The Future ?

[NW Mailing List]

Alex,
     Doing away with the fluff and keeping to the subject at hand, which 
is the Vision Statement of the N&W HS, maybe we should look at the 
definition of "Vision Statement".
One reads, and I feel that this is universal:

/"A vision statement is a declaration of a company's goals for the 
midterm or long-term future. Ranging from one line to several 
paragraphs, a vision statement identifies what the company would like to 
achieve or accomplish. A good vision statement provides the inspiration 
for the daily operations of a business and molds its strategic 
decisions. Aspirational in nature, vision statements lay out the most 
important primary goals for a company."//
/
Looking  at the N&W HS vision statement one more time:

/"Over the next 20 years we intend to implement the steps necessary to 
establish and maintain the Society and its
Archives as the recognized, authoritative sources for information about 
the history and operations of the N&W
and VGN railways and their respective places *_in the development of the 
Central Appalachian region_* and in the
development of rail transport in general. As our resources permit, we 
intend to put in place up-to-date, proven
research technologies to make our collections available to the wider 
history and research communities." /

This clearly discriminately targets the "Central Appalachian" region. In 
essence, separating it from the rest of the N&W/VGN systems and making 
it the aforementioned "primary goal". This is in _direct contradiction_ 
to your item number 4 below.

Now, let us look at the NS' vision statement:

/"The NS vision: Be the safest, most customer-focused, and successful 
transportation company in the world."/

Nowhere in the NS statement do I see any one area singled out. In fact, 
it clearly states "in the world."

So again, I submit to you that something along the lines of the way I 
have changed the N&W HS Vision Statement below is more in keeping to the 
vision that we should be keeping.

/"Over the next 20 years we intend to implement the steps necessary to 
establish and maintain the Society and its
Archives as the recognized, authoritative sources for information about 
the history and operations of the N&W
and VGN railways and their respective places/*_/in the development of 
the regions along their "Right of Way"/_*/and in the
development of rail transport in general. As our resources permit, we 
intend to put in place up-to-date, proven
research technologies to make our collections available to the wider 
history and research communities."


/Sincerely yours,
Jimmy Lisle

On 10/15/2014 12:24 PM, NW Mailing List wrote:
>
> Some particular points:
>
> 1)Any member of the NWHS is eligible to present their candidacy to be 
> on the Board of Directors or an officer of the NWHS. If elected by the 
> membership any member can than become part of the "powers that be" 
>  and make decisions that affect the direction of the NWHS. Three BoD 
> members are elected every year and we are always looking for 
> candidates. Additionally officers are appointed every year by the BoD 
> from those who step forth and volunteer to serve.
>
> 2)When you deal with history it is hard to assume that Event B would 
> not have happened if Event A did not happen. If Event A did not happen 
> there may have been an Event C that caused Event B to happen. As an 
> example the N&W chartered the Guyandotte & Tug River (Event A) in 1903 
> to get from Clarks Gap to Wharncliffe via Pineville (Event B). By 1907 
> the route was surveyed and all of the right-of-way was acquired, but 
> the railroad was never built. Pineville(Event B0 was developed because 
> the Virginian (Event C) extended its railroad from Mullens to Gilbert.
>
> 3)The N&W/Virginian had more effect on the development of the Central 
> Appalachian Region than any other region, but if the N&W had not done 
> it some other railroad probably would have simply because of the 
> mineral wealth.
>
> 4)The vision statement does not give precedence to one region or 
> another, but does recognize the prominent role the N&W/Virginian had 
> in the Central Appalachian Region, The added statement "and in the 
> development of rail transport in general" has equal weight in the 
> vision statement.
>
> 5)The attached region map defines the Appalachian Region. In 2009 the 
> region was divided into subregions. The 2008 Subregions Map shows the 
> counties in each state defined to be in the Appalachian Region.
>
> 6)In reality the NWHS does not concentrate on one region or another. 
> We publish what _volunteers choose to produce_. The data items we 
> enter into the data base are what we find when we open the boxes on 
> the pallets. It would be difficult to say that all of the mechanical 
> and structural drawings, photographs, and other data items are 
> regional directed.
>
> 7)I expect that many members have different interpretations of what is 
> published and we always appreciate members suggestions.
>
> Alex Schust
>
>
>

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