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 Post subject: NRHS Elects New President
PostPosted: Mon Aug 25, 2014 6:11 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 1:51 pm
Posts: 11482
Location: Somewhere east of Prescott, AZ along the old Santa Fe "Prescott & Eastern"
Members of the National Railway Historical Society have elected Al Weber as their new president. He will succeed current President Greg Molloy, who has served in that capacity since 1994.

Weber won with more than two thirds of the vote. In the certified results, there were 1,869 votes for Weber, a write-in candidate nominated in an e-mail campaign by chapter members, and 1,321 for Molloy, according to NRHS Secretary Bob Ernst.

The term for the newly elected Board members begins at the Board of Directors' Meeting held at the Fall Conference in Johnson City, TN, November 14 - 16, 2014.

A report from the Electoral Committee including the vote totals by District will be available on the NRHS admin site shortly; a total of 9,708 ballots were mailed to the membership. A notice will be sent with the link when it becomes available.


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 Post subject: Re: NRHS Elects New President
PostPosted: Mon Aug 25, 2014 6:49 pm 
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Location: Pac NW, via North Florida
Alexander D. Mitchell IV wrote:
Members of the National Railway Historical Society have elected Al Weber as their new president. He will succeed current President Greg Molloy, who has served in that capacity since 1994.
No big shock there. Can't say mich on Molloy one way or another, but with the way things are going with the NRHS overall, I'd expected what is most likely a panic move no matter who that position.
Alexander D. Mitchell IV wrote:
The term for the newly elected Board members begins at the Board of Directors' Meeting held at the Fall Conference in Johnson City, TN, November 14 - 16, 2014.
Interesting choice for a meeting. Great place, right in Tweetsie country...

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 Post subject: Re: NRHS Elects New President
PostPosted: Mon Aug 25, 2014 7:11 pm 

Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm
Posts: 2875
Alexander D. Mitchell IV wrote:
Members of the National Railway Historical Society have elected Al Weber as their new president. He will succeed current President Greg Molloy, who has served in that capacity since 1994.

Weber won with more than two thirds of the vote. In the certified results, there were 1,869 votes for Weber, a write-in candidate nominated in an e-mail campaign by chapter members, and 1,321 for Molloy, according to NRHS Secretary Bob Ernst.

The term for the newly elected Board members begins at the Board of Directors' Meeting held at the Fall Conference in Johnson City, TN, November 14 - 16, 2014.

A report from the Electoral Committee including the vote totals by District will be available on the NRHS admin site shortly; a total of 9,708 ballots were mailed to the membership. A notice will be sent with the link when it becomes available.


Seems like there's a backstory here. Nearly 2,000 votes for a write-in candidate. If he was so popular, why wasn't he on the ballot?


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 Post subject: Re: NRHS Elects New President
PostPosted: Mon Aug 25, 2014 7:18 pm 

Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 11:07 am
Posts: 630
Bobharbison wrote:
Seems like there's a backstory here. Nearly 2,000 votes for a write-in candidate. If he was so popular, why wasn't he on the ballot?


While the NRHS bylaws allow write in candidates, anyone who was a member and looked at the ballot that came in the mail (or even better voted), knows Al was not a write-in candidate.

As often happens on this forum, some people post messages without checking that their facts are accurate.

Bob H


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 Post subject: Re: NRHS Elects New President
PostPosted: Mon Aug 25, 2014 8:09 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 1:51 pm
Posts: 11482
Location: Somewhere east of Prescott, AZ along the old Santa Fe "Prescott & Eastern"
Okay, I stand corrected--what I remember was getting quite a slew of e-mails from others in the NRHS advocating for Weber--or, more accurately, advocating quite heavily against not just Molloy but the entire administration under him.

It might be worth asking, since someone seemingly has the "facts" at their disposal, how long it's been since there has been an opposition candidate.........


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 Post subject: Re: NRHS Elects New President
PostPosted: Mon Aug 25, 2014 8:29 pm 

Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2007 12:45 am
Posts: 1010
Bobharbison wrote:
Seems like there's a backstory here.

The position of President was the only contested seat in the election.

For what it is worth, my vote was 100% based upon the NRHS 2014 Election – Candidates’ Biographies & Statements President (2014 – 2016) that was snail-mailed out to members.

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 Post subject: Re: NRHS Elects New President
PostPosted: Tue Aug 26, 2014 3:56 am 

Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:10 am
Posts: 2499
I wish the new prez all the best. It is a tough job.

Many of my pro-NRHS friends have already opted out of the Vermont 2015 convention. No steam = no go.

What remains to be seen is if the NRHS membership supports rail history or just steam ops. I have no judgment either way, but the answer will be telling.

I have done a bunch of trips scheduled for the convention, so it isn't "new" to me, but the Vermont Rail System provides a 1-2 punch of interesting routes and good equipment. Add in a "buff friendly" attitude and I bet it will be a good show. If you haven't experiences the VRS, you are in for a treat! And there is steam awaiting just outside of the convention footprints.

But if attendance reflects first impressions, I am concerned.

We don't need the NRHS, per se, but we need a lobbying group of similar import. I'd rather see the NRHS evolve than fade away. Let's give them a chance, eh?

Rob


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 Post subject: Re: NRHS Elects New President - Etc.
PostPosted: Tue Aug 26, 2014 9:24 am 

Joined: Tue Jul 02, 2013 10:45 pm
Posts: 300
It is always amazing what will "prevent" someone from attending an NRHS convention, or any rail convention. It is very obvious that many railfans are very focused on a tiny segment of the hobby, and just can't handle anything outside their tiny interest (a major challenge for the NRHS). For example, one person vocally protested on a number of websites a convention on the Arkansas & Missouri earlier this year because an EMD was on the property. Every convention train ran with Alcos, and most of the freights did too, including ones we did photo stops for. However, that EMD just "prevented" him from attending.

The same for steam, F-units. etc. I've heard protests from all of these special interest groups that if we don't have an entire convention based around [1] steam, [2] F-units, [3] E-units, [4] electric trolleys, [5] subways, [6] narrow gauge, [7] anything within 5 miles of their house, [8] $5 tickets, etc., they won't attend. We actually had a person complain that there were no subways to ride at the Iowa convention, and another that they don't go to those unsafe east-coast states like Iowa (yep, I still have the e-mails). We actually had a number of people refuse to attend the Arkansas convention because that was were Walmart is from. Me, I look for interesting rail routes that I haven't ridden much.

One thing I've learned is that you can't please everyone, but you can try to include many different types of events at a convention. At Arkansas, the photo freight, a rare NRHS convention activity, was sold to the max (we actually added capacity to it) with a younger than normal group of participants. Shop tours are popular, but difficult to schedule (the Alaska Railroad gave great tours and basically said it was ours but don't get hurt). Steam does draw more people, but often at a huge expense. However, the demand that we bring in special equipment often comes from folks that just don't know what the costs of doing this are.

The Vermont Rail System is really letting us do some nice trips, and for those who have never ridden the railroad, here is a chance to get a great deal of it. For those who have, it is still a nice railroad with some interesting events.

Think about all of these issues just for a convention - then multiply them as you try to look at an organization like NRHS. 140 chapters, each with a regional bias and many with a specialization with a number with competing museums and excursion operations, is a hard thing to try to coordinate.


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 Post subject: Re: NRHS Elects New President
PostPosted: Tue Aug 26, 2014 1:21 pm 

Joined: Mon May 24, 2010 10:22 am
Posts: 548
If the Convention included 844 Cab Rides for everyone over Sherman Hill, some "COF" would complain that it was not 3985.

-Hudson


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 Post subject: Re: NRHS Elects New President - Etc.
PostPosted: Tue Aug 26, 2014 10:03 pm 

Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:10 am
Posts: 2499
Bartman-TN wrote:
can't handle anything outside their tiny interest (a major challenge for the NRHS)


I wouldn't call steam buffs a tiny interest, but I do love your other examples. It's nice to know Iowa is the east these days! LOL.

Rob


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 Post subject: Re: NRHS Elects New President
PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 12:28 am 

Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2011 9:40 pm
Posts: 840
As a 44-year NRHS member who knows Al Weber, this is not a bad thing.

And, as I've told him, I think one of the things NRHS could do to help cut down on both costs and the perception that there is a "Royql Family" running the place, would be to get rid of the Board meetings that occur in the fall, replacing those meeting with a conference call or Skype.

Those things have taken on the appearance of a mini-convention for the officers and Board members.


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 Post subject: Re: NRHS Elects New President
PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 1:06 am 

Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm
Posts: 2875
Lincoln Penn wrote:
As a 44-year NRHS member who knows Al Weber, this is not a bad thing.

And, as I've told him, I think one of the things NRHS could do to help cut down on both costs and the perception that there is a "Royql Family" running the place, would be to get rid of the Board meetings that occur in the fall, replacing those meeting with a conference call or Skype.

Those things have taken on the appearance of a mini-convention for the officers and Board members.


I presume the board spends a lot of time and effort running the organization all year long. Do they pay their own way to the board meeting, or does the NRHS foot the bill? If they pay most of it themselves, I don't see an issue with them getting some special perks for all the hard work they put in. Should be some reward for all the work.

Don't forget, these tend to be mostly volunteer run organizations, and while some of them use management organizations that get paid to handle things like dues and publications, most of the work is done for free, correct?


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 Post subject: Re: NRHS Elects New President
PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 7:57 am 

Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 11:07 am
Posts: 630
Bobharbison wrote:
Lincoln Penn wrote:
As a 44-year NRHS member who knows Al Weber, this is not a bad thing.

And, as I've told him, I think one of the things NRHS could do to help cut down on both costs and the perception that there is a "Royql Family" running the place, would be to get rid of the Board meetings that occur in the fall, replacing those meeting with a conference call or Skype.

Those things have taken on the appearance of a mini-convention for the officers and Board members.


I presume the board spends a lot of time and effort running the organization all year long. Do they pay their own way to the board meeting, or does the NRHS foot the bill? If they pay most of it themselves, I don't see an issue with them getting some special perks for all the hard work they put in. Should be some reward for all the work.

Don't forget, these tend to be mostly volunteer run organizations, and while some of them use management organizations that get paid to handle things like dues and publications, most of the work is done for free, correct?


Members of the NRHS board of directors (BOD) are not paid for the work they do and pay their own expenses to attend BOD meetings which are usually held concurrently with meetings of the advisory council; each chapter has one representative on this council

As with all 501c3 tax exempt organizations, these expenses are considered tax deductible by IRS.

Some paid consultants needed to present material at the meetings are, however, reimbursed for their travel expenses.

Other expenses includng travel expenses that NRHS volunteers incur, such as those incurred in planning conventions, are reimbursed.

The board meetings, unless the BOD goes into executive sesssion, are open to any member who wants to attend, and many members do so.

The spring, fall and obviously the conventions include events/ field trips which are open to all members; a description of the events at the fall BOD meeting is available on the NRHS web site, but space at these events is often limited.

NRHS does use an association management firm for some routine items including convention ticketing, data base maintenance, etc.

Bob H


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 Post subject: Re: NRHS Elects New President
PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 8:33 am 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 1:51 pm
Posts: 11482
Location: Somewhere east of Prescott, AZ along the old Santa Fe "Prescott & Eastern"
Heavenrich wrote:
Bobharbison wrote:
Lincoln Penn wrote:
As a 44-year NRHS member who knows Al Weber, this is not a bad thing.

And, as I've told him, I think one of the things NRHS could do to help cut down on both costs and the perception that there is a "Royal Family" running the place, would be to get rid of the Board meetings that occur in the fall, replacing those meeting with a conference call or Skype.

Those things have taken on the appearance of a mini-convention for the officers and Board members.


I presume the board spends a lot of time and effort running the organization all year long. Do they pay their own way to the board meeting, or does the NRHS foot the bill? If they pay most of it themselves, I don't see an issue with them getting some special perks for all the hard work they put in. Should be some reward for all the work.

Don't forget, these tend to be mostly volunteer run organizations, and while some of them use management organizations that get paid to handle things like dues and publications, most of the work is done for free, correct?


Members of the NRHS board of directors (BOD) are not paid for the work they do and pay their own expenses to attend BOD meetings which are usually held concurrently with meetings of the advisory council; each chapter has one representative on this council

As with all 501c3 tax exempt organizations, these expenses are considered tax deductible by IRS.

Some paid consultants needed to present material at the meetings are, however, reimbursed for their travel expenses.

Other expenses including travel expenses that NRHS volunteers incur, such as those incurred in planning conventions, are reimbursed.

The board meetings, unless the BOD goes into executive sesssion, are open to any member who wants to attend, and many members do so.

The spring, fall and obviously the conventions include events/ field trips which are open to all members; a description of the events at the fall BOD meeting is available on the NRHS web site, but space at these events is often limited.

NRHS does use an association management firm for some routine items including convention ticketing, data base maintenance, etc.


The cynical have argued for decades:
1) the costs involved with attending the conventions--train tickets in addition to travel costs--make NRHS "National Representative" (formerly "National Director") status restricted to the well-to-do retirees, essentially making it a "rich man's club." The sad reality is that if your chapter doesn't happen to have a well-heeled member that loves to travel to said meetings, you don't have any real representation with the NRHS. (Seriously--Alaska as a convention destination??)
2) The trips and other activities at Directors' Meetings are poorly promoted to the membership, let alone the general public, and operate with inflated ticket prices, and this--once again--gives the image, if not belies a stark reality, that the NRHS leadership is an exclusive "private car club."

Example:
Quote:
a description of the events at the fall BOD meeting is available on the NRHS web site, but space at these events is often limited

Please inform us of the number of ticket sales to non-Board-of-National-Representative NRHS members at the last three such meetings, and the ticket prices set for these trips.

Part of the maelstrom hitting the NRHS is a blow-back to these images. You may make claims that these images and stereotypes are false, but trust me when I say that his is exactly the perception voiced and felt by many members and former members, not just myself. Too often, the NRHS is viewed as acting like a "rich persons' club" run for the benefit of those who can easily afford $395 dome car seats, $200 hotel rooms, and the travel to and from the opportunity to buy and board same; and the grunts who repair station windows, reside and paint cabooses, rewire locomotives, and swing spike mauls just get to wave or take pictures as they go by.

You job is not to naysay me and prove I'm "lying," which if past behavior is any indication is what you're rushing to do as you read this. Your job is to prove to all those other prospective NRHS members that there's something "in it" for them in joining a national organization, and that there's reason for them to join a national organization that seems to do nothing except take their money and send some newsletters as a prerequisite to joining a local group or museum that actually shows something for their dues and gives them an opportunity to participate. Because the NRHS is failing at that job, and has been for far too many years.


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 Post subject: Re: NRHS Elects New President
PostPosted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 9:00 am 

Joined: Tue Jul 02, 2013 10:45 pm
Posts: 300
I should also mention several other factors about the various NRHS meetings. One of the changes that NRHS has been trying to make is to turn the board meetings into a kind of regional convention to attract members. This would allow members to attend an event that is possibly more local, and help pay for the meetings. Some with interesting rail trips or tours have historically drawn rather large crowds. Others have been less successful. Many have been operated by local chapters as a service to the NRHS, as a way to promote their chapter, and to even raise a small amount of funds. The events have also historically been used to make sure a quorum of board members show up - a challenge when every chapter had a board member.

There were mentions of using Skype or other means. A number of committees have long met using conference calls, and they have been available at several meetings recently for folks who couldn't travel to the meeting. Skype has been suggested, prices checked, and probably used for a few small meetings. However, there are a few members that have fought the idea, either for technology reasons or they feel that the meetings should be in person.

On travel to meetings, some chapters historically have paid the costs of their board members to attend meetings, but most didn't. The same has generally applied for national officers. It should also be mentioned that the events at the board meetings and conventions are not free to these board members and advisory board members, unless included in the event package. Even the president of NRHS has to buy his tickets to participate in the various events at conventions. I have heard that this wasn't always true, but has been the policy for the past half decade that I have been handling some of the event logistics for the conventions, and even I buy tickets for things like the banquet and anything else that I am not working.

There have been a number of efforts lately to get outside support for NRHS events. For the past few years, we have been able to get many of the costs of convention planning covered by local convention offices and attractions, thanks to lots of research and help from the convention planning office of Fernley & Fernley (much of which NRHS doesn't pay for, F&F also gets funding from the local tourism offices and businesses, just like any travel agency). We have had several conventions where we received tax rebate funding as incentives to hold conventions, or mailing or promotions support. Free hotel rooms, or greatly reduced rates ($49 for a $119 room) for planning meetings are very common. For example, Anchorage tourism paid for much of the air travel, hotels, local travel, and meals for the planning meetings in the Anchorage area for the Alaska convention. The Alaska Railroad provided free rail travel for the meetings, and Fairbanks jumped in with support. There were several complaints about NRHS members going to Alaska for planning, but my week there working on details cost the NRHS less than $100, all for parking at the Moline (IL) airport. Meanwhile, it cost me a week of work. For the convention itself, I paid all of my own costs as part of a long vacation.

Conventions and meetings can either be a big positive or a big negative for most organizations. A number of other organizations that I am a member of have looked at their events and changed them to try to be more of a positive for the organization, both financially and to meet the needs of the organization. The NRHS is one of these and has been working its way from "we have always done it this way" to try to look at new techniques and strategies for such events.


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