Adapting Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics to the rail preservation scene, here's a possible new code for volunteers which a few groups may wish to adopt or hard-wire into members:

1)A volunteer (robot) may not injure or contradict a staff or Exec. Committee member or, through inaction, allow a staff or Exec. Committee member to come to harm.

2)A volunteer must obey orders given it by a staff or Exec. Committee member except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

3) A volunteer must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Here's what one RR museum has as its opening statement for its Volunteers link on its Web site:

"Our volunteers are the 'heart' and 'soul' of the Museum. They support all of the activities that take place and often go far beyond the expected."

Which are you? The "I, Robot (Volunteers)" approach or one fostering a genuinely friendly environment for volunteers?

> Here's what one RR museum has as its opening
> statement for its Volunteers link on its Web
> site:

> "Our volunteers are the 'heart' and
> 'soul' of the Museum. They support all of
> the activities that take place and often go
> far beyond the expected."

> Which are you? The "I, Robot
> (Volunteers)" approach or one fostering
> a genuinely friendly environment for
> volunteers?

George,

Railway Preservation is and has been the relm of volunteers, as is most industrial preservation. The museum or preservation group that forgets that will in the long run find itself wilting. Volunteering of all kinds, must be rewarding for the volunteer of they will no long do so. This is true in almost any avocation. As an example I have been involved with an amatuer publication (that has nothing to do with trains by the way) for over 15 years. I am now at a point where it is no longer "fun" and am working to turn my role in the publication over to a person that does find it fun. This has also been true for me in the preservation world. I have been involved with a few preservation groups, but have dropped out of or left some of them because they were not only no longer fun, but the work I did do there was no longer valued. Volunteers are indeed the most valuble asset and group can have.

J.

As an example I have
> been involved with an amatuer publication
> (that has nothing to do with trains by the
> way) for over 15 years. I am now at a point
> where it is no longer "fun" and am
> working to turn my role in the publication
> over to a person that does find it fun.

George Kaplan? Wasn't he in a movie somewhere, maybe a Hitchcock flick? Was he the bus driver?

Regardless, if you'd like to volunteer for a train publication we'd sure be glad to have you. Maybe it would be fun too....

New Interchange
hkading@rypn.org

I'm as real as any sleeping car conductor on the Zentropa Line, Hume. I'm also as available as any NS4 volunteer.

> Regardless, if you'd like to volunteer for a
> train publication we'd sure be glad to have
> you. Maybe it would be fun too....
N/NW

> George Kaplan? Wasn't he in a movie
> somewhere, maybe a Hitchcock flick?

George Kaplan was name of the non-existant national security agent in Hitchcock's "North By Northwest".

tr2manz@frontiernet.net