Welcome to 2009 when we all hope that the many problems facing society in general will not have too great an impact on our Club activities. When writing these notes I often try to find a theme to comment on and this time I thought I’d pen a few thoughts on the Club itself.

Over the years since we took on the additional facilities at Creech there have been odd comments passed by members about ‘splitting our activities means splitting the Club’ but I would suggest that this is not inevitable. In a Club such as ours we are bound to consist of many members having many and varied interests and differing levels of skill as this is the nature of the model engineering hobby. As a Club therefore we try to provide a programme of events and activities which attempts to mirror this variety in offering something of interest to everybody.

As in all Clubs there are members who are active and those who are not; those who are prepared to take a lead and organise matters, or who can give advice and guidance on problems and those who are generally active in carrying forward the membership’s wishes. Within the latter there are many and varied roles that our members fulfil, be it building or maintaining one of our 2 railways, operating them in the season, looking after the facilities the Club enjoys, making presentations to meetings, contributing to this magazine; arranging visits, setting up and assisting at annual exhibitions, etc. These all offer opportunities for members to partake to the extent that they wish to make the Club what it is.

Above all these activities depend on teamwork and a cross section of skills and abilities. We all have to come together for our biggest fund raising event of the year, the Exhibition, or it would not happen and our ability to provide some of the other amenities we enjoy could be impaired. The fact that the Creech working parties have suspended their operations on site to concentrate on getting the enlarged Vivary Park track commissioned in time for the 2009 running season demonstrates their commitment to what is seen as a Club priority – after the Exhibition the railway in Vivary Park is very much our Club public face the rest of the year. In time Creech will provide an alternative and very different attraction as well as housing basic workshop facilities.

At this point I must stop to pay tribute to the co-operation and practical assistance we have received from the TDBC Parks Department. We certainly would not have achieved the progress made so quickly without their help, and we hope the new track will become a worthy addition to the attractions they are planning for the Children’s Play Area.

So I would suggest to you all that the diversity that we provide for members is the very thing that will keep the Club as one – to do otherwise would fragment our capabilities and interests. No doubt you have your own views and our worthy Editor will no doubt be pleased to receive any comments you wish to make.

Meantime our thanks go to Don Martin and Pam who have offered to house the portable track when we have to remove it from TDBC care; my other appeal in ‘Oily Rag’ last time still stands – we’re still looking for ideas for speakers, visits, etc. for our regular meetings. We know you all enjoy a hearty natter some times – witness the general hubbub when we have a social evening – but having meetings on various topics also help to attract differing cross sections of our membership to the ultimate benefit of all.

Finally, do not forget our Annual General Meeting approaches when we shall be seeking your nominations for Committee posts – some new blood might be just what you’re looking for!

Mike.