We've all discussed here and elsewhere the need to actively recruit younger people into the field of railroad history and preservation. I'd like to take an informal survey to help with a project related to this theme.

I've been asked to join a committee exploring the idea of creating a student membership category for the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society. A thumbnail description of R&LHS is that it's the oldest RR history group in North America (1921), has about 2,500 members (by comparison, NRHS has 17,000) and eight local chapters (NRHS has 170). R&LHS's traditional strengths and emphasis have been:

(1) Publication of well-researched RR articles (historical, technical, business, social/cultural, political themes, etc.), including motive power rosters, through its twice-a-year 160-page journal "Railroad History" (formerly titled "R&LHS Bulletin"), and

(2) The annual Railroad History awards given to individuals for best book, best article, photography, and lifetime achievement.

Would like to ask input from this group, based on your experiences with museum, "Friends," or other local RR history student membership programs. Please either offer an opinion if it's based mostly on your own observations, or identify your institution and relate what its policy (and success record, if so) is.

[BTW, for comparison, NRHS offers a reduced-rate student membership for people up to age 18, at which point they step up to regular adult membership.]

Here are the questions:

-- What would be an appropriate description of a student membership? Enrollment in high school, college/junior college, graduate school, trade school? Some other criterion such as age alone?

-- What would be an appropriate fee level for a student? (R&LHS regular basic national membership is currently $25/year).

Any other thoughts are welcome. Thanks.

Dan Cupper
Harrisburg, Pa.

cupper@att.net

> -- What would be an appropriate description
> of a student membership? Enrollment in high
> school, college/junior college, graduate
> school, trade school? Some other criterion
> such as age alone?

> -- What would be an appropriate fee level
> for a student? (R&LHS regular basic
> national membership is currently $25/year).

SCRM has always had a student membership. Not too many people have taken advantage of it -- I think I was the only person who had ever had a student membership until the middle 1990s. We've had 3-4 young people take advantage of it since then. I think the youth membership is currently $17/yr. Regular membership is $25/yr. The youth membership has all the rights of a regular membership, it's just discounted for young folks. I'll have to check, but I think we define it as under 18. It's been almost 20 years since I was in that category!

I'm a big fan of student/youth membership categories. It does help get young people involved. Most teens have so little money that they'll try to get the most out of any membership they pay for themselves. That means that they're usually pretty good workers. Reducing the dues helps them afford the membership without help, which has all sorts of subtle positive effects.

That said, I'm not sure R&LHS will get too many bites. SCRM hasn't had very many student members -- counting me, I think we've had maybe 3 or 4 since the middle 1980s. Also, I think student membershps are much more valuable at the local museum level than at the national level. Kids typically want to get their hands dirty working on something. While the R&LHS is a great organization, local museums are far more likely to have something to attract the young'uns.

The South Carolina Railroad Museum
mconrad@compuzone.net

Dan Cupper and members,

Currently, the Railroad Museum of Long Island provides five classes of membership.

They are: Regular membership at $35.00 with one vote; Associate at $20.00 with no right to vote; Senior Citizen (over 62 years) $15.00 with one vote; Student (under 18 years) $15.00 with no right to vote and Corporate $100.00 with one vote.

(Note: due to dramatic increases in our insurance premiums for 2003 - 2004, the Board of Trustees may be increasing the price of Museum membership, for all classifcations, beginning August 2003)

Our 2002 – 2003 roster of members shows 33 student memberships out of a total of 301 members. Of this, there are 5 or 6 “active” student members who regularly come to the museum sites and work on projects and act a tour guides and docents.

In my opinion, any action that makes it easier for young people to join a railroad historical organization is a positive one. As we grow older, we must foster an interest in our young people to keep the history of railroading in America alive.

Don Fisher
Trustee, RMLI


n2qhv@arrl.net

Objections I've heard from the incumbent officers
when suggesting the idea of allowing or
encouraging younger members (whether at full or
reduced dues) to railroad and trolley rganizations
usually concern the fear of immature opinions like
diesel or subway instead of steam or trolley.
The museum railroad at Selfridge Air Force Base,
Mich. had a pair of consecuitive articles in
their Aug. and Sep. 2002 newsletter about the
possible need for babysitters if 15 year old
members were allowed!
Branford has 2 young members who are each
repairing electric locomotives obtained from
trolley companies. This one is borderline -
Branford also has similar electric locomotives
obtained from subway companies.


TyburnRR@cs.com

Hi Jim,

What a shame. Youth can be trying for us oldsters, I know as I have worked the past thirty-three years in a public high school and have a ten year old daughter and a sixteen year old son.

The key to the successful integration of young people into our organizations is to give them something to do, then give them something to do, then give them something to do again! Granted, we have to teach them, help them and supervise them, but if we are “working” on projects around the Museum or within the organization, it should be no problem to have them alongside pulling their weight.

An area that kids excel in today is computers. Threads have been posted on this Forum asking about Power Point and video presentations for our organizations. This is a great avenue for young people to enter our vocation as they work with these programs and equipment every day at home and school. I personally know adults who still canÂ’t program their VCRÂ’s and young people who fly through a PC based video editor like we read the daily news.

Yes, it can seem like work and it certainly is another “responsibility” when we accept the younger generation into our organization, but, the rewards of our labor are many and great. I will never forget the sense of accomplishment my young ward had when I showed him how to remount a wood frame door on the engineer’s side of our steamer. He had painted it bright red the week before and it was ready to go. Since painting and mounting the first one, he has successfully gone on to repair, paint and remount the fireman’s side door as well.

Ladies and gentlemen of the Forum, this is our future and the future of our organization. In my opinion, we must do all we can to try and include these young people in your work.

de Don, N2QHV


n2qhv@arrl.net

Just thought I'd mention ... in our particular case ... "the more mature, older, rail oriented (TIC) volunteers" have deserted the sinking ship. I am relying on the younger folks to help me out on the lighter side of mechanical maintenance. So far I have no complaints and they have made the difference between the little that does get done and nothing. Part of the secret is that we both are learning.


lamontdc@adelphia.net

As far as the mechanics go, this is a no-brainer. Generally, "students" seem to be defined as anything up to college seniors, but with the proviso that they have some kind of student ID. In the case of the R&LHS, $15 deues would be reasonable.

But as was noted above, a mere dues reduction is often not enough to attract younger people, and this is especially so in the R&LHS's case. It needs more fundamental attractions to compete with the NRHS and the numerous special-interest historical groups. Basically, aside from the "Railroad History", the organization gives few opportunities for active involvement, and Mark's standards for "Railroad History" contributions are necessarily high. The society's officer-director structure seems to operate on a hereditary basis which discourages the infusion of any new blood or ideas, and I'm not aware of any society-sponsored activities (such as restoration or research projects) which directly involves people of any age. I think these things need to be addressed first. If they are, student memberships might then be a good lever to bring in young people, but otherwise, reduced student dues are just a pink pill.

(I should talk; I joined the R&LHS in 1947 at age 16 when the only god was Charlie Fisher. But things were different then, and the R&LHS was more relevant in the railroad history world than it seems to be now.)

herbhar@yahoo.com

As a more positive addendum to my somewhat negative comments above, the R&LHS might consider creating an awards program specifically for student-level research work in railroad history. This would be similar to the long-established present awards program, but separate and open only to, say, college level and below. I should think that with a little creative imagination, the society could come up with other methods of involving both newcomers and present members -- most of whom now just passively read "Railroad History" while getting older. (And, incidentally, Mark Reutter's work with "Railroad History" demonstrates that there's still hope for creativity within the organization.)



herbhar@yahoo.com

NRHS (at the National Level) now offers student memberships at a discount price -- for details see NRHS.com

We're again holding RailCamp this year at Scranton
and will teach 28 young people what Railway Preservation is all about !! See RailCamp.org for details

Bob H

> We've all discussed here and elsewhere the
> need to actively recruit younger people into
> the field of railroad history and
> preservation. I'd like to take an informal
> survey to help with a project related to
> this theme.

> I've been asked to join a committee
> exploring the idea of creating a student
> membership category for the Railway &
> Locomotive Historical Society. A thumbnail
> description of R&LHS is that it's the
> oldest RR history group in North America
> (1921), has about 2,500 members (by
> comparison, NRHS has 17,000) and eight local
> chapters (NRHS has 170). R&LHS's
> traditional strengths and emphasis have
> been:

> (1) Publication of well-researched RR
> articles (historical, technical, business,
> social/cultural, political themes, etc.),
> including motive power rosters, through its
> twice-a-year 160-page journal "Railroad
> History" (formerly titled
> "R&LHS Bulletin"), and

> (2) The annual Railroad History awards given
> to individuals for best book, best article,
> photography, and lifetime achievement.

> Would like to ask input from this group,
> based on your experiences with museum,
> "Friends," or other local RR
> history student membership programs. Please
> either offer an opinion if it's based mostly
> on your own observations, or identify your
> institution and relate what its policy (and
> success record, if so) is.

> [BTW, for comparison, NRHS offers a
> reduced-rate student membership for people
> up to age 18, at which point they step up to
> regular adult membership.]

> Here are the questions:

> -- What would be an appropriate description
> of a student membership? Enrollment in high
> school, college/junior college, graduate
> school, trade school? Some other criterion
> such as age alone?

> -- What would be an appropriate fee level
> for a student? (R&LHS regular basic
> national membership is currently $25/year).

> Any other thoughts are welcome. Thanks.

> Dan Cupper
> Harrisburg, Pa.


Heavenrich@yahoo.com