General

A Very Happy New Year to all members. A New Year brings New Resolutions!!

Here are mine:

Delegate, delegate, delegate! We’ll be more effective as a Club if the day-to-day duties are widely spread.
Encourage more members to become involved in all the Club activities that make up our great Club.
Cut down on unnecessary bureaucracy but send one letter per year by post to everyone wherever possible.

Finances

The bank balance starts the year in a good position with a healthy position available for our plans.

Some big bills have been paid and more will be on the way as work continues on the 0 Gauge basement project. Scott Rhodes and John Allnutt have agreed to run with this project (remember delegation). Whilst John Gray and I will keep an eye on the financial aspect Scott and John will be leading everything else –materials, work parties and assessing layout plans. We have CAD drawings courtesy of retired draughtsman and member, Ray Stroud. If you want to get involved don’t wait for them to approach you. Make your contact with our leaders and get in touch on: srhodes2001@hotmail.com and 07866521510 or johnallnutt@yahoo.co.uk and 07813453944. Remember you will not be terribly popular if you do nothing, wait until the layout is built, and then decide you want to run trains there!

Membership

We attempt to clean up the numbers at the beginning of each calendar year so we’re starting 2015 with 77 members. Please give new member Derek Bevan from Gorseinon a warm welcome when you see him in the Club. All members seemed well and pleased to be back after the Christmas holiday on Thursday. We look forward to seeing our Secretary back from Asian pastures towards the end of January.

Excursions

The West Somerset Line trip now has 20+ members and friends lined up. It’s not too late to join in so please contact David Williams as soon as possible on dandle@williamsland.com and 07756964051. The trip will leave the Club’s car park at 6.30am and the return journey should see us back in Swansea at about 8.30pm.

Exhibitions

Ted Hylton wants members’ private layouts for exhibition at NWM on 3rd & 4th October 2015. If you have one please see him. I repeat last month’s comments that this is a big affair and Ted needs some help so it’s good to hear that new member, Ken Lewis, will be doing some admin work. The reputation of our Club is on the line so please offer your services to Ted on tedton135@gmail.com and 07930984131

Garden Project

This has now seen 2 articles with photos in The Evening Post. FOYD has been offered some cash, cheap materials and the free offer of some heavy moving equipment. The position is being closely watched with key members raring to start.

Clear Creek

Members’ responses to last month’s questionnaire have been somewhat delayed by Christmas and New Year holidays. Members have until Thursday 15 January to place their views in the box in the Library. The Committee will consider its responses when it meets on Tuesday 27 January and will then advise members.

Open Evening

This has been re-arranged for Friday 23 January 2015 to avoid crowded diaries and rugby international matches. Invitations will be issued to guests from various quarters. Layouts need to be available for operation on that night to enable members and guests to see the Club at its best. Friends and family are most welcome but please let me know numbers by 16 January so that food and drink can be properly organised. This is our opportunity to show what we are all about so let’s have a big effort to keep the Club looking at its best on the night.

The Club will take up a collection for FOYD as in previous years.

Diary

23 January – Open Evening from 7.00pm
27 January – Committee Meeting at 6.30pm
1 March – Modelling Competition voting slips passed round to members at 7.30pm. Winner announced at 9.00pm
27 March – Excursion to West Somerset Line leaving the car park at 6.30am
3 / 4 October – Exhibition at National Waterfront Museum 10 - 4.00pm both days.