The Future ?

Thu Oct 16 15:36:04 EDT 2014

Alex,

Prior to retiring I had experience working on corporate committees developing Vision and Mission Statements. Jimmy is dead on. Along with what he provided by way of NS I looked up a couple of guidelines (on the net) related to non-profit Vision and Mission statements that could add value to the Society's process.  

http://nonprofit.about.com/od/nonprofitbasics/a/mission.htm

http://www.conscious-governance.com/Nonprofit-Executive-Articles/Steven-Bowman/creating-strategic-awareness-from-your-vision-statement.html

As for my 2 cents........as has been discussed the trackage of the original N&W and Virginian certainly extended beyond the Central Appalachians but the post-1964 N&W system stretched a significant magnitude beyond that.   While being from SWVA I lived 8 years in Northeast Ohio due to AEP transferring my father to Canton and from that experience I firmly believe there is significant value for the Society to embrace, not ignore, the the history and operations of Lake and Western Regions of the post 1964 N&W.  Jimmy's revision -  in the development of the regions along their "Right of Way" -    would by default also include the post-1964 expansion of the N&W including the trackage of the former NKP, WAB, P&WV, and ACY.  (I'm sure the Archives have a lot of "stuff" relating to the expanded N&W too)  

There are many potential Society members that live in these areas that view the N&W not as an Appalachian coal hauler but rather as a railroad that served the agricultural and industrial mid-West hauling among other things autos, auto parts, steel, manufactured goods, and grain.  We need to assure we don't alienate them but rather reach out to them as a source of stabilizing and even increasing the Society's membership. 

Ed Painter - Born in Bluefield from Narrows, VA and living in Dahlonega,GA 

On Oct 16, 2014, at 8:20 AM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:

> Jimmy,
>  
> A discussion of the vision statement has been placed on the Oct 24/25 BoD meeting Agenda.
>  
> Alex Schust
>  
> From: NW-Mailing-List [mailto:nw-mailing-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Mailing List
> Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2014 8:23 PM
> To: NW Mailing List
> Subject: Re: The Future ?
>  
> Alex,
>     Doing away with the fluff and keeping to the subject at hand, which is the Vision Statement of the N&W HS, maybe we should look at the definition of "Vision Statement".
> One reads, and I feel that this is universal:
> 
> "A vision statement is a declaration of a company's goals for the midterm or long-term future. Ranging from one line to several paragraphs, a vision statement identifies what the company would like to achieve or accomplish. A good vision statement provides the inspiration for the daily operations of a business and molds its strategic decisions. Aspirational in nature, vision statements lay out the most important primary goals for a company."
> 
> Looking  at the N&W HS vision statement one more time:
> 
> “Over the next 20 years we intend to implement the steps necessary to establish and maintain the Society and its 
> Archives as the recognized, authoritative sources for information about the history and operations of the N&W 
> and VGN railways and their respective places in the development of the Central Appalachian region and in the 
> development of rail transport in general. As our resources permit, we intend to put in place up-to-date, proven 
> research technologies to make our collections available to the wider history and research communities.” 
> 
> This clearly discriminately targets the "Central Appalachian" region. In essence, separating it from the rest of the N&W/VGN systems and making it the aforementioned "primary goal". This is in direct contradiction to your item number 4 below.
> 
> Now, let us look at the NS' vision statement:
> 
> "The NS vision: Be the safest, most customer-focused, and successful transportation company in the world."
> 
> Nowhere in the NS statement do I see any one area singled out. In fact, it clearly states "in the world."
> 
> So again, I submit to you that something along the lines of the way I have changed the N&W HS Vision Statement below is more in keeping to the vision that we should be keeping.
> 
> “Over the next 20 years we intend to implement the steps necessary to establish and maintain the Society and its 
> Archives as the recognized, authoritative sources for information about the history and operations of the N&W 
> and VGN railways and their respective places in the development of the regions along their "Right of Way" and in the 
> development of rail transport in general. As our resources permit, we intend to put in place up-to-date, proven 
> research technologies to make our collections available to the wider history and research communities.” 
> 
> 
> Sincerely yours,
> Jimmy Lisle
> 
> On 10/15/2014 12:24 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:
> Some particular points:
>  
> 1)     Any member of the NWHS is eligible to present their candidacy to be on the Board of Directors or an officer of the NWHS. If elected by the membership any member can than become part of the “powers that be”  and make decisions that affect the direction of the NWHS. Three BoD members are elected every year and we are always looking for candidates. Additionally officers are appointed every year by the BoD from those who step forth and volunteer to serve.  
> 
> 2)     When you deal with history it is hard to assume that Event B would not have happened if Event A did not happen. If Event A did not happen there may have been an Event C that caused Event B to happen. As an example the N&W chartered the Guyandotte & Tug River (Event A) in 1903 to get from Clarks Gap to Wharncliffe via Pineville (Event B). By 1907 the route was surveyed and all of the right-of-way was acquired, but the railroad was never built. Pineville(Event B0 was developed because the Virginian (Event C) extended its railroad from Mullens to Gilbert.     
> 
> 3)     The N&W/Virginian had more effect on the development of the Central Appalachian Region than any other region, but if the N&W had not done it some other railroad probably would have simply because of the mineral wealth.
> 
> 4)     The vision statement does not give precedence to one region or another, but does recognize the prominent role the N&W/Virginian had in the Central Appalachian Region, The added statement “and in the development of rail transport in general” has equal weight in the vision statement.
> 
> 5)     The attached region map defines the Appalachian Region. In 2009 the region was divided into subregions. The 2008 Subregions Map shows the counties in each state defined to be in the Appalachian Region.  
> 
> 6)     In reality the NWHS does not concentrate on one region or another. We publish what volunteers choose to produce. The data items we enter into the data base are what we find when we open the boxes on the pallets. It would be difficult to say that all of the mechanical and structural drawings, photographs, and other data items are regional directed.  
> 
> 7)     I expect that many members have different interpretations of what is published and we always appreciate members suggestions.
> 
>  
> Alex Schust
>  
>  
>  
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