Club madness

[1936ace]

Has anyone ever heard of a model rail club not wanting new members. I'm trying to join a local club having attended as a pay per visit guest for over a year now but I'm told certain members won't allow by vote/meeting new members. I thought the idea was to help promote the hobby and have a good time and meet new people but I must be thinking of another hobby!
Any one got any thoughts on this.

[trainsdownunder]

Find it strange that they seem not to want new blood.     However, as a    to this country I am finding so many strange attitudes here that this wouldn't surprise me.

My wife rang a local eatery we use a fair bit to pre-order lunch - a jacket potato with colslaw,cheese etc (has to have gluten free) and got told "haven't got any more jacket potatoes till Thursday"     When queried as why Thursday, we got the reply "cos thats when potatoes get delivered." 

No sorry, no further info just - "cos thats when potatoes get delivered."

Shop actually advertises as "Freshly Cooked Food" so I guess they're not pre-baked & then 'nuked' in the microwave. They are so-say baked on the premises.

Best part about is what is next door ? - yep a fruit and veg shop. Obviously to far too walk, got too wait for delivery !

[Pete Mc]

How many members does this club have?
Our club is always on the lookout for new members.At our local exhibition,that'll be the Festival of British Railway Modelling at Doncaster Racecourse Exhibition Centre,we have a club stand with stuff for sale and also a load of flyer type leaflets for people to take.We don't have a committee or owt like that and as new members come along,they are given as much time as they like to decide if its for them or not.
Out of the two years I have been a member,we have expanded our membership and in that time we have lost only two members.
This coming February,our club which works closely with the organisation and marshalling of the  event with Warners people,are exhibiting a layout.I don't know whether its n or oo gauge but I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Pete

[1936ace]

Have been told it is a number thing re fire safety but as I do this stuff for a living and the actually building once fell under my area I know it's rubbish as come open day it is packed full of people, maybe there is a side issue re old elected committe and the new one and the old not getting their way who knows but I find it dissappointing. Maybe I should start up a local n gauge club instead but It really should not get to that or here is another thought maybe it's those 00 gauge modellers 
Bart

[longbridge]

Jeez Ace it could only happen in Australia, I flatly refuse to join a club over here since my missus and I started a Country Music Club in the early 1990s, 270 members after 3 years but SWMBO got homesick so we went back to Queensland, 5 months later she missed the music so much and wanted to go back, I transfered my Post Office job back to Vic and the club got wind that we were coming back to stay, DOORS SLAMMED and we were told we were not fit and proper people to become members of the flamin club we started, wont go any further as its will be like a copy of War and Peace.

Every Saturday morning I visit a friends second hand model railway shop for 2 or 3 hours, listening to the other lads that visit that are members of a model railway club I wouldn't want to join a club here, to many Chiefs and not enough Indians.

If the club down in the Hunter Valley don't want you just be Australian and tell them to get %$**&(

[1936ace]

Very sad it is as I said to my wife is it worth it, I gave up on my previous hobby due to club politics to go back into trains both n gauge and 5 inch gauge but it seems to be the same, I just want to play trains and be social in doing it, as one of the guys at work says it is not a club then just a couple of blokes who have trains and turn up at the same place at the same time
Bart

[longbridge]

That is what we do Ace, there are about 5 of us that live within a couple of Km of each other, we very often visit each others place to see how things are going, also have a natter and a  cuppa at the local coffee shop and go to exhibitions together, no boss cockies, politics or other associated garbage that seems to club life these days just a bit of friendly banter.

I hope you get things sorted out, if you cant shift up here with us lot you would be more than welcome 

[1936ace]

Hey Dave, Nicole would be more then happy to go to qld, her brother moved up there 15yrs ago not sure if I could cope with all that maroon stuff though I like the idea of the catch you guys do I'm building a 00 gauge layout for a mate double garage size but he lives just south of Sydney so the 200km distance is a pain but he is close when I work in Sydney even if it 00 but it is br so it's all good and I'm helping do a layout for a blokes son so who knows
Bart

If you are ever down this way do drop in

[longbridge]

Might take you up on the offer Ace, I want to visit Thirlmere and SWMBO want to visit where she used to live in Sydney.

No problems with Cyclones where I live just South of Brisbane but if you do come up here make sure you bring your goggles and flippers cause we love floods 

Best way to find other people involved in our hobby is to strike up a conversation with people when you go to the hobby shop, you would be surprised how many people are in the same situation as yourself, model railway enthusiasts are nosy buggers and always seem to want to know what the other bloke is doing 

[Tank]

It could genuinely be for fire reasons.    I know some European countries are really hot on how many people they can allow in, purely for the fact of people escaping out of a certain number of fire doors in a set time. 

I hope it's nothing personal! 

[1936ace]

Hey tank,
One guy did say that sometime back. When I was regional fire protection manager north this building came under my area so it is not the case however the two storey complex is not that big but the "number" issue goes out the window come a major festival. Have just found out it is a us them issue between old leader groupies and the new current thought. Even more funny I'm told is that one side that is against new members relies on these same people to support his business/shop(no guessing what sort of shop it is)
Sad!
I will just have to wait and see if I'm lucky enough to be thought good enough to join

[Newportnobby]

Hi Bart,

Have you considered starting your own club and inviting some of the 'current thought members'?

[1936ace]

Hey Newport',
Sounds like a good prospect, Dave earlier mention his "group" visit each other each week, a great idea a new track to run on each week or help each other out

Bart

[silly moo]

Sorry to hear you are encountering such unfriendliness. I am a member of a local club here called the Saturday Afternoon Group. We meet once a month, each time at a different member's house. Tea and cakes are provided by the host.  You get to see a different layout each month and learn something new every time.

Our group has about thirty members who model in different scales so there's no shortage of layouts to see.

You might find the unfriendly bunch at your local club have put lots of people off the hobby but you may be able to win them back with an informal group. It will be easy to organise and you don't need to worry about finding a clubhouse.

I'm always surprised at how many closet railway modellers there are, you may be able to rope some in by putting up a notice at your local library or similar.

Regards

Veronica

[Sprintex]

It's not unknown, some clubs are either snobbish or just plain lazy!

I made numerous attempts to contact a local mixed-gauge model railway club by phone and e-mail - neither were ever answered. Luckily the local N Gauge Group are far friendlier and I'm glad they didn't reply now 


Paul