Club dedication

[ironhorseman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bfsfabs

ironhorseman,
Regarding your 5) Resposibility

Do not forget to assign the adequate amount of authority necessary to accompli***he given task. Ya know, helpers, weapons, funds and a key to the club room. Like that.

Responsibility is way too often assigned WITHOUT the required authority. Leading directly to frustration and failure.

good point. i have had good and bad experiences in my orgaizations. sometimes one person would do all the work and complain that nobody helped. the next time we worked on spliting up responcibility until it worked.

i couldn't think of everything or include everything. we need more people to chime in on real examples that work. bascially, be a leader, get skills, and tweak it until it works.

i'm open to more corrections/criticisim/additions. i stand by my words but if something is wrong or needs to be changed i'm open to suggestions. i just want to point people in the right direction.

[ironhorseman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bfsfabs

ironhorseman,
Regarding your 5) Resposibility

Do not forget to assign the adequate amount of authority necessary to accompli***he given task. Ya know, helpers, weapons, funds and a key to the club room. Like that.

Responsibility is way too often assigned WITHOUT the required authority. Leading directly to frustration and failure.

good point. i have had good and bad experiences in my orgaizations. sometimes one person would do all the work and complain that nobody helped. the next time we worked on spliting up responcibility until it worked.

i couldn't think of everything or include everything. we need more people to chime in on real examples that work. bascially, be a leader, get skills, and tweak it until it works.

i'm open to more corrections/criticisim/additions. i stand by my words but if something is wrong or needs to be changed i'm open to suggestions. i just want to point people in the right direction.

[Anonymous]

How would i find a club that has operations other than on a night that i have to work. I want to get back into the hobby. And I live in Lubbock, TX.

[Anonymous]

How would i find a club that has operations other than on a night that i have to work. I want to get back into the hobby. And I live in Lubbock, TX.

[Anonymous]

I can see both sides of the coin on this issue. Last November I was looking to join a club for N-scale or Z-scalers. This group met every Saturday. However, Saturday is my only day off. Going down there every Saturday sort of messed that up. I didn't want to join something that I wasn't sure if I could give it my best.

I found some people in the group receptive and some just outright aloof and unfriendly. Perhaps it was because I"m a woman and they didn't want me in their boys club, but I really don't like to play that card. I just wanted to learn more about scenery. This club was really in trouble. I got to hear the scoop from both camps on what was wrong with the club. Both sides had very valid points. But the problem was that both sides were so far apart on their vision for the club and unable to meet somewhere in the middle. Eventually, the ones who wanted to see more organization and a better product put out at train shows left to form their own club. And quite frankly, one other reason that I didn't really want to continue with the current club was because the group that was left had no desire to put a quality product out at train shows.. Their modules were ratty looking and torn up. It's like living in a house for 15 years, you think everything looks great until you go to sell your house and the realtor hands you a reality check.

I'm still not in a train club, choosing to work projects as a joint effort with my boyfriend.

To the Ironhorseman, your comments about leadership came off a little heavy handed. I'm sure this was not your intent, but could be perceived as such. As a restaurant manager, I have to tell people what to do all day long. It's not always so much what you say but how you say it. Everybody wants to be treated with dignity and respect. I deal with teen-agers who have landed their first job right down to working with the Hispanics in the kitchen who have limited English skills and can have a real problem with a woman as an authority figure. The same guys who busted my chops 2 1/2 years ago now call me "tia" or aunt.

On any given day in any given group of people you will always have the worker bees and the slackers. Some people show up and they are just there, try to do as little and possible and pass off what they can to others. Then there are those who show up on time, leave on time - do no more or no less than what's expected. Then there are those who work hard, take on extra jobs and assignments. Learn more than what's expected. That's the way the world goes 'round.

Anyway, that's my dollar's worth. I may someday join a club, but for now I'll stay on my own.

Judy

[Anonymous]

I can see both sides of the coin on this issue. Last November I was looking to join a club for N-scale or Z-scalers. This group met every Saturday. However, Saturday is my only day off. Going down there every Saturday sort of messed that up. I didn't want to join something that I wasn't sure if I could give it my best.

I found some people in the group receptive and some just outright aloof and unfriendly. Perhaps it was because I"m a woman and they didn't want me in their boys club, but I really don't like to play that card. I just wanted to learn more about scenery. This club was really in trouble. I got to hear the scoop from both camps on what was wrong with the club. Both sides had very valid points. But the problem was that both sides were so far apart on their vision for the club and unable to meet somewhere in the middle. Eventually, the ones who wanted to see more organization and a better product put out at train shows left to form their own club. And quite frankly, one other reason that I didn't really want to continue with the current club was because the group that was left had no desire to put a quality product out at train shows.. Their modules were ratty looking and torn up. It's like living in a house for 15 years, you think everything looks great until you go to sell your house and the realtor hands you a reality check.

I'm still not in a train club, choosing to work projects as a joint effort with my boyfriend.

To the Ironhorseman, your comments about leadership came off a little heavy handed. I'm sure this was not your intent, but could be perceived as such. As a restaurant manager, I have to tell people what to do all day long. It's not always so much what you say but how you say it. Everybody wants to be treated with dignity and respect. I deal with teen-agers who have landed their first job right down to working with the Hispanics in the kitchen who have limited English skills and can have a real problem with a woman as an authority figure. The same guys who busted my chops 2 1/2 years ago now call me "tia" or aunt.

On any given day in any given group of people you will always have the worker bees and the slackers. Some people show up and they are just there, try to do as little and possible and pass off what they can to others. Then there are those who show up on time, leave on time - do no more or no less than what's expected. Then there are those who work hard, take on extra jobs and assignments. Learn more than what's expected. That's the way the world goes 'round.

Anyway, that's my dollar's worth. I may someday join a club, but for now I'll stay on my own.

Judy

[Anonymous]

It sounds to me like we have a good cross section of people with good and bad experiances in clubs. It is said that time heals all, we'll see. For now all should do what is right for them and what they feel comfortable with. Please do remember though, Model Railroading is supposed to be fun and when it is no longer, thats the time to leave it and seek something differant that is satisfying. I hope no one leaves the hobby but when it's time, it's time. It's not yet that time for me but politics and clicks are bad for this or any other hobby and I think that all would agree they have no place in our Model Railroading. It will only drive the younger people, just coming in, right back out again. Enough said...[:(][:(][:(]

[Anonymous]

It sounds to me like we have a good cross section of people with good and bad experiances in clubs. It is said that time heals all, we'll see. For now all should do what is right for them and what they feel comfortable with. Please do remember though, Model Railroading is supposed to be fun and when it is no longer, thats the time to leave it and seek something differant that is satisfying. I hope no one leaves the hobby but when it's time, it's time. It's not yet that time for me but politics and clicks are bad for this or any other hobby and I think that all would agree they have no place in our Model Railroading. It will only drive the younger people, just coming in, right back out again. Enough said...[:(][:(][:(]

[Anonymous]

One of our biggest problems is that the slackers own key parts of the layout. If they are left out, we can not set up. They do not care about the "presentation" we give the public. Their modules are either very ratty looking or not seniced at all ( I do not count some green foam sprinkled around as sceniced). The people with completed or with modules that show progress, can not build more to phase out the dead wood.
I hope discouragement caused by a club would drive people from the hobby but I guess it sometimes does. Some of us have talked about starting a new club. But we have too much invested and refuse to leave it to the dead beat members to "reap the benefits". ......that is if they even care!

[Anonymous]

One of our biggest problems is that the slackers own key parts of the layout. If they are left out, we can not set up. They do not care about the "presentation" we give the public. Their modules are either very ratty looking or not seniced at all ( I do not count some green foam sprinkled around as sceniced). The people with completed or with modules that show progress, can not build more to phase out the dead wood.
I hope discouragement caused by a club would drive people from the hobby but I guess it sometimes does. Some of us have talked about starting a new club. But we have too much invested and refuse to leave it to the dead beat members to "reap the benefits". ......that is if they even care!

[Anonymous]

I guess at some point, you and your group will have to come to that fork in the road regarding staying with your club or to move on. Which is more painful, working with these individuals or starting over? If you stay in this group of unmotivated individuals, you are throwing good money after bad. I'm not that informed on how clubs work, but I would assume that the modules that have been built stay with the club? Or are they the property of the person who designed and built it? Clubs and organizations flourish and are successful when everyone is on the same page and have a common vision of where they are going. But, all of this is easy for me to say, I haven't walked in your shoes.

I wish you the best of luck with whatever your decision is.

Judy
Dallas, TX

[Anonymous]

I guess at some point, you and your group will have to come to that fork in the road regarding staying with your club or to move on. Which is more painful, working with these individuals or starting over? If you stay in this group of unmotivated individuals, you are throwing good money after bad. I'm not that informed on how clubs work, but I would assume that the modules that have been built stay with the club? Or are they the property of the person who designed and built it? Clubs and organizations flourish and are successful when everyone is on the same page and have a common vision of where they are going. But, all of this is easy for me to say, I haven't walked in your shoes.

I wish you the best of luck with whatever your decision is.

Judy
Dallas, TX

[BRAKIE]

In my earlier post I forgot to mention the other things that makes the club I belong to a success.We do not count rivets..As long as your locomotive and cars have KD couplers,wheels are in guage and correct coupler height you are most welcome to run them on operation night..Now,all of our equipment is pooled..Any member or invited guest can run them.We make the new member (s) and visitor(s) feel welcome and at home...We always have free hot fresh coffee in the pot and ice cold pop for 50 cents...We as a club go rail-fanning,visit hobby shops,dine out,and go to train shows as a group...Above all we are friendly and not serious about the hobby as a rule and we do our best to put fun in the hobby.BTW politics's not allowed nor wanted...There is no big I's-and little yous..The member ship runs the club by popular vote.We do have officers that sees to the business of the club..BTW the officers have no more say then any member...

[BRAKIE]

In my earlier post I forgot to mention the other things that makes the club I belong to a success.We do not count rivets..As long as your locomotive and cars have KD couplers,wheels are in guage and correct coupler height you are most welcome to run them on operation night..Now,all of our equipment is pooled..Any member or invited guest can run them.We make the new member (s) and visitor(s) feel welcome and at home...We always have free hot fresh coffee in the pot and ice cold pop for 50 cents...We as a club go rail-fanning,visit hobby shops,dine out,and go to train shows as a group...Above all we are friendly and not serious about the hobby as a rule and we do our best to put fun in the hobby.BTW politics's not allowed nor wanted...There is no big I's-and little yous..The member ship runs the club by popular vote.We do have officers that sees to the business of the club..BTW the officers have no more say then any member...

[Trainnut484]

I once belonged to an HO modular group. The politics rubbed me the wrong way then, and after I left the club. I wasn't a sloucher in the group. Even though I didn't own a module, I paid my dues, attended the meetings, and helped set up and tear down the layout at shows. I also witnessed the problem of not all the members showing up, me excluded, to set up/tear down the layout. [V][V]

Another problem was that the members were not watching/monitoring their trains running on the layout. There would be a derailment and members wondering "Where's my train." Those exact members would be at the other end of the layout bs-ing with other members and not paying attention. It's bad when you have a member of the public come up to you and say "There's a wreck over there (points to part of layout and noone is around)." The term would be "rocking the boat." It was addressed in later meetings, but that should've been established on who's gonna be at the controls at a certain time, and monitor your train when it's running at the start-up of the club.

Now, certain members have branched off and formed their own clubs. There's also problems about meeting at the original club site. I'm glad I'm no longer a member of that club.[:D]

As mentioned before in this thread..POLITICS HAVE NO PLACE IN THE MODEL RAILROADING HOBBY.

When my wife and I buy/rent our first house. I plan on having a lounge type of place along with my layout in the basement for operating sessions. The ONLY rule would be..."Leave your ego at the door."

[Trainnut484]

I once belonged to an HO modular group. The politics rubbed me the wrong way then, and after I left the club. I wasn't a sloucher in the group. Even though I didn't own a module, I paid my dues, attended the meetings, and helped set up and tear down the layout at shows. I also witnessed the problem of not all the members showing up, me excluded, to set up/tear down the layout. [V][V]

Another problem was that the members were not watching/monitoring their trains running on the layout. There would be a derailment and members wondering "Where's my train." Those exact members would be at the other end of the layout bs-ing with other members and not paying attention. It's bad when you have a member of the public come up to you and say "There's a wreck over there (points to part of layout and noone is around)." The term would be "rocking the boat." It was addressed in later meetings, but that should've been established on who's gonna be at the controls at a certain time, and monitor your train when it's running at the start-up of the club.

Now, certain members have branched off and formed their own clubs. There's also problems about meeting at the original club site. I'm glad I'm no longer a member of that club.[:D]

As mentioned before in this thread..POLITICS HAVE NO PLACE IN THE MODEL RAILROADING HOBBY.

When my wife and I buy/rent our first house. I plan on having a lounge type of place along with my layout in the basement for operating sessions. The ONLY rule would be..."Leave your ego at the door."