MPHS responses to agenda….draft

[peggyrothschild]

1) Membership – How to keep members and attract new ones.
MPHS is mailing or distributing brochures to train shows, railroad museums, hobby shops and Amtrak stations in former MP territory. Feedback from new members is the web site attracts new members and tables at train shows has been successful. We’ve run ads in Model Railroad Hobbyist, RMC and R&R. We’ve picked up over 60 new members this way but you have to push all the buttons not just one or two. As to keeping members, discounts on company store items, timely magazine, annual conventions. Newly launched bulletin board keeps members and non-members apprised of MPHS activities. Use the web to let people know you are active, separate HS web site, Facebook, bulletin boards are all important. Launching a members only portion on our web site to reinforce joining gets a member more value.

2) Publications – What are people looking for?
Variety in authors, articles, mix of modeling articles and prototype. Quality magazine and calendar. Most important is to keep the magazine on time.

3) Archives – Do you have an archive, are you digitizing material, and what are your long term plans? David….

4) Marketing and Sales – What works? Getting information out on new products, offering MPHS only items (Bluford Shops SBW caboose), back issue sales on eBay. Selling on eBay is a means to get the word out on your HS as sort of a free advertising. Sell memberships on eBay. Get in new items. Make your HS the first place people look for items covering your railroad. Models, books, decals, ball caps, DVDs all sell. Tables at train shows work in former MP territory

5) Open discussion on other topics as time allows.

[luisflierl26]

On archives I will briefly discuss the digitizing work we are doing, mention the grant money we have received, and discuss that we are investigating options for expanded storage or moving to a larger facility, and mention the possibility of a joint effort if anyone is interested.

Overall, I don’t want to run the meeting as this is what MPHS is doing and this is what you should be doing. I want to keep it open to find out what other may or may not be doing, and hopefully get some good feedback from the other groups. However from what I see as a member of several groups, MPHS and Burlington Route seem to be the most proactive of the groups I belong to. Illinois Central is making some efforts but are having some issues as well (I think there are two IC groups now). DO we have anyone from BRHS coming?

[clemmie_doris12]

Dave Lotz will be there representing the CB&Q gang.

[peggyrothschild]

David
My only point in putting my post together is to share what the HS are doing overall. Kevin can use what he wants. The best outcome from this meeting to to give the weaker HS some ideas on how to stay solvent.

[luisflierl26]

So far any chatter I have heard about this meeting has been positive from those planning to attend. There are a few who would like to come but have other obligations. Hopefully it will create some movement and lead to better communication in the future.

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