~ From The President's Office ~
Finally,
winter has passed and Spring is here. Our crew in the Archives is
especially happy about this, since for most of the winter, they had no
heat. The situation at our Archives Center has posed some challenges for
us these past several months, with the property at Cottage street
changing ownership numerous times. We are now the only tenant in the
building and the future is uncertain. Each landlord appears to be in it
for the monetary gain, if for no other reason, and our gas service, or
lack thereof, has suffered as a result. This, along with other events
has prompted the Officers and Trustees to consider seeking out a new
location within the limits of Middletown, per our constitution.
On the bright
side, Mr. Jeff Otto and company continues to forge on with the
digitization project. This project has gained much traction in the past
several months. Have you checked out the Archives link on our web site?
It leads you to literally hundreds of thumbnails of images Jeff has
scanned into our database. It is quite impressive. Jeff has toiled many
hours on this project, and his dedication to this project is
immeasurable. Assistance is welcome on this project, as well as any
assistance to the Society in locating a new and suitable long term home
for our Archives. Any and all help from the membership is welcome.
Our membership
roster continues to remain in the high 600's up to 700, and our meeting
attendance is consistently healthy, thanks in part to our interesting
and entertaining programs that our members so enthusiastically continue
to provide. As you read this, our O&W Northern Division Railroad Day in
Central Square, NY will take place in less than two weeks. Thanks in
advance to Northern Division Representative Drew James, At Large
Representative John Taibi and the Central New York Chapter of the NRHS
for arranging what promises to be a fun and informative day of O&W
railroad history on the Northern Division. More information is inside. I
hope you will consider attending this event as well as the many upcoming
events included in our calendar.
Lastly, I have to say how fortunate I feel to have so many friends in
this Society, and how it pleases me to see new faces from time to time.
Everyone brings a little something different to the table of the O&W
R.H.S., and it is that diversity that continues to fuel my passion and
keep things interesting. The ongoing evolution of the O&W R.H.S. never
ceases to amaze me.
"For the Good of the Society"
A common phrase? One you've heard before? Perhaps, but maybe one that is said
more nonchalant than with passion. What do I mean? Well, as a member for twenty
four years, I see our Society as an entity. It has life, it has grown, it can be
fragile at times, it undergoes changes, it needs to be cared for, even nurtured.
Of course these terms may be applied to many facets of everyday life, so it is
only fitting that we as members provide what is needed for our Society to
function, and meet the challenges that lie ahead;... always acting
individually and in concert for the good of the Society.
Thankfully, many in our group have risen and continue to rise to each occasion
as presented. Work is work, no matter how you slice it, but those who choose to
volunteer for that work never bemoan it, and have been happy to contribute when
needed. The work that they do is perhaps viewed as a `task with benefits', in
that personal gratification can result in the effort given. That may or may not
be true, but for me, it's a call to service for a cause I truly believe in. Yet,
this is not the only cause I believe in, nor is it the only place I have
responded to a call where I have donated time and talent. I've learned to
diversify as time goes on.
As President, my mantra, (and I use this word according to definition 2 in
Microsoft Dictionary as follows: Often repeated expression or idea: an
expression or idea that is repeated, often without thinking about it, and
closely associated with something), my motto if you will, has always been `For
the Good of the Society`. For me, it's a good thought to keep in mind as I act
on behalf of the Society, and it is one that helps to fuel my spirit and
intention as I continue to take on the task of President, and serve in a
proactive fashion.
Apparently, and hopefully, I'm not the only volunteer to subscribe to this
phrase. Our perpetual needs can be demanding at times, and participation is key,
as with any group, but even more so in our Society. As we continue to face
average member age issues, it was particularly rewarding for me to see several
of our young members step in and step up to meet tasks and challenges in recent
months. They have been commended by me, and should be commended by all members.
Perhaps the phrase `For the Good of the Society' has hit home with them......
...Perhaps it will hit home with you.
George S. Shammas
N.R.H.S. Update
I am writing this letter to
bring you up to date on a situation that effects some of you
directly, and the Society as a whole. As you may know, the Ontario &
Western Railway Historical Society Inc. has had quite an evolution since
its inception in 1963. Originally being formed as the Ontario &
Western Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, it later
merged with the Ontario & Western Technical Historical Society in
order to consolidate the interest both groups had in the NYO&W Ry.
This group continued on as a chapter of the NRHS until 1978 when it
changed its corporate name to the present name as listed above, and
identified itself as an "affiliated chapter" of the NRHS. We do not
know the reason for this change.
As a separate and stand alone organization, the O&W R.H.S.
continued for thirty years to offer membership in the NRHS, and to
collect and process dues on their behalf right up until present day.
This, we have done for no gratuity or benefit, and have willingly
and graciously done for the sake of railroad history preservation.
After all, isn't that what we are all about?
As you may, or may not know, the O&W R.H.S. has been, and is
a group run entirely by volunteers. These passionate and
enthusiastic members volunteer their time and talents to attain
Society goals. We have all come to enjoy the publications, web site
and yearly events that membership affords at such a reasonable cost.
This can only be achieved by those members mentioned above. For
this, I am truly grateful.
The O&W R.H.S. has accomplished many things in its life, and
has grown by leaps and bounds. The quality of our products speak for
themselves, and many core and active members have experienced a
level of fraternity, if you will, among its members. Unlike the O&W
R.H.S., the NRHS has not had the good fortune of willing volunteers
to work in the various fields of its operations. This is a sad
occurrence, one that has forced the NRHS to outsource some of its
services. Most recently, as early as the Fall of 2007, the NRHS
contracted out its membership services to a firm known as Fernley &
Fernley, located in Philadelphia, PA. This firm is now paid by the
NRHS to process its dues.
For the past twelve months, the O&W R.H.S. and the NRHS
entered into a transition period, which was agreed upon by both
parties. From our standpoint, the transition period was rough, to
say the least, with many problems and difficulties experienced by
our Membership Chairman, Ray Pinglora. Ray has served in this
capacity for many years, and has stepped up in many areas to take
care of our Society’s needs. Ray was good enough to give this some
time to work itself out. However, with Fernley & Fernley in control
of NRHS membership; stipulations, deadlines, duplicate and
triplicate work, and computer software were unfairly demanded of
Ray. Ray finally reached a point where he could no longer continue a
working relationship with Fernley & Fernley, and asked to be
replaced. Unable to replace him, I, as President, could not allow an
outside Society to influence the operations of the O&W R.H.S., nor
could I stand idly by while a valued volunteer such as Ray became
increasingly upset and frustrated with
the work he so graciously volunteered to do. By the way, Ray is the
recipient of the 2006 John Hobbs Chryn award , which is given to the
Member of the Year.
In the Spring of this year, I reached out to the senior
officers of the NRHS, in hopes of rectifying this situation, and to
work out an agreement between the two Societies by which we could
continue to collect membership dues on behalf of the NRHS. Ray and
myself put forth a proposal, or compromise, that would work for both
groups, thus allowing the O&W R.H.S. to continue to offer its
members the opportunity to join the NRHS. After many weeks of
consideration, the NRHS, and Fernley & Fernley refused to make any
concession. Therefore, a decision was reached by the O&W R.H.S.
Board of Trustees to discontinue accepting memberships for the NRHS.
What does this mean to you? Well, if you are not a member of
the NRHS, nothing will change. If you are a member of both the O&W
R.H.S. and the NRHS, very little will change. The option to join the
NRHS through the O&W R.H.S. will no longer be available. The
membership dues we process will be for O&W R.H.S. membership only.
The NRHS will now bill you directly. By now, you should have
received a letter from them, notifying you that your NRHS membership
status will change to "At Large". There will be no change in the
dues structure, as there was no discount for maintaining dual
membership. Your dues to the NRHS will simply be sent to them
directly.
The Ontario & Western Railway Historical Society is
disappointed in the rigid approach of the NRHS, and deeply regrets
that a working relationship could not be achieved. We have, and will
continue to support the preservation of railroad history, and
promote railroad travel. If you have enjoyed your membership in the
NRHS, then I encourage our dual members to maintain that membership.
To all of my fellow O&W R.H.S. members, I apologize for any
inconvenience this may cause. I hope you can appreciate the efforts
that were made by our Officers and Trustees in avoiding this
outcome, but I trust this change will not effect your desire to
maintain your membership in the Ontario & Western Railway Historical
Society. We are nearly 700 strong, and we will continue our
dedicated commitment to provide to you the quality membership
experience you have
come to know.
Sincerely,
George S. Shammas
President, O&W R.H.S.
George's dream came true when he
met the Godfathers of Heavy Metal, Judas Priest at the PNC Bank Arts
Center on 8/9/08.
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