years, however, the meetings had been a bit stale, so it really depends on the leadership. 

[JMaurer1]

When I was in the Pacific Coast Div. missing a meeting was really missing something. They did a great job. Now that I'm not close to the meetings, it's just too far to travel...

[fifer]

They would all suck if we don't go to them. The NMRA is for all of us and we make it what it is. We use our votes and our skills as well as our time to make a difference.
If I and our club members did not go, our area would not know that N Scale existed!!!
It is not what you get out of the NMRA it is all about putting in and supporting.
IMHO
Mike
 

[randgust]

The local NMRA group I used to attend was pretty good, and the local layout visits were fun.  Made some good friends although I was the token "N scale guy".

But 'way back when' the regionals were so HO-centric that the only way I was ever going to make the achievement program was to change scales.  Wasn't about to do that.    I was pretty much the only serious N scaler in the region that was doing scratchbuilding.   At that time, for that region, they simply didn't know what to do with me - particularly the judges that had never seen N in a contest model (so, do you deduct for missing brake rigging on a scratchbuild N freight car or not?).

Frankly, today, I have to do so many extra hours and so much travel time for railroad business purposes that it kind of takes out the drive to find anything more to pursue it on a volunteer basis.   Whatever free time I do have is spent relatively productively making my N scale kits.   Nothing against the NMRA, and I even have a good friend that one of the executives of the organization, but I let mine expire.

[Bill H]

It is not what you get out of the NMRA it is all about putting in and supporting.
IMHO
Mike

Mike:
I can certainly appreciate that local meetings can be quite important for a vendor like yourself. There was at least one vendor presenting new products at the few local meetings I attended. Certainly a good place to work the room, so to speak and get some face time with potential customers.
Regards,
Bill

[fifer]

Mike:
Certainly a good place to work the room, so to speak and get some face time with potential customers.
Regards,
Bill

Thanks Bill but I only have a couple guys that buy from me and they are not NMRA and when we had HO only 2 guys bought from me so I do it because I think we all owe the NMRA for getting us to where we are today. Can you imagine what this hobby would be like if there was no structure to it?
IMHO again.
Mike

[Ike the BN Freak]

Went to a local one not too long ago, for me, wasn't worth the cost to get in...when I went to one a few years ago, that one was pretty good.

[peteski]

Can you imagine what this hobby would be like if there was no structure to it?
IMHO again.
Mike

There is a possibility that U.S. manufacturers would have created a consortium to come up with a set of standards.  Like it happened for computer or home entertainment items (like DVD, HDMI, USB, MPEG, JPG, and lots of other standards).

Plus NMRA is U.S. based and yet models made in other parts of the world (like Europe and Japan) seem to be pretty compatible with each other and model railroading is a thriving hobby there too (without specifically adhering to the NMRA standards).