Early Spring 2019 President's Message
Hello Model Railroaders!
I hope that as many of you as possible have been diligently working on your own model railroads this Winter, and that much progress has been made. On my own layout, I am just about ready to begin laying down some track. This is all very good, but I have some research and then decisions to make, before I can begin dealing with the track. So, Spring will be here in just a few more days and I have more information to pass on to all of you.
But first, I just wanted to let each of you know that Chip Faulter was released from the hospital, yesterday, following successful surgery for removal of a tumor on his pancreas. He is at home resting and recuperating from his surgery. This was a difficult but very successful operation. He has about a 10 inch incision that extends from the middle of his chest down towards the right side of his waist, with approximately 50 staples holding it all together. It’s very painful for him to move. The surgeon said the tumor was able to be removed cleanly and there were no rough edges. There is no evidence that the cancer had spread to any other tissue or part of his body. Aside from the temporary pain, this is extremely good news! There is a possibility of follow on chemo-therapy that has yet to be decided. He has some dietary restrictions, but will slowly get back to eating normal food. Chip would like to rest up and try to relax as much as possible for the remainder of this week. I am sure he will try to answer any emails or text messages to the best of his ability.
Regarding the Model Train stuff, this is what I have for you:
Division Secretary
Our Seacoast Division is still in need of a Division Secretary. We need your help. There has to be someone out there that is willing to become our Division Secretary. I am looking for someone who is willing to spend a little extra time doing a very valuable service for all of us. We simply can’t function without someone stepping up and doing this. I have included the description of the duties of the Secretary from our Division By-Laws, below:
"The Secretary will maintain the Division's files and records, take minutes at Board Meetings and Meetings of Members (Annual or Special) and see that Division events and activities are publicized. At the request of the President, or in the absence of the President, the Secretary shall provide notices of meetings consistent with the provision of these Bylaws. The Secretary shall distribute copies of the unaccepted minutes of all Annual and Special Meetings of the Members and Board meetings to the Directors, Officers, Division webmaster and newsletter editor within 30 days following each meeting, or if sooner, at least five days prior to the next Board Meeting or Meeting of the Members. The Secretary shall also perform all of the duties and assume all of the power normally associated with such an office not in violation of or inconsistent with these Bylaws and other recognized lawful authorities, including the NMRA."
Please note that there is no requirement to be on the Board of Directors for this assignment. I am hoping that one of you will be willing to volunteer to take on these responsibilities and duties. Please consider getting a bit more involved with the Division. We have a very vibrant and active Division and we could use your help with this assignment. If you have any interest and you think you can do this, please contact me. Thank you.
Maine Activities Coordinator
We are still without a new Maine Activities Coordinator. It is not possible for me to continue as your President and also perform the duties of the Maine Activities Coordinator. There is simply not enough time in the day for me to perform both jobs. We have a wonderful organization, but it depends on members like you to step up and assume some responsibility. This position requires the coordinator to organize both of the Division quarterly events that take place in the State of Maine. This involves soliciting presenters/clinicians,
I can tell you from personal experience, that this position is a great way to get to know people in the organization. I have met some wonderful model railroaders doing this job and have been able to better myself and my modeling because of it. It is not necessary to be a member of the Board of Directors, to have this position. I can promise you that you will have plenty of help if you choose to volunteer to do this. Please consider getting involved. Thank you.
2019 Summer Event Clinics
Your Division is in need of clinicians who are willing to do presentations for our upcoming 2019 Summer Event, scheduled for Saturday, July 20, 2019. As in the past, we like to have clinics that show our members how to improve their modeling efforts. If you have an area of expertise and are willing to share your knowledge with the members, please contact me as soon as possible, so I can put you on our schedule for the day. We have a lot of very talented modelers in our Division and we greatly appreciate it when you can share this knowledge with us. Thanks very much!
2019 NER-NMRA Convention
Registration is now open for the 2019 NER Convention "Empire Junction," to be held in Syracuse, New York from September 19-22, 2019. This convention is hosted by the Central New York Division. We would love to have as many Seacoast members as possible attend the convention. You can get all the details by going on line to the CNY convention website
2019 NMRA Convention, Salt Lake City
Registration is also open for the annual NMRA Convention, being held in Salt Lake City, Utah from July 7 to July 13, 2019. Please consider attending the convention. The NMRA has never had a convention in Salt Lake City, before. So this should be a good one. You can get all the information by going to .
2019 Spring Event
Our Seacoast Division 2019 Spring Event will be held on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at the Old Town Hall in Newington, New Hampshire. The Old Town Hall is located at 336 Nimble Hill Rd. in Newington, NH. A Board of Directors meeting will commence at 0830 followed by the Division Event, which starts at 1000. We have 3 great clinics for you to enjoy along with the customary Show & Tell & Ask, plus the raffle and the "for sale" table. You will have to bring your own lunch if you desire. We will have 2 layouts that will be open for touring after the event concludes at around 1400. The first meeting notice was sent out last week and I hope you have all marked your calendars appropriately and are planning to attend. Please come join us for some fun!
Best regards,
Tage Erickson, President
Seacoast Division, NER-NMRA