2016 AGM feedback

AGM feedback By John Henry

EMRIG AGM Sunday 17 January 2016 Folks if you are still waiting for this year’s AGM then you have missed it. So let me brief you on some of the details. The weather was very kind to us. Indeed no El Nino hot weather patterns as we experienced recently in December of last year. But it was not cool either – just right. Perhaps this was the reason for the good attendance.

The majority of members turned up for the occasion within the last 15 minutes or so prior to scheduled commencement of the meeting. All the eats, drinks and braai equipment were placed on standby before we assisted Kobus to offload the chairs and tables provided for, courtesy of his very familiar light truck.

Members made quick work of the seating arrangements and we soon sat down to listen to the welcoming address extended to members by Colin (2015 Chairman of EMRIG; just in case you did not know). The content of his report inspired us all to look forward to a very exciting 2016 and beyond, in terms of “working party” projects interspaced by layout visits and the possibility of a larger facility.

It appeared from the report that we may possibly get access to the upstairs premises due to it being officially acknowledged by the centre management as dead space for retailers. However some i’s still had to be dotted and t’s crossed before this could/would be realised. A potential plan was set out by Colin, which if successful, would mean that we would be able to share the development cost for the site on a 50/50 basis. The only snag would be that the shopping site management would determine the contractor and the building methodology to be employed Page 5 of 31 based on several Acts that govern the construction and the commercial running of such a building with all the public and financial liabilities related thereto. This could be a costly affair and an agreement by EMRIG on those terms and conditions would be based on the period of lease that the centre management would be prepared to enter into. Based on the costs it appeared that we should play around with the idea of at least a 5 to 10 year lease so as to justify the expenditure costs we would be liable for.

A proposed budget of R22,000 income and an expenditure of R21,710 was put forward for 2016 which indicated that there would not be an increase in the annual membership fees for this year. The budget recognised the income from membership fees, donations and sponsorship fees. With respect to sponsorship members came up with suggestions to boost the income by companies sponsoring signage or products displayed on our layout(s). Based on the enthusiastic response by some members with related experience from other clubs it appears this will be investigated and these members will no doubt see what they can come up with to ensure this idea’s success.

The enthusiastic call by members for an EMRIG golf shirt and a cap has been acknowledged. Soon, very soon we will have the pricing available. We hope it will be embroidered and not engraved as suggested inadvertently by Colin on at least two occasions during the report! Loud and raucous peals of laughter resounded on both occasions. This is what the ad lib portion of an annual report does to you.

As we have a new banking facility, actually not so new anymore, the desired way of payment would be by EFT. Colin will soon send out the statements to all members with the banking details. You are requested to pay your membership fee ASAP with your name as reference as we still have one unknown acknowledgement of payment to contend with for last year. Actually this has been converted to a donation now. Thank you “unknown”. The treasurer will reciprocate your enthusiasm and supply you with your 2016 membership card on the closest Saturday following receipt of the fee.

In the meantime the first working party will soon be called to action to join up the returned HO modules to be interconnected as sidings and fiddle yards. But wait … there’s more. Ron Poole will need one pair of steady hands to assist with measuring the height for the wall mounted N-gauge layout extension (he broke his collar bone). You guessed it; we need an N-gauge working party as well. Watch the EMRIG communication channels for further “working party” information.

This was the largest AGM attendance in many years with some new members in attendance. With the enthusiastic exchange of ideas inter alia including looking at the real possibility of disciplining mavericks in future who repeatedly abuse club driving/operating rules on the club layout(s) to the detriment of other members’ locos and rolling stock, all this enthusiasm bodes well for the future. It was agreed that accidents do happen from time to time but repeated flagrant disregard of protocol resulting in the aforementioned should be addressed.

The AGM was concluded with a braai feast of note by all members providing their own meat and supporting the call to provide some salads as well. This was washed down with copious amounts of relevant refreshing liquids followed by a visit to Colin’s Friewalds Train Controller software operated layout which is running 98% correctly (my own thumb suck based on what he told me still has to be tweaked and tuned). Everyone marvelled at the way trains would be in running blocks and only departing the relevant station when the programme allowed it to through a combination of changing signals and switches once successful detection had been achieved.

Colin has programmed his layout to ensure that there is always an open block between trains. So there should be no head-on or rear-ending incidents ever. Due to different lengths of tracks between stations and different lengths of trains some would be stationary as others departed or came to a controlled stop. The time and effort going into programming the CV’s for realistic acceleration and deceleration was presented in a very successful demonstration of what can be achieved. And then there was sound at the appropriate times. Indeed well done Colin since the last AGM.

And finally there was that famous apple crumble pudding with custard, to crown the day. All in all this was a very pleasant day well spent in the company of good people with the same interest. Many hands make light work and soon Kobus’s truck was loaded with chairs and tables and the gazebo packed away for the next whatever event.

Well done to the committee of 2015 who through your enthusiasm ensured that for the most part of last year members had an operating home, a safe storage area, and probably the most successful swap meet venue in the country, as well as the opportunity to have had amazing layouts to view in the greater Gauteng area. You have set the bar high for yourself as the committee of 2016 after the landslide elections to retain your services. Thank you for accepting and the request for support by you to make it all happen will surely not go unheeded.