Round Robin Fishing Expedition


SpaceMouse

Fun Lover
I'm currently designing my Rock Ridge and Train City layout to be operated by 3-4 people. Unfortunately, I don't know that many people from my area to invite to an ops session--maybe one.

So what I am looking for is a group of 4-8 operators with their own layouts to do ops sessions--say every two weeks rotating among the layouts. Hopefully we are talking only an hour or so away from Indiana, PA.

Anyone interested. Of course if you are from out of the area and happened to be in the neighborhood....
 
Chip - I just tried to find the B&P link you mentioned above - where is it?

BTW I suspected all along, things were sorta not going well at the club...
 
Not an indian tracker.....

Sorry, You just hit the general link. And follow it to the club.

Chip,

I tried to follow the links, but alas, I am not an indian tracker! :rolleyes: :p
Sorry to hear about the club misfortunes.
Maybe you could join up with another outfit??
Runnin lone wolf for a spell ain't so bad either.

Mike
 
Here's a write I did about it.

Sigh! $500 worth of Engines to hit the shelves.

Including my favorite, an atlas GP-38 that I put sound and a running decoder into. Five engines total, a BLI E-7, a Proto 2K S-1, a Bachman Spectrum GP-35 and a Walther's GP-9. The last two are brand new. My entire club fleet.

gp3803.gif


At our club meeting this year, I made a case that our rolling stock was so dirty that it was impossible to keep our track clean. The group agreed to have a night in which everyone would get together and clean the rolling stock. One of the members suggested that since it was my idea, that I should organize it. One of the members thought I was irrational for insisting that cars that did not have Kadee couplers be removed from the track. He called me a Nazi.

Fast forward the the night two weeks later. I got there early and set up the stations. Cleaning, weighing, couplers, NMRA guage. Three adults and two kids came to help. Well, that was less than half the club present. The president of the club decided to do scenery, because that is what he was in the mood to do. Following his lead, the majority of the club decided they had other things to besides the nasty job of cleaning the rolling stock. At any rate we didn't finish.

I sent him an email privately, in which I pointed out that the club agreed to do a job and it was his job to support carrying it out. He shared the email with several other members including the guy that called me a Nazi.

The next week, I set up again and only the vice-president and one other guy helped clean. The third week, I was by myself cleaning cars. I didn't like it, but wasn't mad until I cleaned up and when I was putting the newly cleaned cars in the bins, I saw that the kids were running the cars I'd cleaned the week before on the dirty track. I was short with the kid, and he told me that the president had pulled the cars out for the kid to run.

I lost it, but kept it to myself. I just packed my stuff and left. I didn't want to loose it at the club.

I wrote the president privately again--in fact we exchanged emails. From the first email, he started suggesting I quit. He told me he had discussed the situation with the rest of the club and I was disturbing the other members and "Balkanizing" the club.

Now remember, I've not spoken to anyone except the president and I have created all this strife in the club.

Anyway, I suggested that I send all the emails to the vice-president, perhaps the most respected member of the club and the most calm and level headed--then I thought that no matter what the outcome, it was a lose-lose situation. I decided t let the president settle the club down then invite me back when it had settled down.

His response was "Fine. Pick-up your stuff and leave your key on the roundhouse. We'll refund your dues."

I don't think he has the authority to do this, but I'm not sure it is worth it to really Balkanize the club.

Funny, because anytime there is a problem with DCC they turn to me. If there is a difficult job, they turn to me. I get along with everyone in the club, and except for being called a Nazi that one time, never had a disagreement.

The only think I can think of is that it threatened the President that I came up with something he didn't instigate.
 
It sure does seem as though the club president felt threatened, like you were upstaging him. I agree it's probably better to walk away from that situation.

Are there any club members that you're on friendly terms with? Maybe you could hang out with them.
 
It sure does seem as though the club president felt threatened, like you were upstaging him. I agree it's probably better to walk away from that situation.

Are there any club members that you're on friendly terms with? Maybe you could hang out with them.

I think, too, that he backed himself into a corner by sharing that first email with some of the club members. He also said that he discussed "my situation" with with some of the other club members. It is clearly he, that created the "Balkanization." If I were to come back, there would be another side of the story--the one where I called his performance into question. His side of the story is the only one any member of the group has heard. I have not talked to any member of the club so I have no clue what he has told them.

Someone once told me: The smaller the stakes, the meaner the politics.
 
.....because anytime there is a problem with DCC they turn to me. If there is a difficult job, they turn to me. I get along with everyone in the club, and except for being called a Nazi that one time, never had a disagreement.

Chip,
My two cents is to move on.
As you know, life is WAY TOO short for added drama.
After the dust settles,contact those folks you have an interest in and maybe have a get together without discussing past club events.

Just a thought from the peanut gallery......:p
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Ditto for me Chip . I find when you are a new member into something you have to earn the trust of the others. There are always some people who resnet that you can do something better or diffrent . Democracy at work !!!
 
Ditto for me Chip . I find when you are a new member into something you have to earn the trust of the others. There are always some people who resnet that you can do something better or diffrent . Democracy at work !!!

At two years, I figured I was accepted. The president has only been there three years. But some of them have been there since the late 70's.
 
Wow what shame...their loss Chip.

Unfortunately that is one of the many pitfalls of running at clubs.

I have not been a member to one in years for that very reason. I prefer to visit and watch my local club. :rolleyes: They know me by name and always ask for me to join but I always decline. It is one of those clubs that lack organization from the ground up. Kinda always shootin from the hip and not always hitting the right target. LOL Anyways If you start one of your own with a group guys maybe take some time of to establish the lessons learned and to be part of the basis of you "new" club's foundation. I have hardfast rules in and on my layout that are plain & simple and non-negotiable unless the idea of change is submitted properly with details of pro & cons.;)

good luck on your new chapter and venture...:D
 



Back
Top