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Expo EM 2016


Blue Max

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... and that they were quite happy running things as they were.

And that encapsulates the problem.

 

I'm not one of those 'joiners' but I am a member of the EMGS simply because it is far, far friendlier than the S4Soc. But the EMGS does have its issues nonetheless. A pity.

 

Regards

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And that encapsulates the problem.

 

I'm not one of those 'joiners' but I am a member of the EMGS simply because it is far, far friendlier than the S4Soc. But the EMGS does have its issues nonetheless. A pity.

 

Regards

David,

 

I am a member of both Societies and would say that they are both are equally very friendly, but one has a taken a more professional approach to the services it provides for its members. 

 

Any society with voluntary officers relies heavily on the support they can provide. Perhaps the EMGS has been less fortunate than the S4 Society in that. Perhaps one answer could be to increase the subs (which are really very low) and employ a professional agency to support their webmaster to run their website. I am a member of another Society who has to pay for their their newsletter design and layout when no member could/would step forward to do it voluntarily, so such action is not unknown.

 

Jol

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As with any Society, people have a habit of either losing interest, or dying.

 

 

That suggest that there is no new blood taking an interest.

 

Just like all clubs I think there is a certain attitude or atmosphere that is inherent and tends to be created by its most vocal and "senior" members. This can put off new members and deter other "outsiders" from volunteering or being propelled forward to having an influence.

 

I know it has been said before, but I think it is about time old grievances were settled and the two societies came together to form one "4mm fine scale" society.

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That suggest that there is no new blood taking an interest.

 

Just like all clubs I think there is a certain attitude or atmosphere that is inherent and tends to be created by its most vocal and "senior" members. This can put off new members and deter other "outsiders" from volunteering or being propelled forward to having an influence.

 

I know it has been said before, but I think it is about time old grievances were settled and the two societies came together to form one "4mm fine scale" society.

From conversations I've had with a person who was involved with the original idea of merging P4 and EM some 40 years ago the old grievances have been forgotten or at least treated with a degree of humour. I don't think that is holding up a merger.

 

What is, I think, holding up a merger is that the two societies have grown to have very distinct cultures of their own and both are reluctant to lose that in a merger. Also the membership situation with both is reasonably healthy at present so there doesn't seem to be a need for hurry. I suspect the last will change over time.

 

Regards

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I do recall that somebody once told me how many modellers are members of both. It was quite a high number.

 

So it may be that any merger might result in a much reduced membership in total.

 

Is that good or bad? I have no idea!

 

There are a number of people, probably a small number now, who would throw teddy out of the pram at the very thought of a merger. There is still a slight case of the P4 guys having the "We do it properly and you don't" attitude and there is still a bit of the EM guys thinking that the P4 folk have set themselves up as some form of elite.

 

I don't hold with either of these views and as a mainly EM modeller I am delighted to count some superb and very level headed P4 modellers as friends and I admire their work. But they are attitudes that I have seen and heard expressed by others.

 

The P4 group do seem to have the better website, newsletters and general organisation but these things are very much down to the individuals involved and they do change over time.

 

It is sometimes rather easy to be critical of those who give up a fair amount of time to take on the necessary roles within something like the EMGS. It is often people who are the slowest at putting their hands down at a meeting and they do the job reluctantly rather than see the post unfilled. If people don't like the website etc. why not volunteer to sort it out? There must be some EM modellers who know how to run a website.

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As with any Society, people have a habit of either losing interest, or dying.

 

I did notice they now talk about paying by direct debit on the website - is that a recently new thing? I'm thinking about rejoining after lapsing for some years, but I'm sure it was cheque only then.

 

I think having to get out the cheque book every year (or even having to remember where the cheque book is every year - can't remember when I last used mine!) to renew maybe caused more lapsed memberships than something that automatically renews until you tell them not to.

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Really looking forward to this after my first visit last year.

 

Any details about the lectures mentioned earlier?

 

Thanks, Graham

 

Yes please - a timetable would be useful - need to know what time to get out of bed to catch them!

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 There is still a slight case of the P4 guys having the "We do it properly and you don't" attitude and there is still a bit of the EM guys thinking that the P4 folk have set themselves up as some form of elite.

 

As a member of both Societies I think I must be confused or indecisive, but I can't make my mind up. 

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Yes please - a timetable would be useful - need to know what time to get out of bed to catch them!

 

Well, according to the EMGS newsletter, on the Saturday there's Duncan Redford ("Variety is the spice of life: not all wagons are the same"), Chris Lamacraft ("Atmosphere"), and Peter Hill ("RTR loco conversions without tears"). On Sunday there's Chris Lamacraft again, and Jolyon Wilkinson, of this parish, on "Soldering techniques - what, when & why".

 

Unfortunately, no times are given in the newsletter, and the show guide ("available soon!") has yet to materialise on the website.... :banghead:

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As a member of both Societies I think I must be confused or indecisive, but I can't make my mind up. 

 

Will your lecture be about soldering in EM or P4?

 

It may make a difference to some people.......

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I did notice they now talk about paying by direct debit on the website - is that a recently new thing? ....

 About 6 years at least....

 

During the time when I was a member, I think they did try direct debit for a year or two, as my annual sub was deducted that way on at least one occasion.

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Will your lecture be about soldering in EM or P4?

 

It may make a difference to some people.......

As it is expoEM and the EMGS caters for both gauges, I'll leave you to make your own mind up. I intend to ignore the gauge issue.

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People

Thanks for all the comments on thread.  Hope to see you all at my last expo as Manager.  And before you ask yes we have a willing volunteer to take over the role.

It is very good to have people expressing views on the Society and how it can be improved - it is only be sharing these thoughts that we move forward and ensure the needs/views of members are met.  All I would say is that if you have ideas by all means share them here but maybe it might be more useful to share them with members of the board and of course if you are also willing to volunteer to take on a role to address the issue you have identified then even better!!!! b

As for expo - as always my plea is if you come and have ideas on how it can be improved then tell me, I dont bite and genuinely want your feedback.... dont just post a message behind some cryptic name on RM web.  If you have a good time then by all means tell me that too but even better, come again next year and bring a mate who hasn't been before with you....

 

As for merging the 2 societies I am not entirely sure what that achieves - A merger of 4 shows currently run by the 2 societies down to two shows in the south and north of England would likely be one outcome!! How much support would that get amongst us finescale modellers and our specialist traders? My sense is that both societies are in a healthy position so I am not sure why they would both want to voluntarily be dissolved for a new 4mm finescale society to be formed in their place.

 

For now all I would say is get yaself to Bracknell at some point over the weekend.  If its too far then support expoEM North in September or book yaself into the Bracknell Grange hotel and make a weekend of it.  quite a few people do and there are still rooms available

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Hoping to have the programme loaded on the website but here is the lecture timings:

Saturday

11.30 Duncan Redford, Wagon building - variety is the spice of life

1.30 Chris Lamacraft - creating atmosphere in a model

3.30 Pete Hill - loco conversions

 

Sund

11.30 Jol Wilkinson, soldering

2.30 Chris Lamacraft repeated.

 

See you there!!!

Graeme

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As for expo - as always my plea is if you come and have ideas on how it can be improved then tell me, I dont bite and genuinely want your feedback.... dont just post a message behind some cryptic name on RM web.  If you have a good time then by all means tell me that too but even better, come again next year and bring a mate who hasn't been before with you....

 

If you look through this thread, I think you'll see that the almost unanimous opinion of people who attend Expo is that it is an excellent event - and all credit to you and everyone else involved in putting it on. But (and I'd call it a medium-sized but) actually getting useful information about Expo into the public domain prior to the event has proved difficult. The only fair and direct comparison I can make is the way in which information about Railex 2016 has been posted on this particular site. See link below:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/100847-railex-2016/

 

The one thing that really stands out is that the thread was started in July 2015 and information was gradually added (first layouts confirmed in early August, event website up at the end of September, Facebook page in early October etc). There would appear to be some issues with getting information onto the EMGS website and this may well be beyond your control, but knowing that this was/is the case, could not more use have been made of this site (and/or other online platforms) to make useful information available in a timely manner?

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Take heart, we evidently cannot find anything to be grumpy about the layouts, trade or the show in general that all we are left to be grumpy about are the little things.

 

 

It is very good to have people expressing views on the Society and how it can be improved - it is only be sharing these thoughts that we move forward and ensure the needs/views of members are met.  All I would say is that if you have ideas by all means share them here but maybe it might be more useful to share them with members of the board and of course if you are also willing to volunteer to take on a role to address the issue you have identified then even better!!!! b

 

 

Perhaps if the web site had its own forum then suggestions/ideas/mere whinges would have a place to be discussed? It could be limited to members :no: But why set up in competition with RMWeb and the S4Forum and just triplicate information that can be posted here.

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This year there is two weeks between Expo EM and RAILEX which is the first time in a few years. ....hopefully a rest week between us will benefit visitors and traders.

 

It'll certainly be easy on the wallet by the time RailEx arrives..... :swoon:

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Expo EM is always a good event still one of the shows I still go to each year. But as others have said getting the message out there both to members and the general public is lacking. I think the Scalefour Society is doing the right thing for Scalefourum as info is always being added. In this day and age more people rely on web sites etc to get there info.

 

David

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As a member of both societies I have to agree with earlier comments regarding visible profile and website content/format/access etc.

 

I have asked why the website cannot be updated to more 'user friendly' format and have been met with evasive answers... why, what's the problem; if there aren't any members with the knowledge to set up a site similar to the P4 Society site format then surely there is enough money in the society's bank account to pay a professional to do a quality the job in a short timescale ???

 

Whilst I am happy to support society events across the country, which are excellent and highly  informative, I am concerned it isn't doing itself any favours on the IT front, and therefore limiting its appeal to prospective members, the late issue of Expo EM information I think is a case in point as others have commented on earlier in these posts

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