New eTAF and NWHS survey just now posted on line

[NW Mailing List]

Well, my comment seems to have generated a lot of heat, but very little light.  It makes one appreciate the difficulty in communicating when the parties to the conversation do not speak the same language.

First, let me point out that on page one of the survey, only one question is marked with a "*" denoting that an answer is mandatory.  Therefore it seems to make very little difference whether that question was referred to as "a" question or "the" question.  Since there is only one question requiring a mandatory answer, I am at a loss to understand how my meaning could have been considered unclear.

With that said, let me state that I do not disagree with the requirement that an answer concerning membership in the society should be required as a condition of submitting a completed survey.  But, we would not be having this exercise if it had been the last question on the survey rather than the first.  The net result would have been the same.

This is important to me (but apparently not to some others) because I insist that I be able to read - only read, not fill out - the survey from beginning to end before I begin to fill it out.  That is a lesson learned during fifty years of schooling and professional practice.  That is why I am willing to wait to see the printed copy of the survey.  Thank goodness the paperless society has not overtaken us yet.

Finally, the answer to the question concerning my membership is yes.

C. Chamberlayne


----- Original Message ----- 
  From: NW Mailing List 
  To: 'NW Mailing List' 
  Sent: Tuesday, July 02, 2013 8:19 AM
  Subject: RE: New eTAF and NWHS survey just now posted on line


  Mr. Chamberlayne,

   

  Your survey comment referred to "a stupid mandatory answer requirement." Because you used the word "a" rather than the word "the," and referred to page one, I didn't go back to the survey to attempt to determine what you were talking about. I was just asking for you to tell me what question you were talking about so it could be dealt with. My question would have been better phrased if I said:

   

  "Perhaps if you said what the mandatory answer requirement question is it can be fixed."

   

  Since the word "a" implies it might have been one among several you considered on page one, I didn't want to spend any time trying to determine what you were talking about, I just thought you could tell us. By the related responses, I assume you are referring to the first question that asks: Are you a current member of the Norfolk & Western Historical Society? 

   

  If you had written "stupid mandatory answer requirement to question 1," there would have been no doubt as to what you were referring to.

   

  While you may consider the question stupid, it is a fairly important question in understanding where the responses are coming from - members or non-members. If you had answered the question yes you would have gone to the survey, if you had answered the question no, you would have been asked have you ever been a member. At this question you could have answered - yes, no or no answer.

  The importance of this answer is if you were a member and left can we get a sense from the response how the NWHS failed to meet your expectations. If you were never a member can we get a sense of what your expectations are of a historic society. 

   

  The survey designers actually spent a lot of time determining how to phrase questions that elicited a maximum amount of information in a short, simple, easy to respond to survey. I hope you will help the NWHS be a better organization by filling out the survey.

   

  Alex Schust  

   

   

   

   

   

  From: nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org [mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Mailing List
  Sent: Monday, July 01, 2013 11:08 PM
  To: NW Mailing List
  Subject: Re: New eTAF and NWHS survey just now posted on line

   

  Mr. Schust,

   

  Yours is the only response to my comments that do not simply belabor the obvious.  However, I believe that something was missing from your response that might help me understand what you were saying.  Would you care to expand on your comment, please.

   

  C. Chamberlayne

    ----- Original Message ----- 

    From: NW Mailing List 

    To: 'NW Mailing List' 

    Sent: Monday, July 01, 2013 2:26 PM

    Subject: RE: New eTAF and NWHS survey just now posted on line

     

    Perhaps if you said what the mandatory answer requirement it can be fixed.

     

    Alex Schust

     

    From: nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org [mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Mailing List
    Sent: Monday, July 01, 2013 11:46 AM
    To: NW Mailing List
    Subject: Re: New eTAF and NWHS survey just now posted on line

     

    I tried to read the survey on the website but was not allowed to do so because of a stupid mandatory answer requirement that prevented me from moving beyond page one.  Good design!

     

    I guess I will wait to see the print version.

     

    C. Chamberlayne

      ----- Original Message ----- 

      From: NW Mailing List 

      To: 'NWHS Board of Directors' ; NW Mailing List ; 'NW Modeling List' 

      Sent: Monday, July 01, 2013 9:27 AM

      Subject: New eTAF and NWHS survey just now posted on line

       

       

      What are Your Interests in the N&W Historical Society?

       

             
           

      Any successful organization must meet the needs of its customers. A volunteer organization such as the NWHS, in order to attract and grow its membership (especially for a railroad that ceased to exist over 30 years ago), must ask itself if it is meeting the needs of its membership. A second part of that question is what do we need to do to attract more members.  Recognizing that we are a diverse group that includes former N&W employees, N&W railfans, current railroad employees, people interested in railroad history, people who grew up along the railroad right-of-way and many other people with different interests, a first step in this process is asking our members, "What are you interested in?" Another way to think of this question is to ask, "Why do you belong to the NWHS?" Perhaps it is something as simple as you like the 10 percent member discount from the commissary, or maybe it as complex as learning how the N&W treated water for its steam locomotives. Whatever it is, take the time to tell us.

      In order to stimulate your thinking, we are launching a survey with the print version of TAF. The Board of Directors asks that you fill out the survey and return it to the NWHS. You can also go online to http://nwhs.org/Survey2013 and fill out the survey electronically. You will also find a link to the survey at www.nwhs.org. Please submit your survey by October 31, 2013.

      We have designed the survey to cover a broad array of interests, and we have left space for you to fill in your own ideas in case we did not think of them. You will notice that we are trying to find specific information in some questions, but it is information you can provide by checking a box.

      We intend to use the survey to assess how we are meeting the needs of our members and to identify areas where we need to do more. We can only do this if you provide your input. 

      We will share the survey results with you. We will tell you what the survey told us and what we are doing to respond to the survey results.

       

                    NWHS Officers and Board of Directors

       

       

      You can take the survey electronically and read the July-August-September eTAF by going to the NWHS homepage at www.nwhs.org. Don't you want to be the first one to fill out the survey? 

       

      Alex Schust


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