NMRA Proud To Be A Member I've been in the NMRA, Mid-Central Region, Division 8 (So. Indiana, Kentucky Area) since 1978. I will NOT let my membership lapse. I have never had such an investment pay off in so many good ways. The six month trial membership is a BARGAIN! Anybody even thinking of joining the NMRA should at least try this promotion. You will not be sorry. On the Achievement Program, I haven't tried to obtain any certificates yet, but I have had a few presented to me by just doing things for the organization. These are just things I like to do, volunteer to help at conventions, run silent auctions, guide tours(layout & scenic) and anything else to do with railroads and model railroading. You will NOT meet a better group of people, than the members of the NMRA, this also goes for the general Model Railroading Hobby Group. The NMRA does NOT have a bunch of drunks, bums or low-lifes as members, it is extremely family oriented. At least here in Div 8, we are very wife friendly, and several of the wives (mine included) are usually at the meetings and going on layout tours and train trips. Because of the NMRA I have seen many state of the art, national known layouts from the inside and even had chances to OPERATE on them. I have been inside coal mines, surface and underground, rail yards, had cab rides, STEAM & diesel, met some of your well known authors and many other things connected to model railroading. All these things came with my membership in the NMRA. There are groups of people who don't like the NMRA. That's fine, no group can be everything for everybody. If you don't like the NMRA, don't join! And last but not least the CONVENTIONS.........a model railroaders convention, models, tours, people silent auctions, & much more. There are the National Conventions Sacramento CA this year, Grand Rapids MI next year (2012) and Atlanta, GA (2013) and there are Regional Conventions also. Sometimes the Regionals are as good as the National Conventions! 'Nuff Said .
I joined the NMRA here for a couple of reasons 1. the politics in the club I belonged to was not good, and I wanted to see how the NMRA group was.:tb-sad: Here we have only a division superintendant and the politics is in another capital city.:thumbs_up: 2. insurance for displays was bigger factor, and it took away me trying to get insurance elsewhere by just joining the NMRA.:thumbs_up: I have used the library and found the local members a good bunch.:tb-biggrin:
Interestingly, BMRC looked at the NMRA insurance and decided the exact opposite. Ignoring the fact that some of the members would never join the NMRA (They would have if it meant a cheaper bill) Once you put the cost of membership on top of the insurance costs, it became less compelling. What made more sense and what BMRC did was to incorporate as a 501(3)c organization. Which cost practically nothing and protected the membership against the risks associated with a travelling layout. I won't pretend to be able to give a detailed accounting of all the ins and outs. All I remembered was that after long discussion with a lawyer it was determined that insurance would be a waste. Of course, it didn't protect them against theft which was left up to individual owners and property owner since the club at the time owned little of value. THAT may have changed a few opinions.
I didn't think BMRC had insurance. At least, that's what I have been told. We looked at what were able to get on our own, and looked at the price of NMRA insurance plus memberships and decided it was cheaper to go the NMRA route. We've looked at becoming a 501(c)3 and we'll probably do it. The start-up fees are what give us a bit of a pause. I don't think we have any theft coverage, it's just the coverage in case a visitor slips on the floor. They'll (hopefully) get made whole and we (hopefully) won't lose our shirts to make that happen.
They do not. That was my point. We looked into it last year and after the 501(c)3 organization, it was determined we as a club needed no insurance at all for that coverage you just explained. BMRC would not be liable under those circumstances. If you're interested talk to Ned, he did all the research and talked to the lawyer about it. Also, check with him about the 501(c)3 costs. Again, it was determined that because of the size of the club "revenues." The filing fee with the state wasn't needed. Or something like that. It was essentially almost no cost. BMRC's big concern wasn't people being hurt on site. It was protection while the modules were under transport.
I hate to disagree, but if I read this right, I think that you need to talk with another lawyer. Our club is a 501(c)3 as well, and the first thing that we were advised was to get liability insurance at least! We live in a very sue happy era, and the 501(c)3 designation will NOT protect you from being sued, no matter what the circumstances are. What that designation does is to identify you to the IRS as an organization that is tax exempt, and can receive charitable donations. One of our brother clubs in the area, they were also a 501(c)3, is now defunct because of someone suing them. The members were all affected by the suit, and not for the better.
You have to understand the nature of where BMRC operates. Again, I will not make definitive claims, because they was a year ago and I haven't talked to them about this since, but Liability insurance for the layout in it's regular home is covered already by the property owner. (I think) and Liability for the traveling layout was covered by the locations they set up in. For instance when they set up in the Beaverton Public Library, the Library was responsible for that. Again, don't quote what I'm saying as a 100% accurate statement as I'm dredging up year old memories of reports to club meetings. I could be misunderstanding. I think though that it was very much related to the unique nature of the organization and the unique nature of their location. Generally speaking, if no contract alters it, the property owner is responsible. Insurance for the trailer during transport is covered by definition under the personal liability insurance of whoever is hauling the trailer just as it would be for any other trailer. I would not, generally, suggest ignoring insurance concerns. I wonder, my current club is located on county fairgrounds and is requested to be open during the county fair. I assume their liability insurance is covered under the Fair's insurance. Also, my wife the ex-paralegal just pointed out to me that while being 501(c)3 doesn't remove insurance concerns, it does have it's own separate set of rules and expectations for them. Adam, I think this is part of why 4-H is handling the revitalization of Dairyville. They are 501(c)3 and so the liability requirements are completely different.
Sorry, Beaverton Modular Railroad Club. My old club. I should have made that clear. Eh, it's off topic anyway.
