Convention Scheduling

[NW Mailing List]

That was my point, your fall excursions are exactly, one of the types of exposure, to enthuse youngsters in railroading that can be enjoyed as a family riding the rails, along with other forms as mentioned, visiting railroad museums, having books/magazines/videos,DVD's and railfanning/trainspotting and going to train exhibitions, parents own layout and models as well as riding preserved steam in a fairly safe enviornment.  Many convention outings/visits we share are 'off limits' to the general public and perhaps health and safelty is an issue for children. Whereas the included 'on limits' convention trips i.e. Strasburg, Spencer shops etc., Museums and railfanning in the area that a convention is held, all that is there all year round to enjoy, as open to the public and families at other times also.

Who said NWHS conventions were only for a bunch of grey haired and bald men to gather and talk about the good old days of railroading, I'm blond and like trains too!!!  Certainly historical societies need to attract new members to survive, therefore fuelling interest to younger potential future members by continued exposure to all of the above ways of train related interest as a family, is a good way future members may come to our historical society, but not necessarily only, by the format that the NWHS convention offers. Enough anyway, most of the core convention activities are over the Fri/Sat and Sun morning..........1 school day missed/1 day off work on the Fri and the Sat/Sun weekend and the convention can be enjoyed anytime by all.
Everyone will have differing opinions, outlook and requirements but the committee and convention hosts do a jolly good job, putting on a splendid and enjoyable programme and trust recent posted issues on this subject of convention dates has not offended folk.
Regards 
Richard and Ann Hood  England

From: NW Mailing List 
  To: NW Mailing List 
  Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2006 5:34 PM
  Subject: Convention Scheduling


  There has been a lot of discussion about moving N&WHS conventions to the fall. Numerous Society members who normally attend conventions are also members of other railway historical organizations who run excursion trips in the fall, and would not be able to attend fall conventions. I am a member of the Old Dominion Chapter, NRHS. We run fall foliage excursion trips three weekends in the fall. The weekends preceding the trips are committed to ticket sales and maintenance of the equipment to prepare for the excursions. These excursions serve several purposes. First, they are a major source of revenue for the Chapter's historical preservation and restoration efforts. Second, they provide an opportunity for people to experience a trip on vintage passenger equipment. Third, they provide an opportunity for many children to experience their first train ride. This is very important as we have a generation growing up who might never experience a train ride otherwise.

  Expanding on that line of thought, I saw a comment posted recently that the conventions are for rail historians, not for children. Let me clarify that I am an old bachelor with no children, so it doesn't affect me directly, but if the purpose of these conventions is only for a bunch of gray haired and bald men to gather and talk about the good old days of railroading, there will be no conventions, or even railway historical societies a few years down the road. The only way the historical societies can survive is by attracting younger members. That certainly will not be accomplished by keeping children, the potential future members, and their parents, who are the current younger members, away from the conventions. The more exposure the children get to railroads and railroading, the better the chance that the railway historical organizations will survive.

  Nelson Burks


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