We have been receiving a great number of questions about the Canadian Association of Railway Modellers and so through this medium we have attempted to provide responses. We would be grateful to receive your feedback or additional questions.
John Johnston
Director/Editor, Canadian Association of Railway Modellers
On behalf of the Founding Board of Directors
Why was the Canadian Association of Railway Modellers formed? |
| Putting together Maple Leaf 2003, the National Convention held in Toronto, brought together a number of active and committed modellers. It was clear through discussion that there was a great deal of discomfort with current model railroad associations particularly as it applied to Canadian members. These initial discussions focused on gaining greater Canadian autonomy within the current structures, minimizing administration and politics, and reducing costs. Additionally, as planning for the convention moved forward, it was discovered that the majority of modellers whose layouts would be on display or who would be giving clinics did not belong to the existing model railroad organization. Further enquiries showed a high level of interest in joining an independent Canadian organization. Subsequent to ML2003 these discussions were continued with modellers across Canada and it was determined that the time was right for an independent Canadian organization which focused on Canadian modellers. The Canadian Association of Railway Modellers was formed in St. Catharines, Ontario on October 15, 2003. The Founding Members were John Johnston, David King, Peter Moffett, and Lex A. Parker.
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Was CARM formed in response to the NMRA's handling of events at the Toronto National Convention in 2003? |
| The answer to this common question is emphatically NO. There is no question that ML2003 acted as a catalyst to bring people with like ideas together and gave an opportunity for discussion. During the talks which took place in subsequent months it was clear that everyone involved saw CARM as a positive step for modellers and not as a negative reaction to other events. While certain actions during the National Convention received a great deal of Internet chatter, the individuals who were responsible for running it were delighted with the number of people who attended and enjoyed the convention. There remains a great deal of respect for many individuals within NMRA and for what it has accomplished as an organization.
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Why would I want to join CARM? |
| Because you are the type of modeller who wants to interact with others at a local, provincial, or national level. Because you are willing to share your skills with others and are anxious to learn what others might have to teach you. Because you want to see the hobby promoted and grow in Canada. Because you are interested in seeing more young people become involved. Because you are interested in seeing Canadian prototypes, manufacturers, hobby shops, authors, and publications promoted.
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What will CARM provide to me for my dues? |
| CARM will create the forums to allow you to interact with other modellers. Initially this will be restricted to communications tools such as the newsletter, the Web site, and e-mail. We say initially because the organization is only weeks old and the structures to provide for local, provincial, and national meets are still in the future. Our first goal is to host a National Convention as soon as possible. Definitely 2005 and we will make a sincere effort to create one in 2004. Local and provincial meets will require dedicated volunteers stepping forward in those areas to get it started. CARM will create programs for promoting the hobby and getting young people involved. Towards this goal we have made Family memberships an inexpensive option in the hope that a lot of members will get their spouses and children involved in the hobby and Association activities. CARM will hold down the cost of membership. My current CARM membership is 1/3 of what I was paying for divisional, regional, and national dues. CARM has created and will maintain a single unified dues structure so that one membership allows you to participate in all activities. CARM will encourage modellers to display their skills by removing the competitive nature of current model contests. Model displays will replace model contests. Consideration is being given to recognizing exceptional models through Popular Choice methodology. Having more modellers display their work will allow a greater dialogue between modellers on techniques and methods. CARM Conventions will be held in Canada, possibly over a long weekend, at sites ranging from the East Coast to Central Canada to the West Coast. Making conventions cost appealing to all of our members will be a primary goal. CARM will actively seek out your opinions on matters of interest to the members. Back To Top |
Is CARM only for Canadian Modellers? |
| No. A number of our initial members are not Canadian but share the goals that CARM has put forward. CARM will have a strong focus on Canadian modellers and Canadian content but will openly welcome, recognize, and serve all modellers who wish to participate.
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Would CARM be open to a partnership with NMRA? |
| CARM would listen to any proposal made by any organization wishing to work co-operatively with our membership. If such a proposal were made, we would review it, consult with our membership, and make a decision consistent with the best interests of our membership. We will not be seeking out such partnerships.
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What will the governance structure be and how will you keep the "politics" out? |
| The part about "politics" is also one of the most common questions and to be truthful there is no good answer. They say the road to "you know where" is paved with good intentions, however, good intentions is what we all have and I for one believe that will carry us some distance. We are working on a governance model and will be consulting broadly with our membership in making any determination. We already have received a number of suggestions. To date we have taken two steps. First, we have created a Founding Board of Directors who will govern the Association until a governance model is adopted, and we have eliminated the concept of Executive Officers. Second, the Directors will govern and they will elect on an annual basis from within the Board a Chair who will run meetings and act as spokesperson. This will spread decision-making and reduce individual power.
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Has CARM incorporated and is the name protected? |
| Incorporation is currently being pursued and the name has been protected.
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Will CARM offer layout insurance? |
| A number of individuals have asked this question and it has been placed on our "To Do List". It is uncertain at this time whether it will be financially viable. Any responses we receive will be shared with the membership.
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Will CARM be another Ontario centred organization? |
| It is our goal to be a National organization. One of our first steps has been to offer parts of our website in French. Some of you may ask, why not all of it? The answer is simply time. We are all volunteers and work; family; and other matters make demands on our time. Hopefully as we grow more volunteers will step forward and we can increase some of these services. Our friends on the coasts have also asked this question. The answer is in your hands as much as it is in ours. Great distances separate us and without individuals in those areas willing to volunteer it will be very difficult. Finding those volunteers is one of our key tasks.
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What will the Newsletter contain and will it be another magazine? |
| The newsletter generated a great deal of feedback. Almost everyone is looking for smaller rather than larger. You do not want us competing with commercial ventures. We agree with all of this. The newsletter, to be called The Canadian, will carry Association news, a feature on a members layout, information on Canadian manufacturers and authors, and space permitting a "how to" piece. It will be 4 double sided pages (8 pages of printed material) which will allow us to mail it to you in a first class envelope for timely arrival. It will go out every two months commencing in January 2004. It will be a newsletter, not a magazine.
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What will be on the Website and can any member make a contribution? |
| The Web site like the Newsletter is in the throws of development and growth. There are a great number of areas where you can make a contribution to its development. We are trying to put up a comprehensive list of manufacturers, hobby shops, and clubs in Canada. If you know of one that isn't there contact the Webmaster through the site and provide the information. We are looking to display member's layouts, send in your photos. We are looking to display prototype photos of Canadian railroads, share them with us.
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