I guess this is stirring up the “dying NRHS” controversy again, but I noticed something yesterday on this. I just got the 2007 NRHS yearbook in the mail just yesterday (they’re really far behind but slowly catching up). For those who don’t know, the yearbook outlines the annual convention and the chapter activities for that year. I always like reading through what each chapter is up to, even though I haven’t been active with a chapter in about 10 years. Looking at the photos, I noticed all of the members shown and I noticed a disturbing thing. Very few of them appears to be under 60. I could count each person (other than obvious kids of members) that didn’t seem to be retirement age. It was downright chilling to think that the median age of NRHS members might be this high. I did take into account that most of these photos of the leadership of the chapters, who are more likely to be the longer-term members. Still, you have to wonder how much new blood is really going into the organization?
I was told the chapter I officially belong to (back in Florida, I stayed on their roles even though I moved from that state 11 years ago) got my 25 year pin and it was mailed to me a couple of days ago. I feel kind of torn about that. It meant a lot to me when I was much younger. But I’m not too sure what it’ll mean to me when I get it. The funny part is I’ll probably be one of the youngest people ever to be awarded a 25 year pin as I’m 39 years old!

In the interest of confirming or refuting this hypothesis, I went and grabbed the two oldest NRHS Chapter Activities Annuals I had ready access to: 1977 and 1978. The photos within--assuming that the children are only members' children--depict an age range probably between mid-20s and mid-80s, with perhaps a median age somewhere in the low 50's. As with any such organization, older/retired folks have the time to be the active ones, and there were a couple scenes that looked more like a nursing-home charter.....

I recently heard the heads of two local hobby clubs--a ham radio club and a magicians club--both lament that "the average age of our membership is hovering somewhere between 70 and death." We're hardly the only avocation affected by this problem. And I recently talked with a bunch of younger associates who, as discussion revealed, basically could not wrap their heads around the concept of volunteerism, even when their foreman was a volunteer fire chief--not even for a cause they might believe in (frankly, in pumping them further, it appeared that they really had no actual causes, interests, or beliefs to believe in, or that work, parenting, and sleep sapped every ounce of their energy and brain cells).

I think it's also an issue of audience.

For example, the median age at the CRHS (Conrail HS) is much lower than that.

I'm sure a lot of it has to do with the fact that it's what younger people "grew up with". I know that personally (and I'm 27) that's exactly why I'm involved.

You know what's actually really heartening is that I am not the only "young" active member. We have a number of other executive board members in their late 20s and 30s. It's part of our charm... and part of the reason why you'll see us doing things like this:
http://thecrhs.org/?q=PreservationProjects/Pier122Sign

I am not currently a member of the NRHS, but do attend meetings fairly frequently with my father who sparked my interest in trains. I have noticed the same observation that at most meetings we attend, I'm the youngest person (26) by a number of years.

While the chapter me and my father currently attend has a large membership somewere just around or under 300 , monthly meetings typically average between 15-30 people as many members live in other states.

I'll admit my main interest is in steam locomotives and living in South Carolina where there is not a single operational steamer, it's not possible to be involved with rail preservation in that aspect, although I would certainly like to be at some point in my life should liability insurance not kill what remaining operating steam there is left in my lifetime.

I have enjoyed the various NRHS activities I have participated in over the years from a picnic on the old Clinchfield Railroad, to a trip behind Great Smoky Mountains 1702 and NS steam excursions behind S&A 750, SR 4501, N&W 611 and N&W 1218. I hope that the NRHS is still around to celebrate 100 years in 2035.

There are plenty of younger people in the railroad industry nowadays who are also railroad enthusiasts, I work with many of them at several large commuter rail equipment servicing facilities. They almost universally advise that they have little or no interest in the activities of the NRHS.

This is clearly the NRHS own internal problem, and it is up to the NRHS officers to deal with it.

If they want to start to deal with it, I would suggest studying how the Amherst Railway Society (Massachusetts) seems to be consistently able to get a hundred or so people to show up for meetings held in a location that is relatively out in the middle of nowhere, while several NRHS chapters in large cities have trouble getting two dozen to show up on meeting night. Just a suggestion.

(Hint: It might have something to do with the fact that they host in interesting variety of programs, planned almost a year in advance, get the word out promptly about their meetings, maintain an excellent website with all the information, and get their business meetings over in about fifteen minutes so you can see the program and still get home at a reasonable time.)

We have been through all of this before. (Frequently)

PC

Some quick thoughts ....

1) The 2007 Yearbook is considered a 2008 issue of the NRHS Bulletin because it covers the activities of the year before.

2) At the NRHS BOD meeting, last weekend they said the Winter 2009 Bulletin is off the press and will be showing up in the mail boxes of members whose dues are current soon. What that mean is the Bulletin is CAUGHT UP !!!!!

3) NRHS is doing something about getting younger members involved in rail history preservation and will be holding two RailCamp sessions this summer with one session held at Steamtown in Scranton and the other the Nevada Northern in Ely. For more, information, see NRHS.com. A large portion of these RailCampers have some or all of their tuition paid through scholarships with the funding provided by donations to the national organization, donations to chapters, and in some cases outside organizations such as RPCA.

Bob H

With all due respect, I keep hearing about RailCamp as "the answer" to getting younger people involved. That's basically 50-150 folks, many of whom are already sons/daughters of NRHS members already. That isn't new blood, and I don't care to think what the attrition rate must be. I think they'd be lucky to get five long-lasting members a year out of that, let alone a future Strasburg mechanic, PV owner, etc.

To really have a chance of changing declining NRHS membership, they'd have to hold a RailCamp in each of the 50 states, with fees adjusted to the attractions and opportunities available.

Or they could do more active outreach, like work with school groups and Boy/Girl Scouts, set up library displays and programs, donate books to such programs, etc.

Up to the end of 2007 I did quite a bit of long distance travel doing lectures and programs for railroad enthusiast groups, including a number of NRHS chapters.

One thing that was particularly noticable about the NRHS hosted events was the lack of an effort at many chapters to "get the word out" to anyone outside their own organization. There were a few exceptions to this (Tri-State Chapter in New Jersey for example, which does make an effort to publicize their events). If the NRHS continues to function as a stealth operation there will be little change in the current trends.

There is no lack of public interest in the railroad industry. I did a talk at a public library in a very small town that was announced through notices the library staff took out in the local newspaper, and through flyers they distributed through a local restaurant and a hobby shop, and about 75 people turned up at the event. That was about fifty people more than an NRHS chapter in a major city attracted for the same presentation.

PC

Sandy is right. As someone who attended railcamp back in 1999 I saw two types of people there. Those who were already involved in volunteer work at various museums or shortlines and the young hardcore foamers. Of those who I became friends with, the majority did not continue with the NRHS but rather used Railcamp as a primer to enter the industry with either Class 1s, regionals, or tourist. I've gone on to study Historic Preservation while another alum is now in transportation engineering. Of all of us only one went on to chapter leadership with the NRHS. That was the early years of Railcamp. I do not know how it averages out today but I highly doubt there is even that much of a success rate. Having gone back and visited a couple times in the early 2000's you could tell even by then that it is a different crop of kids coming up into the hobby.

On the topic of the NRHS itself, perhaps it is a failed model. How many people in today's society want to take one day a month to go listen to a bunch of old men sit and argue about what color old #5's fuel cap was. It's not just the NRHS that is falling by the wayside. If you go to a model train show the majority of the customers are either white haired or in strollers. The middle group is not as large as it should be. Thats not to say that there aren't people in the 20-50 age range involved, its just that they budget their time differently. The internet has really made it easier to find out information on just about anything rail related. "If I can find it online why spend a day at a show or a meeting" is likely the common thought.

Perhaps we should look at groups like the URHS, Catskill Mtn. and others on how to attract new volunteers and members. Their blogish posts on various message boards hold the readers attention and make you want to go week after week and read the progress. I know Jeff with the URHS has gotten quite a few new members through his postings on another forum and their average work crew age is far lower than the average NRHS meeting.

Just my $.02

Kevin O

Honestly, and this is just my point of view, but I've been rather surprised at the young average age I've noticed amongst the preservationists I've met. Especially contrasting that with the age of the modeling crowd. From what I've seen, they tend to be two completely different types of people, and the way the NRHS advertises is more geared toward the modelers. From that perspective, there's good reason for turnover, and it could easily be sustainable. As people get old enough to retire, they have time to play with the trains they've loved their whole life. But the preservationists I've seen have tended to be younger folks, in-shape and nimble enough to crawl all over an engine or a tender to sandblast it or disassemble it or whatever needs to be done. They tend to, I think, be more attracted by the mechanical genius behind the machines rather than nostalgia, as they're not old enough to have vivid memories of the equipment that's now being preserved.

The point about what people have grown up with is a valid one too. One of my friends is a CSX guy. He grew up with CSX near his house, and now has an office near one. And now, he runs miniature CSX diesels on a 1/8 scale line with CSX cars he built. I tend to be a fan of both Conrail and the Amtrak F40PH's, as that's what I grew up with.

I think it may also partially be a case of younger people being more used to using online resources to discuss railroading rather than real-world meetings. Personally, I'm a bit of a young whippersnapper, and I have not really seen anything in recent memory (a) advertising the NRHS in my area or (b) interesting reasons to join on their website that would make it worth it to me. The chapter in my area didn't even have a website last time I checked, and the web is one of my main sources of information nowadays.

Because of that, they're a no-go for me - it's not worth the time and money. There are enough other interesting communities and places to share information on the internet and in the real world that I don't see the point. I'm glad they exist, but it's not for me at the moment.

So, those are my thoughts. May be totally off base, but that's what I'm seeing.

That may mean that while the incumbent leadership are old, they haven't been dying off very fast.

I was actually refering to the fact that no one wanted to. Without speaking for everyone else time was better spent elsewhere.

Kevin O

There is a NRHS chapter nearby with this same "age" problem. I just learned that they are down to a "handful" of members and those are in very ill health. The question I had was "what happens to the assets of the club when the last member passes on"? They do have assets...some rusty choo choos and a bank account with some funds in it. My guess is that the equipment will eventually be scrapped. Is this "preservation"?

We have covered this before, but once your NRHS Chapter drops to 5 or fewer members then the National can take over your assets. I am aware of at least one chapter where they are literally paying for a few people to belong to stay well above that 5 number. Another chapter I know (one of the first I might add) is giving away its money to various projects before they all die off - they have not had a new member in well over a decade.

While it is interesting to look at the NRHS as a case study of how to do almost everything wrong, I don't think we should really equate their issues with those in the field of railroad preservation - for the most part the two are mutually exclusive.

Except that the NRHS is one of the "public faces" of railroad enthusiast activities and the general public does not normally know to draw a line between them and the preservation community.

PC