September/October 2021

President's Message
Gordy Robinson MMR®
I hope we all are looking forward to attending in-person national conventions again in the coming years. Next year we will be in St Louis at a National Convention that’s been 7 years in the planning having been moved from 2020 to 2022. In 2023 we will be in Dallas Fort Worth. Registration is open now for 2022 and will be shortly for 2023.

Unfortunately, we do not yet have a host committee in place for 2024 and are actively seeking bids from suitable host cities. Given that the world has probably changed forever, your Board is open to bids from cities that may have in the past considered themselves too small to host our national convention, but in the uncertain post-COVID world nothing is off the table. So please get in touch with the President or the Meetings and Trade Shows department if you want to discuss this further. Our national team is ready and willing to support you to make your bid.
The Gateway 2022 Train Crew have been working hard to welcome you to St. Louis. We hope you're anxious to attend the first in-person NMRA National Convention in 3 years! You should be, because we have some great plans.

In August of 2022 we are adding Drive Yourself Layout Tours and including one at no extra charge with every full registration.

Also there will be 100 vendor tables at the hotel in our new Vendors Marketplace so you can shop all day and into the evening.

Along with these new features, join your favorite clinicians for the After Hours Clinic Club in the SIG room so you can continue Q&A and discussions regarding your favorite subjects.

And don't worry, we will handle transportation to the National Train Show ... on the house!

Check out this video to get a glimpse of what's in store for you at the convention, then visit the convention website.

We hope to meet everyone in St. Louis at Gateway 2022!
NMRA Awards and Honors 2021
Honorary Life Member
Honorary Life Membership is the highest honor the NMRA can bestow upon one of its present or past members. It shall be given only in recognition of outstanding elective or voluntary service to the NMRA.
  • Ray DeBlieck
  • Fred Headon MMR®

Fellow of the NMRA
The Fellow of the NMRA Award is granted to those in the NMRA who have fostered the organization and the hobby and have increased or advanced social interaction and the social benefits of the hobby.
  • Robert Brown HLM MMR®
  • Charles Getz HLM
  • Gerry Leone HLM MMR®

President's Award
The President's Award is given by the NMRA President for outstanding service to the NMRA.
  • John Stevens
  • Gerry Leone, MMR®, HLM
  • James Gore, PhD, MMR®
  • Robert Hamm MMR®
  • Jack Hamilton, MMR®
  • Robert Amsler
  • Carl Smeigh
  • Frank Koch, HLM
  • Bruce DeYoung, MMR®
  • Ben Sevier
  • Christopher Palermo
  • Didrik Voss, MMR®
  • Allen Pollock, HLM
  • Charles Getz, HLM
  • Robert Brown, MMR®, HLM
  • Mike Brestel, HLM
  • Gordon Robinson
  • Clark Kooning, MMR® , HLM

There are other awards given by the NMRA as well. Please see nmra.org/nmra-honors-awards for more details.
Summer Board of Directors Meeting Highlights
Here are some of the topics under discussion by your Board of Directors:

  • The procedures for National elections, including those for nominations and ballots, will be revised to assure consistency across the entire NMRA.
  • There was an overall decrease of 2.1% in NMRA membership recently, but this was very likely affected by the pandemic. Recruitment and retention of members remains a top priority.
  • The Modeling with the Masters program may show up at Regional conventions or events. Keep an eye open.
  • Detailed study of a potential digital version of the NMRA Magazine is underway, providing an alternative to the paper magazine, which would continue. A trial run may be done in the near future.
Partnership Program
The companies listed below give discounts to NMRA members when orders are placed using a special discount code. You can find descriptions of these companies and their products, links to their websites, and the discount codes on our Partnership Page at  nmra.org/partnerships . Remember you need to be logged into our site as a member to see the codes! Go to nmra.org/user/register to register your name on the website.
Bear Creek Model Railroad
CatzPaw Innovations
Clever Models LLC
CMR Products
Daylight Sales
Deepwoods Software
Deluxe Materials
Digikeijs
East Coast Circuits
Feight Studios
Gatorfoam
Great Decals!
Green Frog Productions
HobbyWorx Tools and Supplies
Hot Wire Foam Factory
K.I.S.S. Method
LaBelle Woodworking
LARC Products
Logic Rail Technologies
MAC Rail
Micro-Mark
Mine Mount Models
Miniprints
MinuteMan Scale Models
Model Railroad Benchwork
Model Train Catalogue
Modelers Decals & Paint
Motrak Models
MRC (Model Rectifier Corp)
Nick and Nora Designs
Northlandz
NScaleWorks
Old West Scenery
Ram Track
RR-CirKits
Rusty Stumps
Scale Model Plans
Scalecoat Paint
Scenery Solutions
Showcase Miniatures
Team Track Models
The N Scale Architect
The Old Depot Gallery
Tichy Train Group
Touch of the Brush
Train Installations
Train Show, Inc.
Trainmasters TV/MRH Store
TSG Multimedia
UGEARS
Unreal Details
USA Airbrush Supply
WiFi Model Railroad
Upcoming 2021 Regional Conventions

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Notice to Region Presidents and Division Superintendents
NMRA Secretary

Region Presidents: In order to ensure timely updating in the NMRA magazine, as well as for our records, please notify the Secretary as soon as possible with any changes in Region officials. Please send these updates to secy@nmra.org

Division Superintendents: Please let the NMRA HQ staff know as soon as possible of any changes in Division officials. Please send these updates to hq@nmra.org
Did you miss?
Thanks to volunteer Tom Bensberg, all NMRA eBulletins and NMRA Dispatches are archived on the NMRA website. Here are a few links to items you may have missed.

eBulletin articles
Dispatches
Upcoming NMRA Magazine
Modeling a Training Flatcar
Upgrading Decoders
Why? Why? Why? Why?
Making a Bachman "Russian" a
Credible Canadian
Newest Master Model Railroader® recipients
687. Lynn Daugherty (RMR)
688. Kenneth Nelson (NER)
689. Kelly Russell (LSR)
690. Dale Bearden ({NR)



"Master Model Railroader" and "MMR" are registered trademarks of the NMRA. A list of all MMRs can be found at nmra.org/master-model-railroaders
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The NMRA eBulletin is an official bi-monthly production of the National Model Railroad Association, Inc. Publishing Department (Riley Triggs, Manager). Its purpose is to keep every NMRA member informed about organization news and events. If you know of an NMRA member who is not receiving this mailing, please direct them to nmra.org/members to update their email address. If you no longer wish to receive these mailings, please don't mark them as spam. Instead, click the safe Unsubscribe link at the bottom of this page. ©2021 National Model Railroad Association, Inc., P.O. Box 1328, Soddy Daisy TN 37384.
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