Folks,

The following came in from a source that I'm keeping anonymous for now, but I think it bears some analysis.

I asked in another online rail forum for people who were not members of a certain rail enthusiast society to explain just why they weren't--whether they never were asked, never encountered them or their activities, etc.

One individual replied with: "Volunteer Organizations have become a playground for neurotics." I asked him/her to elaborate, and they replied with the following:

"The unbridled neuroses of the few is an increasingly pernicious mold growing on American volunteerism, participatory altruism, and social recreation. No group is so small or benign, that some petite Stalin won't eventually come along and attempt a takeover. No perspective member too new, for the pathologically needy to not corner and talk at for hours on end. No board of directors too conscientious to not be hated by a junta of venomous backbiters. No bit of trivia too meaningless to not cause arguments that often end with libel and calumny. No bit of historical detritus too insignificant not to be coveted and vicariously hoarded in the "special collection" by the dreaded and ubiquitous historical kleptocrat. Etc, etc, etc. And it's our fault, because we let them get away with it. Bores, whiners, martyrs, factionalists, and the oh so energetically anal-retentive, psychic vandals of our nation who never ever miss a meeting and it all gets very tiresome after awhile.

I've spent decades in, and decades studying, such groups. There is the Prime Recreational Challenge to consider, one that in Western society goes back at least to Plato's Dialogues and that challenge is simply as follows: "Well, now that we have ample food, shelter, wives/husbands/significant-others, wealth, and children; what do we do with our spare time?" Why we find hobbies of course. And being social animals we like to spend some of our time with like minded people. After personally spending large amounts of time amongst Republicans, Socialists, Civil War reenactors, volunteer firefighters, deep environmentalists, Presbyterians, Deadheads, Ravers, Wobblies, NewAgers, Psychonauts, Neighborhood Watches, Science Fiction Fans, hikers, motorcyclists, Rainbow People & yes, even those zany railfans; I can say with some authority, that they are all pretty much the same. Same good points, which are many, and the same bad points as well. My favorite similarity being that they all think they are much more unique than any other group, cause, or hobby. I also enjoy the "my hobby is meaningful, but your hobby is screwy" people. Some take their passions with a light heart while others are True Believers. Mostly though, they are good, well meaning people out for a little relaxing and harmless fun.

The groups of a bygone era were much the same though oftener than not, they exhibited a more well defined sense of order and decorum than we moderns could ever muster. They had to. Nineteenth century isolation and economic necessity meant people had a greater need for, and a greater dependence on, such groups. Whether one was a Mason, a RedMan, a Heptosoth, Improved Heptosoth, Odd Fellow, Woodman, Eastern Star, BPOE, IWW, ARU, Granger, Haymaker (my personal favorites), Republican, Democrat, Know Nothing, Choir Conventionist, or the church/belief-system of your choice; the chosen organization often was an individual's only social and economic safety net. Not that there weren't disputes aplenty, as Garrison Keillor said of Protestants, "When two or more are gathered in My Name, there will be a schism." Nevertheless, today we don't have as strong a need for any particular group: we can buy insurance from the broker and we are much more mobile, thus nobody bothers to discipline the whackos, so they just get crazier while fewer and fewer folks join organizations. The nut cases like to blame it all on the mesmerizing effect of television. Deep down inside - they know better.

And it's a real loss. People like to gather together for purposes of mutual aid and enjoyment. Charles Darwin thought so; he felt the public had put way too much emphasis on the whole survival of the fittest thing, his theory is mostly about random genetic mutation after all. It's been reported that Darwin was working on a book dedicated to the theory that organisms which come together to help one another have a significant advantage over those that don't; alas, he died before the project was near any sort of publishable form. Peter Kropotkin took up the standard with his book, aptly titled, "Mutual Aid." From the kiva to the smart-mob, we have always congregated. Especially men - even feminism approves of such goings-on; at least it does according to a mid 80's issue of the Utne Reader. (Anything, just as long as it gets us off the couch!) We don't need more reasons to stay at home as much of our society is already isolating: the fear of street crime, the dismembered alienating nature of suburbs, and the ailing senior citizen's loneliness caused by the fact that one needs a car to go most anywhere are just a few of the things that keep many at home, which isn't good for the psyche or the soul.

It wouldn't be so bad except that the addlebrained zealots prowling every club and group the nation over, have a strong need for self justification through allies and thus are always trying to win over the hapless hobbyist to their bizarre ways of thinking; like a shark that would suffocate if it ever stopped moving, they recruit recruit recruit. It's a common wisdom that often the first few people who approach a newcomer at a meeting are the one's the newcomer should be most wary of. The same type of warnings are issued to fledgling field workers training for various professions; anthropology and union organizing to name two.

The normal folks just want to talk about railroads or NASCAR or birding, or Whatever; they don't really care about who shot John or the relative competence of the dance committee, or whether the current society president has an absolutely encyclopedic knowledge of Pullman Sleepers. Quite simply put: most people don't seek out codependency as a recreational pastime - we "like our sugar sweet." H. L. Mencken said, "Puritanism is the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy'', and that's what it all boils down to. So we stay home while the do-gooders and true believers fight it out amongst themselves; ugly frogs in empty ponds."

Would anyone care to comment or respond or reflect?

(The ironic thing is, although this analysis may apply to a great many organizations under the purvey of this board, it really does NOT apply to the organization about which I made the original query, which has minimal if any "volunteer" opportunities other than the officers of the group!)


LNER4472-NOSPAM-@bcpl.net

All very true, but the writer is explaining the human race in general more than just volunteer organizations. We all deal with little Hitlers and various buttpains every day including on the job where at least you get paid for it.
This is why serious thought should go into electing officers of a group(or for that matter, a U.S. President). The candidates have their own quirks, and they will have to deal effectively with people from all points of the spectrum.

Some time ago my wife made some comments suggesting that my railfan hobby was a bit on the "nerdy" side. Later we rode an excursion train operated by an NRHS chapter. She is a wonderful traveling partner, but after a day around guys covered with railroad patches constantly spouting off everything they ever knew or thought they knew about railroading she
told me "OK,You're not a nerd. THOSE people are nerds!"
mw

> The following came in from a source that I'm
> keeping anonymous for now, but I think it
> bears some analysis.

> I asked in another online rail forum for
> people who were not members of a certain
> rail enthusiast society to explain just why
> they weren't--whether they never were asked,
> never encountered them or their activities,
> etc.

> One individual replied with: "Volunteer
> Organizations have become a playground for
> neurotics." I asked him/her to
> elaborate, and they replied with the
> following:

> "The unbridled neuroses of the few is
> an increasingly pernicious mold growing on
> American volunteerism, participatory
> altruism, and social recreation. No group is
> so small or benign, that some petite Stalin
> won't eventually come along and attempt a
> takeover. No perspective member too new, for
> the pathologically needy to not corner and
> talk at for hours on end. No board of
> directors too conscientious to not be hated
> by a junta of venomous backbiters. No bit of
> trivia too meaningless to not cause
> arguments that often end with libel and
> calumny. No bit of historical detritus too
> insignificant not to be coveted and
> vicariously hoarded in the "special
> collection" by the dreaded and
> ubiquitous historical kleptocrat. Etc, etc,
> etc.

p_michael_warren@yahoo.com

> She is a wonderful traveling
> partner, but after a day around guys covered
> with railroad patches constantly spouting
> off everything they ever knew or thought
> they knew about railroading she
> told me "OK,You're not a nerd. THOSE
> people are nerds!"
> mw

Isn't it nice to be normal? Or at least somewhere close by??

Your wife and several of my ex's must have talked at one point or another! ;-)

> Isn't it nice to be normal? Or at least
> somewhere close by??

> Your wife and several of my ex's must have
> talked at one point or another! ;-)

Sounds like the final rant of Dr. Frazier Crane....

All joking aside, the points are valid but I think that it is up to the individual to determine what his "fit" is in any organization of which he or she is considering becoming a member. In my case, it boiled down to the following considerations:

1. Leadership of the organization....

2. Location of the organization....

3. Type of museum or operation....

4. Potential for success of the organization....

5. Do I have a skill or ability that contributes to the organization?

6. Potential for personal fulfillment....

7. Building lasting relationships with like-minded people who I personally enjoy working/being with and who I respect....

I "accidently" found a group in June 1996 that I became involved with after I was able to help them with an operational problem. The chemistry happened to be right and the relationship grew from that point. My criteria is probably much different from the next person's. I don't know anyone who is forced to stay in a hobby and I personally don't understand why hobbyists stay in an organization or environment that makes them unhappy. An organization (that will remain unnamed) that I belonged to many years ago was comprised of too many of the "fringe" element for my tastes, so I departed after a period of accessment. I remain friends to this day with the people in that group who I respected and enjoyed being around and drifted away from those who I had nothing in common with other than being interested in big metal things that operated on steel guideways. Family, church and other interests should combine to provide other diversions in a person's life. I think that the fringe element develops when a person becomes totally consumed by one interest in their life. I think most of us can see that that sort of fanaticism is not health. Just my $0.02.

Don C.

milw261@sbcglobal.net

Alex, and fellow members,

In my opinion, this individual has had a vast amount of bad experiences in his lifetime. He/she has become terribly cynical. I don't think this person is very happy. Too bad.

As I read the opinion, I kept saying to myself, "but this is human nature", give yourself a break buddy! Imagine my pleasure when I read mw's reply and the same observation was made.

Sadly, the writer is probably sitting home alone this evening watching the tube.

de Don, N2QHV

http://www.rmli.org
n2qhv@arrl.net

> Would anyone care to comment or respond or
> reflect?

Hmm.

First of all, the gentleman's language is suspect. Just because you know how to use a thesaurus does not necessarily mean you know what you're talking about. In fact, I've found that the opposite is more often the case. Individuals whose language is needlessly hippopotomonstrousesquipedalian are usually concealing the fact that their arguments just don't hold water.

Second, as I read through the comments, I found myself identifying not with the author but with the "neurotic freaks" he was deriding. I enjoy knowing things and sharing what I know with others. I enjoy being the person people come to for answers on railroads (Mac computers, too). I attend almost every meeting and participate in those meetings. And I'm also always at work sessions. If that makes me a co-dependent, neurotic freak, then thank you, I'm proud of the fact.

Finally, while I don't normally brag, I would like to point out that it's the neurotic freaks like me that get 90% of the work done. I'm often the first one at the museum and the last one to leave. We neurotic freaks are the ones that slave in 90-degree heat to get 20 ties put into that bad spot so the train could run next week. Most of the folks that complain about us wouldn't have a railroad to play with if we weren't so neruotic!

mconrad@msmgmt.com

> Hmm.

> First of all, the gentleman's language is
> suspect. Just because you know how to use a
> thesaurus does not necessarily mean you know
> what you're talking about. In fact, I've
> found that the opposite is more often the
> case. Individuals whose language is
> needlessly hippopotomonstrousesquipedalian
> are usually concealing the fact that their
> arguments just don't hold water.

> Second, as I read through the comments, I
> found myself identifying not with the author
> but with the "neurotic freaks" he
> was deriding. I enjoy knowing things and
> sharing what I know with others. I enjoy
> being the person people come to for answers
> on railroads (Mac computers, too). I attend
> almost every meeting and participate in
> those meetings. And I'm also always at work
> sessions. If that makes me a co-dependent,
> neurotic freak, then thank you, I'm proud of
> the fact.

> Finally, while I don't normally brag, I
> would like to point out that it's the
> neurotic freaks like me that get 90% of the
> work done. I'm often the first one at the
> museum and the last one to leave. We
> neurotic freaks are the ones that slave in
> 90-degree heat to get 20 ties put into that
> bad spot so the train could run next week.
> Most of the folks that complain about us
> wouldn't have a railroad to play with if we
> weren't so neruotic!
Just mindless psycho babble from an egg head,
smarty pants.Any group will have its "nerds".
I'll bet Alex your not even a railfan. Just
cruisin the NET lookin for a place to inject
your 2 cents and show off your fancy command
of the language.I've never trusted people with
numbers in their last name.


dmzlalo@aol.com

> Just mindless psycho babble from an egg
> head,
> smarty pants.Any group will have its
> "nerds".
> I'll bet Alex your not even a railfan. Just
> cruisin the NET lookin for a place to inject
> your 2 cents and show off your fancy command
> of the language.I've never trusted people
> with
> numbers in their last name.

As it turns out, you're completely off the mark. Read the opening post--*I* wasn't the one writing that huge verbose screed; a fellow member of a rail-based e-mail list (who, incidentally, has not revealed his name) wrote it in response to a query of mine.

Not a railfan? I can produce at least a half-dozen regular posters on this forum alone who have met me in person and would be happy to testify otherwise. I shall refrain from unnecessary remarks about not trusting people who can't spell properly on the internet.


LNER4472-NOSPAM-@bcpl.net