NGRS need a Treasurer? can you help

All

Despite chasing up all suggested contacts, this thread and the Area Groups, we still did not have a volunteer for the Treasurer's role at Hayling Island.

At the AGM, I made the following statement:

"As the Society cannot function without a Treasurer, we must recruit one urgently. If we do not have a Treasurer in place by June 15th, there will be a Notice of EGM in the July edition of Narrow Gauge News, EGM to be held in October, to make arrangements for winding the Society up at or before the end of the subscription year."

Let me put this in words of one syllable:

IF YOU DON'T DO THIS, THE SOC WILL END!

Since making the statement at AGM, I have had a number of members inform me of the reasons why they cannot do the job. Sorry to say, I don't accept those reasons - do not even think of contacting me to give your excuses as the response will not be polite, you have been warned.

I could think of lots of reasons not to be Secretary, and all the other Committee Members could think of reasons why they shouldn't be doing their job. We have all volunteered because we believe that continuing the Society's 62 years worth of history is worth doing. It is a cause of some depression in the McCall household that apparently 1300+ members of the Society do not value or believe in the Society beyond reading the publications.

No doubt many of you will miss it when it is gone, and some of you will be very British about telling the world how you would have run it in such a way that it did not end. This is your opportunity to join the Committee and influence the way that the Society is run now.

For clarity, the Treasurer does NOT need to be an accountant.

DON'T LEAVE IT TO OTHERS, DO IT YOURSELF, OR ELSE THE SOCIETY WILL BE GONE - YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!

Sorry to be negative and depressing, but asking people nicely does not seem to be producing a response. And it is rare for me to put my "grumpyhead" on, but this is a serious matter which requires your fullest consideration.

Thanks to all who have read this far down the message, I hope that we still have a Society next year.

Best Regards


Iain

 

I sent several emails to the NGRS over the last few years asking how to join online for those with no UK bank a/c. I didn't even get the courtesy of a reply. So, frankly, the current plight of the society leaves me less concerned than I might have been ...

 

Well I have a link which is

http://www.ngrs.org/

I guess this is down to the fact they are more in to railways than being computer wizards. I am only also guessing that they have not been able to attract new young members with the right skills to keep the Society going

 

Yes, and their membership page states: "Payments must be by cash or sterling cheque, crossed, payable to: 'Narrow Gauge Railway Society'."
Not exactly helpful to international members, nor to those who want to be able to join online with the hassle of sending stuff thru the mail....

 

Iain,
Have you considered to see if anyone is willing to be Secretary and you take the post of Treasurer?

By the way I am not a member just a curious bystander......................

 

I don't think it's quite that simple. For instance, I am a member of the NGRS, I have the necessary skills to be Treasurer and have been Treasurer to Charitable Trusts in the past, but I have a job and I am not able/willing to commit to travelling round the country to attend committee meetings and thus I am not putting my name forward.

 

Has anyone been appointed to the role yet? It would be a shame to see the society collapse.

Ben