News from National

National Election Results

From John Stevens, 2021 Election Administrator

President Gordy Robinson

Vice President Rick Coble

At-Large North American Director Chris Palermo

Eastern District Director John Doehring

Pacific District Director Rob Peterson

By-Laws Amendment Passed.

All Officers-Elect will assume their duties on Friday July 2, 2021 for a three year term.

I would like to thank all the members who make our elections possible. We have Nominating Committees and Ballot Committees in the European Region, the British Region, the Pacific District, NMRA Canada, and a National Committee in the United States. Together, all of those committees were able to assemble a great slate of candidates.

I would also like to thank all the candidates who volunteered to step forward and run for a National Office. The nine candidates were willing to give up many hours to serve the members of the NMRA. It is easy to sit around and complain about how things are being run, but it takes a special level of commitment to be a candidate for one of these positions.  I wish them the best of luck in their new positions.

Lastly, I would like to thank those who voted, and took the opportunity to determine who will be responsible for setting our national policies and leading this organization into the future.


 

From Christopher J. Palermo, Publicist – 2021 convention

NMRA 2021 Rails By The Bay, NMRA’s 2021 national online virtual convention on July 6-10, 2021, has several exciting announcements.

Click HERE for the latest.

Chris reports the following developments in planning this convention.

Jack Burgess MMR will present a clinic titled Photoshop Elements as a Modeling Tool. Join Jack for a detailed review of the Photoshop Elements software and learn insider tips about how to use it to plan and build models.

Clinic schedule updated. Clinics and layout videos will be offered daily, July 6-10, at 9:00am, 10:00, and 11:00. A break will be observed from 12 noon to 2:00pm, but layout tours will be available to view on your own. Afternoon clinics will be offered at 2:00pm, 3:00, and 4:00, followed by a dinner break at 5:00. Evening clinics will be at 7:00 and 8:00, and breakout rooms will remain open at 9:00 for socialization. Clinics nominally run 35-45 minutes.

Call for volunteers. The convention continues to need more volunteers to serve as: Clinic Track Moderators, Clinic Goes On Moderators, Information Desk Operators, Information Desk Operator Assistants and Breakout Room Moderators, as described below. These are low-tech positions and will include training so that you have the information you need.

Clinic Track Moderators – moderate the chat window (keep the chat on topic, promote discussion on the topic, encourage questions for clinician), share needed links with attendees, and encourage attendees to visit the breakout rooms. Sign up HERE

Clinic Goes On Moderator – moderate the meeting (keep the chat on topic, promote discussion on the topic, encourage questions for clinician, ensure all attendees get to ask questions), share needed links with attendees, notify attendees when next clinics are starting and encourage attendees to visit the breakout rooms. Sign up HERE.

Information Desk Operator – Share important information on screen, help direct attendees to breakout rooms and answer questions as attendees enter the Great Hall. Sign up HERE.

Information Desk Operator Assistant – assist the Information Desk Operator. Sign up HERE

Breakout Room Moderator – Circulate among the breakout rooms assisting attendees. Promote discussion among attendees, introduce people in breakout rooms, be welcoming, helpful and promote social interaction among attendees. Sign up HERE.


Notice of Annual Meeting

From Rick Coble, NMRA Secretary

The National Model Railroad Association, Inc. will hold its 2021 Annual General Meeting Sunday, August 15, 2021 at 3 PM EDT.

Due to the cancellation of the 2021 National Convention, the meeting will be held virtually through the video conferencing platform GoToMeeting. Registration is required to use GoToMeeting. Registration opens July 8, 2021 and closes August 1, 2021.To register, contact the Vice President Administration at VPresident@nmra.org

You may send questions to the President prior to the meeting. Questions may be on any aspect of the NMRA. Questions sent prior to the 2020 meeting touched on many topics, including standards, the Achievement Program, and conventions. Questions and answers to your questions will be posted on the NMRA website no later than August 13, 2021. Meeting minutes will be posted no later than Sunday, August 22, 2021.

Questions to the President should be submitted in advance to the Secretary, beginning July 8, 2021 and no later than August 1, 2021 at secy@nmra.org .


Partnership Program

 

The companies listed below give discounts to NMRA members when orders are placed using a special discount code. You can find descriptions of these companies and their products, links to their websites, and the discount codes on our Partnership Page at  nmra.org/partnerships . Remember you need to be logged into our site as a member to see the codes! Go to nmra.org/user/register to register your name on the website.

Our newest partners are listed in RED.

Bear Creek Model Railroad

CatzPaw Innovations

Clever Models LLC

CMR Products

Daylight Sales

Deepwoods Software

Deluxe Materials

Digikeijs

East Coast Circuits

Gatorfoam

Great Decals

Green Frog Productions

HobbyWorx Tools and Supplies

Hot Wire Foam Factory

K.I.S.S. Method

LaBelle Woodworking

LARC Products

Logic Rail Technologies

MAC Rail

Micro-Mark

Mine Mount Models

Miniprints

MinuteMan Scale Models

Model Railroad Benchwork

Model Train Catalogue

Modelers Decals and Paint

Motrak Models

MRC (Model Rectifier Corp)

Nick and Nora Designs

NScaleWorks

Old West Scenery

Ram Track

RR-CirKits

Rusty Stumps

Scale Model Plans

Scalecoat Paint

Scenery Solutions

Showcase Miniatures

Team Track Models

The N Scale Architect

The Old Depot Gallery

Tichy Train Group

Touch of the Brush

Train Installations

Train Show, Inc.

Trainmasters TV/MRH Store

TSG Multimedia

UGEARS

Unreal Details (Magic Water)

USA Airbrush Supply

WiFi Model Railroad

SMD Draft Minutes 11 April 2021

Minutes submitted by Clerk Harvey Heyser

Draft Meeting Minutes – April 11, 2021

Division members met remotely on the internet using the Zoom platform.  21 or so were present.  Because of the untimely passing of Superintendent Jerry Skeim, Assistant Superintendent Alex Polimeni conducted the meeting.  The Assistant Superintendent convened the meeting prior to the published start time for logging in.  During the lead-up to the meeting, long-time member Steve Green recounted some of his adventures in trying to start up a 3-D printing business in 2014 and how changes in the printing media and the curing process ended his hopes of becoming a “tech millionaire.”  The Assistant Superintendent called the business meeting to order shortly after the 2 pm start time.

21.4-1 Paymaster’s Report:  Paymaster Ray Price reported that the Division has $3668.40 in its bank account.  That amount reflects the Assistant Superintendent’s cashing of reimbursement for the holiday card (item #20.12-3).  The Paymaster reported that the Division’s sole source of income presently is the $70 to $75 received yearly from the National and the MER.

21.4-2 Clerk’s Report (Meeting Minutes):  The attendees dispensed with the reading/summary of the minutes (previously distributed by e-mail).  Ron Polimeni made the following motion (second by Ray Price):

Motion:  That the draft Minutes for the March 2021 meeting be approved as submittedThe motion passed unanimously.

Old Business:

20.10-3 Remote meetings:  The sense of the discussion was that remote (Zoom) meetings will continue through May (including the end-of-the-year election).

20.10-7 Virtual Raffle:  The Assistant Superintendent suggested postponing any action on the raffle until the fall of this year (2021) when new officers have taken office.  There was general agreement with that suggestion.

New Business: 

21.4-3 Superintendent Jerry Skeim’s Passing:  This extremely unhappy event was quite upsetting to all attendees, who expressed their grief at length during the meeting by recounting their experiences with Jerry.  All that is known at this time is that he may have contracted Covid while visiting his wife in the hospital, and after seeming to be on the mend, he took a turn for the worse.  The Assistant Superintendent has not been in touch with Jerry’s daughter Elizabeth, but some information has been provided by Bill Reynolds.  Because of Jerry’s wife’s illness, the family is taking things slowly at this time, understandably.  The Division will act as further information becomes available.

Jerry joined the NMRA in 1971.  He was 74.

Webmaster/Editor Tom Fedor has volunteered to pick up SMD materials from the family.  The SMD will publish a remembrance of Jerry in the MER Local.  Division members expressed their willingness to aid the family with the liquidation of his model collection.  Members should send cards to Jerry’s home address, which Webmaster Fedor will post on the SMD website.

In remembrance of Jerry and the many things he did for the Division, Alex Polimeni made the following motion (second by Garry Snook):

Motion:  That the South Mountain Division make a $150.00 donation in Jerry’s memory to the charity designated by the Skeim familyThe motion passed unanimously.

21.4-4 Running the Division:  According to the By-Laws, the elected officers and the Advisory Committee meeting during a Planning Meeting on March 28, 2021 (minutes distributed by e-mail), requested that the Assistant Superintendent step in to run the division because the Superintendent is “unable to serve.”  (Jerry had requested that Alex substitute for him at the March meeting.)

The members thanked Alex Polimeni for stepping back into the Superintendent’s responsibilities for the remainder of this meeting year (until the summer).

21.4-5 Nominations for the May Election:  The Nominating Committee reported that they have put out a call for volunteers willing to run for SMD offices, have engaged with members directly encouraging them to run, and will have a slate of candidates for the election.  In addition, any three (3) members can approach someone they would like to nominate and then, with that person’s permission, can pass the name to the Nominating Committee for inclusion on the ballot.

Ballot information will be published by e-mail.  Proxy votes should be forwarded to the Nominating Committee, who will forward them to the Clerk for voting during the election.

21.4-6 Memorial to SMD Members Who Have Passed Away:  Memories of those members were shared, and a suggestion was made that the Division pay dues for one or more new NMRA members as a memorial.  It was decided to table this discussion for the fall (2021) when the new officers take over.

21.4-7 Achievement Program News:  John Pursell has achieved his Master Builder Scenery award by remote judging.  He is now working on electrical and structures.

21.4-8 May Clinic:  Frank Benenatti will demonstrate making tree armatures using stranded copper wire.  He requested that members have 3 ft. of stranded wire cut into (4) 9 in. pieces, so they can make their own armatures as they watch him do it.

21.4-9 Selling Collections:  John Pursell reported that the Cumberland Model RR Club buys collections for resale.

Adjournment:  The Assistant Superintendant accepted a motion to adjourn.  The next meeting will be held remotely on May 16, 2021 (the third Sunday because of Mother’s Day) at 2 p.m.  The election for officers will be held at that time.  Members will be notified by e-mail.

Clinic:  Following the meeting, Bob Geldmacher presented a clinic on 3-D printing.  The PowerPoint for the clinic was distributed by e-mail attached to the 4-9-21 meeting announcement.  The pdf shows examples of 3-D printed objects Bob has made (some quite unexpected), a summary history of the technology, and a list of sources of further information.  Members are encouraged to review the pdf, which does a much better job of conveying the clinic than any short summary by this “technological caveman.”

Officer Candidate Announcement

The following members of your South Mountain Division are running for election for the 2021/22 term.

Division members should watch for a direct email that will contain instructions on how and when to vote.

Candidates for Superintendent

Jay Beckham

Jay Beckham
Like most of us, I started out in this wonderful hobby with a Lionel O Gauge train set, then an American Flyer train set. Then HO came out and I got serious about model railroading in the 1960s. My first MER convention was in Silver Spring, MD in the late 60s. I moved from the DC area to WV in 1977 and shortly after I joined the then-new SMD. I helped with the first Hagerstown MER Convention by designing a computer registration program on my IBM System 13. Later in the 80s, I served as Superintendent of the Division for two terms and in 1990 earned the Achievement award for Association Volunteer.
I modeled in HO until about 1997 when I changed to O scale. Currently modeling the PRR in Baltimore and the PRR on the Northern Central as well as a small bit of Baltimore Transit Company trolley line. We have four people now helping with the layout and I mainly work in designing and building structures using casting, laser cutting, and 3D printing. Also, most of the trackwork and the existing electronics are my work. However, we are currently reworking the CTC machine and building PRR signals to replace the existing 3 color signals.
I married Julie in 1963 and we have two daughters and son-in-laws, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. I am a graduate of the University of Maryland and majored in accounting and information systems.
Regarding the future of the South Mountain Division and the NMRA in general, I believe that attracting young people to the hobby is paramount. Our Mini-Con is a good example of a venue that does just that. But in addition, we need to get out into public spaces when that option again becomes possible and safe. Years ago, the division created a portable O scale module which we displayed and operated on several occasions. But then the interest lapsed and I donated the module to the Roundhouse Museum in Hagerstown. So we must make an effort in this direction or this division and model railroading may not survive us.

Alex Polimeni

Alex Polimeni
I have been a member of the South Mountain Division for almost ten years and have previously served as SMD’s Superintendent for three of those. As an experienced TT&TO dispatcher, model scenery builder, and painter of all things miniature, I have chosen 2021 to begin pursuing the title of Master Model Railroader. If elected to return to the Superintendency for another term, I hope to implement a robust agenda as SMD emerges from the recent pandemic era. With a focus on member-to-member communication and collaboration, and exploring safe re-opening for train shows, layout tours, and the 2022 Mini-Con, I want to give SMD a strong start in the coming decade.

Candidate for Paymaster

Raymond Price

Ray Price
I have been a member of SMD for 30+ years. I model in HO, and am interested in the late 19th to the early 20th century time period. The Western Maryland RR is my railroad of choice, before it came out of its bankruptcy.
I have served as the Division Paymaster for some time, but am still interested in serving in that capacity if you choose to support me in the upcoming election. Thanks for your support.

Candidate for Clerk

Harvey Heyser III

Harvey Heyser, III
As a scale modeler for 50 years or so, I have modeled in HO, O, and now large scale, specifically G scale (1:22.5), using gauge one (1-3/4”) track which represents meter gauge (I use it to represent 3 ft. gauge.). The three layouts I have started all got to the ‘plywood dragon’ stage and went no further.
I find early 20th century (before WWII) prototype railroads quite fascinating. My favorite is the Cumberland and Pennsylvania. Now that I am retired, I plan to model the C&P as a freelance, 1920s, coal hauling, narrow-gauge short line. Layout design and operations also fascinate me. Contacts made through the SMD have given me many opportunities to participate in both those activities.
I have been an NMRA member since the 1970s and an SMD member since returning to the Shepherdstown, WV area in the mid-1980s. I very much appreciate the SMD for the opportunities for fellowship and the chance to learn new things about our hobby.