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January/February 2022

President's Message
Gordy Robinson MMR®
Traditionally your Board of Directors has met in person twice a year and all business has had to wait for those meetings in February or summer before being concluded or moved forward. Always having the directors on the extra board, and with online meetings now being the norm for conducting business, I took the opportunity to call an additional Board of Directors meeting in December 2021. This allowed business to continue rather than stalling for nearly three months. What follows is a summary of the meeting. The full minutes will be posted on the NMRA website and you can read more in the NMRA Presidents Car in the February NMRA Magazine.

For many years we have provided certificates to recognise those who have been NMRA members for 25 and 50 years. The Board of Directors has expanded this program so that US and Worldwide members will now be recognised with a certificate for reaching 2, 5 and 10 years of membership in addition to the current 25 and 50 years.

Every two years the Board is asked to review the dues charged to US members. Any increase is tied to the consumer price index (CPI-E). Therefore the dues will increase from $50/year to $54/year for US members starting April 1st 2022.

The audit of the financial accounts for 2020 was accepted by the Board. The NMRA IRS Return form 990 for 2020 has been posted onto the NMRA website and the Auditor’s Report has been added to the members' only section.

The NMRA Digital Publications project team asked that the Board adopt a digital NMRA Magazine as part of the standard membership benefits. The current print magazine will continue. This was accepted by the Board and therefore the NMRA will provide a Digital NMRA Magazine to all members from April 2022. The team will provide more information so I won’t say more here other than to thank all of those who have led this project and the members who have provided such valuable input and feedback.

The next 12 months offer us a great opportunity to expand and grow our organisation for the future. Digital publishing is now well on the way, an NMRA App will be available, and work is about to start on a major education delivery project. The future is certainly looking more promising than it did 20 months ago. Thank you for all of your efforts in 2021. It is now time to once again set your goals for the New Year and look for new opportunities. I hope that in doing so you are all richly rewarded for your efforts and achievements in the coming year.

It’s never too late to dump that gym membership idea and think about spending that time you won’t be spending in the gym by volunteering with the NMRA either locally or nationally. We are all the NMRA and the NMRA is only going to be as good as all of us when we work together.

Happy New Year

Gordy
Our New Years gift to you is:

Gateway 2022 is coming right along! Here is a little update - by the numbers!

Prototype Tours: 9 Planned are

Layout Tours: 29
  • Bus tours
  • Drive yourself tours
  • Illinois tours
  • Missouri only tours
  • Narrow gauge? We've got a tour for that.
  • Big Steam? Check
  • Short lines? Check
  • Published layouts? You bet.
  • Layouts on the Tours: 67 with more being vetted

Vendor Tables: 100 of them at the hotel that will be open Monday to Wednesday into the evening so you can shop when you return from tours! Many vendors haven't been represented at a National Convention in a long time, if ever.

Many other attractions!
  • OPSIG operating sessions
  • LDSIG tours
  • Family and spouse events
  • one of the Worlds Great Zoos
  • The Gateway to the West with America's tallest monument: the Gateway Arch honoring Lewis and Clark, with a very unusual train ride 630 feet to the top.
  • Door Prizes: Too many to count and more coming in daily.

What is missing? You! Register today at Gateway2022.org
New NMRA Digital Magazine FAQs
As you have all learned by now, the NMRA will begin offering a digital version of the NMRA Magazine in 2022. We realize there are a number of questions surrounding this decision by the Board of Directors and hope that the information below will assist in answering the most frequently asked questions. Additional communications will be sent out over the next few months.
  • Beginning April 1, 2022, every member will have digital access to the NMRA Magazine as part of the standard membership dues. (The only exception to this is members residing within the Australasian Region.) Access will be provided through the third-party service Zinio and will be available on all mobile devices, as well as on laptops and desktops through a browser.
  • All members may choose to continue to receive the paper magazine by adding the print subscription to their membership. The cost of the print magazine will encompass the cost of printing and mailing. Please note that the paper publication is currently an add-on to the cost of annual membership dues and this practice will continue.
  • Members who choose only digital access to the NMRA Magazine will see a substantial decrease in costs. 
  • On mobile devices, an NMRA Magazine mobile app will be available on the Apple App Store and on Google Play for Android devices. 
  • On laptops and desktops, the NMRA Magazine will be available through a website.
  • Access to both the mobile and desktop versions will be based on your NMRA.org web site username and password. We urge you to register on the NMRA.org website if you have yet to do so.
  • Members will be notified electronically when a new magazine issue is available so they will have instant access. 
  • On mobile devices, laptops, and desktops, the magazine will be available as full pages as if reading the print version, as well as a special flowable text version. The flowable text makes it easier to read individual articles by enlarging the text and placing it into one continuous column for easy scrolling. It is simple to go back and forth between the versions.
  • The digital NMRA Magazine will be searchable by keywords so it will be easy to find your favorite railroad or topic. You can also bookmark articles for quick access later.
  • Members will be able to save issues offline for viewing when Internet access is not available.
  • Life Members will still receive the print magazine, as well as the digital version. Those wishing to receive the digital magazine only may opt out of the print version.
Upcoming 2022 Conventions
2022 Board of Directors Elections
Mike Cummings
NMRA Secretary
In February, we will be holding our 2022 Board of Directors Elections. The following positions are up for election: At-Large World-Wide Director, Atlantic District Director, and Western District Director.

All voting-eligible members worldwide will vote for the At-Large World-Wide Director. Some voting-eligible members will also vote for the Director for their District.

Ballot packages are designed specifically for your District. Your ballot package will include candidate statements, the No Campaigning Policy, and the ballot. As we have for the last few years, the ballot will not be published in the magazine. Candidate statements are posted in the members-only section of the website.

All voting-eligible members worldwide with an email address on file will be invited to vote electronically through ElectionBuddy, a secure online voting system. Your election invitation should arrive around February 1 and the election will close on March 1. All voting-eligible members worldwide who do not have an email address on file will receive a paper ballot via postal mail. Your ballot should arrive in late January. Completed paper ballots must be postmarked no later than March 1.

Questions about completing your ballot may be sent to the Secretary and the Elections Team at elections@nmra.org. Please take the time to vote and thank you for being a member of the NMRA.
Administrative and Fee Changes Beginning April 1, 2022
The introduction of the NMRA Digital Magazine will result in changes to fee structures across the globe. Here are the details on how the change will impact you, dependent on where in the world you live. The costs to produce the content of the NMRA magazine, i.e. editorial, articles, and layout, are now shared across all members worldwide meaning that everyone will see a rise in membership fees. However, if you currently take the print magazine, and now choose digital over print, you will see a reduction in your membership fee. All membership classes will either still receive, or be able to subscribe to, the printed NMRA Magazine. Note that the fees given below do not include any Region-based fees.

USA Members 
For reference, here are the current membership rates in the USA, in effect until March 31, 2022.
  • Membership Only (no Magazine) $50
  • Membership with a Magazine Subscription $82 
New rates starting April 1, 2022
  • Member with access to the digital magazine $68
  • Member with access to the digital and print magazines $92
  • Sustaining member with access to the digital and print magazines $120
  • Student member with access to the digital magazine only $40
  • Rail Pass member with access to the digital magazine only (9 months) $19.95
  • Family member $10
Therefore, if you currently subscribe to the print magazine and you choose to now read your NMRA Magazine online, you will see a reduction in your overall membership fee of $14. The digital NMRA Magazine will be available to all as a standard benefit of NMRA Membership.

British & European Region & NMRA Canada
Your Regional or National Committee will publish their own new membership fees, which will also take effect on April 1, 2022.
  • Increases will broadly be in line with those for USA members but will reflect local currency, economic conditions, and other factors.
  • Your local committee will set NMRA Membership fees in your area. Renewal Notices will come from your Regional or National Committee.
  • The digital NMRA Magazine will be available to all as a standard benefit of NMRA Membership.
  • The savings for those choosing to stop their print subscription is different in each region but significantly more than it is for the USA members due to the reduction in shipping costs.

Australasian Region
The Australasian Regional Committee has voted to use the “opt out” mechanism offered by the Digital Publication amendment to the ABCE fee structure leveed by NMRA Inc. Therefore, the leadership of the Australasian Region has determined that the digital NMRA Magazine will not be available to any class of membership in the Australasian Region except for Life Members. If there are any local changes to membership rates in the Australasian Region this will be communicated to you locally.

Worldwide Members
Members residing outside of the USA, Canada, Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland, or Australasia will receive the NMRA magazine digitally and have the option to take print for an additional fee.
  • Member with access to digital magazine $68 USD
  • Member with access to digital and print magazines $126 USD

Life Members
  • Life members will have access to the digital magazine and will continue to receive the print magazine if they receive it currently.
  • Life members do have the option to stop getting the print magazine if they contact HQ with a request to do so. The print magazine can be stopped completely or, at the request of the life member, placed in Public Libraries or similar public reading rooms as per the executive handbook.
  • Life members will pay no new fees as the Life Service Obligation Fund covers the cost of publications for them.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to hq@nmra.org.
Help Wanted - Marketing Department
Christina Zambri
NMRA Marketing
There is work to be done, and volunteers are needed in the Marketing Department of the NMRA.

  • Graphic Designer Assists with updating current marketing materials and designing new ones in various formats
  • Social Media Assistant Plans posts across all platforms. Software is provided.
  • Partnership Program Coordinator Posts ads, reaches out to existing and potential partners, and maintains the current list of partners and their contact info
  • Hobby Shop and Attraction Discount Program Coordinator As above, but with a focus on hobby shops and attractions
  • Marketing Material Coordinator Assists with gathering current materials and creating new materials and updates. Works with the Graphic Designer.
  • Video Editor Creates teasers and other video content as needed

If you have the skills, contact marketing@nmra.org directly.
Upcoming NMRA Magazine
-Bob Lenz' HO Colorado Western/HOn3 Aspen Junction
-Barn Art
-Woodpiles
-Layout Access via a Turntable
-A Unique Pumphouse
Partnership Program - One more new company
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. New additions are shown in red.
Bear Creek Model Railroad
Build Your 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.
TRAINZ
Trainmasters TV/MRH Store
TSG Multimedia
UGEARS
Unreal Details
USA Airbrush Supply
WiFi Model Railroad
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
Newest Master Model Railroader® recipients
693. Mick Moignard (BR)
694. Michael Ross (LSR)
695. Bob Ginger (PSR)
696. Malcolm H. Houck (NER)

"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
Have you changed your address, email address, or other membership information?

Notify headquarters at hq@nmra.org

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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