Thinking About Starting?

[Larry]

I've been thinking for about a year of starting a club here in Arcadia, but would need some bylaws from another club for a guideline. any suggestions? right now I have about 8 people that drop by my layout on a regular basis that has their own layouts. I know of other people here also, but, probably have to do a little advertising in the local shopping guide if I start a club.

Larry

 

[Railphotog]

Might be an idea to get a group together first, and discuss what you want to do. Let the group decide what bylaws (if any) are needed. Don't make it too structured until needed, with minutes and rules of order, bylaws and such. Maybe the group as a whole might want to just get together socially at first, do some railfanning, operate on others' layout round robin style, start making modules, etc.

One thing to resist at first is the obvious desire to make a club layout. You'd need a space that has to be rented, dues high enough to pay for the rent, utilities, constructions materials, etc. Nothing like financial obligations to supress the interest in being in a hobby club.

 

[Larry]

Thanks Bob, Good Idea's. I'll do all of the above 1st.

larry

 

[RexHea]

Larry, CjCrescent or Mikey could probably give you some help and perhaps a contact to their club's President (also President of the SER, NMRA). The Wrecking Crew is a large club, NMRA, several MMR's, and have been organized for a long time. A real helpful bunch of good guys.

 

[Cjcrescent]

Larry;

Bob gave you some very good advice. The Wrecking Crew started as a round robin type of club in 1989. There originally was only one requirement to join us and that was to be a NMRA member.

Now of course, we're organised into a formal group, etc etc ect. If you'd like a copy of the bylaws, let me know and I'll get a copy to you. But my first piece of advice is to try to do things as informal as possible, for as long as possible.

 

[IronBeltKen]

Larry,

here's another highly successful club that's in my area, the Four County Society of Model Engineers. They've chosen to stay modular to avoid the trauma of losing space for a permanent layout. They appeared in the 2005 edition of GMR.

 

[PNKFLOYD]

But my first piece of advice is to try to do things as informal as possible, for as long as possible.

I second that piece of advice!

Any group will need a few rules for the grumps to *itch about, but the less formality, the better.

Try to keep from taking on too many projects at once. It is easy to get the club overloaded so much the 2 or 3 people doing the work get burned out.

If your club eventually decides to organize as a chartiable, tax free group, you will need to go with a formal organization and some legal assistance.

Try to remember the main objective is to have fun playing with trains!
Mikey

 

[kbkchooch]

I second that piece of advice!

Any group will need a few rules for the grumps to *itch about, but the less formality, the better.

Try to keep from taking on too many projects at once. It is easy to get the club overloaded so much the 2 or 3 people doing the work get burned out.

If your club eventually decides to organize as a chartiable, tax free group, you will need to go with a formal organization and some legal assistance.

Try to remember the main objective is to have fun playing with trains!
Mikey

Mikey, I'll 3rd it!

Larry, Informal groups of say, 12 or so get along just fine if it is a "benevolent dictatorship" but much bigger than that, and you gotta have some sort of structure or else things run amok.
Remember the 90/10 rule also. 90% of the work gets done by 10% of the people. Don't let it discourage you when it happens. It's human nature.
Just have fun at 1st. If it really takes off, then formally draw things up, get tax exempt status, and keep on truckin'.

Ken, thanks for the plug! Where do you want that membership application sent???

 

[Larry]

I really appreciate all the feedback about starting a club. I talked it over w/the guys that are already wondering in & out all the time & they all agreed to just have an informal meet about once a month in my train room. No money involved & no rules which we have been doing for about 4 years already. No one wants to be tied down to rules & regulations & have to join a club to run their trains on my layout. I told them they would always have a key to my train room no matter what happens about a future club.
Right now there are 3 people that have keys & can come & go as they like, day or nite, which they do.